Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pub. Date: June 6th, 2017
Pages: 528

Genre: Historical Fiction / Dual Timelines

Synopsis

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.


1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

What Did I Think About the Story?

Full disclosure: I am a super fan of Kate Quinn. She is the gold standard when it comes to historical fiction and I've never been disappointed with anything she's written. I'm continuously amazed at how she makes me love her witty and emotive characters and how hard it is to pull myself out of the all-consuming worlds she builds and allows me to inhabit for the duration of her stories. It is pure magic - which is saying something given the realistic and often quite horrific situations she sets her characters within - and I get a little shiver whenever I'm about to start a new book of hers. It's probably unnecessary to say, but I adored her newest novel, The Alice Network, and feel somewhat bereft now that I've left Eve, Charlie, and Finn behind.

One of the great wonders of Quinn's writing is her ability to wholly and convincingly build these beautiful, realistic, and often devastating settings while also creating these complex, combative yet loving (most of the time) characters to populate those settings. So often authors seem better at one component or the other, but Quinn has mastered both elements and it makes for the ultimate experience, especially given she writes  historical fiction. Not being able to physically go back in time and witness these awe-inspiring and sometimes dangerous time periods, her novels are the next best thing.

The chapters of The Alice Network alternate between Eve's POV in 1915 and Charlie's in 1947. This not only helps build the character development (especially Eve as she's quite broken - emotionally and physically - when we see her in 1947 and going back to 1915 slowly shows us what happened) but builds the plot momentum and anxiety as huge and horrific things begin happening in these women's lives and right when one shoes drops we switch to the other timeline and have to wait to find out what happens next! This bait and switch model is delicious and begs the reader to read just one more chapter until you find you've been reading for much longer then intended.  

I was amazed at how much Charlie and Eve have in common given their very different experiences and upbringing. Both women are exceptionally smart, determined, and fiery tempered and both push against the constraints placed on women during the time periods they inhabit. On top of that, neither give a damn about what anyone thinks of them or their choices and both seem drawn to calm yet passionate Scotsman. Both women go through some devastating experiences and losses that would make even the stoniest heart ache for them. They are both also on their own mission to find someone who has been lost to them - one a much loved person and the other the ultimate enemy - and all I'll tell you is only one is found alive. Now don't you want to pick up the book and find out what I'm talking about?!

Something else I love about The Alice Network in particular is the extensive and thoughtful Author's Notes at the back of the book. Quinn goes into great detail about the truth behind the story and the characters as well as where she condensed or altered information for the purpose of story flow. There's also a P.S. section with real letters and trial records related to the story, reading group questions, and further reading. These sorts of sections are so important when it comes to historical fiction, at least for me, and I delighted in seeing just how much of the story was factual....you can't make some of this stuff up!

The Alice Network is heartbreaking and heartwarming historical fiction that is sure to delight any reader. While I would recommend all of the novels of Kate Quinn in general, this novel in particular is a great place to start if you've never read her novels before. Pick it up, love it, and place it on your "favorites" shelf as I've done with all of Kate's books!   

What Do I Think About the Cover?

It's gorgeous! You can't tell from the photo, but the cover is slightly textured and is thick with folded end pieces (sort of like the dust jacket of a hardback). This, combined, with the deckled page edges, makes the book seem substantial and somehow aged (if that makes sense!). The cover art itself is beautiful as well and fits the story perfectly. Love, love, love!


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

 

Thank you to author Kate Quinn and HarperCollins for providing me with a free copy of The Alice Network in exchange for an honest review! Find more information about the book below.

 

 

My Reviews of Kate Quinn's Other Stories

 

 

Empress of the Seven Hills

The Three Fates

Lady of the Eternal City

The Serpent and the Pearl

The Lion and the Rose

A Year of Ravens

 

 

Praise for The Alice  Network

 

 

“Told through the lens of two very different women, the eras unfold separately and then collide with shocking results. Lovingly crafted and brimming with details, readers are sure to be held in Quinn’s grip watching as the characters evolve. Powerful reading you can’t put down!”—RT Book Reviews, 4.5 star, “Top Pick”


“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter


“The Alice Network... perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. This is historical fiction at its best--thrilling, affecting, revelatory.”—Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris


“Kate Quinn delivers an enthralling tale filled with breath-taking narrative that will make the reader feel as if they’re in the back of the roadster, riding along with the raucous Eve and courageous Charlie on their clandestine adventures. Suspenseful and engrossing, THE ALICE NETWORK is a must-read!”—Heather Webb, author of Rodin's Lover


“A ring of daring female spies known as the Alice Network left a legacy of blood and betrayal. Two women suffering the losses of two different wars must join forces, one to find her voice and her redemption, the other to face her fears and her oldest enemy. Kate Quinn strums the chords of every human emotion with two storylines that race over continents and through decades to converge in one explosive ending.”—Marci Jefferson, author of Enchantress of Paris


"A powerful story filled with daring and intrigue, The Alice Network will hook readers from the first page and take them on an unforgettable journey."—Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana

 

 

Buy the Book

Amazon | Audible | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Books-A-Million

 

 

Check Out the Book Trailer!!

