Book review : Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman
by E.W. Hornung
Classic short stories collection
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book about 3 years ago and have reread the stories in it over the last 2 days.

I have always been fascinated by stories of gentleman thieves, but except for having seen an old black and white film with David Niven and Olivia De Havilland from 1939, I had never heard of Raffle.
I found this book by chance and since it was super discounted I grabbed it immediately. Wow, how lucky, it was a nice breath of joy.

It has been a great read, each story very quick to read, light and ironic.
The main character, a gentleman thief, not only is fascinating but could also be a magnificent character in a contemporary adventure book or in a TV series suitable for the whole family.
So if work keeps you too busy and you don't have too much time to focus on a longer and more challenging read, this little book will relieve all your stress.

The set is Victorian-era London. The two characters ( yes , actually we have a couple of main characters) Raffle and Bunny love a comfortable and luxurious life but they don't like working that much, so their choice is theft.
The couple is the usual cliché: one very intelligent and full of charm, the other a little clumsier and less skilled, but always a very good friend and a good supporting shoulder for the first one.
As I said, it's the usual cliché of books and films of all time, but they know the same way how to steal your heart.

I liked all the stories, only the last one left me a little sad... but I can't tell you anything otherwise I would ruin your enjoyment of reading.

A nice curiosity is that the author, EW Hornung, was the brother-in-law of none other than Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes and his trusted Dr. Watson).

Thank you for reading my opinion and if you found any errors in my text, please forgive me, English is not my native language.

Join me on FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner, to be always updated on new posts

FOLLOW ME or ASK MY FRIENDSHIP ON GOODREADS

Book review : Gentle Conquest by Mary Balogh

Gentle Conquest
by Mary Balogh

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

A regency romance by the famous Mary Balogh.
Here's why I didn't like it and I don't recommend you to spend ( waste ) your time reading it.

THE PLOT IN BRIEF __ Ralph, Earl of Chartleigh, is only 21 years old and has no experience of the world or even with women. However, he has a kind heart, good manners and no malice in his thoughts, always smiling and condescending to everyone, always ready to see the good side of people.
Georgiana Burton, the young 18-year-old bride that his mother found for him, is a smart girl, with several flirtations behind her and with a peppery character, but who in the first dates with Ralph will show herself shy and sweet, as ordered by her father.
Ralph falls in love immediately, however the wedding night is not consummated, due to his inexperience and because of the mocking comments of his young wife.
The result is a misunderstanding that will not be resolved for a long time and will result in actions that will confuse the situation even more.
___________________

The premise of the story interested me a lot because the hero of the story is different from the usual rakes and libertines who suddenly come to their senses thanks to the encounter with special and fantastic women in every way.
The latter is in fact a cliché that may suit women who are passionate about regency love stories, but I am not an avid reader of romances and I find it tiring to always read the same type of story, just with different names.

For almost all my life I disdained romances, especially regency ones, because I found them dull and flat, until a couple of years ago I discovered that some are really funny and full of humor and other romances, which include a little mystery, are intriguing and full of suspense and twists (the dramatic ones, however, I discard out of hand because they make me sad).

---> Well, this book is exactly what I have always avoided: a boring, flat story, without plot twists, without jokes and humorous scenes, without any suspense and without interesting protagonists!!!

Throughout the first half of the book, the author tells the thoughts of the two spouses in the third person: THE BRIDE initially considers her new husband weak, inexperienced and with none of the male "skills" (gambling, go hunting, be a scoundrel full of women... ), too physically beautiful to be considered charming, as if for her beauty made him effeminate.
You will understand that I could not love this girl.
I understand that the rich man's lifestyle back then was to go to the club and play cards and be a complete asshole, BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE ADMIRED THIS IN A MAN! To me she was a complete idiot!
After the failed wedding night, she finally realizes that she has behaved badly and understands that she has inhibited her husband even more.
Little by little he begins to appreciate his kind ways and his generosity towards everyone... the character therefore improves, but throughout the first half of the book I always had to read the same things: first contempt and then repentance... nothing else interesting.

Again throughout the first half of the book, in addition to the same phrases, continually repeated in her head, the reader has to put up with his mental ruminations: THE GROOM, in his naivety and lack of malice, does not feel angry at all with the bride, but he thinks he has scared her and is afraid of "hurting her" because she is a virgin.
The author really exaggerates in describing him as good and altruistic and this becomes far-fetched and tiring.
Furthermore, at a certain point one comes to think that he really is an idiot, since he desires his wife, but no longer makes any attempt to consummate the marriage with her.
However, he tries WARNING SPOILER ___ MAKE SURE YOU WANT TO READ IT !___to build a relationship of affection and mutual respect with his wife, he succeeds and sees her cheerful and happy and yet he only makes another feeble attempt to spend the night with her, he backs down and doesn't try anymore. SPOILER END___ ___ THIS IS ABSURD !

