The Moon Sister: Blog Tour and Review

The Moon Sister  by Lucinda Riley is the fifth novel in the Seven Sisters series.  I reviewed The Pearl Sister which was the fourth book on this blog here.  I was delighted to be again selected for the blog tour by Atria, the publisher.  I received a review copy from them via Net Galley.  This post includes my  review.

ABOUT THE MOON SISTER:

Tiggy D’Aplièse spends her days experiencing the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands doing a job she loves at a deer sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is forced to close, she is offered a job as a wildlife consultant on the vast and isolated estate of the elusive and troubled laird, Charlie Kinnaird. She has no idea that the move will not only irrevocably alter her future, but also bring her face-to-face with her past.

At the estate, she meets Chilly, an elderly Romani man who fled from Spain seventy years before. He tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home…

In 1912, in the poor Romani community outside the city walls of Granada, Lucía Amaya-Albaycin is born. Destined to be the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation—and named La Candela, due to the inner flame that burns through her when she dances— Lucía is whisked away by her ambitious and talented guitarist father at the tender age of ten to dance in the flamenco bars of Barcelona. Her mother is devastated by the loss of her daughter and as civil war threatens in Spain, tragedy strikes the rest of her family. Now in Madrid, Lucía and her troupe of dancers are forced to flee for their lives, their journey taking them far across the water to South America and eventually, to North America and New York—Lucía’s long-held dream. But to pursue it, she must choose between her passion for her career and the man she adores.

Featuring Lucinda Riley’s “addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart” (Dinah Jeffries), THE MOON SISTER follows these two women bound across time and distance on their journey to discover their true futures—but at the risk of potentially losing the men they had hoped to build futures with.

                                

                              

My Review

I've wanted to read this book ever since I first saw the summary. I loved both female protagonists of this dual period novel.

I admire those who like Tiggy are dedicated to preserving threatened animals and their habitats.  Tiggy also faced down sexual harassment and numerous revelations that impacted her sense of identity when she discovered her Romani birth family in Spain.  Yet she remained focused on her vocation to protect animals. She has been criticized in a Goodreads review for not being a consistent vegan.  A vegan once told me that dairy foods were the most difficult animal products for her to give up, and that she struggled with eliminating dairy for years.  Even principled vegans may have difficulties. Becoming  a vegan can be a process.  I feel that Tiggy is a strong woman who always remained true to the central core of herself throughout the novel.

I've had a love of flamenco dancing and a fascination with the trance state called duende ever since I first learned about its existence in the Highlander: The Series episode Duende. This is why I identified with Lucia's dedication to flamenco.  I felt that her strengths lay in being loyal to her gift and to family.

I thought that The Moon Sister was a moving portrayal of these memorable characters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucinda Riley is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Orchid House, The Girl on the Cliff, and the Seven Sisters series. Her books have sold more than fifteen million copies in over thirty languages globally. She was born in Ireland and divides her time between England and West Cork with her husband and four children. Visit her online and learn more about The Seven Sisters series at LucindaRiley.com.

Indiscretion by Hannah Fielding

It's 1950, and a British woman and novelist is going to meet her family in Spain for the first time. She's twenty-five and though she writes about love, she's yet to experience it herself. Her Spanish family is...strange...to the say the least. They are wealthy; they tolerate a wild group of Gypsies on their land; and all the women are terrible bitches, it seems, except Esmeralda, who is just a coward.

And Alexandra is just thrown into the middle of all their drama--the drama pretty much surrounding the incredibly good looking Salvador who is just oh so seductive...and crazy. He's got a secret baby, a fiance, and yet lusts after his cousin one min and tells her to go home five min later. That's pretty much the first 40%.

I wanted to like this book. I normally really enjoy the Spanish setting and the heroine is very independent. But I didn't like it. I abandoned at the halfway point, as the most exciting thing at that point was that someone shot an arrow at the heroine. I was actually cheering that something besides Salvador drama and lust was going on.