 

 



 

You can also watch the amazing interview between Kate Quinn and Reese Witherspoon (yes, you read that correctly!) for the RW Book Club online HERE.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

KATE QUINN is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia.

To learn more about Kate check out her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

Changing Horses Mid-Stream: An Ancient World Author Jumps To The 20th Century - Guest Post by Kate Quinn, Author of The Alice Network

 

I am so happy to wish the enigmatic Kate Quinn a hearty Happy Book Birthday to her newest gem, The Alice Network!! I'll be reviewing this book later on in the month but didn't want the day to go by without sharing all about the book with you. In turn, Kate is sharing a lovely guest post with us on her switch from writing about the ancient world to the 20th Century. So sit back, enjoy, and go out and get yourself a copy of The Alice Network!

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What's a girl like you doing in a time like this?”


It's a question I've grown familiar with, as a historical novelist who has made a recent, monumental jump in time periods. My first love was the ancient world, and that was where I gravitated when penning my first novels, eventually writing four set in early Imperial Rome. I made a two-book jump after that to the Italian Renaissance and the delicious cesspit that was the rule of the Borgia pope, but that wasn't too big a leap: it was still Italy, still Rome, still comfortably pre-modern. But my latest book “The Alice Network” pole-vaults all the way into the 20th century, telling dual storylines of World War I female spies and an unraveling post-World War II mystery with its roots in the previous war's spy ring—and a jump that big will give you whiplash, believe me. Why, readers asked, did I make such a big change in subject and research matter?


Part passion, and part practicality. I have always been a writer with far more story ideas teeming in my head than I can ever get round to writing, and there were always some 20th century notions lurking among the plots about Roman empresses and Renaissance courtesans. I started giving those fledgling ideas some serious consideration when I looked at the market and saw that the ancient world and the Renaissance, much as I love those historical eras, weren't selling as frequently as they had in years past. This didn't bother me particularly; reading tastes come and go in cycles, and in a few years what is unpopular or oversaturated now will cycle back around into style. But in the meantime it made sense to shelve Imperial Rome and the Renaissance papal states, and take a look at what was really selling . . . and what was selling was 20th century historical fiction.


Now, I can't write what I don't love—I don't think any author can—but the question here wasn't “Can you write in an era you don't love?” It was “Can you learn to love a new era?” Had the answer been “no” I would have junked the 20th century idea and gone to something else, but the answer turned out to be “yes.” I like the 20th century a lot, and once “The Alice Network” bloomed into a full-fledged story in my mind, it positively begged to be written.


Making a jump this big does have its scary moments, though. After writing four books in ancient Rome and two in the Renaissance, I'm very comfortable in those worlds. I know the courtship customs, the vocabulary, the period-appropriate coinage and clothes and food, and I have it all at my fingertips without needing to look much of anything up. Writing in a historical era you know well is like lounging around in your favorite Pjs, or dog-paddling through the shallow side of the swimming pool. Taking on an entirely new historical era feels like being tossed head-first into the deep end: I was researching everything in a frantic effort to acquire the kind of familiarity with the era that novel-writing requires. Because it isn't getting a battle's date wrong that will sink your story; concrete dates and bare-bones facts are for the most part easy to look up—it's the tiny details like not knowing if a zipper would be on the back or the side of a woman's dress in 1947, or how much afternoon tea would cost with rationing laws in place. Those are the things that are hard to dig up, and I sweated bullets researching “The Alice Network.”


But it was worth it. I'm proud of this book, and I hugely enjoyed writing it. I still love ancient Rome and the Italian Renaissance, and I plan to pen more stories set there . . . but for the time being, I'm enjoying my jump to the 20th century, and have no plans to leave just yet!

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Pub. Date: June 6th, 2017

Pages: 528

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

 

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

 

 

Praise for The Alice Network

 

“Told through the lens of two very different women, the eras unfold separately and then collide with shocking results. Lovingly crafted and brimming with details, readers are sure to be held in Quinn’s grip watching as the characters evolve. Powerful reading you can’t put down!”—RT Book Reviews, 4.5 star, “Top Pick”


“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America's First Daughter


“The Alice Network... perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. This is historical fiction at its best--thrilling, affecting, revelatory.”—Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris


“Kate Quinn delivers an enthralling tale filled with breath-taking narrative that will make the reader feel as if they’re in the back of the roadster, riding along with the raucous Eve and courageous Charlie on their clandestine adventures. Suspenseful and engrossing, THE ALICE NETWORK is a must-read!”—Heather Webb, author of Rodin's Lover


“A ring of daring female spies known as the Alice Network left a legacy of blood and betrayal. Two women suffering the losses of two different wars must join forces, one to find her voice and her redemption, the other to face her fears and her oldest enemy. Kate Quinn strums the chords of every human emotion with two storylines that race over continents and through decades to converge in one explosive ending.”—Marci Jefferson, author of Enchantress of Paris


"A powerful story filled with daring and intrigue, The Alice Network will hook readers from the first page and take them on an unforgettable journey."—Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana

 

 

Buy the Book

 

Amazon | Audible | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Books-A-Million

 

 

About the Author

  

 

KATE QUINN is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia.