... I understand the writer's intent, but she wrote everything in an absurd and implausible way not even for that time.
I understand that at the time there was embarrassment in talking about sex WARNING SPOILER _____and yet she has no problem talking about it with a stranger (the groom's womanizer cousin), SPOILER END___ so why not talk about it with her husband?
And what to say about her husband: WARNING SPOILER ___ ___after she shouts in his face that he wasn't even capable of "making her his wife", still he doesn't go to her, but he accepts another stupid solution ( to take a mistress just to have experience in sex ). SPOILER END___

In the second part with the arrival of the rogue cousin, I thought that finally there would be some movement in the story, because he interferes in the affairs of the two spouses, bringing havoc to the family due to his reputation.
BUT NO: WE STILL HAVE A FLAT STORY.
This would have been an interesting character because amidst all the boredom of the story, he manages to say a few slightly witty lines, but the character isn't developed enough to bring joy to the reader.
Don't even think that you can read something interesting about misunderstandings, because even family arguments are boring.

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___He is interested in the bride's sister (but here the author inserts a second love story which is ridiculous because it doesn't even have time to develop, so it doesn't give any emotion and makes no sense at all). SPOILER END ______

The icing on the cake of boredom is that "the good boy", known for his fairness, WARNING SPOILER ___ ___decides to take a lover and has sex with her for at least 2 months and decides to end the relationship only because events put him in front of a dilemma.
Honestly as well as feeling disappointed and betrayed by the character, I don't find it plausible with the way of being of the young groom, described so insistently by the author throughout the story.
It matters little that actually the mistress was his wife in disguise.
He has a mistress and he feels he cannot put an end to the relationship with her, he loves her and equally declares himself in love with his wife (and here for me he was a perfect idiot: he has experience by now, but he didn't go to his wife at night, but throughout the book he repeats to himself that he wants his wife, he desires her!)
As I said the lover was the wife disguised (all organized by the bride) and by creating this ruse in the plot, the author can ensure that the protagonist does not commit a real betrayal... well, for me the intentions count and he didn't know that the lover was the wife. To me it wasn't an acceptable solution and even the whole ending where they make up is ridiculous and not at all satisfactory.
SPOILER END___
I would like to explain the spoiler of the ending more, but I feel like I have already wasted too much time both in reading this book and in reviewing it.

Thanks for reading my opinion and sorry for my faulty English, it's not my native language.




Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts

Book review : Courting Dragons by Jeri Westerson

Courting Dragons
King's Fool Mystery Book #1
by Jeri Westerson

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3.7 rounded up to 4 stars.

I'll start by saying that I enjoyed the entire story from start to finish and there was never a point where I felt bored.

---> I immediately fell in love with the character and I already miss him (so I will also read book #2 in the series).

However, there are a few reasons why my score is not a full 4 stars, but 3.7 and it would not be the first book I would recommend to anyone who asked me to suggest a mystery with a "late medieval/early renaissance" setting.

___ THE PLOT____ We are at the court of King Henry VIII, at the time in which his marriage to Catherine of Aragon entered into crisis due to the lack of a male heir and above all due to the king's infatuation with Anne Boleyn.
The "Great Matters" is what everyone whispers about at court, what it is dangerous to talk about openly, why the Spanish ambassador and his diplomats try to find solutions and why the king continually meets with his advisors.
While our narrator, court jester Will Somers, flirts left and right with men and professes his love for the only woman he would like to marry, one day he finds one of the Spanish diplomats having his throat cut.
As it happens, the dead man was the last casual lover with whom he had spent the night two days earlier. A blackmail letter follows that threatens to reveal his bisexuality to the king...circumstances then force him to find the murderer before any more bad consequences ensue.
____________________________

___WHAT I LIKED ___

THE MAIN CHARACTER__ The "hero" of the book is also the narrator of the story: the king's fool, Will Somers.
This 23 year old boy might seem a bit lewd and superficial from what I wrote in the plot, but instead it is easy to become attached to him and feel like he is a little like the friend next door, because from his words and the feelings he tells us, a good heart and great generosity shines through, as well as intelligence and irony.

The story takes place in the present, as events occur, Will shares with us every thought, emotion, hope, fear and suspicion.
Maybe that's what made it all so engaging.
The narrative made me feel like I was at Will's side each second of the story, from the first page to the last one: I walked down every corridor Will went through, I enjoyed every moment of playfulness with the king or with the little dog adopted by our jester, I feared every face-to-face meeting with characters who disagreed with the jester... I experienced all of it firsthand together with Somers.

___ THE PRESENTATION OF THE COURT, OF THE REAL HISTORICAL FIGURES and the few fictional characters ____
In this book I felt as if I was part of an episode of the TV series The Tudors (remember? Year 2007-2010). This is because, by chance, I watched all 8 seasons of the series just a month ago and I must say that it was useful to me so as not to get confused amidst the hundreds of names of real historical figures mentioned (and of which Will explained to us the role) in the story.
King Henry VIII always remained the fickle and capricious man that history tells us and that we have seen in the series, but the author also offers us a warmer facet of the character: a certain paternal affection and a particular tolerance for his jester and understanding of his feelings.
Will loves him like a father and feels that without this emotional warmth he could not live (history tells us that Will Somers remained the king's jester until his death and was also at the court of his 3 children: Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. Looks like he loved them as if they were his family).

