Book Review: House Of Shadows by Nicola Cornick

Author: Nicola Cornick
Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Graydon House
Release Date: October 17th 2017
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The wooded hills of Oxfordshire conceal the remains of the aptly named Ashdown House--a wasted pile of cinders and regret. Once home to the daughter of a king, its secrets will unite three women across four centuries in a tangle of romance, deceit and destiny...

1662--A queen

Bound by sex and birth to live for everyone but herself--and to love always in secret--Elizabeth Stuart entrusts a pair of arcane artifacts to her faithful cavalier to keep safe for her rightful heir. But fate will not be generous to the Winter Queen, throwing the question of succession into turmoil, the aftermath of which will resonate through the generations.

1801--A courtesan

Lavinia Flyte wanted so much more from life than to be a courtesan at the mercy of the cruel Lord Evershot. He has brought her to Ashdown, the home of his ancestors, for reasons he guards greedily. But the maids' whispers of hidden treasures--a pearl with the power to foretell the future--consume her with a curiosity she confides only to her diary, unaware of the misfortune that threatens.

And the mystery that binds them

Alarmed to hear her brother has gone missing at Ashdown Park, Holly Ansell is inexplicably drawn to the clues contained in the journal of a Regency courtesan who was living at the historic home when it burned to the ground two hundred years ago. Lured by the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly's search leads her not only to the truth about Lavinia, but deeper into her own connection with the Winter Queen.

For fans of Kate Morton and Barbara Erskine comes an unforgettable novel about the power one lie can have over history.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

Every once in a while I get to return to my first love in life, history, through the magic of books. More accurately, I get to enjoy the thrill of trying to piece together the puzzle of people's pasts, while also going on a hunt for lost artifacts. House Of Shadows has that and more.

Cover Reveal: Cinders Dance by Alicia Gaile

Today I'm helping reveal the cover for the second book in the Faery Trials series, Cinders Dance by Alicia Gaile! The cover was designed by Olivia Pro Design. Are you ready to see the cover? Check it out below!

 

Resigned to a lifetime in Faerie to protect the people he loves, Jack Sorley faces monsters of every shape and size. Shifters, goblins, and a living nightmare with a grudge lurk in the Ash Court plotting to corrupt him into serving their own schemes and designs. But when his friends lead a rescue mission that goes terribly wrong, Jack must journey deep into the courts of Faerie to lift a terrible curse.

Meanwhile, viral footage leaked from Sheriff Doyle’s party reveals to the public that faeries are real. Armed with nothing but children’s stories, a new group of ‘fairy experts’ spread misconceptions and false information that puts everyone at risk. Between those who think faeries are harmless and the people scared enough to launch a preemptive attack, it’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes. Hailed as heroes by some and traitors by others, the Sorleys must come out of hiding if they want to protect the human race from itself.

As the war in Faerie intensifies between the Solitary Fae and the Gentry, mankind faces annihilation if the wrong faction wins. Can Jack convince Queen Credeilia she still has a reason to fight before she hands over her crown at midnight during the Vernal Feriae Ball and tips the balance of power out of control for all time?

Title: Cinders Dance (Book Two of The Faery Trials Series)
Author: Alicia Gaile
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing

Cinders Dance is available for preorder now! You can also add it on Goodreads here.

New Authors Reading Challenge 2018 Sign-up

Well hello my dear book lovers and welcome to another Reading Challenge sign-up post! 

First, let me wish you the best of Happy New Years. I hope your year started out amazing, as it should start or everyone, and that you'll have a wonderful 2018. 

I've missed discovering new authors and getting out of my comfort zone. While I have managed to read some books by new-to-me authors in the past years, it's been a while since I've pushed myself to actually seek out books by new authors. Basically since the last time I signed up for the New Authors Reading Challenge hosted by the amazing gals behind Literary Escapism. 

The rules are pretty simple: just pick a goal for yourself, a number of new authors you want to discover in a year, and then read. Read as much as you can. If you want, you can also write reviews, which is what I'm going to do, because I love spreading the word about the books I read. 

For this year, I'm going with my regular number, the one I've picked in the past, and that is 100. Yep, I commit to reading at least 100 books written by 100 authors I've never read before 2018. I will update this page with the authors and links to my reviews as I read them, so you can find out which authors I've discovered. 

If you want to join in on the fun, just go to the sign-up post on the Literary Escapism website. Have fun reading!