To learn more about Kate check out her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.







Excerpt of A Song of War: A Novel of Troy by the "H" Team + Tour-Wide Giveaway!

THE FIRST SONG

The Apple
by Kate Quinn


Ah, might the gods make you the prize in a mighty contest,
and let the victor have you for his couch!

- Ovid, the Heroides


HELLENUS


Shall I sing to you of Troy?

Shining Troy, windy Troy, many-towered Troy. The city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky. Aphrodite’s sweet breath kissed every breeze that wafted over our gates; Apollo and Poseidon raised our mighty walls; we were ruled by a white-haired king wise as Athena, and defended by the mightiest heroes ever to stride the earth.

That is the story you want—but I am not the singer for that song. I am no hero, and I did not call Troy home, though it was the place of my birth. I hated its every brick and banner. Watching those fabled towers fade beyond the horizon of the sea, as sails bellied and oars splashed, I made a vow.

I will return only to leave again. That I swore as the seabirds cried overhead. One last task in the service of my father, the king, and then I was done. I would return only for my sister, my dark and shadow-haunted twin, and then the two of us would be gone from Troy forever.

That I swore. But instead there would be war, because the gods had other plans.

The gods and a woman named Helen.

My moods could be as dark as my skin at times—those moods were a curse all Priam’s sons shared, except perhaps Paris, who was made of bright copper and sunshine—but I loved the sea, and a voyage in the height of summer lifted even a somber soul like mine. With every oar-stroke that pulled our ships away from Troy, my heart lightened. The winds came soft and sweet from the west, blowing us toward Sparta, and I rode the deck easily, savoring the salt wind and the sunshine. I could see my brothers doing the same on their respective ships, Paris, ever more burnished by the sun, and Hector, prowling the deck like a great dark-maned lion. Three princes riding three ships with painted eyes and hulls full of treasure: the song at least had a proper beginning.

“Sparta,” Paris mused when we disembarked at the port in Gythio. “Is that the city where the women cut off a breast and grow beards like men?” He grinned. “Sounds like an adventure.”

“I doubt you’ll see any bearded women here,” Hector rumbled.

“At least one single-breasted woman, then?” Paris pleaded. “Just one? You promised me excitement, and royal weddings are so damnably dull!”

“I did not promise you excitement,” Hector reproved, but he was grinning, and so was I. Paris’ charm was like ambrosia, heady and irresistible, and his never-ending ripple of jokes was a natural antidote to any dark mood. Even mine and Hector’s.

“Sparta is the city where kingship comes from queens,” a lighter voice laughed behind me. “Menelaus is king, but it comes through his wife. Someone will have to explain how that works, if only so I can tell Priam and see him harrumph.” Andromache stepped to her husband’s side, small and bird-boned and barely up to Hector’s vast shoulder. She was dusted all over in freckles like powdered gold, and her sand-colored hair flew everywhere in cheerful disarray. Cheerful disarray was my sister-in-law’s usual state, paired with the infectious grin of a happy urchin. Hector, I knew, found it charming. His mother did not. Perhaps that was the reason for Andromache’s greater than usual smile as she shook out her salt-streaked skirts without hearing a pained reproof of You do not look very queenly, dear. “I don’t care if the Spartan queen has a beard as long as she offers me a bath.”

“They’ve heard of baths, haven’t they?” Paris grimaced comically. “Dear gods, what have we let ourselves in for?”

Hector gave a laughing warning of “Behave!” and we were off: a rolling array of chariots assembled from the bellies of our ships, followed by a string of donkeys laden with Trojan treasure: gifts for King Menelaus, our host in Sparta, and for the lavish wedding he was hosting for a royal cousin.

“What king is this girl marrying again?” Paris wondered when we halted to water the horses. “King of Ithaca? Who ever heard of Ithaca anyway? Any man with an island of three sand dunes and a few stingrays can call himself a king in these parts.”

It was true—none of these little kings in the west could compare with Priam, our father, who considered them no better than pirates. He believed in reminding them of his greatness with lavish gifts at royal weddings, proving just how much gold he could afford to toss away to the pirate rulers of sand dunes and stingrays.

“Aphrodite’s tits,” Paris exclaimed when at last we reined up before the palace of Menelaus. “Hector, you wouldn’t lodge your horses in that shed. Of course, you’d take one look at the palace at Olympus and decide it wasn’t good enough for your horses . . .”

“He has you there,” I told Hector.

He smiled, then turned serious. “Give Paris a helping hand during our stay if he needs it,” my older brother murmured. “His first diplomatic visit—under all that joking, he’s very anxious to do our father proud.”

“Aren’t we all?” I said lightly. To win and keep Priam’s approval—that was a burden I’d seen stoop the shoulders of all my brothers. All but me, for I’d knew I’d never earn it.