I liked the character of Marion, Will's unofficial girlfriend, who knows Will's nature. She is very tolerant, but by her own free choice. She simply loves him as he is, without feeling cuckolded or betrayed.
I liked the courage Will found in himself to stand up to her father, the classic gruff but affectionate man with his daughter, who doesn't want to give his blessing to the engagement.

All the characters around Will (fictional and historical) have few acting lines, but this is enough to fully show us their character traits.

There are no battles and wars in this story.
Only an atmosphere of playfulness and of transformation (of the king's relationships towards his marriage and towards the Church).
It's not a fast-paced "whodunit", but I can assure I never felt bored.

THE REASONS WHY I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE:

_ _ There is no real investigation. Will Somers asks questions around and tries to understand more about certain situations and characters.
If you think about it, this is totally logical, because Will is neither a detective nor a person who investigates amateurally out of natural curiosity and passion (as in many mysteries where the main character, despite not being a policeman or investigator, has a passion for doing investigations)
Will's job is to make the king and his courtiers laugh and he finds himself forced by events to try to uncover a murderer.
It would have been far-fetched if he had investigated like a real sleuth... so for me the story was perfect like that, however it might not be satisfactory for all readers.

_ _ We are in the Middle Ages and as you can imagine the language among men was not the most refined, nor did they have any problems speaking scurrilously in front of women.
I read this book in English, which is not my native language and although I realized that the "male member" was mentioned several times...reading in a foreign language, the impact of some slightly vulgar words was different... less intense and less annoying.
I admit that if I had read the book in Italian (my country's language), I would have been annoyed and most likely I would have abandoned this reading.

_ _ I have already said that Will Somers, bisexual, continually flirts with all the handsome men who come his way.
Not just flirting, there is kissing and sexual acts. The descriptions are not detailed and vulgar, but I think the author could have avoided "the little services" given to Will by a certain servant.
I'm not bothered by homosexuality, I have no problems with other people's sexual choices... but seeing the protagonist with his underwear down too often... ugh, what a drag!
(Perhaps the author had also watched the series "The Tudors" before writing the book... in fact in that series it seemed that sex was one of the most common and popular pastimes)

Thank you for reading my review, I hope it can be useful to you, but without influencing you too much one way or another.
After all, taste and perception are personal.
---> Sorry for my bad English, as I said I'm Italian.

Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page

to stay always updated on the latest post.

Book review : The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick

The Paid Companion
by Amanda Quick
My rating: 4,8 rounded up to 5 stars.
I loved it!
(Here on the left the new paperback cover, below the old one)

A historical mystery-romance where both the mystery-investigative part and the romantic and sensual part are equally well developed and both have the same weight in the story.

___THE PLOT IN SHORT__ The story begins with Elenor's sudden change of fortune: the greedy and hateful step-father has lost everything due to a bad investment and while he died of a stroke, his stepdaughter finds herself thrown out of the house by creditors , with only her clothes in an old trunk of her actress grandmother.
The only chance of survival is to roll up your sleeves and find a job through an agency.

The rich Arthur, Earl of St. Merrin, fresh from a year of gossip about the escape of his girlfriend with another man, has decided to find a fake girlfriend, turning to an agency that employs desperate women looking for a job as a companion. In fact, at the moment he is not interested in falling in love, because his goal is to find his uncle's killer.

Elenor will prove to be much more than a banal cover for his investigations, with her intelligence, in fact, she will help St. Merrin in unraveling a tangled mess of secret identities and harmful obsessions.
_______________________

Like many romances, the "historical" setting is purely superficial.
In fact there is no historical part with historical references and events, the reader only knows, thanks to some elements, that we are probably in the Regency era, but after the defeat of Napoleon or in the Victorian era, before the advent of electricity..
I consider it a "point against" because I love historical references, however the narration was so compelling in the two themes it focused on (the love story and the solution to a mystery, as well as the capture of a killer), that I turned one page after another with great enthusiasm.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't expect it.

__MYSTERY and LOVE STORY __ I use to read many historical mystery-romances, but they are usually focused more on investigations, while in the background a certain complicity and attraction develops in a "very light way" between the 2 main characters or, in the case of a romance, the development of a feeling of love and passion is in close-up, while a "weak" mystery manages to give a little suspense to the whole story.
This is not the case, indeed this author managed to enthuse the reader on both fronts: investigative and romantic.
It's truly well-crafted and suspenseful mystery and the love story offers just as many twists, with funny scenes alternating with sensual moments.


It's my first book by Amanda Quick and if you need a light but engaging read, I recommend it.

___ THE CHARACTERS ___ I liked both main characters, because the author managed to balance the emotional traits that characterized them well.
Perhaps a woman who always thinks of the good of others seems a little far-fetched, but this is the only thing that is a little over-emphasized.
Other characteristics such as stubbornness and decision, willpower and resilience, anger and playfulness in speeches, feelings of altruism and passion, intelligence and business sense, are never too intense or too forced either in Arthur or in Elenor and this is important because otherwise they might have been unpleasant.

Then there are Bennet and Margaret, two positive secondary characters who support our heroes and add lightness and joy to the story.

A swirl of other minor characters, whose attitudes serve to describe what life was like for both high society and poor workers in the 19th century.

