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Snowflakes over Middlewick Bay by Eliza JScott #Review #MiddlewickBayBook8

I am delighted to feature the eighth in Eliza J Scott's Micklewick Bay series, Snowflakes Over Middlewick Bay , which was published by Storm Publishing on October 2nd. A wintry treat brimming with snowflakes, secrets and second chances!   When her beloved Aunt Colleen passes away, settling her affairs means doing the one thing Hannah Merryweather has spent years avoiding: returning to Micklewick Bay, the seaside town she fled years ago and has never quite found the courage to face again.   Coming home means facing the past too. Polly, her stepmother, and Darryl, her stepbrother, still loom large over the life she once knew, and the home she lost is never far from her thoughts.   Then, on her very first day back, she nearly collides with the one man she never expected to see again: Lachie, the kilted, green-eyed Scotsman who stole her heart last spring. His unexpected arrival in Micklewick Bay is the last complication Hannah needs – especially as feelings she thought she’...
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Runemarks by Joanne M. Harris

    On 23rd November, it was my turn on the Blog Tour to celebrate the re-issuing in hardback of  Joanne M. Harris' fantasy novel, Runemarks. You can read an extract from the book here.
 
I am following up with a short review.

My Thoughts

    Based loosely on Norse mythology, I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of this epic story. A fantasy world of goblins and gods, we follow the quest of Maddy Smith, a young girl, marked out as a witch by the mysterious rune mark on her hand. Set in the Nine Worlds, 500 years after Ragnarok, when the power of the gods of the Aesir and Vanir were destroyed. the Order exists to keep the Worlds in check. In the World Above, stories of the gods of Chaos have been banned and storytelling and dreaming of the past are outlawed. Maddy's secret is that she enjoys magic, even if she does not yet understand the extent of her powers. As the story develops, we meet a huge cast of characters, some of who are very engaging, particularly the goblin, Sugar and Sack. However, it is Loki who has the most depth as you try to decide, along with Maddy, just how far you can trust him.

     Before the story starts, there are maps and a list of characters to mull over, as well information about the history of Ragnarok and a glossary of runes. It feels like a substantial tale before you even start but in fact, the plot travels on at a good pace, especially once Maddy has set off on her journey down to the World Below. It is well written and engaging with touches of humour. Although it can be read as a stand-alone,  Joanne Harris has written three books in the Rune series: A Gospel of Loki which is the prequel to Runemarks and its successor, Runelight. If you enjoy being immersed in a fantasy world full of allusions to Norse mythology, this may be the series for you. 

 In short: a great story built around intriguing characters, set in a fascinating alternative universe.

 Thanks to Ben Unwin at Orion Books for a copy of the book. 


    

 
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