bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

Opposite to Rites of Spring for me - took a long time for me to get into it but it stuck the landing.

I didnt enjoy this one anywhere near as much as Dark Pines and found it a lot slower and more repetitive, though the final quarter really flew by.
Tuva is growing on me more and I'm interested in getting on with Book 3 to see how she fares with her new life after the trauma she's faced in these first 2 books.

Unfortunately this one just didn't do the trick. Read the first 100 pages and didn't feel attached enough to the story or characters to want to continue so I skim read the middle to get to the final pages. Unfortunately the conclusion fell flat for me especially compared to The Island which I couldn't put down.

a really enjoyable fantasy fairy tale. Notnsure how much it'll stick with me but I enjoyed the story and it was well narrated.

Based on a true story, this beautifully written, character driven debut is a fictionalised deep dive into the life of Costanza Piccolomini and how it is shaped by her relationships with, and the abuses of, the men around her, particularly the famed sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini.

I found the character of Costanza and the city of Rome were brought vividly to life, and the story and writing felt authentic and well researched. It was a little slow to start and I struggled a little to become invested in her relationship with Bernini as he was clearly a 'bad guy'. Despite that I truly enjoyed getting the female perspective of society during this time and many story elements felt current and relevant, especially the male on female violence, its impact and effects. History keeps repeating itself it seems and the consequences of the affair for Costanza echo down through history and are still experienced by women today.

Lorenzo and Luigi Bernini are classic villains made of pure ego and selfishness under the guise of artistry and passion and of no surprise to any reader both men essentially end up with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist for their actions - it's infuriating and all too realistic.

Despite that frustration, for me, these elements are what made this book really work for me. It's historical fiction but its accessible and paints a picture that could fit into a 21st century setting. Costanza is at once a traditional female character for that era, having little agency and could easily have been very one dimensional in lesser hands, but she is also complex and current, drawing power from the women around her and her own inner strength and will to survive.

I found the author's note to be particularly effective at adding context and additional insight into the writing and highly recommend reading it, potentially even first, depending on your feelings about spoilers, as it could enhance your overall reading experience with that knowledge in mind.

This is a story of love, lust and betrayal. It's epic and intimate and comes highly recommended especially for fans of historical fiction.

4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books | Renegade Books for a digital review copy of "Costanza" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A fascinating insight into a closed world. I am fascinated by cults and the situation Catherine found herself in very much read like being in one. 
The Calling is not a life I find in any way, shape or form appealing but I do find it fascinating to get a glimpse behind the doors and to then discover that it's like a mean girls school clique was so interesting - it seems human nature just can't help itself.

3.75* Cosy fantasy locked room mystery in short story form. A fun, short hit from Travis Baldree and woukd take more.

Overall I enjoyed this one but didn't find it quote as innovative or clever as The Noh Mask Murders. It felt like it thought it was more ingenious than it was but that doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed the story, it was a solid mystery and was a little different considering it focused on the world of tattooing whilst also navigating post war trauma.

A modern classic. It's dark and leaves you feeling grimey. Very unsettling overall.

Well that's a book I've read. It was an easy and quick read but lacked tension for 3/4 of it, the characters felt like one dimensional cutouts rather than fully realised beings and there was a lot of repetition so it could have easily been a longer novella. The action ramped up with barely 20 or 30 pages to go and then ended with no real sense of closure. Very middle of the road.