The whole story is made more interesting also thanks to the fact that the killer is not the only "bad guy" in the story. In fact, even if in a more subtle way, over the course of events, a couple of really mean characters will contribute to complicating things.

Nothing of what happens is taken for granted and during the narration there are various small mysteries that are revealed.
This makes the reading lively and encourages the reader to go on to read the next chapter.

The language is fluent and is clean, but there are at least 3 sex scenes, described in detail, but not vulgar, nothing that an adult doesn't already know.

Happy ending guaranteed in all respects:
no villain goes unpunished and every good person gets his reward.

---> I put both the NEW PAPERBACK COVER and the OLD PAPERBACK COVER.
???? Which one do you like best???
In my opinion neither of the two does justice to the story... the first makes you imagine something boring, the second leads you to imagine something too frivolous.

ONE CURIOSITY OF MINE: How much weight do book covers have on your read choices?

I admit that the cover is the first thing that attracts me, I value it highly and it affects my enthusiasm in selecting a reading. If, by chance, I hadn't read the enthusiastic reviews of this mystery-romance, I would never have chosen it because the covers didn't entice me (for the two reasons I wrote above).

Thank for reading my review and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.

Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts

Book review : Sent to the Devil by Laura Lebow

Sent to the Devil
by Laura Lebow
Lorenzo Da Ponte Mysteries Book #2

GENRE : #HistoricalFiction #CozyMystery #MusicalWhodunit
My rating: ★★★★★

What a delightful mystery to dive into!

It features real-life historical figures as the stars, captures all the enchantment of the 18th-century Viennese theater scene, avoids any graphic violence, and masterfully weaves authentic history into the fabric of a fictional plot.
If you’re looking for a mystery that feels like a warm embrace rather than a dark alleyway, you need to pick up Sent to the Devil by Laura Lebow.

__THE PLOT __ 1788, Vienna.
Lorenzo Da Ponte, the court poet, is hard at work as the librettist for Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which has already seen great success in Prague.
While the theaters remain busy, the atmosphere is tense. Emperor Joseph II has embroiled the nation in a war against the Turks, and the city is frequently rocked by protest riots.
To make matters worse, a series of shocking murders targeting the aristocracy and clergy has gripped the public in fear.

One of the victims is a close, long-time friend of Lorenzo. Because of this connection, Da Ponte is summoned to police headquarters and tasked by the chief of police with assisting in the investigation alongside Count Benda (who was also linked to the first victim).
Determined to bring his friend’s killer to justice, Da Ponte joins the secret inquiry.
Alongside another dear old friend, the legendary Giacomo Casanova, he finds himself caught in the middle of the delusional, paranoid schemes of a madman obsessed with the verses of Dante’s Purgatorio.

__________________________

_____ MY THOUGHTS _____

I absolutely adored everything about this book as it aligns perfectly with my personal tastes, though I feel it’s only fair to note that I’d primarily recommend it to fans of light mystery (such as cozy or classic whodunits). Despite the title and the serious-looking cover (which I quite like), the nature of the mystery and the investigation won’t satisfy those who prefer high-octane, gritty thrillers filled with dramatic tension or gory details.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, blood-soaked thriller, this isn’t it.

Conversely, if you love mysteries with an inviting atmosphere, lighthearted moments that foster a sense of friendship and camaraderie, an investigation that moves at an easy pace, a relatable human protagonist (who is certainly no fearless hero pulling off complex logical miracles), and abundant historical nods, then this is the perfect book for you!

__ WHY I LOVED IT (AND WHY I’LL BE RE-READING IT!) __

1 _ THE MAIN CHARACTERS :
These are three figures who truly existed, were genuine acquaintances in real life, and shared real moments of friendship.
While history books give us the facts, fiction allows us to step into their shoes: watching them banter, collaborate at the theater, share a drink, or exchange confidences. These moments, while imagined by the author, feel entirely plausible and human.

• Lorenzo Da Ponte, Approaching his forties, he serves as Mozart’s librettist.
  Born in Venice, he took his vows as a priest not out of religious calling, but because it provided a path to education.
  Much like in real life, he’s a man who appreciates feminine beauty, and Lebow’s books don’t shy away from that trait.
  He is cultured, polite, and kind; he doesn't go searching for trouble but is frequently dragged into it against his will. It’s truly amusing to watch him navigate dangerous confrontations with cunning killers in his own clumsy, charming way.



• Giacomo Casanova, Also a Venetian, he actually assisted in adding scenes to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, even though he wasn't in Prague at the time.
  Here, he is sixty years old but remains as charming as ever with quite an eye for the ladies.
  It’s worth remembering that he was far more than a libertine; he was a brilliant, cultured man who authored several books and served as an Italian diplomat and secret agent!



• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart needs no introduction, though most people only know the surface details.
  He was a magnificent, fascinating genius with a restless soul and an unruly life (filled with gambling, debt, parties, and women).
  I loved seeing him in a romanticized light, as a devoted husband enjoying a peaceful day-to-day life with his wife, Constance, and their children.
  I loved watching him joke with his colleagues and direct actors at the theater.
  It was a joy to set aside his chaotic history and focus on the sunny side of his personality. That is the true magic of fiction!