Perhaps Hector guessed my thoughts, for he gave a silent squeeze of my shoulder. It was his way—to give comfort without words, to speak affection in a glance, to show fury in stillness. We think of heroes as loud crashing creatures, their reputations and the clatter of their weapons announcing their presence in every movement, but Hector approached everything from spear practice to common conversation with the same calm, reflective ease. His soul was warm, strong bronze to Paris’ flashy copper and my own humble tin. And over us all, our father with his core of granite.

Only Paris acted unruffled before that stone gaze. He could make an irreverent face, the one he wore now, and even our father would laugh.

Hector handed Andromache down, and we advanced on the palace gates. Sparta was lovely country—rich hills furred with pines, brush rustling thick with boar and deer to be hunted, streams clear and bubbling—but the king’s abode was a poor thing compared to Troy’s massive palace atop the citadel. A double porch opened into a small courtyard, pillars of painted plaster rather than stone rising around us as we awaited our host.

Curious slaves and Spartan guards were already gathering, whispering behind their hands as they stared at the donkeys laden with gifts, at our heavy Hittite-styled chariots, at Andromache, who had tamed her hair if not her freckles and stood in full fringed skirts and gold bracelets. Hector bore the weight of eyes calmly, accustomed to being stared at: twenty-six and standing tall as any god, his shoulders massive under armor that alternated gold and bronze with silver and iron and studded with lapis lazuli. Paris, at nineteen, lounged in his blinding white tunic and up-curled shoes, running a hand through his oiled-back curls and returning the stares just as frankly, dropping his eyelid in a wink if any of the starers was pretty. And I braced myself for gaping of a different kind, for though I was the second of Priam’s sons and born just after Hector, I was the least of them. And the darkest.

My mother was a Nubian, a princess given to Priam as a concubine to seal a truce with her father—she was dark as a night sky, so they said. I had no memory of her. She died birthing my twin sister and me, and we stood out darkly among Priam’s other offspring, much ogled and pointed at. My sister would have garnered stares even had her skin been pale; she had beauty and fire, and to look at her was to see a torch burning to its base. I had nothing special about me; I was merely Hellenus, stockily built, modest in height, and modest in talents, too. I had no beguiling charm like Paris or hero’s strength like Hector, no wily brain like Priam or unearthly beauty like my twin. A lesser prince, an ordinary man—that was me. But my face was dark, and so I was accustomed to pointing fingers and barely concealed whispers everywhere I went in Troy. Does he bleed black? people would mutter, staring curiously. Do you think a sun-born spirit sired that one instead of Priam?

I ignored the whispers, but my sister would whip around and say, “Nothing so gentle as a sun spirit. More like a daemon. Priam is the daemon!” just to see the reactions. I tried to hush her in such moods, for our father’s displeasure was savage, but sometimes she wouldn’t be calmed. She had clung to me weeping when I left her on this voyage, muttering, “Death begets death until only the flies and carrion remain.” I’d held her till she calmed, telling myself that when I returned, I would take her with me away from Troy. From Troy, where the commoners stared at us as though we were curiosities, and our family—apart from Hector and Andromache and a few others—hardly considered us part of the palace at all. We were not housed with them; we did not dine with them; our brothers and sisters mostly ignored us. Priam only addressed my sister to harangue her, and he never summoned me unless there was some duty or service he thought I should be grateful to perform—like making up a third envoy to this Spartan wedding. No, few in Troy would miss my sister and me if we were to leave.

Only where would we go? To build any kind of home, I would need a king willing to shelter a pair of Trojan castoffs, and I knew of none who would risk offering a welcoming hand to mine for fear it would displease my father. Though I did notice, standing in the Spartan courtyard, that though my face attracted glances, I was not receiving the kind of open stares that were my lot in Troy.

There was a ripple then, and the doors of the anteroom parted. Our hosts appeared, the king and queen of Sparta, and I thrust aside my musings to examine them. Menelaus proved to be a short and stolidly built man with a crown of red hair that clashed against his purple robe, and a wide, perspiring face. His spear-slim queen towered over him by a head, towered over every man in that courtyard save Paris and Hector. I tilted my head to meet her eyes, Argive Helen, swan-born Helen.

And the gods began to scheme.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Knight Media, LLC
eBook & Paperback; 483 Pages

 

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Ancient History/Anthology

 

 

Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky, a city destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other plans—the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy’s gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: slaves and queens, heroes and cowards, seers and kings . . . and these are their stories.


A young princess and an embittered prince join forces to prevent a fatal elopement.

A tormented seeress challenges the gods themselves to save her city from the impending disaster.

A tragedy-haunted king battles private demons and envious rivals as the siege grinds on.

A captured slave girl seizes the reins of her future as two mighty heroes meet in an epic duel.

A grizzled archer and a desperate Amazon risk their lives to avenge their dead.

A trickster conceives the greatest trick of all.

A goddess’ son battles to save the spirit of Troy even as the walls are breached in fire and blood.


Seven authors bring to life the epic tale of the Trojan War: its heroes, its villains, its survivors, its dead. Who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the bloody dawn of a new age?

Buy the Book

 

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo

 

 

About the Authors

 

CHRISTIAN CAMERON was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1962. He grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, Iowa City, Iowa,Christian Cameron and Rochester, New York, where he attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and later graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in history.

