I love a time travel narrative. It's just one of those things that captures my attention, especially when it's not done in a heavy sci-fi way. This book is a good contemporary/sci-fi mix with an interesting premise and a rather creative way for the time travel to take place.

The story does start off a bit slow and takes some time to establish its footing. This makes for a slightly languid pace that bleeds forward through the majority of the book. This movement does work in some ways, as it makes things feel a bit more emotional and even semi-dreamlike, as if the whole story were taking place inside Faye's mind. The emotional complexity to the narrative is intense. There's so much exploration of grief and repressed guilt/sadness. Though I couldn't completely identify with the situation, I did feel as though all of the emotions & thoughts were presented in a way that felt genuine & impactful. The writing was perfect for this conveyance as well. It wasn't pretentious or inaccessible, but instead very open & raw, delivering the narrative in a way that wholly wrapped me up in the story.

I loved the use of the box as a portal. There were some pieces where the logic didn't quite work out, but this is a common issue with time travel novels. It's a hard thing to do in a way that isn't questionable simply because it doesn't yet exist as something truly possible. That being said, I found it hard to pick apart those things that didn't quite gel when I was already dealing with something that so admittedly fantastical. It's just a pass that has to be given.

While my overall read was a success and I was able to connect with the feelings that the character was experiencing (while also sometimes simply shouting NO, DON'T DO THAT at her), I wasn't a big fan of the ending. I enjoyed where the story went, but it left things feeling a bit too open for me. I ALWAYS struggle with open endings, so this may not be an issue for other readers. It was an ideal way to allow for a sequel, but as far as I know, that isn't planned. I still have a LOT of questions.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Like the first in the series, this novel is quite different from what I am used to reading from Philippa Gregory. The good news is that I still very much enjoyed my reading experience! The story continues from where we left off in The Tidelands, but a couple of decades later. This does leave a bit of gap in the story and Gregory could have easily taken advantage of this to build another book in between, but I didn't really find myself missing the extra years. It does create an effect that nearly makes the two books act as standalones, though there is some background necessary to fully understand this installment.

The story is broken into two separate pieces, with one following Alinor and her family in England, while the other follows Alinor's brother, Ned, who has moved to colonial America. I don't mind dual narratives, in fact I enjoy them most of the time as they tend to give a better overall view of the plot and the characters. In fact, I liked both of these story lines, but I think they may have been better served to have been divided into separate books. They don't really interweave, but rather run parallel to one another. Keeping them together did result in a little bit of a lack of cohesion for the overall novel, but not in a way that made the stories murky.

I loved Gregory's writing as usual. She is great at setting a scene and creating complex characters. There is a good mix of good, morally gray, naive, and devious. Alys continues to be a bit of an annoyance character for me and I certainly hope that the actions in this novel prove to show some change in her if this series continues. I like Alinor. She's a bit of a subtle genius and it seems that no one really likes to listen to her, though she really does know more than everyone else seems to comprehend. Livia proves to be an interesting character. She is a bit heavy-handed for a Gregory novel, but it becomes very clear who she is without readers having to work that hard. I guess in a way that can be nice. I didn't like her, but I appreciated her as a character...if that makes sense. I can't really say more without spoiling some things.

The plot moves at a nice speed in both parallel stories, but feels a bit more natural on the Ned side. The narrative for Alinor's family does admittedly get a bit convenient in a few spots. It feels a little lazy for Gregory, but did make the read fun. Without being spoilery, I will say that Sarah's character arc in particular requires a bit of suspension of belief. I will admit that I rolled my eyes a couple of times.

Despite the flaws that may be present in the construction of the novel, this was still a very fun read for me. I just enjoy everything that Philippa Gregory writes. Some more than others, but I was in the right headspace for this one to read quite well and provide ample entertainment. It's not the best book for an introduction to Philippa Gregory, but it will prove a good read for those familiar with the breadth of her works.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

2.5 stars.