At the same time, once you step out of the “bubble of serenity” that fiction provides, it’s wonderful to go back and learn the historical truths about these men.
This is one of those rare historical mysteries that incorporates true facts—literature, opera, politics, and the splendor of Vienna, and encourages me to dig even deeper into history.

2 _ THE SETTING:
As I mentioned, the backdrop is warm and inviting.
I loved the theater scenes during rehearsals, complete with the real names of actors from that era, capturing their insecurities, hysterics, wit, and creative spark.
It was fascinating to see how the opera was adapted based on the specific vocal strengths of the singers and the political climate of the time.

Beyond the theater, the author provides a wonderful overview of the beautiful Habsburg capital.
As Da Ponte travels around for work or investigation, the book highlights streets, monuments, and buildings that still stand today.
Having been born in Vienna and returned many times, I loved “traveling” through the 18th-century version of my home city, even searching for old lithographs online to help myself get fully immersed in the atmosphere!

3 _ THE STRONG HISTORICAL ELEMENT:
It shows up in many ways and blends perfectly with the fiction.
There are books that use history as a mere backdrop, and then there are “true historical novels” where fiction is perfectly integrated with factual history.
Thanks to the author's deep research, we get a beautiful look at the past:

• The novel offers a glimpse into the political climate and public mood of the period.


• The author explores the protagonist's love for literature by including Dante's verses in the killer's messages and explaining them through Da Ponte's words.


• Laura Lebow talks about Vienna’s iconic monuments, buildings, and cafés, explaining who built them and why. She also shares even more details in the historical notes at the end of the book.


• The story includes real life events of the three main characters.


• We get a front-row seat to the rehearsals of one of Mozart’s most famous operas, alongside mentions of many other works of the era.

All of this is woven into the plot in a light and pleasant way, but it's also sharp enough to make you curious to find out more.

I applaud the author, and I sincerely hope she continues this series, perhaps exploring other works Da Ponte focused on in other cities where he lived.

👉 Clean language, one sex scene barely mentioned and without any explicit description.
👉 This mystery is perfect for both adults and young adults, especioally for fans of cozy and classic mysteries.
If you love gentle investigations, charming settings, and a protagonist who is more "relatable human" than "fearless detective," you are going to love this.
I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a great overall story, even if the mystery investigation itself is low on tension and pathos. The final resolution, however, is wonderfully unexpected!

This is installment #2 in "Lorenzo Da Ponte series", If you’re interested in my review of the first book, The Figaro Murders, you can find it here:

#BOOK 1 : THE FIGARO MURDERS "Lorenzo Da Ponte Series" by Laura Lebow book review

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my review.

Join me on FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner,

to stay updated on my latest reviews and bookish news! ✨

FOLLOW ME or SEND A FRIEND REQUEST ON GOODREADS

Book review : Shadow of the Alchemist by Jeri Westerson

Shadow of the Alchemist
Crispin Guest Book #6
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerson

My rating: ★★★★★
5 full stars ! 😃
Installment #6 in the Crispin Guest series and one more time was an exciting read!

__ THE PLOT IN SHORT__ 1387, London. This time Crispin Guest, a disgraced former knight, now known as the Tracker, the one who finds lost things (or people), is hired by a French master alchemist, secretly staying in London, to find his wife and missing assistant.
One of the two is immediately found dead and the other kidnapped.
No ransom money, but riddles, several strange characters and other crimes, seem to lead Crispin towards a single path...
No holy relic and no parchment is valuable, this time, the historical object at the heart of this story is a legendary object, which tickles the imagination and credulity of people: the "Philosopher's Stone", which can transform objects into gold and can give eternal life.

*************

It is a fast-paced mystery, with more than one crime to solve: a murder and a kidnapping, a mass poisoning, mysterious characters, misunderstandings and liars, against the backdrop of recent political plots.
A race against time to save the kidnapping victim, through puzzles to solve, by a villain full of hatred and skilled in disguises.

___ HISTORICAL EVENTS FORMING THE BACKDROP___ The end of the year 1387 in England was a turbulent time, as Jeri Westerton tells us in the final notes.
Along with the fictional characters, as in every book of this series, we find other characters who were real historical figures.

The king who banished Crispin Guest from court is Richard II and the house to which Crispin was linked when he was a knight is that of Lancaster.
---> While in the previous books we often meet John of Gaunt (father of the future King Henry IV), here, as in book #5, we meet his eldest son, the young Henry, Earl of Darby and future king of England.
While Crispin runs around half of London trying to solve strange riddles and capture the culprit, Henry, very dear to Crispin, participates in the "Lords Appellant" group, aristocrats who impeached five of the king's favorites, to curb what was seen as a tyrannical and capricious government.
Henry finds himself in the crosshairs of those who want to eliminate him as a possible candidate for the throne, but despite being a friend of Crispin, he never fully reveals the truth about his role in the various affairs, so our hero is continually torn between affection and suspicion.