After the longest undergraduate degree on record (1980-87), he joined the United States Navy, where he served as an intelligence officer and as a backseater in S-3 Vikings in the First Gulf War, in Somalia, and elsewhere. After a dozen years of service, he became a full time writer in 2000. He lives in Toronto (that’s Ontario, in Canada) with his wife Sarah and their daughter Beatrice, currently age four. And a half.

LIBBIE HAWKER was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho’s rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.

After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.

KATE QUINN is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages.

Kate has succumbed to the blogging bug, and keeps a blog filled with trivia, pet peeves, and interesting facts about historical fiction. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.

VICKY ALVEAR SHECTER is the author of the young adult novel, Cleopatra’s Moon (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2011), based on the life of Cleopatra’s only daughter. She is also the author of two award-winning biographies for kids on Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. She is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta. The LA Times calls Cleopatra’s Moon, “magical” and “impressive.” Publisher’s Weekly said it was “fascinating” and “highly memorable.” The Wall Street Journal called it “absorbing.”

STEPHANIE THORNTON is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel.

Her novels, The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora, Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt, The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan, and The Conqueror’s Wife: A Novel of Alexander the Great, tell the stories of history’s forgotten women.

SJA TURNEY lives with his wife, son and daughter, and two (close approximations of) dogs in rural North Yorkshire.

Marius’ Mules was his first full length novel. Being a fan of Roman history, SJA decided to combine his love of writing and love of the classical world. Marius’ Mules was followed two years later by Interregnum – an attempt to create a new fantasy story still with a heavy flavour of Rome.

These have been followed by numerous sequels, with three books in the fantasy ‘Tales of the Empire’ series and five in the bestselling ‘Marius’ Mules’ one. 2013 has seen the first book in a 15th century trilogy – ‘The Thief’s Tale’ – and will also witness several side projects seeing the light of day.

RUSSELL WHITFIELD was born in Shepherds Bush in 1971. An only child, he was raised in Hounslow, West London, but has since escaped to Ham in Surrey.

Gladiatrix was Russ’s first novel, published in 2008 by Myrmidon Books. The sequel, Roma Victrix, continues the adventures Lysandra, the Spartan gladiatrix, and a third book, Imperatrix, sees Lysandra stepping out of the arena and onto the field of battle.

 

 

It's Giveaway Time!!

 

 

To win a paperback copy of A Song of War: A Novel of Troy by the H Team, please enter via the Gleam form HERE.

 

Rules

 

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

 

– Giveaway is open to US & Canada 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.

 

 

Good Luck!

 

 

A Song of War: A Novel of Troy Blog Tour Schedule

 

 

Saturday, October 15

Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Sunday, October 16

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, October 17

Review at Leeanna.me

Tuesday, October 18

Review at A Book Drunkard

Wednesday, October 19

Excerpt at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, October 20

Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, October 21

Review & Excerpt at The Silver Dagger Scriptorium

Saturday, October 22

Review at 100 Pages a Day

Monday, October 24

Review at Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, October 25

Interview at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, October 26

Review at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, October 28

Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, October 31

Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, November 1

Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, November 2

Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, November 3

Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, November 7

Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, November 8

Interview at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, November 9

Review at Historical Readings & Reviews

Friday, November 11

Review at Broken Teepee
Spotlight at The Book Tree

Saturday, November 12

Excerpt at The Reading Queen
Review at The True Book Addict

 

 

 



Review: A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica by the "H Team" + Giveaway!!

"H Team": Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, and Russell Whitfield

Publication Date: November 17, 2015
Knight Media LLC
eBook & Paperback; 440 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Celt . . . and these are their stories.


A calculating queen sees the sparks of revolt in a king’s death.

A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war.

An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter.

A conflicted warrior hovers between loyalty to tribe and loyalty to Rome.

A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people.

An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions.

A fiery princess fights to salvage the pieces of her mother’s dream as the ravens circle.


A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Celts who cross paths during Boudica’s epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?

What Did I Think About the Story?

I've never been a fan of short story collections in the past, but over the past year or so the author collaboration collections that have been coming out have really caught my fancy. While I've purchased A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii and Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion, A Year of Ravens is the first one I've read and, if this is any indication of what I can expect to find within those novels, I am in for a big treat!


A Year of Ravens is, as the synopsis states, a novel told in seven parts. Each part is written by a different author and concentrates on one or two main characters within the larger story arch. I find this process of building the story fascinating because the reader gets to see Boudica's rebellion from just about every possible side, giving a wider scope and appreciation for the bravery, sacrifices, alliances and loss that all of the characters experience. Another fun plus is the fact that many of the characters swing through other stories as well as their own, letting us see them from both within themselves and through the eyes of others. I can't think of a better way to get to really know a character and my only complaint would be that, after really getting to know and love some of them, I wanted a lot more of their story!


