Book Review: Trinity of the Sun by Darik Brooks

Describe a book like this - "Decorated with stunning and illustrative images, this novel is a must have for art and religious history enthusiasts, open-minded skeptics, and conspiracy theorists, alike. Inspired by a survey of modern scholarly works concerning the origins of Christianity, Trinity of the Sun skillfully assimilates many erudite facts within a crafty, seamless, two-fold tale of intrigue." and you've immediately caught my attention.

Former nun Carmen Leon has been privy to much information over the years and with others has pieced together information that suggests the role of Jesus was quite different to the one the Church tells us he played historically. She is one of a group that believes Renaissance artists knew of the real history of Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene and used a secret code to reveal the truth in their paintings. She is now ready to impart what she has learnt to art student niece Sophie, and the two travel round Europe so Carmen can illustrate her point.

The book contains a number of images to help illustrate what Carmen explains, and this is one of the rare occasions when I wish the kindle was in colour as the images lost a lot in grey and white. However I felt they still showed enough to work, and sufficient information was included to allow the reader to look them up online if they were so inclined.

I quite liked The Da Vinci Code, enjoy art, and books with a religious bent and an element of historical fiction always go down well with me. I found I really enjoyed the story and the retelling of the lives of the three major figures in particular. Carmen presents an interesting figure and setting the story by having her explain her discoveries to her niece allowed the author to progress it step by step for the reader too. I didn't particularly feel a connection with either of them but this is so plot-driven it wasn't a concern to me.

There were a couple of negatives however. Firstly there were a few typos and in some places the author has used words that just didn't seem right, and I found myself slightly lost as to what he was trying to convey and wondering whether he really meant to use a similar word instead. Secondly, this is the first in a series, and while I would definitely love to read the second book I didn't like the way this ended. It finished on a cliffhanger but it didn't feel like the women had achieved a particular thing or had come to a significant point in their journey when that cliffhanger presented itself. It just lacked the sort of impact or sense of conclusion I'd expect. This is a criticism I have levelled at other books that have formed part of a series, and while I appreciate how hard it must be for an author to divide material and choose where to split from one book to the next I think they need to bear the reader's experience in mind and consider that each may well be read on its own too.

Despite the criticisms I really enjoyed this book and found it a stimulating read without being too heavy.

Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 4*

Book Review: Port of Errors (Born of Tyranny) by Steve Cypert

Port of Errors is a swash-buckling pirate tale and historical fiction, set in the Atlantic in the late 1700s. Relationships between Spain, France and England are tentative and there are plenty of opportunities for privateers and pirates. Davy and Joseph grew up in the same orphanage, but when it was burnt down they were separated and took very different paths to end up on opposing sides. The pair are unwittingly trying to hunt down and kill each other, not realising the identity of their foe.

I like historical fiction and have been known to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean so this sounded like a good bet. I knew a little about the political climate of the time and thought it made for a good backdrop. I also thought the way the boys had been torn apart but had never forgotten one another, yet were now attempting to destroy their former friend was a good twist. I certainly enjoyed the basic premise of the book. I also liked the slightly archaic language and turns of phrase which gave a taste of the setting without getting too cartoon-y.

However I found the plot and the number of characters, some of whom switched allegiances, a bit confusing at times. It was all just a bit too complicated. Black-Hearted (Davy's pirate name) and Captain Stirvin (Joseph's adopted name) were good characters with a decent background presented, but many of the other characters lacked depth and felt a bit superfluous. And I'm afraid although I'm not talking about an error a page there were far too many for my liking, a mix of spelling errors, missing or extra words and rogue commas and apostrophes. Unfortunately in this case it did affect my appreciation of the book as I found it a bit too distracting. Some more attention to formatting, for example putting more obvious breaks between paragraphs when the scene changes, would also be helpful. The good news is that this is easily corrected, and the story itself was pretty good.

I did enjoy the story and could be tempted to read future books in the series (set up nicely at the end of the book) However I can't give it a great rating because of the above issues.

Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 3*

Book Review: Formed of Clay (A novella of betrayal in Ancient Egypt) by Thea Atkinson

I enjoy historical fiction and haven't read any for a while so picked this up looking forward to revisiting the genre. This novella is set in Ancient Egypt and is the story of Sentu, who wants to be accepted into the Priesthood to be able to study in the Pharoah's court. Coming from lowly fellahin origins he feels it must be a miracle when he is initiated into the Priesthood. From the start he appears to be special to High Priest Hozat, earning him the disdain of the other initiates, apart from faithful Ahmen. He quickly realises his world is corrupt, and discovers the horrors of life under Hozat. This is a story of friendship and betrayal.