---> Even the alchemist Nicholas Flamel (also present in Harry Potter) and his wife Perenelle, are figures who truly existed in the 14th century, although, as the writer explains in the notes, they were not alchemists.
Actually Flamel was a writer and seller of manuscripts who, thanks to his interest in the Philosopher's Stone and his studies on it, was thought as an alchemist in the following centuries.

Political events appear only marginally during the story of the book, while at the end many points and all developments are clarified.

I really like following Crispin's stories intertwined with the several historical real-life figures.
I use to love, while reading, exploring the true story of those really existed characters on the web and feeling like I am a participant in those historical events, thanks to the dialogues of the characters in the fiction.

___CRISPIN GUEST, THE MAIN CHARACTER ___
I love this character with all my heart!
He is young, courageous and full of ideals, but he doesn't always do or think the right thing... in fact the author also shows his flaws and this makes him feel more real and more human.

While the series begins with Crispin feeling sorry for himself, with each book and adventure, our ex-knight matures as a person, learning to have a more open view of people and facts and while remaining very proud, we discover that he has a very big heart.
Over the course of the books, he earned the appreciation and affection of the poor people and found some true friends at court.
I'm really happy that in this book, he also manages to have a semi-official demonstration of esteem and affection, which he would never have expected.

---> In addition to Crispin, the character of Jack, the little cut-purse, also grows, becoming Crispin's now honest assistant.
As a boy we see him slowly become a man and in each book his affection and loyalty (both reciprocated) for Crispin, manage to move me. I love him too.
Together they are the perfect duo.

NOT a "cozy" mystery : there are no gruesome scenes in this book, but it has happened in other books in the series.
No foul language, but every now and then a bad word can happen by villains (not here that I remember).
Also in this book, as in the others, there is a woman who manages to enchant Crispin and although it is not a serious love story, but more cuddles, sex and physical attraction, I am happy to see Crispin momentarily more satisfied and less "alone" than the moments in which he drowns the sorrows of love in wine.
--> Kisses and a non-explicit sex scene.

___ TO CONCLUSION___
Thank you for reading my review and please be lenient with my English: it is not my native language.
I'm not good at writing reviews, but I hope that my enthusiasm for this series does enough justice to "Crispin Guest" and its author, even if readers' taste is subjective.

I hope you can find the necessary guidance in choosing or not choosing the book.

------> Each book is readable as a standalone, but if you read them in order your enjoyment will be doubled !

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :

BOOK #5 "Blood Lance" :



Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts

Book review : Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander

Dangerous to Know
by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries book #5
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,7 stars rounded up to 4.

Another mystery very hard to solve, this time set in wonderful Normandy ( France ).

I love to read the "Lady Emily mystery series", because it leads me through the most beautiful places in Europe and through the history, art and real-life historical figures of its charming regions, cities and towns, in the late Victorian era and later in the series in the early 1900s.

__ PLOT IN BRIEF __ 1892. After a disastrous honeymoon in Constantinople, where Lady Emily risked her life and lost the child she was carrying, she is now convalescing, accompanied by her husband Colin, at her mother-in-law's residence in Normandy .
Here Emily not only meets characters of the caliber of Monet and Maurice Leblanc, but she meets the fascinating thief Sebastian and comes across a terrible murder and perhaps even a ghost.

___THINGS I LOVED ___

As you may have guessed from the plot, there's a lot of stuff in this installment #5.

The mystery begins immediately with the gruesome discovery of a corpse, in which the killer's modus operandi brings to mind London's famous Jack the Ripper.
The discoveries regarding the victim's past, however, lead to different paths and Lady Emily, still very sad and sensitive for the loss of the child, finds herself facing other difficult issues: mental disorders and the shame that family members often felt when someone he was affected by it in his family.
The etiquette of good society and the terrible pressure that women underwent at that time in not being able to show their feelings and suffering, the lack of freedom in expressing themselves and the absurd submission that was imposed on wives by their husbands... and despite Emily's modernity and the declared equality of the 2 spouses within the marriage declared by Colin, we will see that this couple in love will also have big problems in this regard.

In addition to the murder, from the beginning of the story, we meet the supporting characters, among which the famous Claude Monet, impressionist painter who had just married his lover of many years Alice Hoschedé and the writer Maurice Leblanc, father of Arsène Lupin and who was then still a young journalist.

Tasha Alexander, the author, allows us to have tea with the famous painter in his beautiful home in Giverny, and it is fantastic to find ourselves immersed in the beautiful gardens that Monet loved so much. We breathe in the enchanting atmosphere of the village of Giverny with its half-timbered houses and rolling hills.
No less enchanting is the atmosphere of the medieval towns of Rouen, in which Lady Emily recalls that Joan of Arc was burned.
Not much is said about personal life of Maurice Leblanc, but is good to watch him to take part from time to time in this investigation.
The author also makes the reader understand that Leblanc was inspired by the friendly and charming gentleman thief Sebastian Capet (fiction obviously, in fact Sebastian is a fictional character) to write the his future novels starring the legendary Arsène Lupin.

As I already said, each historical mystery in the Lady Emily series is a journey through history and different places, interesting to visit and that will make you want to travel right away!
The descriptions range from landscapes to city streets, from historical events to the traditional gastronomy of the place, from habits and customs to the fashion of the time and place.
This does not prevent the author from creating complicated puzzles in each book in which it is really difficult to guess the culprit.