All of the stories within A Year of Ravens are wonderful, but I do have a few that ended up being my favorites.  The very first story, The Queen by Stephanie Dray, was my all time favorite. In it we meet Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, a queen who, while very similar to Boudica in looks and strength, takes the opposite path by working with the Romans for the safety and security of her people. I ached for her as she continued to do what she saw as right for her people even as they began to rebel and hate her for doing just that. I found her determination in the face of their disgust so brave and commendable. I wanted so much more of Cartimandua's story and I can only hope (beg, maybe?) that Stephanie with give her a longer story to tell. The Queen also details the events that begin Boudica's year long rebellion, and what events those are!  The Slave by Ruth Downie was also brilliant, giving the reader the direct aftermath of the Roman's violent annexation of Boudica's lands through the eyes of Ria, a slave girl and half-sister to Boudica's daughters. It is a brutal, emotional and honest look at the Roman attempt to demonstrate their complete control over the Iceni tribe through abuse, rape and destruction. I found it hard to read at times but, at the same time, hard to look away from and the actions and emotions expressed in the story fermented for me the reasons for Boudica's rebellion against  the Romans. The Warrior by Kate Quinn shows us the final battle of the rebellion through the eyes of Duro, Boudica's grizzled right-hand warrior and  his Roman slave, Valeria, wife of the Roman procurator who's actions precipitated the rebellion to begin with. Watching the proud Iceni warrior and the even prouder Roman lady spar, both verbally and physically, was both informative and entertaining and I couldn't help but develop a grudging appreciation for Valeria by the end of the story. It also brings Duro and his son, Andecarus, together again on the battlefield, which I have to admit brought tears to my eyes. I've always loved Kate's writing and this story just cemented that appreciation.


A Year of Ravens is a remarkable story collection and one that has me desperate to know more about Boudica, Cartimandua and so many other people from history that I was either not aware of before or only vaguely so. There is just so much to appreciate within the story, especially the fact that these seven separate authors were able to meld their individual parts together into a seamless, entertaining and emotional story. I can't think of anything that it doesn't encompass, from history to love to ending a military career on the battlefield to coming-of-age within violence and sacrifice, everyone can find something to appreciate here. I'm excited to read more from each of these authors and look forward to reading more compilations such as this.

 

What Did I Think About the Cover?

You know, I can't say I loved it at first but, the more I look at it and after reading the story, it has really grown on me! We've got our fierce female warrior Queen Boudica, raven tattoo and all, against a vicious red background that perfectly represents the blood and battle within, as well as the prophetic ravens above. I also think it's a great idea to showcase each author's name so prominently (instead of, say, having the font smaller or have it just say "H Team" or something) because, for me, one of the big draws to reading this collection is the fact that I've read and really enjoyed novels by E. Knight, Kate Quinn and Vicky Alvear Shecter before.  Not being a huge fan of short story collections, the fact that I've already enjoyed some of these authors before gave me that extra push needed to pick it up and get reading. And I'm so glad I did!


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

 

Thank you to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of A Year of Ravens in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to continue below for more information about the book, the rest of the blog tour and how to enter the tour-wide giveaway!

 

 



Buy the Book 

 

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | ITUNES

 

 

The H Team Authors

 

L to R: 

Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, & Russell Whitfield

 

Giveaway Time!!

 

 

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a Celtic inspired set of silver tone metal and red Swarovski crystal beads, including a necklace, bracelet, and earrings inspired by the setting of A Year of Ravens! Please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form found HERE.

 

 

Rules

 

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

 

Giveaway is open to residents in the US and UK.

 

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.

 

Good Luck!!

 

 

 

A Year of Ravens Blog Tour Schedule

 

 

Friday, November 13

Kick Off at Passages to the Past

Saturday, November 14

Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Sunday, November 15

Review at Book Babe

Monday, November 16

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, November 17

Review at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, November 18

Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Interview at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, November 19

Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Review at A Bookish Affair

Friday, November 20

Review at Leeanna.me

Monday, November 23

Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, November 24

Review at The Maiden’s Court

Wednesday, November 25

Review at A Book Drunkard

Friday, November 27

Review & Excerpt at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Monday, November 30

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, December 1

Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Wednesday, December 2

Interview at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Thursday, December 3

Review at Book Nerd

Friday, December 4

Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book

Saturday, December 5

Review at Bookramblings

Monday, December 7

Review at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, December 8

Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Wednesday, December 9

Review at I’m Shelfish

Thursday, December 10

Review at Boom Baby Reviews

Friday, December 11

Review at Historical Readings & Reviews

Monday, December 14

Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, December 15

Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, December 16

Review at A Literary Vacation
Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Thursday, December 17

Review at The True Book Addict
Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Friday, December 18

Review at Broken Teepee
Review, Excerpt, & Interview at Unshelfish

 

 

 







Lady of the Eternal City Blog Tour: Review

Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Berkley Trade
Formats: eBook, Paperback
528p

Series: Empress of Rome Series, Book Four
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

National bestselling author Kate Quinn returns with the long-awaited fourth volume in the Empress of Rome series, an unforgettable new tale of the politics, power, and passion that defined ancient Rome.

Elegant, secretive Sabina may be Empress of Rome, but she still stands poised on a knife’s edge. She must keep the peace between two deadly enemies: her husband Hadrian, Rome’s brilliant and sinister Emperor; and battered warrior Vix, who is her first love. But Sabina is guardian of a deadly secret:
Vix’s beautiful son Antinous has become the Emperor’s latest obsession.