Things that put me off:
--It does NOT feel like 1950. Not even close. The novel mentions how backward Spain is and that they are still recovering from war, but it felt like Victorian days, even the way they dress. And while the Spanish may be stuck in the past, for Alexandra, a British lass, to be that way...in 1950??? No.
--The hero is a bipolar and runs hot then cold, hot then cold, and frankly, treats the heroine like crap. Her pining for this guy did her no favors with me.
--It's predictable. The costume, the man on the pier...I saw it all coming from the very first.
--The hero again...is obviously a man whore and Alexandra is this virginal angel...I hate that.
--Did I mention all the women are bitches? The grandmother, the gypsy, the stepmother, the stepsister, the Isabel lady. Everyone but the heroine and the maid Agusta pretty much.
--After all the cold reception, why didn't Alexandra just go home? What's keeping her in Spain? Her father never talks to her after the first day. I get she is always up for a challenge and fights for what she wants, but this guy is not worth it.

I just didn't like this. But I thank the publisher for sending me a digital file for review.

More Rant Than Review, Inspired by Falcones's The Barefoot Queen

I don't normally do this. But I've spent four days reading a 700-some? page book and only made it to 30%. It's stellar writing and an interesting historical tale of the life of the Gypsies and their persecution and customs in the late 1700s, Spain. The tale follows not only an apparently incredibly, mind-blowingly gorgeous Gypsy girl, Milagros, but also a former Cuban slave, Caridad--who also inspires men to wild lust as soon as they lay their eyes on her. (Yes, I have a disembodied part in that sentence. No, I don't care.)

Caridad's story broke my heart from page one. I kept reading despite some irritation (I'll get to that) in hopes she'd find happiness and also, a backbone. But in the end, despite the fact I wanted so much for the constantly beaten and raped Caridad, I could not continue.

I not only felt I was on the outside looking in (something I hate), but I got incredibly tired of the rape, sexual deviation, and lust every which way in this tale. Every single man who sees Caridad either masturbates whilst looking at her, rapes her, or desires her and fights it. Seriously??? I don't care how beautiful a woman is, not every single man is going to struggle with lust for her. Men are all different and are attracted to different types of women. And then it also began with Milagros.

The girl was beautiful; she emanated sensuality with every movement. They wouldn't even be able to walk a couple of leagues before men started pouncing on her...

We are told nonsense like this in between rapes, attempted rapes, and masturbations and bits about farmers diddling their own daughters constantly.

Even the men of the cloth are not exempt from lusting after Caridad, Milagros, or both.

Were things hard on women back in these days? You betcha. But do I care to be reminded every 5 minutes that men are apparently horny bastards who constantly fantasize about tearing our clothes off? No, I don't. Books like this make me afraid to leave my house and go to work. (The male to female ratio is way off in my line of work.)

So, when is it too much? As I said above, not every single man who lays eyes on a woman is going to be driven mad with lust. Thoughts?

The Poet's Wife by Rebecca Stonehill Takes Us On a Journey Through Spain's Turbulent Times

"You are a human being and so is the peasant from the countryside and so is the monk from the monastery and so is the right-wing politician. We may not agree with certain people but nothing, nothing whatsoever, justifies harming them."

There is nothing more confusing than Spain's civil war. Even the most interesting of novels chronicling it have left me feeling slightly bewildered. So I love how this author has managed to lay it out for us, simply, in a way in which the facts will always be in my mind. The story of Spain's hardships is told through three women. First, the poet's wife, Luisa. She shows us Spain before the war, when young girls spoke to potential suitors through gates and parents had a firm say in who their daughters married. While her time is strict, it's not as strict as it later becomes. With a chaperone, she's allowed to go to poetry readings. As a married women, she's allowed to walk the countryside and visit the gitanos. There is music and dancing. People are allowed to have opinions...and meet with those with like minds.

But then the war comes. Luisa continues her story and yet we also see the war through Isabel's--her daughter--eyes. Isabel is my favorite. She flourishes from a follower into a leader with a mind of her own. She's a nurse. She shuns traditions, yet stays in a strict, dictatorship country for her mother's sake. Later, despite the risks, she helps people to die, providing them comfort in their last moments. Through her eyes we see the Republic fall to Fascists and how people must adjust. Through both her and her mother's narratives, we experience the suffering of war: death, fear, secrets, helping others.