Though there was a great premise for this book, there were some problems with the execution. I think my experience would have been vastly improved had I been able to read it in the original Hungarian. There is always that possibility of losing the power of writing and context in translation and that may have been a large part of my issue here. In fact, there are some clear issues with the translation. Some pieces do not make sense and there are some obvious inconsistencies/errors in the construction of sentences. Even the title is technically incorrect. The translation of the Hungarian title to English should be Bonfire, not The Bone Fire. Though I suppose a stretch could help The Bone Fire make sense as well, I question which the author intended for the English release.

As it was presented, there were some fantastically written parts to it and I can see why Dragoman is considered a great author. The pieces come together a bit haphazardly, as if constructed in vignettes rather than a continuous plot, but things do weave together once you get a feel for the book. I did struggle to make it from beginning to end though, as I was frequently lost or confused by what exactly was happening. This could be a factor of how the book was originally written, or it could again be something of a construct caused by translation. It is very difficult to tell. Either way, this disjointed nature dragged down the pacing of the plot for me and prevented me from truly getting immersed in the story.

I did appreciate the magical realism elements to the story and wanted more explanation of these parts. There were a lot of things left hanging and I could have perhaps grown more attached to the characters and events if my understanding had been greater. This was also the case for the ending. It was apparently designed to be somewhat open ended (which I do struggle with on occasion), but it was also abrupt. There was a lot of tension and building in the last few pages of the book and then it just stopped. I honestly wondered if I wasn't missing a piece of my file (read as an e-book) until I read reviews that indicated the same issue.

I have a hard time saying I wouldn't recommend this book...for two reasons. 1. I do not have any Romanian background and don't understand the history of this region very well. This make speak much more to someone who does have that connection. 2. I don't speak Hungarian. I really think that someone who is able to read the book in its original state would be likely to enjoy it. I think that this experience may have created additional understanding in the story that would have lead me to bump my rating up by a star or more.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars. Creepy and haunting with excellent atmospheric writing. I had a great time with this read and really enjoyed all the twisted detail that went into making it. Everything felt so real. Despite the length, the book felt like it moved quite swiftly and I can't say that any of the pages were wasted. Every scene felt like crucial pieces of the puzzle.

Finding out that Mary MacLane was an actual author and that the novel this particular book is partially centered on does really exist made me fall into a momentary Google rabbit hole. I loved the writing of the relationships and the descriptions of all the creepy happenstances. The characters were so tactile. I loved that there were so many personalities at play and so many different backstories. This did, admittedly, confuse me a couple of times in a way that caused me pause, but not in a way that distracted me too much from the story. The only character I really did like was Caroline. Yes...there were other unlikable characters in the plot, but something about Caroline (Audrey's mother) just totally rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like she ruined every scene she showed up in once casting started to take hold. Thank goodness she was a minor character. I enjoyed the rest of the conflict (of which there was plenty) and the way the relationships between the characters became so complex and knotted as the narrative progressed.

I also discovered that I am apparently quite the fan of the Gilded Age and that I loved those pieces of time in the book possibly more than the more recent sections. I truly wanted more of the World's Fair, so now I suppose I need to go find more stories about that, but I also just enjoyed the feeling of the age. It's difficult to explain, but it just felt comfortable and intriguing.

In fact, there is a LOT of mystique and legend wrapped up in this book. It's something like a dark fairy tale juxtaposed with real life. I loved that intersection. The ending wasn't my favorite of all time, leaving things slightly open, but I still enjoyed the eerie way it left things. There was still a lot left to the imagination, which I think made the mystery of Brookhants even more alluring. I need more books like this.

4.5 stars. There were a lot of things to love about this novel and I found it very enjoyable.

There are a lot of historical fiction books out there, but there are not a lot who focus on this particular part of history. I find the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire quite an interesting subject, both in terms of the time period and the magnitude of the event. Having it presented in such a creative fiction narrative was both exciting to me and rewarding in the read.

The atmosphere in this novel is fantastic. I am a former San Francisco resident, and having the specific sections and streets of the city described were so much fun for me. I loved being able to see the city through this lens, reflecting on both the present state of those areas and the way they existed in the past. It was colorful, entertaining, and well-executed.