Empress and Emperor, father and son will spin in a deadly dance of passion, betrayal, conspiracy, and war. As tragedy sends Hadrian spiraling into madness, Vix and Sabina form a last desperate pact to save the Empire. But ultimately, the fate of Rome lies with an untried girl, a spirited redhead who may just be the next Lady of the Eternal City…

What Do I Think About the Story?

This being the fourth full length novel of Kate Quinn's I've read I have come to understand her to be a master of emotions. Every character she writes is complicated and flawed but, if not all necessarily relatable, at the very least understandable. I'm not really sure how she does it, but she takes these long dead people from history and breathes new life into them, making them so real and fleshed out that you can nearly see them standing before you, challenging or joyful, vengeful or passionate. Very few other novelists have brought Roman history so completely to life for me as Ms. Quinn has done.

While I won't say that a new reader would be lost starting this series with Lady of the Eternal City I would recommend reading the previous novels just for sheer enjoyment. This is the fourth novel in the Empress of Rome series and I myself started the series with the third book, Empress of the Seven Hills, which gave me important background information regarding the relationships between some of this novel's main characters that just deepened my love for them (or dislike, depending on the character). However, if you just happened to pick up this novel without reading the previous ones the author does a wonderful job of streamlining the narrative to bring new readers up to speed or to remind previous reader what has previously occurred.

I don't want to give too much away regarding the plot of the novel, but let me just say much of the novel showed Emperor Hadrian (one of those characters I mentioned that I disliked, at least until the end) battling his own inner demons and darkness while also making the lives of many of our other characters miserable. I was amazed to see so many strong characters, such as Vix and Sabina, unable to break away from his hypocrisy and vindictiveness, or for Hadrian to continue to stand in the way of others seeking true love even when he had found his own. The perfect ending brought resolution to much of this but I still found myself yelling at the characters "screw him, just do what you want!". Being that this would most likely have had these characters losing their heads I'm glad they didn't listen!

The other storyline that had me unable to stop reading was the mystery surrounding one of the main character's deaths and the search, and discovery, of what really happened. I won't say any more about that, but trust me when I say it will be nearly impossible to stop reading once you have begun the last 100 pages of the book...it continues at breakneck speed and will leave you breathless and satisfied.

All of the characters are wonderful (or wonderfully horrific) in their own way but my absolute favorite was Antinous, the adopted son of Vix and lover of Emperor Hadrian. His is a pure and loving heart with a  beauty to match and it was easy to see how so many characters could love him even given his placement in the story. He was the only character to actually bring me to tears.

There really isn't much to say against this novel, it seems to have everything a reader of historical fiction would want: witty, complicated characters that can both infuriate you and pull mercilessly at your heart; storylines that keep you engaged and interested; a need to know more about the true history that even the delightful and informative historical note cannot fully satisfy. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially set in Ancient Rome, you need to read this book as well as the whole series.

 

What Do I Think About the Cover?

I think it's beautiful! The rich reds and golds make me think of luxury and the colorful sky makes me think of new dawns and new beginnings. While I know a lot of people don't like the ubiquitous "woman staring off into the distance" covers I have always liked them, and this one I believe represents Annia, another of my favorite characters.


My Rating:4.5/5.0

Thank you to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of Lady of the Eternal City in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to continue below for more information about the author, the book and the rest of the blog tour!

 

 

 

Praise for Lady of the Eternal City

 

 

 “Quinn specializes in bringing the splendor of Britannia and Rome to readers. The tangled lives of her three-dimensional characters represent the entanglements of the Empire. She cleverly pulls readers into the complex relationships, and even more complicated history, while bouncing back and forth between viewpoints. This is a feast for historical readers.” – Romantic Times Book Reviews

 

 

Buy the Book

 

 

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-a-Million
iTunes
IndieBound

 

 

Titles in the Empress of Rome Series

 

 

Book One: Mistress of Rome
Book Two: Daughters of Rome
Book Three: Empress of the Seven Hills
Book Four: Lady of the Eternal City

 

 

Praise for the Empress of Rome Series

 

 

“Gorgeously wrought.”— C. W. Gortner, author of The Queen’s Vow

“Deeply passionate.”—Kate Furnivall, author of Shadows on the Nile

“[An] epic, sexy romp.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About the Author

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early
years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages.

Kate has succumbed to the blogging bug, and keeps a blog filled with trivia, pet peeves, and
interesting facts about historical fiction. She and her husband now live in Maryland with a small black dog named Caesar, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.