And then Paloma, Isabel's daughter, makes an appearance. Here is where I have a quibble. Paloma shows us the post-war Spain, a time when husbands and wives cannot even hold hands in public. When men sit on one side and women on the other. When the church and a dictator rule all. When music and dancing is forbidden.

But I didn't like her and she shows up so late in the story, I couldn't really know her anyway. I'd have preferred the story just stick to Isabel and Luisa.

But I love how this book not only shows us the history of Spain, but also how the women evolved and changed with it. And most of all I appreciate being reminded that we are all human.

The writing is very good, though the tense seems to change at times and it's jarring. There were also typos but this is a digital arc from Netgalley.

I would read this author again.

Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan

Lola Montez…a woman who is reputed to have been a spy, a dancer, and seductress. This is not the first story I’ve read that was inspired by her. Though I enjoyed this historical romp laced with humor and gasp-out-loud moments, if I were to compare this to An Invitation to Dance by Marion Urch , I’d find it sorely lacking.

It’s not that it’s not entertaining—it is, and I even learned stuff from it about the situation in Spain during this time and the Royal house and Prime Minister… The problem is I never grew terribly fond of this version of Lola. She’s funny, witty, but I fail to see how she’s independent or strong. She does one stupid thing after another. She is capable of getting herself out of bad scrapes, but she gets herself into them in the first place. I mean, seriously, after all she’s been through—having those she loves murdered, being robbed, stalked, etc, how dumb do you have to be to set yourself up with a crap-ton of publicity and make yourself a huge public spectacle, all the while using a name that your would-be killer knows? And you know he’s alive… How dumb do you have to be?

And she does nothing remarkable, unless you consider the fact she manages learn fluent Spanish in just three weeks. (Really?) She just sleeps with men and dances. And runs away from things. Though I did feel bad for her when everyone was so intent on blaming her for the mission’s failure. It wasn’t her fault.

My other complaint is that her characterization was somewhat off at times. Lola is feisty, I’ll give her that, but she lets some horrid woman and her daughter just waltz into her room and take her dresses and jewelry…and yet just days later, this same Lola challenges Dumas to a duel? Sometimes she’s the spunky Lola we expect; other times it’s like WHERE THE HECK IS LOLA?

But it wasn’t all bad. The Royal family, especially Aunt Carlota, were exceptionally amusing and there were many LOL moments throughout the story. These moments kept me reading even when at times I grew tired of Lola’s bad decisions and just wanted the story to end. It was also interesting learning about a dance called the Tarantuala. Overall, it was also very fast-paced with conspiracies, theater life, masked balls, fine horses, tickling mustaches, politics, executions… I think I’d have loved it if I had liked Lola more.

I plan to read book two, because I do feel this heroine has potential. If she can just stand on her own two feet a while, without depending on a man, and wise up a bit, I can see this series doing great things.

They’re all rogering their relatives, I thought, with each others’ blessing!

The ability to barefacedly throw an accusation back at your accuser seems a necessary skill for the Spanish of either sex. If you’re good enough at it, you can make the other forget what the initial injury or accusation was in sheer dumbfoundedness at your yapping arrogant tenacity.

I bought this on Amazon.

Blancanieves (Snow White)

Here's something you all have probably not heard of...I didn't know of it until my Flamenco teacher told me about it. It's a Spanish retelling of Snow White...with twists...many twists. And most of you know I don't do fairy tales. This is not the traditional fairy tale.

First of all, don't like subtitles? Don't worry... Like me, are you deaf? Don't worry.

It's a silent movie. Oh, there's music, if you want it...but it's silent. You won't miss a thing. It's also black and white, and may I say, very artistically done. Death...is conveyed by the dunking of a white dress into a vat of black, the stopping of a record...emotions are displayed prominently on faces. When this is done as superbly as this, you don't need words, nor do you need nudity or cursing or anything else.

The similarities to the real Snow White? Let's see...she has a wicked, wicked stepmother who has all the control. She ends up left for dead in the forest and is discovered by dwarves. I do believe the one who is supposed to be Dopey falls in love with her. Grumpy tries to kill her...but that's not a similarity.

The differences: The dwarves are the bullfighting dwarves and Snow White is not only the daughter of a famous matador, but becomes a matadora! And...be forewarned..this does not have a happy ending. It's really quite sad. If you need that cheesy HEA, this is not for you, though I will say the wicked witch gets what's coming to her and that alone is worth it.