The story contains rich details of Egyptian beliefs and mythology that had me fascinated. To start with Sentu was a sympathetic character but by the end my feelings about him were far less clear cut. The details of ritual sacrifices and torture were uncompromising as painted a different picture of the people of that time to the one I have seen previously. So often the Pharoah takes a starring role in stories of Ancient Egypt but here one of his wives, Berenib, is more prominent. She is scheming and vindictive, a complete contrast to Nubian priestess Asrule, who is dignified and strong despite her imprisonment.

I liked this novella with its strong characters and different perspective from other books in this vein. There were some paragraphs I had to re-read to make sense of, which pulled me out of the moment, and there were some Gods and Egyptian terms I wasn't familiar with and as a result I felt I might be missing something, but overall it was a good, intelligent read and I'd happily look at other works by this author.

Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 3*

Book Review: In the Blood by Steve Robinson

I picked this book up as it was chosen as book of the month for Goodread's Amazon Kindle group. Described a a genealogical crime mystery it sounded like a good book for me, one of my favourite genres combined with a particular interest of mine. It also has elements of historical fiction, another plus.

American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is packed off to England to finish off his latest assignment, the family tree to be a birthday present for the client's wife. JT thinks the worst part of the trip will be the flight, little does he know that he will be uncovering a dark secret that has lain hidden for centuries - one that will endanger his life. Primarily based in Cornwall, moving between the present and the 18th century, JT's research leads him to a wooden box once owned by a tragic young woman. This one little box unleashes a series of dramatic events.

At points in the book I found myself having to flick backwards and forwards trying to remember who was related to whom and how, but as I got into the book this largely ceased to be a problem. The moves in time were no problem though, they were smooth and well done. The plot contained a lot of twists and turns both in the past and present and I liked how the stories mirrored one another in certain ways. It certainly kept me thinking throughout. However, and this is a purely personal thing that probably wouldn't bother most people, I wasn't keen on the final twist that finally revealed the big secret. It's impossible to explain why without turning this into a huge spoiler!

I liked JT, and enjoyed having an unlikely hero who wasn't perfect, physically or otherwise. I also enjoyed the irony that despite his job he hadn't been able to uncover his own family history. There was a colourful cast of characters and knowing a lot of the places mentioned in the book I enjoyed the Cornish scene setting that captured the area well.

I am struggling on how to rate this book, it is well-paced, well-written and I would like to see more adventures for JT. However the resolution really made me go eurgh. For me that probably took it from a 4* to a 3* but I'm sure other people will respond to it differently.

Format: Kindle, bought by me
Rating: 3*

Book Review: Appalachian Justice by Melinda Clayton

Billy May Platt is the daughter of an Irish father and a Cherokee mother, and with that background living in a small town in West Virginia in the 1940s already presents difficulties. When she's 14 a group of boys launch a terrible attack on her, having witnessed a scene that drew her sexuality into question, and orphan Billy May retreats into the wilderness shunning her former friends. Thirty years later Billy May discovers the daughter of one of her attackers hiding out in the mountains where she has effectively done the same, and suspects he hasn't changed. She doesn't want to forgo her seclusion but feels for the girl. Events unravel bringing the story to a dramatic conclusion and affecting a number of the town's families.

This book skips between the 40's, 1975 and 2010, where Billy May who is now in her 80s is in hospital. She recounts her story and we gradually find out what actually happened to change many lives as a result of one incident. We also find out whether Billy May gets any justice for what has happened to her.

I'm not usually the sort of person who cries reading books (I think I can count the ones that have affected me in that way on one hand) but this one had me in tears. I was so moved by everything that had happened to Billy May, and the way in which the story reaches it peak in the 70s. To start with I wasn't sure about the author's use of lots of apostrophes to recreate the Billy May's manner of speech, but once I got into it I felt it actually helped me better imagine her and get closer to the character.

The story is very sad, one of prejudice, abuse and ignorance yet with all the threads tied up and knowing how everything turned out, seeing the good in people as well as the bad, it was strangely uplifting. In places Billy May is reading a book about a seagull and the excerpts reflect a story very similar to hers. I thought it was a very clever device to readdress the issues in a more simple way and emphasise them.

