A Book Geek: December 2018

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

A Murdered Peace - book blast

A Murdered Peace by Candace Robb

Publication Date: December 11, 2018

Pegasus Books

Paperback & eBook; 304 Pages

Series: Kate Clifford, Book 3

Genre: Historical Mystery

It is deep winter in York, 1400, the ground frozen, the short days dimmed with the smoke from countless fires, the sun, when it shines, low in the sky. It is rumored that the Epiphany Uprising, meant to relieve the realm of the Henry the usurper and return King Richard to the throne has, instead, spelled his doom. As long as Richard lives, he is a threat to Henry. So, too, the nobles behind the plot. The ringleaders have been caught, some slaughtered as they fled west by folk loyal to Henry, and the king’s men now search the towns for survivors.

A perilous time, made worse for Kate Clifford by the disappearance of Berend, her cook and confidante, shortly after Christmas. Her niece saw his departure in a dream—he said he was honor bound to leave. Honor bound—to a former lord? One of the nobles who led the uprising? Is he alive? She is hardly consoled when Berend reappears, wounded, secretive, denying any connection to the uprising, but refusing to explain himself. When he is accused of brutally murdering a spice seller in the city, Kate discovers a chest of jewels in his possession. Some of the jewels belong to her old friend Lady Margery, wanted by the king for her husband’s part in the uprising. For the sake of their long friendship, and the love she and her wards bear for him, Kate wants to believe his innocence. So, too, does Sir Elric. And he has the powerful backing of the Earl of Westmoreland. All she need do is confide in him. If only she trusted her heart.

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Praise for A Murdered Peace

“Those who meddle in the affairs of kings live to regret it. A...tale of love and murder set in a turbulent period when death and betrayal lurk around every corner.” -Kirkus Reviews

“Superior. Robb effortlessly integrates the era’s intrigues into a whodunit framework and peoples the plot with a wide array of characters readers will come to care about.” -Publishers Weekly (starred)

“A fine flowing narrative and a genuine sense of mystery and peril.” -Writers & Readers

About the Author

Candace Robb is the bestselling author of sixteen crime novels set in fourteenth century England, Wales, and Scotland, including the acclaimed Owen Archer series and the Margaret Kerr trilogy. Candace lives in Seattle, Washington.

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Book Blast Schedule

Tuesday, December 11
100 Pages a Day
Bookish Rantings

Wednesday, December 12
The Lit Bitch
Bri's Book Nook
Passages to the Past

Thursday, December 13
Creating Herstory
Just One More Chapter

Friday, December 14
What Is That Book About
Jennifer Tar Heel Reader

Saturday, December 15
Old Timey Books
Historical Fiction with Spirit

Sunday, December 16
Donna's Book Blog
Hoover Book Reviews

Monday, December 17
The Writing Desk

Tuesday, December 18
A Book Geek
Tea Book Blanket

Wednesday, December 19
Umut Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads

Thursday, December 20
Clarissa Reads it All
For the Sake of Good Taste

Friday, December 21
Jathan & Heather
Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a signed set of Candace Robb's Kate Clifford series! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 21st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Friday, December 14, 2018

BookTrib Holiday Thriller Giveaway

BookTrib is having an awesome holiday giveaway that I want to share with my readers! Follow the link to enter.

U.S. Entries Only

As part of our holiday giveaway promotion, BookTrib will be giving away 20 books each week to one lucky winner through the month of December. Who needs to feel cozy and safe when you can feel frightened and paranoid reading a fantastic thriller? Like what you see? Enter for a chance to win lots of great titles and be sure to check in next week to see what our new box might have in store for you!

Holiday Thriller Promotion runs December 13 through December 20, 2018.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Daughter of Destiny - blog tour and review

Mistress of Legend by Nicole Evelina

Publication Date: September 15, 2018

Lawson Gartner Publishing

Paperback, eBook, AudioBook; 412 Pages

Series: Guinevere's Tale, Book 3

Genre: Historical Fiction/Arthurian/Fantasy

Legend says Guinevere spent her final days in penance in a convent, but that is far from the truth.

Having escaped death at the stake, Guinevere longs to live a peaceful life in Brittany with Lancelot, but the threat of Arthur’s wrath quickly separates the lovers. Guinevere finds herself back in Camelot, but it is not the peaceful capital she once knew; the loyalty of the people is divided over Arthur’s role in her death sentence. When war draws Arthur away from Britain, Mordred is named acting king. With Morgan at his side and a Saxon in his bed, Mordred’s thirst for power becomes his undoing and the cause of Guinevere’s greatest heartache.

In the wake of the deadly battle that leaves the country in civil war, Guinevere’s power as the former queen is sought by everyone who seeks to ascend the throne. Heartbroken and refusing to take sides in the conflict, she flees north to her mother’s Votadini homeland, where she is at long last reunited with Lancelot. The quiet life she desires is just beginning when warring tribal factions once again thrust her into an unexpected position of power. Now charged with ending an invasion that could bring an end to the Votadini tribe and put the whole island in the hands of the Saxons, Guinevere must draw upon decades of experience to try to save the people she loves and is sworn to protect.

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A box set containing Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, and Mistress of Legend

Guinevere is remembered for her role as King Arthur’s wife and for her adulterous affair with Lancelot. But there is so much more to her story…

Priestess. Queen. Warrior. Experience the world of King Arthur through Guinevere’s eyes as she matures from a young priestess who never dreamed of becoming queen to the stalwart defender of a nation and a mistress whose sin would go down in history. Throughout it all, Guinevere she faces threats from both foreign powers and within her own court that lead her to place her very life on the line to protect the dream of Camelot and save her people.

This compendium of Nicole Evelina’s two-time Book of the Year award-winning trilogy – Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, and Mistress of Legend – gives fresh life to an age-old tale by adding historical context and emotional depth. Spanning more than three decades, it presents Guinevere as an equal to the famous men she is remembered for loving, while providing context for her controversial decisions and visiting little-known aspects of her life before and after her marriage to King Arthur.

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My Take:

While the blog tour is for the box set of The Guinevere's Tale Trilogy, I only read the first book in the series. If I had realized how much I would enjoy the first book, I would have requested to read all three books.

Daughter of Destiny is the first book of the trilogy, as I said. There is much to love about this book. I really enjoyed Guinevere's voice - she is presented to the reader as a young girl as she leaves her home to travel to Avalon to train as an acolyte of the Goddess. Her mother is from the Votadini and has instructed her daughter on how to wield a sword from a young age. Guinevere seems well suited to the physical training in battle and it takes some time for her to adjust to the very different world of Avalon.

I loved that the reader gets to learn about what triggered the abrupt change in Guinevere's life circumstances and how that event continues to haunt her through visions that she can't control. The event would certainly trigger PTSD in anyone, but add in the gift of Sight and you have a truly awful experience. As a reader, I really felt like Guinevere was brought to life as a person, not just a figure of legend. I found it refreshing to read about the rivalry between her and Morgan from the viewpoint of adolescent girls, even with all the foreboding of future events.

The novel made it painfully clear just how precarious a female's position was in the world outside of Avalon. Guinevere is made aware of her expected station when she is forced to leave the island due to a family tragedy. While this episode of her life is painful, unfair and downright ridiculous in its pettiness, Guinevere learns a lot and the reader can see her adapting and growing up through it all.

I really liked that the author made sure that the reader was aware of political actors, the situations and various factions involved. The history and politics are actually pretty vital to the story. I really like that. I have to give credit to the author for a great ending --- a cliffhanger of sorts. When I finished the book I was really wishing that I had the box set!

I can happily and wholeheartedly recommend Daughter of Destiny -- I really had a great time reading this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.