Loved: The little bits of Flamenco, the acting, the facial expressions, the pet rooster. Oooh. The way Snow White/Carmen fought a bull when she was supposed to be fighting a calf. She did it. She did not back down. I felt so much suspense whilst watching this. I gasped aloud and declared to the pug, "Oh no! That poor matador.." Also loved the costumes. I believe this is supposed to take place in the late 1920s. The villain has the same hairstyle as me (maybe it's time for a change? :( ) and Miss Fisher.

I was very into it and I don't normally do silent movies. Strange, as I really did enjoy The Artist. I just don't like the old ones, perhaps because they are so short?

Morals: Be careful who you marry...be very, very careful and oooh, don't sign things if you can't read. Dios!

What I didn't like: I found it hard to fathom that someone so very, very evil could be..of all things...a nurse!

Wondering how in the world bullfighting, Flamenco, and a rooster tie into the tale of Snow White? I'm not going to give you a play by play as that would ruin the surprises...but I will say I'm highly recommending this to fans of old movies, silent movies, foreign films, or anyone who likes to watch unique television. Tired of the same old? Do pick this one up.

A lady matador...that's pretty damn strong. But she's also strong because of all the stuff she faces, with grace and dignity.

I bought the DVD on Amazon.

Granada Gold by S A Carney

I'm torn between what rating to give this book. On one hand, I was able to read the entire thing--albeit not without some heavy sighing and eye -rolling. I was interested enough that I wanted to know what was going to happen next, or I should say, when something was going to happen. (Things happened, but the real interesting stuff was told as a quick mention, a mere tossing in of history, so it felt to me.)

The problem is, I fail to see the point of having read this. I was mildly entertained, but did not walk away with any new knowledge. If anything, I question some of the story. Yes, it's historical FICTION, but are we seriously to believe that Columbus's venture was funded on the whim of a spoiled prince, with the mere handing over of a necklace?


True or not, I'd think the lead up to "discovering" the Americas could have used some more "air" time. Instead the story goes on and on about Juana's love for Lord Sales. I understood she adored him the first time it was mentioned. I don't need to be beaten over the head with it throughout the story. She also seems to be in love with her brother and filled with extreme jealousy at the thought of another woman having him. Perhaps this is the trait that made her mad. I thought it a tad sick.

And holy moly, how many times do I need to be told that Isabella is to marry the Portuguese king and that Catalina is now Princess of Wales. Trust me; it doesn't need to be every single time said princesses' names are mentioned.

In the end, it feels like the mundane rambling/daily journal of a spoiled child who happened to live in Granada during this tumultuous times. It focuses more on the above stuff and descriptions of Granada than things that interest me: Columbus's voyage, the Inquisition. Oh the Inquisition was mentioned, but it felt like it was taking a back seat to Lord Sales, the beauty of Granada, and whether or not her brother is going to marry the supposed awful Margaret. It also felt and read like a young adult novel.

Oh and let's not forget the evil Father Adrian. Horrid man, but told a bit OTT. And I find it strange that Juana is the only who sees it. Hm.

The story began getting more intense in the last quarter as her impending marriage loomed and occurred, but by then I was already quite put off by the above quibbles. Perhaps the novel tried to cover too vast a time period and thus did not focus on the things I care about. Nor did I find this heroine remotely strong. Irritating, more like.

I received this via Netgalley.

A Bird with the Heart of a Mountain by Barbara Mariconda

I’ve read many a novel about the Spanish Civil War and more often than not, flamenco is tied into the story in some manner. Compared to these two titles--The Return by Victoria Hislop and Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexandra, I found this one somewhat lacking and less inspiring as well as informative, but it should be noted those are aimed at adult readers and this one is aimed at the younger crowd. I do think, however, it could have been more clear about the war, the cause, the divisions, and what exactly was going on. Had I not read the previous two mentioned books, I would have had a lot of questions.

In a nutshell: the heroine is half Gypsy and half Spanish. When her mother meets tragic circumstances, she just “happens to” run into her father’s family, whom she’s never known of till now. They are dancers. With just a little training, she becomes a wonderful dancer too. Interspersed in the story is the war; an angry priest, a secret hideout, raids, prison, bombs, though the war itself isn’t explained in great depth.