I love this book and really didn't want to put it down. In fact I'm kind of sad to have finished it. I think this will be a book that stays with me and one I'll probably re-read in the future. If it sounds even vaguely interesting to you get a copy!

Format: Kindle, review copy
My Rating: 5*

Book Review: The Heart Specialist by Claire Holden Rothman

Agnes White's father was a renowned physician in 1870s Montreal, but when he is embroiled in a scandal he leaves her, and her pregnant mother, and disappears. When her mother dies Agnes is left to be raised by her Grandmother who had very strict ideas about appropriate behaviour for a young lady. Agnes though was fasinated by her father's work and, having salvaged some of his equipment, furtively sets up a laboratory that would horrify her grandmother and sister.

When a new governess with an interest in natural history arrives Agnes' horizons are broadened significantly. Although there are limited opportunities for a woman at the time Agnes pursues her desire to become a Doctor. The book tells the story of her battles to achieve that title, and of the continued influence of her father and his protege on her life. The afterword tells the reader that inspiration for the book was taken from the life of one of Montreal's first female doctors, and this was the aspect that most interested me. To think how far opportunities for women have grown in 100 years or so is wonderful.

In additional to this the story encompasses the very gradual romance between Agnes and her assistant, the impact on her circle of acquaintances of World War I and the mystery behind her father's disappearance. The various elements of the story worked well together & I liked Agnes and appreciated her tenacity. We can also see her flaws, making her very real. This is book was a good combination of history, romance and mystery and well worth a look if they are genres that appeal to you.

Format: E-book, review copy (I received an ARC but a paperback version with a different cover already appears to be available in the UK)
My Rating: 3*

Book Review: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

This is another of those books I have approached cautiously, having seen lots of critics rave about it, but then finding really mixed reviews online. I decided to borrow it from the library towards the Borrowed Book challenge rather than buy it, in case I felt the same way about this as I did The Accident.

This book is an historical saga that moves around in time from 1910 to the 1960s and 70s. The book opens in 1910 where Stephen Wraysford is a young man in France on business. He falls for his host's wife, Isabelle, and their affair has dramatic consequences for the whole family. We next catch up with him during the Great War where he is fighting in the trenches and trying to find sense in what is happening. Decades later we meet Ruth, who is trying to find out about her Grandfather through an encoded diary.

The author writes in a very descriptive manner, which in some places I found wonderful and moving, although in others it was maybe a little too wordy. The descriptions of the events of World War I and the deaths and injuries are graphic and disturbing but nowhere near as disturbing as it must have been to have lived through it so it felt totally warranted. Ruth's musings about her life in the 60s and 70s provide an interesting contrast to what previous generations had experienced having lived through two World Wars, and it also made for a comparison between what was demanded and expected of Isabelle and Ruth as women living in such different eras.

This book ticked so many boxes for me that my concerns were not warranted and I'm so pleased recent experiences with literary best sellers didn't put me off.

Book Review: Richard Wilde by Mary Fitzgerald

This book is based on an old diary found by the author and the story partly fictionalised. This book came highly recommended by readers on a web forum and although it only had a couple of reviews on Amazon's UK site they were both glowing.

Richard Wilde is 95 and told he doesn't have long to live, he decides in what little time he has left he wants to commit his family's story to paper so the secrets he has been hiding for decades will finally come out. The majority of the book is told from Richard's point of view and moves between the present and the past, as he deals with the business of dying while recounting his history. The book covers a period spanning two world wars and massive change. Richard is a no-nonsense farmer's son who joins the Army and sees action in India. As a young man Richard falls for Elizabeth who has come to live on his parents' farm, but he is betrayed when she marries his brother Billy. Their relationship is a major theme, as is the notion of family honour and duty.

The narrative covers major events and the minutiae of daily life equally well, and with this straighforward older man telling the story, while it is beautifully detailed, it never becomes overly sentimental. That said this book has the distinction of being one of very few to make me cry. The biggest secret is one that I had suspected relatively early on but when all was finally revealed at the end the impact was not lessened for that.

This is a wonderful book that particularly appeals to the side of me that enjoys tracing my family tree to discover more about social history. As well as being a fantastic although tragic story it is also a brilliant slice of history and a book I would have no hesitation recommending.