Review: Sisters of Sword and Song

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This was in interesting book with definite ancient Greek/Hellenistic influences. It is the story of two sisters who have been separated for many years and their struggle to reunite their family and save their kingdom from sinister magic. While the threads of Ancient Greek mythology were very interesting, the story lagged and the pacing was very uneven. After about the half-way point I had a hard time feeling urgency and suspense any time a character was in danger or facing death, because it seemed they'd just find a way to literally resurrect themselves. I needed a more cohesive and naturally flowing story.

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Review: The Night We Burned

The Night We Burned by S.F. Kosa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book through Early Reads.
This was a very interesting book. It is the story of Dora, a woman who works in journalism and is trying to move on from a tragic past. The reader also follows the unfolding of the events that seem to be a part of Dora's past: the decline and downfall of a cult in rural Oregon, which Dora is desperate to keep hidden. Dora's desire to leave her past behind is seriously threatened when the few surviving members of her former cult are being found murdered and her colleagues are working to find the truth.
The book started off just a bit slow, but Dora is a fascinating character who quickly draws the reader in with her struggles to function "normally" in the present and her quest to leave her past behind. In the earlier timeline, the reader knows bad things will happen and really doesn't want to witness them occur, yet the way the author tells the story is terribly compelling.
I really had no idea what would happen with Dora in the present storyline, and wondered how exactly she would get out of the "cult" in the earlier storyline. There were definitely some suspicious characters who I wondered if they could be responsible for the murders and I was kept guessing. There was a very big twist that I did suspect from about halfway through, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book at all.
If you enjoy thrillers, suspense, or twisty mysteries, then I would recommend this book.

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Review: The Last Daughter of York

The Last Daughter of York by Nicola Cornick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I know this was a very well-researched book about a very fascinating topic. I really wanted to enjoy this book. My problem was that I had a very hard time connecting with both the main characters, Ann or Serena. During Ann's timeline, in the beginning her tone was very much more mature than any five-year-old's should be, and it didn't feel organic. And with Serena, her narration felt disconnected--almost as if she were observing the things that were happening to her and the events she was participating in, instead of experiencing them. I didn't feel that either character came across as a real person. It was disappointing, because it really took away from my enjoyment of the book. I felt as though I were reading an essay instead of an immersive historical novel. I would not recommend this book.

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