I appreciated the obstacles the heroine faces: what world is she a part of? Should she settle for being half this or that? Half of herself? Choose a man—and she has many interested. The dancing…are the rules and instruction hurting her passion? What should she do and for what reasons? She has many choices to make and also you could say learns to forgive along the way. Things are not perfect with her father asap.

Also loved the subtle lesson about being in love. Are you in love or do you just love that he loves you?

I loved the setting, the descriptions, the writing style. I loved the ending for the most part, except for two things: 1. The “thing” with the Capitan was left unfinished. It left me feeling as though there is trouble to come and I wondered how she would overcome her “debt” to him. 2. The baby sister issue was left unresolved.

I received this via Amazon Vine.

Golden Earrings by Belinda Alexandra

This is a novel with a moral, that reminds us to always get the full story before judging others.


It took me a long time to read this, as I had to juggle it with review-required books, but it's a book that one needs to savor bit by bit anyway.


It goes from Paloma in 1970s France--a ballet dancer estranged from her father, living with her Spanish grandmother who is full of secrets--to Evelina in a turbulent Spain--a wealthy pampered girl I never came to like--to La Rusa, a flamenco dancer accused of betraying Evelina's family.

I won't deny that I became confused at times with jumping around, but not to the point it detracted from my enjoyment of the story and the lessons and history within. The Spanish Civil War is a difficult one to grasp--so many parties, so much hatred, so many factions, but the book simplifies it as much as a historical novel possibly can. The church, Franco, the Republicans, the Socialists...etc.

There's three romances, though I would say La Rusa's steals the show. There's secrets, lies, betrayal, and it being over 500 pages, we'd be here all day if I tried to tell you even a quarter of them. It's great story telling though and as I said above, educational about the war. I also appreciated the awareness of class division. It's something we must never forget--how it can tear apart a nation, how things can go so badly when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer... The moment we forget history is the moment we risk repeating it. That makes books like this even more important.

The dancing, the descriptions, every is vivid and beautiful with the perfect amount of description.

My only solid quibble is I freaking hated Evelina. Never came to like her. Spoiled brat, if you ask me--as a young girl, as a woman, as an old lady. I prefer to like the main players of a story--especially the heroines, and she came across as one. 

"I imagined that Margarida had become a famous writer and was living in a cottage somewhere with dozens of cats. She would write about us, and we would live on her fiction."

Why don't you, like, try to do something yourself, Evelina?

I almost took away a star I hated her so much (and Conchita too), but La Rusa's experiences as an ambulance driver redeemed the book. She had enough guts for all three women combined. :)

I bought this on Amazon Kindle a long time ago. It appears to no longer be available in the States. :(

Isabel: The TV Series

I have to thank Lisa J. Yarde for telling me of this show. It's on a website called Drama Fever. (You can watch for free if you don't mind ads or you can pay ten dollars to avoid ads) It's Spanish, from Spain, with English subtitles. It's about Queen Isabel--the queen responsible for the Inquisition and Columbus's adventures.

The Inquisition...makes this not a favored queen of mine, but I'm a sucker for a period drama...

Season one starts with Isabel becoming queen and suddenly takes us back many years to when she was a girl being raised in a castle with her mother and younger brother Alfonso. An older half brother, Enrique, is on the throne of Castile and he's incompetent as well as impotent...

The entire series is back and forth, back and forth. Due to people wanting to make Alfonso king over him, Enrique basically imprisons Isabel and her brother, keeping them from their ailing mama. This is his first mistake. Then he removes them from the line of succession, wanting to put a daughter that may not be his on the throne. Second mistake.

Let's just say, Isabel vows revenge on Enrique and his promiscuous and bitchy Portuguese wife. How she'll obtain that? Take his throne...one of these days.

There's war, negotiations, Enrique betraying her, more war, Pachecho (THE boss around court) switches sides, more war, negotiations, Enrique betraying her, Pachecho switching sides...and it grows increasingly obvious that the kings and queens are merely puppets. Pachecho and his uncle Carrillo are the ones in control.

