Skip to main content

Featured

May Flowers at the Three Coins Inn by Kimberly Sullivan #Review

May Flowers at the Three Coins Inn  by Kimberly Sullivan was published on May 8th and feels just right for the season. After a successful seasonal opening in April, friends Emma and Annarita are eager to welcome a new set of guests to their Umbrian inn during the full bloom of May. Upstate New Yorker Lisa needs an escape from betrayal and the prying eyes of her smalltown neighbors. Elderly, reclusive artist Antonio hopes leaving Milan for a country sojourn will spark his long dormant creative muse. Manhattan socialite mother Sharon grudgingly embarks on a country holiday with her young son, Josh, with whom she shares few interests. Roman author Margherita prefers time spent alone, but her career may depend on a stay in bucolic Todi among fellow guests. And Emma and Annarita are anxious to embrace their close friend Tiffany on her brief stay in the heart of Umbria. The swallows may have returned and colorful petals now dot the countryside, but will the inn’s atmosphere allow hu...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

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. 


    

 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts