The Secrets of life and Death by Rebecca Alexander
Most fantasy/paranormal readers know the story of Elizabeth Bathory. Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian Countess who was convicted of witchcraft and walled up alive in her castle because it was said she bathed in the blood of little girls in order to become immortal. It was thought that their innocence lived in their blood, and that she would gain their life force by bathing in it.
This story has a different take on her legend. It takes place in two time periods. In the late 1500's when barbarians, the holy inquisition, and witchcraft ran rampant is the crux of the story. The other time period is a more current time, and as we find out, witchcraft and the holy inquisition are still a major deal.
In this story we learn about the properties of blood, as it relates to people who were dead, then brought back to life. The "revenants" blood has the power to cure multiple ailments, including incurable cancer. We also learn that Elizabeth Bathory was born of a woman who was born from a revenant who was dead for five years.
This story is intriguing and extremely difficult to put down. It should be on every paranormal/fantasy readers "must read" list. It certainly made mine.
I got this book for free from blogging for books for this review.
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
The City of Stairs is a very interesting fantasy book about murder, ancient gods and a destroyed city with stairs that seem to go nowhere. There's romance, mystery, war, fighting, and segregation. In my opinion this book deals with the religious segregation of a multitude of gods, and with a race of people that were once enslaved by the gods followers, but now are in charge of the former followers. The main character is faced with economic disruption, a resumption of a failed romance, and trying to track down murderous religious fanatics of a God that everyone believes to be dead. However, things are not always as they seem, and you'll have to read the book to find out more, I'm not one to hand out spoilers.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
Summer House with A Swimming Pool by Herman Kosh
This book is the hardest book to get into, the main character is the most difficult to like. I usually enjoy murder mysteries, but this book isn't so much of a mystery as it is a train wreck. The main character's thoughts jump from present to past without so much as a pause to signify the change.
The main character, Dr. Marc Schlosser, outwardly treats his patients with compassion and respect. However, inwardly he is disgusted and repulsed by his patients bodies and medical problems. At the beginning of the book he is about to face a medical tribunal, because of his negligence in mis-diagnosing one of his patients. By the middle of the book he is back in his memory, reminiscing about the summer he spent with the before mentioned patient.
I like books that have a resolution or specifically state that a second book is coming, this one did neither.
This book jumps around more than a grasshopper, if you are quick on your toes, and can keep up you may like it. If not, then this probably isn't the book for you.
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."
"Dear Luke, We need to talk - Darth" by John Moe
I just got this new book from blogging for books, absolutely free, and since I'm a huge reader, I figured why not. I wasn't expecting much. I found a book called "Dear Luke, We need to talk. -Darth" by John Moe. Just the title struck me as funny, so I said why not. It honestly isn't the type of book I normally read. I don't usually go for funny pop-icon stories.
In just the first few sections of the book, it had me laughing out loud. This wasn't something I expected. I am totally amazed that this writer gets the pop icons, and brings their private thoughts to the masses.
There were some sections that I didn't understand, but I believe that had to do with my age, and the fact that some of them were talking about things that happened before I was born. A small amount of research online and I understood what was going on. Even if someone my age or younger bought this book, there are enough current and most famous pop icons that the book would still speak to them, it also does speak to someone a decade older than me, my mom would enjoy it as well.
I received this book for free from Blogging For Books for this review.