I loved the costumes, though I grew tired of Isabel wearing nothing but white in the beginning. The acting was excellent. This is the kind of TV show that after you turn it off, you look around your home and go, "Where did my court go???"

The sex and nudity was a bit OTT and unnecessary, especially in the beginning in the king's court. I grew sick and tired of Fernando's whore too. There was only like two scenes in which that chick didn't have a boob showing fully. I'm not sure what her purpose is, why she was in the show...for the nudity?

There's a forbidden romance between Isabel and her right hand/body guard. It's sweet and pure and never consummated in any way, which makes it all the sweeter.

I didn't care for the brutish Gonzalo at first...but he grew on me. What he did for Alfonso at the scene of a battle was just amazing and I began to respect him after that. The fact he couldn't have happiness with the woman he loved saddened me.

Long review short: This season chronicles Isabel's fighting with Enrique, Princess Juana's questionable parentage, Pachecho's ridiculous power, Rome's greed, tons of disputes and wars, Isabel's tricky and controversial betrothal to Fernando, her fear of being a wife, the wedding, jealousy issues, separation anxiety, sickness...and though I had some quibbles--Pachecho and the whore were just annoying, (I was tempted not to finish the season, tbh, but the rest of the stuff going on kept me coming back) I'll be watching the second season. And OH, I LOVE Fernando!!!!! I wouldn't have had any problem on the wedding night. LOL

It's a strong heroine in a tumultuous world. Watching this, it's hard to believe this queen, so against people dying, ended up the reason for the murders of millions.

A Dream Defiant by Susanna Fraser

I appreciate this story. I love reading about couples jumping over that silly color barrier, especially in historical times when it was so not accepted. Courage and love can overcome.

You have a former slave, now British army man trying to get his troops together after a harsh battle. When one of his men dies obtaining a necklace for his wife, Elijah not only delivers the bad new to the new widow, but also the necklace. This puts a price on a the lady's head and she marries Elijah to protect herself. It's just a wonderful coincidence that she happens to desire him anyway.

Together, they stand against those who dare to frown on their union. The sex is very tame and sweet--well done. I don't need all the nitty, gritty details. I like this author's style.

I liked the heroine: practical, smart, nice, nonjudgmental, and pursuing her dreams. The hero is understanding and likable, not the overdone alpha male.

The story is well-written, what I imagine an army camp to be in those days. I was transported to another time and place.

Matter of fact, my only quibble is that after the huge deal made of the necklace, I was expecting more drama about it, at least one more person to go after it at some point. I was left feeling like a scene was missing.

The story was surprisingly short, but it didn't feel rushed and I have no issue with the length. I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to read it nearly in one sitting. It's nice, however, to pick a book up and just get lost for a few hours and finish it. Some books nowadays don't seem to know when to end. LOL

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Every time I sit down and read a book about the Spanish Inquisition, I'm shocked all over again. What pointless and horrid brutality. And though I've read a story with this theme and plot before, it still impacted me.


Terrific writing style and prose, though I have to say the dialogue being all italics instead of in "s is disconcerting.

You have a girl in Spain during these troubled times...she notices little things. Her family crosses themselves differently, doesn't eat pork, has mysterious visitors, etc. She discovers they and her are Jews. The wrong person finds out and you can imagine the rest.

I couldn't help but think the girl was stupid though, because in light of her knowledge, she should have left the boy alone. It's not like she can marry him anyway. She's Jewish and he's not and back then that was not done. So I had an eye rolling moment, but it was a good read.

Though aimed at teen readers, adult will find themselves just as engrossed and on the edge of their seats as jealously tears a family apart.

Four bikes. This book was obtained via a swap program.

The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

I think C.W. Gortner is a man, so I was exceptionally surprised and pleased at the woman's POV being done so well. Her insecurities, her love for her husband, her strengths and weaknesses were so real to me. To be honest, I didn't expect to like this queen. She was behind the murder of so many...but the last part of the book, the Inquisition, showed me another side and reason to it all. Same history, different POV.