For more information visit Kate Quinn’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

Lady of the Eternal City Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 2

Spotlight at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, March 3

Spotlight at Historical Readings and Reviews

Wednesday, March 4

Review at Back Porchervations

Thursday, March 5

Review at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, March 6

Spotlight at Caroline Wilson Writes

Monday, March 9

Review at The Mad Reviewer

Wednesday, March 11

Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, March 12

Spotlight at The Lit Bitch

Sunday, March 15

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Monday, March 16

Review at Just One More Chapter
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, March 17

Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Wednesday, March 18

Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Monday, March 23

Review at A Literary Vacation

Wednesday, March 25

Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Thursday, March 26

Review at Book Nerd

Friday, March 27

Review at Unshelfish
Review at Genre Queen
Review at Let Them Read Books
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

 

 

 

 



Review of The Three Fates by Kate Quinn

Synopsis

Beloved Emperor Trajan is dead. His brutal successor Hadrian draws ever nearer to Rome. And three desperate souls try to forge new paths in a world turned upside down . . .

THE EMPEROR’S NEMESIS. Battered warrior Vix has always been Hadrian’s bitter enemy, and he vows that will never change, even when he is made Praetorian Guard and Imperial watchdog. But with his family’s lives on the line, Vix faces a bitter choice: kill a friend, or serve a foe?


THE EMPEROR’S RIVAL. Mild, scholarly Titus might once have been favored as Imperial heir, but he never wanted the throne. All he desires is peace in the arms of his new bride—but the jealous Hadrian has other ideas. A horror of bloodshed and violence interrupts Titus’s wedding night, and the man of peace finds a choice at sword-point: honor and death, or betrayal and a cell?


THE EMPEROR’S WIFE. Elegant, elusive Sabina is desperate to escape the bleak future that awaits her as Hadrian’s Empress, and even more desperate to conceal the secret growing in her own body. But when she begs a famous seer for a glimpse into her future, she receives an astonishing vision of the Eternal City under Hadrian’s rule, and the new Empress must choose: her own freedom, or the glory of Rome?


Three former friends find new futures in blood, omen, and prophecy. Three prequel vignettes to Kate Quinn’s long-awaited "Lady of the Eternal City."

What Do I Think About the Story?

My first introduction to Kate Quinn's writing was Empress of the Seven Hills (click the title for my review), the third book in her Empress of Rome series, and since then I have gobbled up both of her novels in her Borgias series, The Serpent and the Pearl and The Lion and the Rose. Ms. Quinn has an exceptional ability to create these incredibly endearing yet flawed characters that you just can't help but love. Now with her fourth book in The Empress of Rome series, Lady of the Eternal City, coming out she has gifted her readers with a vignette of stories that fill the reader in on what three of the main characters have been up to in the year long break between the action in Empress of the Seven Hills and this newest installment. It being a few years since I read Empress of the Seven Hills I was all for getting caught up with Vix, Titus and Sabina and all I can say is, don't start reading The Three Fates without having Lady of the Eternal City ready at hand because you won't want to wait to continue the story!

The Three Fates is only 48 pages long but it packs a powerful punch in that short duration. As backstory, beloved Emperor Trajan is dead and Hadrian, a man without many friends, has become Emperor. He hasn't wasted any time asserting his command and ensuring his enemies are taken care of in the hopes that he won't face any resistance when he rides into Rome as Emperor. Vix, our battle-hardened ex-gladiator with a heart, finds himself in an impossible position: either he can become Hadrian's attack dog and do his bidding in eliminating those that Hadrian sees as his enemy, including Vix's best friend, Titus, or he can refuse the Emperor and face his wrath. While normally our loyal and proud Vix would spit in Hadrian's face before doing what he says, the possibility of his family being harmed if he refuses Hadrian looms large over his decision.  He is left with an impossible choice, one he continues to try and find a way out of.

Meanwhile, studious and humble Titus is enraptured by his new bride, Faustina, sister of Titus's friend and new Empress, Sabina. As they usher the last of their celebratory guests out of their home and prepare to retire to their marriage bed, Vix shows up and informs Titus he must come with him as a prisoner of Hadrian's. Titus, a man who never wanted to be Emperor but who's blood alone makes him eligible, must decide if he should give in to what seems an inevitable death at the hands of his best friend or refuse to go down without a fight.

While all of this is going on, wily, adventurous Sabina finds herself unexpectedly, and unhappily, married to a man who has not only become Emperor but a cold and blood thirsty madman. In the hopes of finding a way out of this marriage she enlists the advise of a well known soothsayer. But what he has to tell her is far from what she wants to hear: Hadrian will never divorce her or allow her to leave him and she alone can influence him to determine if he will be a tyrannical or good Emperor. Her worse nightmare - living a long life next to a man she has come to hate - seems inevitable. On top of all of that, the baby growing within her, which isn't Hadrian's, will have to remain hidden because if it doesn't Hadrian will have it killed. What is Sabina to do?

Now doesn't that just whet your appetite? I'm off to begin reading Lady of the Eternal City right now and will have my review post on March 23rd, so be sure to come back then to see what I thought. I am jittery with anticipation....don't you just love when a book does that to you? If you have read any of the other books in this series or are as big a fan of Kate Quinn as I am this is a definite must read!


What Do I Think About the Cover?


I don't really have any strong opinions on it. It is very pretty however, in this case, it isn't the cover that draws me to the story but the story itself. I would have read this one regardless of what the cover looked like!


My Rating: 4.0/5.0


You can pick up your own eBook copy of The Three Fates for free on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes or Kobo!