Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

Ivory and Bone is a prehistoric fantasy with allusions to Pride and Prejudice. It's Kol's story of how he met Mya - both heirs to their individual clans. However, their two clans have an uneasy history, and when Lo arrives with her clan, Mya's distain towards Kol grows - as does Kol's interest in Mya. 

2/5 stars

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Unfortunately, I couldn't get into Ivory and Bone. To begin with, I really struggled with the writing style - this book is written in second person, so it's written from Kol's point of view, but he is addressing "you" throughout (aka Mya). I've never read a book written from second person before, and now that I have, I definitely don't have any plans to pick up another anytime soon. I also found that the plot just didn't pull me in at all - it definitely picked up after the first third of the book, but by then I was very much just trying to get through it (I almost considered stopping reading after the first 30 pages or so, but I can rarely bring myself to not finish a book once I'm a few chapters in).

The characters didn't seem to do much at all, and the misunderstanding between Kol and Mya towards the beginning of the book that set the pace for the way that their relationship played out seemed very petty in my opinion. Kol's favourite thing to do in life was collect honey - which I suppose may have been accurate considering the books Neolithic era setting, but I'm sure they did more exciting things back then (plus I was very disappointed that no one had a pet mammoth, or at least rode a mammoth, or something like that). I imagine it must be a challenge to any author to write a novel set in this era, but I think a bit of artistic licence in order to make the plot better would have been fine. However, the one thing that didn't stick with the era - and that really got to me - was the frequent use of the word parka. Everyone in this book is described as wearing parkas - and from the description given of them, this obviously meant some sort of fur hood or cloak. This is not a parka. Heck, I own a parka and it is green, made from manmade fabrics, and has zips and pockets. I'm sure what Kol and Mya wore could have been described in a better way, even if it was just "furs". I'm sorry if this is a bit of a pet peeve but I just couldn't cope with it. Anyway...

Overall, I think this was a very ambitious idea for a novel, and it just didn't quite cut it for me.

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Has anyone else read Ivory and Bone? What were your thoughts? 
Let us know in the comments!
Love,

And I Darken by Kiersten White

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

And I Darken was all I wanted it to be and more. It's a deep, dark and unique alternate history novel, set in the Ottoman Empire of the 1400's, just before the fall of Constantinople. Kiersten White takes Vlad the Impaler and replaces him with Lada, Princess of Wallachia. 

Previously, I didn't know much at all about this era in history, especially from an Eastern European perspective, so the setting of this book was so refreshing. It took facts from history and brought them to life with complex characters, political intrigue, wars, and intricate relationships. 

I absolutely loved Lada as a heroine, and the way that Kiersten White slotted her into the history of Wallachia and the Ottoman empire was flawless. The secondary characters - especially Lada's brother, Radu, and Mehmed, the sultan's son, also added so much to the story and I think the third person narrative worked so well in this book, as it meant that these characters thoughts and feelings weren't overlooked. The plot constantly kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and sudden revelations, as well as the culturally relevant issues that it presents throughout, such as the way that Lada is constantly overlooked by everyone just because she is a woman. 

And I Darken is definitely one of my favourite books of this year so far - I loved it so much that, despite having the ARC on my kindle, I had to order the hardback today - and the only negative thing I can say about it is that I almost wish I hadn't read it so fast, as now I have to wait even longer for the sequel!

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Based on a true story, 'Burial Rites' tells the story of the last days of Agnes, a woman charged with the murder of her former master. Upon waiting execution, Agnes is sent to live with a family on an isolated farm in Iceland. At first, her only friend is Tóti, a priest she has chosen to be her spiritual guardian. We follow her story as she goes from being feared to understood and the truth that is eventually unsurfaced.

Becky's thoughts -
It isn't often that I read crime fiction, but the idea of a Scandinavian crime novel based on a true story definitely appealed to me. I'm currently in Iceland, and chose to read Burial Rites leading up to and during my trip here to see the full perspective of the book, and I'm so glad I did! Burial Rites gives a lot of interesting cultural facts about Iceland, and being immersed in that culture definitely made me read this book in a different light. I was immediately drawn in to Agnes's story and the mysteries surrounding it that were unfolded as the book went on. The narrative didn't move too fast which perfectly built up the tension as you got closer towards the end, and the letters and records (all from real archives from the events) at the beginning of each chapter really helped to keep the facts straight, as well as inform you what was happening outside of Kornsà, where Agnes was staying. I loved how Agnes's story was told through her telling it to the priest sent to absolve her before her execution, rather than the book beginning at the crime scene - it really helped to develop Agnes as a character, as well as developing her relationships with the priest and the family she was staying with. The ending was sudden, perfect, and heartbreaking all at once. I also really enjoyed the section at the end of the book in which Hannah Kent explains how she discovered Agnes and her story. The conversations she describes having with Icelandic locals who believed Agnes to be a witch or an evil woman really showed how awful the unfair prejudices against her were during her sentencing. I really did enjoy this book and would thoroughly recommend it - just be prepared to have your heart broken.