I preferred the beginning of the book. Young Isabella, her friend, Beatriz, her passion for Fernando. I fell in love with Fernando there for a while myself...till he was a bad boy. Young Isabella shows us her brothers' reigns. Her half brother, the sodomite and his wife trying to throw a daughter of questionable lineage on the throne... Her second brother takes the throne, only to die. Isabella tries to play nice and fair and it bites her later. She's threatened, imprisoned of sorts, they want her to marry against her wishes...but she only wants Fernando.

I found it wonderfully romantic. I was completely enthralled with the first half of the book. The second half with her as queen showed me a determined and strong woman and mother, then the Inquisition. I grew a tad bored with all the court intrigue. I always do. Those parts about wars and traitors start to lose me for some reason, but I thought this was a great book. It's the first novel I have read about Queen Isabella. Well done, Mr. Gortner.

Favorite quote:
"Women breed and men provide. What I ask is: Why? Why must we have only one path? Who said a woman can't take up the sword and cross, and march on Granada to vanquish the Moors? Who said we can't make our own decisions or manage our ow affairs as well as any man?"

Four bikes. I received this, an ARC, via Amazon Vine. Quotes in the final book may be different. 

The Last Song by Eva Wiseman

This was a surprisingly quick read, not due to length, but the fact that one can't really put it down. It's fast paced, to the point, rich in history.


The Spanish Inquisition is wreaking havoc all over Spain. Isabella doesn't quite understand why. She just knows it's because of the Jews, and she's been taught they are horrible people. Imagine her surprised when she finds out that she's one of them. Her father, the court physician, is a descendant of Jews... The story unfolds, revealing to the reader the desire of a young girl to find her roots, honor her family, and that you can't believe everything you hear. 


In times of peril, you find out who your real friends are...as is the case for Isabella and her family. Some will shun them, some will aid them, love can be found or destroyed.


Though engaged to a Spanish noble, Isabella's heart is with a Jew. Will she be allowed to make a choice, or will the Inquisition make it for her? A letter can determine their fate.


Quibbles: 1. I was a bit put off by the fact the family owns slaves, especially after they speak of their own people being enslaved. 2. The family and Isabella are at times, TSTL. I mean, really, you think you're in the clear once you hand over that letter? And Isabella's mother.. I hated her, really. "Let's go to my sister's even though she slammed the door on our face...????" And her father, what kind of father lets his daughter risk her life for him? That really raised my eyebrows. 


Despite that, it was a very enjoyable read and extremely engrossing. I recommend it for anyone that wants to understand the plight of the Jews in the time of the Inquisition. It educates while it entertains.


Four bikes. I got this from netgalley.

Sultana's Legacy by Lisa Yarde

Sultana's Legacy is a sad and violent story about the downfall of a family. If you read the first book, you would remember Fatima and Faraj and their incredible love for each other and you probably thought, "This is going to be a HEA.." Eh, not really.

There is too much drama to summarize it in a nice and neat little review package. It spans the entire last half of Fatima's and Faraj's lives. We get to know their children and meet their grandchildren and see how the Sultanate has cursed their lives, how greed ruins a family. In book one, Fatima watched her father ascend the throne. In this book, Fatima watches her father battle an addiction and a slight form of madness. He loses the throne to his son, Fatima's brother: the cruel one who tried to kill her in book one. When Muhammad ascends the throne, heads go flying. This leads to marital discord between Fatima and Faraj as she tries to usurp one brother in order to place another brother on the throne...

By this point, I began to see some madness in Fatima and started to wonder if she was just as nutty as her brother. Or is she just a woman determined to do the right thing at any cost? With all that happens, however, it's a wonder she doesn't lose all of her marbles. One brother replaces another, her husband imprisons her, her son betrays her and Faraj, nephews kill uncles.. all in the name of the Sultanship.. or for the lust of a woman.

Obviously, the drama, the violence, the betrayals were non stop. This is not a boring book. I really enjoyed it, the story, the surprising twists, and the author's perfect balance of descriptive details: not too much, not too little.