__LITTLE THINGS I LIKED A LITTLE LESS ___

Perhaps the thing that made me lower my rating for the book was the prolonged argument between Emily and her husband Colin. Not because the discussion itself bothered me, on the contrary, I liked seeing the couple with problems of misunderstanding, more similar to reality than a perfect sappy relationship that doesn't exist in any couple in the world...

What bothered me was Colin's unexpected arrogance and his alternation: imposition and "I love you", imposition and prohibitions and then again "you know I love you"... Wow, it really made me nervous and it made me even more angry with Emily, who, despite being dissatisfied, was trying to submit to this... true at the time it was like that, but it really made me nervous and even if they finally made peace... I wasn't satisfied with the motivation.
I like Emily's independent spirit and wish she had done more to be respected.

Another thing that had a negative impact on my rating was the presence of what was believed to be a ghost... Tasha Alexander often includes fake ghosts in her short stories (I have read all those published in the series) and it is a topic which I don't like very much and if it can fascinate me once, if it is repeated in several books of the same series, it tires me.

___ SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE MORE IN THE SERIES ___

The only topic I would like to see more often and I could never get bored is actually a side character: Sebastian, the thief with refined taste... I love him!
He is charming, gallant, always ready with a joke and unpredictable, even if he may look predictable.
He appears for the first time in book #3 (A Fatal Waltz, set in Vienna), where it is impossible not to fall in love with him. He reappears here and will reappear in book #12 ( Death in St. Petersburg ), which I read last year and I highly recommend it, it's a great read.
I already know that Sebastian will not appear in more books than those named by me ( among those already published), but I hope to have the pleasure of his presence in future books in the series.

I've read many books in this series out of chronological order and although the stories are connected to each other by Lady Emily's personal life, they all are readable as a standalone.

Clean language, no sex or kissing scenes, no violence, no gruesome descriptions.
Therefore a historical mystery also suitable for the youngest and those who love cozies.
If you choose to read the book, I hope you will enjoy it the same as me.

Thank you for reading my review and please forgive my bad English, because it is not my native language.

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #2 : A Poisoned Season

BOOK #3 : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

BOOK #4: Tears of Pearl

BOOK #13.5 : Upon the Midnight Clear ( Christmas novella ) BOOK #17 : A Cold Highland Wind




Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts

Book review : Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander | Opulent Harem Intrigues & Vivid Victorian Mystery! 🕌

Tears of Pearl
by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries book #4

GENRE: #HistoricalCozyMystery #DualTimelineStory #VictorianEra
My rating: ★★★★☆
(Actually3.5 stars, rounded up to4!)

A highly intricate and atmospheric Victorian mystery!

📜 THE PLOT IN SHORT:

Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves, esteemed diplomats of the British Empire, are finally married. They can't wait to escape the rigid expectations of London and enjoy a relaxing, magnificent honeymoon in an exotic paradise. Their choice falls on the breathtaking, historic city of Constantinople.

Of course, as is often the case with cozy mysteries, plans don't go as expected. On their very first night in the ancient city, a young harem girl is found brutally strangled in the courtyard of the Sultan’s lavish Topkapi Palace.

An English official working at the local embassy happens to be present and recognizes the tragic victim as his long-lost daughter, who was kidnapped twenty-four years earlier. Heartbroken and desperate, he begs Emily and Colin to find her killer. As a woman, Emily gains exclusive access to the strictly forbidden, cloistered world of the harem. However, she soon discovers that behind those mysterious, opulent walls, no one is safe from a ruthless predator.

As the body count rises under the Turkish sun, Emily must rely on her sharpest wits, putting her own life at great risk—with potentially catastrophic consequences.


__________ ****************** ___________

😊 MY OPINION:

| 🕵️‍♀️ THE MYSTERY: A TWISTED WEB OF FALSE LEAD

Tasha Alexander is incredibly skilled at leading the reader down a specific path, making you believe you’ve predicted the outcome, only to completely pull the rug out from under your feet!

With each passing chapter, more characters enter the scene, expanding the web of suspects. Every single hypothesis you formulate as a reader ultimately turns out to be wrong. The author layers the clues so cleverly that you won't fully figure out the culprit or the motive until the final pages.

| 🗺️ VIVID SETTINGS: BEYOND THE SHORES OF ENGLAND

One of the aspects I enjoy most about this series is that Lady Emily's adventures frequently take place outside of Victorian England.
The historical descriptions of exotic locations, magnificent imperial buildings, local customs, and deep-rooted traditions are so vivid and sensory that you feel like you are standing right there beside the characters.

Furthermore, the author does a wonderful job of maintaining a rich, living universe.
In each installment, there are meaningful nods to Emily's past adventures and recurring characters. Whether they are directly involved in the active investigation or simply drop by through a letter or a courtesy call, it makes Emily's life feel authentic, grounded, and incredibly real.

| 👤 CHARACTERS: GRIPPING PORTRAITS AND RECKLESS CHOICES

The characters are exceptionally well-defined, each endowed with distinct, realistic personality traits—both positive flaws and heroic virtues.

