After three weeks of vacation, Ash Mistry is ready to leave the heat and dust of India behind him. Then he discovers a gleaming gold arrowhead hidden in the sands---a weapon used to defeat evil King Ravana in legend.
At least, Ash is pretty sure it's only a legend . . .
But when Lord Alexander Savage comes after Ash, the legends are suddenly way too real. Savage commands an army of monstrous shapechangers called rakshasas, who want only to seize the arrowhead and restore Ravana to power. As they hunt Ash through magnificent fortresses and brutal deserts, he must learn to work with a powerful rakshasa girl named Parvati, and find the strength within himself to fight on no matter what. Because this isn't just a battle to stop the end of the world. It's a battle to stop the end of reality as we know it.
I thought that the Indian Mythology that was the background for the story was really interesting. I had a hard time, though, because I didn't really like Ash and I couldn't connect with him as the story went on. I felt like he made bad choices a lot and that he was never really convicted about anything. He had no clear motivations and so he waffled a lot.
I think some readers will really love the action in this book.
I am extremely excited to be participating in the blog tour for Julianne Donaldson's newest book, Blackmoore. I loved her first novel, Edenbrooke (in fact, I gave it a starred review here!) so much that I VOWED to be part of the blog tour for her next "Proper Romance" if it was humanly possible...and here we are, LOL.
Blackmoore is the newest book in Shadow Mountain Publishing's A Proper Romancebrand.
A Proper Romance indicates a clean, smart, engaging, romantic story that will never embarass the reader. Now, I am not one to pass up any type of romance when I'm in the right mood, but I love the elegance and timelessness of the Proper Romancebooks. They feel like absolutely anyone could read and enjoy them and I personally will recommend anything that Julianne Donaldson writes!
So, let's talk more about Blackmoore!
Kate Worthington knows she can never have her heart’s desire and so believes she will never marry. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore on the cliffs above the seashore, where she must face the truth and the man that has kept her heart captive.
Set in northern England, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn to follow her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue and devotion.
Once again, Donaldson won my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. Told through a series of flashbacks, readers get to see Kate's history unfold. Learning the sordid truth about her older sister and her mother's scheming, scandalous ways... learning about how she lost her heart to the one man she can't have...
This book actually reminded me a little of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The intelligent, talented daughter with bigger dreams than just following her mother's wishes of a "good" marriage. As Kate must deal with laughable suitors, an embarassing family, and having to see the man that she doesn't want to admit she loves, she also fights to break free of the life she sees herself imprisoned within. Her pluck and determination are admirable. Kate's story grabbed my heartstrings and simply wouldn't let go.
When I finished the book, I found myself sighing aloud and already mentally counting down until another is announced. To me, that is the ultimate test...and Blackmoore passed with flying colors!
Want to learn more about Julianne Donaldson and Blackmoore?
Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new
position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And
looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the
mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe
members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little
brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having
now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself
and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a
catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including
her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that
has defined them. (description from Amazon.com)
I thought that this was a really interesting, slightly magical easy read. I liked how it is based on real natives from real islands off the coast of India. I had no idea they were even there! I thought the culture clash was well depicted and that the spiritual journey Uido faced was intriguing.
My Name is Not Easy
by Debby Dahl Edwardson
My name is not easy. My name is hard like ocean ice grinding the shore . . .
Luke knows his Iñupiaq name is full of sounds white people can’t say. So he
leaves it behind when he and his brothers are sent to boarding school hundreds
of miles away from their Arctic village. At Sacred Heart School,
students—Eskimo, Indian, White—line up on different sides of the cafeteria like
there’s some kind of war going on. Here, speaking Iñupiaq—or any native
language—is forbidden. And Father Mullen, whose fury is like a force of nature,
is ready to slap down those who disobey. Luke struggles to survive at Sacred
Heart. But he’s not the only one. There’s smart-aleck Amiq, a daring leader— if
he doesn’t self-destruct; Chickie, blond and freckled, a different kind of
outsider; and small, quiet Junior, noticing everything and writing it all down.
They each have their own story to tell. But once their separate stories come
together, things at Sacred Heart School—and the wider world—will never be the
same.
(description from Amazon.com)
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. I thought the characters were well drawn and I learned a lot about Alaskan culture during the Cold War. I had no idea that Eskimos and other native tribes were all thrown together in schools far from their own homes. I did feel, though, like this book was disjointed - I had trouble tracking the time passing, etc.
Promise the Night
by Michaela MacColl
Beryl moved with her family to the highlands of Kenya as a toddler. Not long after, her mother and brother returned to England, abandoning her with her rough though loving father. MacColl's account begins when a leopard steals into Beryl's hut and attacks her dog—the child leaping from her bed to give chase. Though she loses the leopard in the night, the next morning, she and her new friend, a Nandi boy, Kibii, find the dog still alive and save it. Later she insists on being part of the hunt for the leopard. Young Beryl wants nothing more than to be a warrior, a murani, and to be able to leap higher than her own head. Her jumping skills progress apace, but young white girls, no matter how determined, cannot become part of the Nandi tribe. Her relationship with Kibii's father, the wise Arap Maina, along with a growing awareness of the consequences of her actions, help lead her into a more mature—though still wildly impulsive and daring—life. (description from author's website)
I *really* liked this one. It is the story of Beryl Markham's wild childhood in Africa, with the chapters interspersed with actual journal entries and interviews that Beryl did as a grown woman when she became a famous pilot. Beryl's interaction with the local Nandi tribe were also interesting and funny. Well written and very engaging!
