Spirit's Princess Review

464 pages
Release date: April 24th, 2012

Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's future—one day this privledged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen years—her shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.

Review (ARC):
I've liked a lot of the Princess Myth series novels but this one was a bit hard to get into. I found it interesting reading this novel as I have never heard of Himiko before. Himiko was a great central character for this book. She's smart, headstrong, and always willing to do whats right. I loved her relationship with her family even though her family never stands up to her father. I loved the fact that Himiko wasn't afraid to stand up for what she herself believed in. I liked the descriptive nature of Himiko's world but I felt like everything moved too slowly in the novel. The slowness did make parts of the novel tedious to get through. However, the story really picked up in the end and left me wanting to read the next novel to see where Himiko's journey takes her. I would recommend this novel to those who like historical fiction.

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Song of the Nile Review

416 pages

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land. The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

Review:
The sequel to Lily of the Nile is as good as the first book, perhaps even better. I didn't know too much about Selene before reading these novels and I have to say that they give an interesting artistic view to her life. I enjoyed the way the author incorporated a sense of magic into these novels. In this novel Selene has grown stronger and become more like Cleopatra in the sense that she see's her destiny as being Egypt and will let nothing stand in her way. I enjoyed seeing Selene develop throughout the book and become stronger as a person and a queen. This is an extremely well written novel and as a lover of ancient Egypt I was not disappointed. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction and novels based on Egypt.

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Daughters of Rome Review

388 pages

A.D. 69. The Roman Empire is up for the taking. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything-especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome. Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister Marcella is more aloof, content to witness history rather than make it. But when a bloody coup turns their world upside-down, both women must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor...and one Empress.

Review: 
Another wonderful historical fiction in this series. Again when I picked up this book I wasn't sure where exactly it would historically take place in ancient Rome and I was pleasantly surprised to find its tie-in to the first novel.  The four Cornelia's differences created some wonderful characters. However, the two main sisters were the most interesting. The way that Marcella silently influenced things was definitely unexpected. I definitely enjoyed the character of Diana the most because she remained true to herself and saw more than the others knew. Although I enjoyed this book I did feel at times that it was a bit slow and not as interesting as Mistress of Rome.  I liked how there was more to the girls than how they perceived each other. I found it interesting that they all grew up together yet there were sides to them that the others didn't see or understand. All of the girls go through many changes based on their personal struggles and it makes this book an interesting read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction and ancient Rome.

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Mistress of Rome Review

470 pages

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart. As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.


Review:
As far as historical fiction goes this was a great read. For some reason I expected this to be during the Julius Caesar or Octavian period but it actually took place after. I enjoyed having a fresh storyline which I knew nothing about. Thea was an amazingly inspirational character. I found myself getting sucked into her story and despising her mistress Lepida. As far as romance goes I loved the way that Thea was able to find true love in Domitian. I feel like out of everyone in the book Thea went through the most and deserved to find happiness. It was interesting to read about the gladiators and how brutal the games were. I've always thought that it was crazy that in that point in time in Rome they actually enjoyed playing with people's lives for public amusement. This novel was definitely amazing and enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction or enjoys stories of ancient Rome.

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Madame Tussaud Review

 

464 pages

The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire…but who was this woman and how did she become one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous story comes to life as only Michelle Moran could tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin… 

Review:
Michelle Moran always writes great historical fiction novels and this one is no exception. I love how Madame Tussaud is shown to be very involved in the French Revolution. You really get an in depth view of what the French Revolution may have been like amongst the common people. The anger and misunderstandings that are expressed within Madame Tussaud's circle make the emotions of that time period come alive. I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Madame Tussaud survived this reign of terror. This was an excellent and enjoyable historcial fiction and I recommend it for fans of such.  

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