Nightshade and Oak by Molly O'Neill

-


I was a little worried going into Nightshade and Oak that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as Greenteeth, which I absolutely loved—but happily that wasn’t the case at all! Molly O’Neill does such a wonderful job weaving stories around British folk tales, and the Roman occupation of Britain makes for a tense backdrop, with the daughter of Boudica as a main character. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the way the historical setting shaped the story. I did find myself thinking that the central relationship between Mallt Nightshade and Princess Bellis might actually have been even stronger if it had remained platonic. The trust, companionship, and shared challenges between the characters were already compelling, and keeping that bond as a deep friendship could have highlighted another kind of meaningful connection that feels true to the harsh and uncertain context of the time.


Highly recommended! 4.5 I was absolutely thrilled!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

-
Image
This isn't my typical type of read but I just can't seem to pass up books that revolve around bees and honey.  It is so well written that I finished reading it in one day.  I was surprised that this was written by two authors as it has such a smooth flow and consistent voice.  Each of the characters was well-developed, and the story drew you in.  I had to keep reading to figure out what happened to Olivia, Asher and Lily.  I loved how the apiculture scenes were woven throughout the book and I admit to having a few sniffles about the tradition to inform the bees about a death in the family. I thought I had guessed what was going to happen and I was completely wrong!  Definitely recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to the authors -- well done! 
Read more

The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters

-
Image
The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters Jayne Swift has focused her life on being a physician, so she avoids offers of marriage.  The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters starts out with Jayne trying to get through a rough crowd of execution gawkers so that she can get to her cousin's house to treat her sick nephew.  She gets pushed into a doorway and ends up taking refuge there so that she doesn't get crushed by the crowd.  This event brings her together with William Harrier, who appears to be a footman at the residence, although mysteriously may not be. Unfortunately, I had difficulty with the PDF that I received through NetGalley so this slowed my reading progress of this novel.  Overall, it is a really good story centred around the English civil war, the black death and the treatment of the ill at Lyme Regis.  That said, I did find that it was overly descriptive in places which did impact my attention span (I admit to flipping pages to speed the sto...
Read more

Isabel Puddles Abroad by M.V. Byrne

-
Image
Isabel Puddles Abroad is an enjoyable cozy mystery. It's the perfect read for when you feel like taking a little trip to another destination in your reading life.   Isabel is in her 60's. Her children are grown, and now it is time for Isabel to take on new challenges. She's decided to return to college to finish the degree she'd meant to do when she had children. However, as a break, Isabel takes up her new friend Teddy Mansfield's offer to visit him in England. Ultimately, like Miss Marple, Agatha Raisin and Jessica Fletcher, Isabel gets herself tangled up in a murder mystery and aims to solve the crime.      While I have yet to read the first in this series, it is on my library wishlist. I am happy to report that not having read the first book had absolutely no impact on reading enjoyment or being able to follow the characters. The narrative of this book flows exceptionally well. It's a joy to read. I look forward to going back to read the rest of the series. ...
Read more