The characters were quite diverse and...spirited. I found their stories engaging and their interactions mostly credible and natural. Vera is appropriately written for her age, though her story was at times a little overly dramatic. The presentation of the racism present in the town was both well-done and uncomfortable to read. There were some moments that felt like the supporting characters were a bit stereotyped, but this was the exception rather than the rule and I still enjoyed the overall construction of the characters as well as their individual story arcs. Vera's journey from child to more-or-less self-sufficient young lady was full of missteps and learning moments that made sense, made the story more complex, and created a great narrative. There was one particular side plot that felt a little forced, but I cannot mention it here without spoilers. Suffice it to say that it was enough of a minor part of the plot to be mostly forgiven.

Though the story is primarily character driven, there were still interesting movements in the plot that kept things moving at a very comfortable pace and pushed the momentum of the book forward continuously. The pacing as a whole was good, though there were some moments of lull in the middle that could be problematic for some readers. For me, I was so mesmerized by the atmosphere of the novel that I still easily moved through these pieces because I wanted more.

This was a fantastic historical fiction novel that I found to be both a fun and emotional read. I have already recommended it to friends and will continue to do so. It is not a perfect novel, but it is a darn good one and one that I will likely find myself rereading in the future.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Whoa. This book was absolutely amazing. And a debut novel to boot! Just stunning. If you enjoyed Daisy Jones & the Six in any capacity, this book is definitely for you. It takes the interview approach of Daisy and runs wild with it, resulting in vibrant and fun characters who have VERY distinct personalities, motives, and flaws. The writing is as lyrical as the music of Opal & Nev is meant to be and the atmosphere created is just perfection. This book feels SO real. Touches of real musical history are woven throughout, including a few bits of name dropping here and there of real musicians. It's woven together masterfully and I LOVED it. In addition, I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. Done in full cast narration with the fabulous Bahni Turpin as Opal. For me, this is a favorite of 2021 and I definitely see it being in my top 10 at year's end. A must read.

* Disclaimer: In addition to the audiobook I borrowed from my library, I was given a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars. A thinly veiled Wizard of Oz retelling with Seanan Maguire's (aka A. Deborah Baker) typical weird and slightly dark spin. I had a great time reading this one, though there are a few parts where the logic left me for a bit and I found some frustration in the story. However, I loved the whimsical nature of the story and the quirkiness of the characters.

I enjoyed the fact that Zib and Avery were not instantly chummy and that they had very divergent personalities. It was a nice development of conflict. The supporting characters are for the most point enjoyable and enchanting. I was not the biggest fan of Quartz, finding him somewhat unnecessary to the plot. I do appreciate the lessons about individuality being taught through the narrative.

The story does leave off very abruptly at the end, but there is a sequel coming, so I let that slide for the most part. This could be a very fun series and I look forward to reading more.

I am still fairly new to graphic novels, but I do like how accessible they make information that might otherwise be difficult to focus through. I will admit that I did still have some difficulty immersing myself in the style of the book at first, but it got easier as I went through the pages and it truly made sense to present the story in this manner. I was totally embracing it by the end.

There was a LOT of culture shock involved for me in this read. The situations Satrapi faced growing up are so far removed from what I experienced as a child and teen that it was difficult for my brain to accept it as nonfiction as first. The more I thought about the culture and the difficulties of life for women, especially feminist women, in Iran during the late 21st century the more I found myself growing tense, frustrated, and angry. Putting myself in her shoes, I'm not sure how I would have managed. I would not have done as well, that is for certain. She did have her struggles, but she still persevered so well. To live by herself in a foreign country as a teen is a frightening thought. To then be so isolated and pretty much on her own for all basic human needs...her survival and mental fortitude is to be applauded.

The delivery is raw and emotional with a lot of detailed information that let me feel like I was truly getting to know Marjane. I learned a lot about the Iranian government and people, something well beyond foreign to me prior to my read. It was a good experience for me and I am thankful for her bravery and ability to be so candid in sharing her story.