I was often confused by the characters' sudden personality changes though. I found it odd... that a man who was willing to defy a Sultan for collaborating with a man who killed a child would later support a Sultan who was lopping off random heads...and Fatima supported one man stealing the throne, so when her son did the same thing, why was she so outraged? In the beginning, Faraj was defying the Sultan and she was telling him how wrong he was, that he must be loyal to the Sultan no matter what. And later, there was a total role reversal as Fatima defied the Sultan and Faraj was all for brown nosing. Throughout the novel, I kept pondering this. But I guess their unpredictability is what made them human. And well, I confess I also thought Fatima may be going through menopause a few times. :p

An exciting read. I should mention there is a lot of violence. It's not for the faint of heart or the squeamish as the author brings to life a violent time. The things men do for power...

Favorite quote: "No, for you could not know the measure of my feelings for her in such a simple answer. The love I bear her is as unfathomable as the depths of the White Sea, even to me."

Four stars and I received this from the author.

And if you missed the first one and want to know more, see my review here: Sultana

Sultana by Lisa J. Yarde

I'm very impressed with this novel. It's about a Sultan's granddaughter (and Sultan's daughter.. depends on who sits on the throne) who is married at the tender age of eight amidst much war between clans, tribes, and kingdoms.

The Sultana is Fatima. When she is married off to Faraj, a war breaks out because she was supposed to be married to a member of the Ashqilula tribe, as tradition dictates. Her mother kidnaps her in order to save her, but instead Fatima ends up witnessing her murder. What follows throughout the novel is war.. War between Fatima's people and the Ashquilula people and between Fatima's people and another group of people (starts with M.. can't spell it) and war between Fatima's people and Castillians and also the Aragons. Are you confused by all that? I was confused half the time too. My eyes glazed over at times over all the politics and after a while I lost track of who was battling who and who had betrayed who.. That is the only thing preventing me from giving this a five star.

However, the story of Fatima and Faraj had me on the edge of my seat. She is 8 years old in the beginning.. so not much action there, but as the novel continues, she grows into a young woman and slowly her and Faraj begin to love each other. They don't "get it on" till the 70% mark and the anticipation by then just built up wonderfully. Great job, Ms. Yarde!

There is some conflict regarding Faraj's concubines, the Sultan's concubine, an aunt that betrays the kingdom in some way, Fatima struggling to pregnant, Faraj trying to fight off his thirst for revenge, and even Fatima's brother does something appalling. The last 15 % really had me tense with excitement as Faraj is accused of committing a crime... and Fatima tries to save him. Did he do it?

Fatima is a strong heroine. She even holds her husband at the tip of her arrow in one scene. LOVED that!

Truly I was impressed. If I hadn't been confused sometimes by the politics and all the different groups, I would have gave this a five. A little thing that bugged me: How does Fatima's hair color go from ink black in the beginning to copper?

Favorite quote: "All beauty fades with time. What shall never fade is the power of your mind."

Four stars.

I bought this on Amazon Kindle.

The Spy Wore Red by Aline, Countess of Romanones

This is a memoir, but told in way that makes it hard to distinguish fact from fiction, even though it is from the first person POV. Aline is an American model during world war II with two brothers overseas fighting in the war. She wants to be over there as well so when an opportunity to be a spy for the "baby CIA," called the OSS at the time comes up, she jumps at the chance and heads to Washington for training.

This is the part I liked. I liked reading about invisible inks, crawling around on the ground, weapons, and code. Aline also begins a bit of a romance with a fellow operative, nothing really juicy though the man does pop into her window while she is in Spain to steal a kiss. (sigh) The romance stays clean though.

Once Aline goes to Spain... and you would expect the action to pick up here.. it goes downhill for me. I didn't find her to be a very good spy. Her cover is blown from the get go obviously as she is constantly followed and her room is searched. She pretty much (in a fellow operative's words) is a "fashionable front." It becomes a name dropping episode as she parties with this count, converses with this countess, has a shooting match with that prince, and has a bull fighter wooing her by day. All the while, she is no closer to finding out the purpose of her mission: finding the mole in the OSS.

She's such a bad spy that while taking a bath in her Malaga hotel room, someone enters her room. She assumes it's the maid and hollers out "Would you please close the door? I'm in the tub?" Well, um, duh. Naturally her room is totally searched and ransacked while she washes her hair.

Thus, I had some issues with the book so three stars. I liked the beginning and the training parts more than the mission itself. Also, the ending.... good, but I knew it was coming from page 100. It was no surprise.

This was a library book.