Angharad's thoughts -

Right, this book? Wow.

Upon starting it, realising that it was based on a true story (and a story I wasn't aware of), I automatically became 10x more fascinated. I haven't read a lot of books based in Iceland so diving into a new country and learning new traditions was truly an amazing experience (especially with the help sheet at the start.) I like that the author included actual documents taken from the event and included them throughout the book. Not only does it add authenticity, but it also allows you to have knowledge of old Icelandic beliefs.

I loved Agnes as a character and knowing her fate from the start really allowed you to connect to her and the fear she must have surely felt. Seeing her relationship with the family grow was equally heartwarming and heartbreaking and I love that Agnes chose to reveal different parts of her past to different people. I like how everything moved slowly but surely to the end which yep, tore my heart out. 

I like how the end was recorded (as a fact rather than fiction) because it made it all the more real. It's one of those novels that although you know what is going to happen, you still wish it didn't. Following Agnes as she went from being feared and hated to eventually respected and understood was so important and needed to happen in order for you to feel empathy at the end of the book.

I would definitely recommend this. It's informative, heartbreaking and an atmospheric read.

Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin

“Once upon a different time, there was a girl who lived in a kingdom of death. Wolves howled up her arm. A whole pack of them--made of tattoo ink and pain, memory and loss. It was the only thing about her that ever stayed the same.”

Wolf by Wolf takes place in 1956 and is a book set in an alternative history in which Hitler won the war. The story follows Yael, a girl with the unique gift, she can shape shift as a result of being experimented on in a death camp as a young child. She accepts a mission to compete in the annual Axis Tour: a motorcycle race across the continents but in order to do so, she must impersonate Adele Wolfe, last year's only female winner. Armed with her ability and a mind filled with revenge, she sets out to win the race and ultimately, kill Hitler.

Angharad:

I was immediately drawn to this book as I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, however, I've never really read any alternative history. The premise was amazing, what would have happened if Hitler and the Nazis had won the war? What would become of the world and its people? Yael for me is one of my favourite characters. She is strong and clever and uses her tragic past and her reminding ability to achieve good. She doesn't let anything get in the way of her goal, not even Adele's twin brother, Felix and fellow competitor and former love interest, Luka.

The story switches between 'then' and 'now.' We learn of Yael's past and all the people she lost along the way who are symbolised by the wolf tattoos on her arm, the only part of her appearance she can't change.

The race itself has you on the edge of your seat. It is filled with obstacles and plot twists and moments that make you stare and whisper, "shit." I love that Yael constantly has to be on guard and she isn't afraid to do what needs to be done in order to win. The ending had me shocked but ten times more excited for the sequel.

Overall, I loved this book. My only criticism is that I wish the ending hadn't of been so quick but it did make it all the more sudden. Read this book if you are a fan of historical fiction, especially with a twist and a love for action-packed journeys. If neither of those things grab your attention, read it for Yael.

Becky:

I loved this book so much that I started and finished it in just a couple of hours. As soon as I was recommended it, I knew it was just my sort of thing - a WWII era setting but with a twist on what we know actually happened after the war and an amazing, badass girl for a protagonist with an interesting back story. 

The book begins with Yael's experiences as a young girl, which allows you to be plunged into her world straight away. Graudin takes Josef Mengele, Hitler's infamous Angel of Death, and creates from him the nightmare that will both haunt Yael's dreams and will change her into the weapon for the resistance that she becomes. Obviously, there are so many books and films that portray the awful things that happened inside Auschwitz and other death and labour camps during WWII. However, I've never read or seen anything that focuses on a character inspired by one of Mengele's victims, and although Yael's story is fictional, it really did bring to mind the horrifying reality that real people actually went through the things that Yael experiences, to an extent. The "Then" chapters of the book, which focus on Yael's past and her path to where she is in 1956, really are chilling and at times left me on the edge of my seat. 

I think many people who didn't experience WWII first hand have been told the stories of how our lives could have been today if Hitler had won the war, and Wolf by Wolf plunges you straight into those imagined horrors. What I really love about this premise, besides how unique and fascinating it is, is how the horrors really are hidden at times. Yael, the main character, will be walking down the street and be stopped by some German officers. All seems fairly average, until they make some throwaway comments that truly set the scene:

"Stray bitches make good target practice. Almost as much as commies and Jews." The soldier laughed and slapped the butt of his Mauser.

It was, in a way, parts like this that really topped the book off for me. 

Wolf by Wolf was definitely one of the best books I've read this year so far - everything about it from beginning to end was action packed and completely drew me in. The ending took a huge, unexpected twist, leaving everything in the balance. 

I honestly can't think of anything I disliked about this book - the one "problem" I had with it was that I wished it could have been longer, and although there was a lot of back story in there, I definitely wouldn't have complained if there had been more!