While I generally love Lady Emily’s independent and fiercely intelligent character, I must admit she irritated me quite a bit in this book. She rarely listens to Colin’s well-considered advice and frequently acts on impulse.

To make matters more tense, Emily is pregnant in this novel. While she initially struggles with mixed emotions about the pregnancy, she repeatedly and recklessly puts herself in highly dangerous, life-threatening situations, risking the baby's safety. Her stubbornness felt a bit irresponsible this time around!

| 👉 WHY I GAVE IT 3.5 STARS: CIRCULAR NARRATION & REALITY CHECK

Ultimately, this mystery didn't captivate me as deeply as previous books in the series, for two main reasons:

1) Circular Pacing:
While the intricate mystery is highly enthralling at first, the narrative begins to stretch out without any real resolution, which became quite frustrating.

To my taste, the story went round and round in circles, padding the middle section instead of building momentum.
I actually found myself skimming the final chapters quickly, losing that personal"recitative" tone I usually use to fully immerse myself in a novel, simply because I couldn't wait to just reach the conclusion.

2) The Dark Reality of the Harem:
When I was a little girl, my mother used to read me the magical tales of Aladdin's lamp and Ali Baba. I grew up fascinated by beautiful women in colorful veils and sultans with magnificent turbans.
However, the historical reality of the harem is far from a fairytale.

These women were prisoners, stripped of their freedom and torn from their families. Living in constant rivalry for the sultan's favor made genuine friendships nearly impossible.

Facing this bleak reality within the plot stripped away the exotic romance of the setting for me. It left a bittersweet taste, reminding me of why the modern Middle East remains a fascinating place to read about, but one I would be highly reluctant to travel to in real life.

| 🏁 FINAL VERDICT: A MUST-READ FOR COZY MYSTERY LOVERS

Overall, I highly recommend Tears of Pearl to all fans of historical cozy mysteries! 🕌✨

If you are looking for a captivating historical tale with clean language and no graphic or violent crime scenes, this is the perfect addition to your reading shelf.

While it might not be the absolute best book in the series due to its pacing, it is an essential piece of the puzzle for another huge reason: it adds beautiful depth to "Emily and Colin’s married life"! 💍💑

As I mentioned before, every single book in this series works wonderfully as a STANDALONE (I for one have always read them completely out of order!). However, getting to know the background of their private lives and watching their personal evolution makes every subsequent adventure so much more interesting. Trust me, their personal lives are going to evolve in many beautiful ways as the series moves forward!


So, grab your virtual passport and let yourself be swept away by the colors and secrets of Constantinople. It is a journey well worth taking! 🗺️📖💖



👉 Curious about Lady Emily's PREVIOUS ADVENTURES? Read my full reviews here:

🔹 BOOK #2: A Poisoned Season
🔹 BOOK #3: A Fatal Waltz
🔹 BOOK #5: Dangerous to Know
🔹 BOOK #13.5: Upon the Midnight Clear (Christmas Novella)

Join me on FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner

to stay updated on my latest reviews and bookish news! ✨

FOLLOW ME or SEND A FRIEND REQUEST ON GOODREADS

Book review : Vienna Dawn by Mary Lancaster | The Imperial Season #3

Vienna Dawn
by Mary Lancaster
The Imperial Season book #3

GENRE : #regency-suspence-romance #Clean-Romance

My rating: ★★★★★

Actually 4.6 rounded up to 5 stars.

Another lovely regency romance by Mary Lancaster!
I adored the "Imperial Season" series ( 3 main works ) set in the capital of Austria during the 1814 Congress of Vienna.
The 3 books are all wonderful and well connected to each other. Each book tells the love story of a specific couple with several important side characters that we meet in all 3 books ( sometimes in the  main roles and sometimes in secondary roles ).

There is also a short story as book 4 in the series ( which I haven't read yet ), but it's very very short and with brand new characters that are not connected to the ones in 3 main books. The only thing in common with the other 3 novels in the series is the setting : 1814, Austria :  Congress of Vienna.  

__ PLOT in short __ Autumn 1814, Vanya's family (book 1), mother, 2 sisters and the husband of one of them, are going to Vienna. Following an argument, Dunya, the heroine of this story, runs away but runs into a libertine who tries to take advantage of her.Entering a random room in an inn, she meets the English captain Richard Trelawny, who lost an arm in the war, but has lost no gallantry, no generosity, no courage.
 Together with his faithful servant, he saves the girl and decides to help her in her plan to win back an old boyfriend, thus rediscovering verve and joy of living. Lies, misunderstandings and dishonest people will complicate the whole situation, bringing a whirlwind of negative and positive emotions until the happy ending.

____ WHAT I LIKED IN THE BOOK ___
Speaking of this 3rd installment I loved the main couple: Dunya, a young Russian countess without dowry and sweet and handsome and also penniless Captain Trelawny.

Their falling in love happened slowly and neither of them ever denied it to themselves.

There are only two kisses in the book (while I expected more like in book 2), but the plot, despite being light, completely involved me from the beginning.

---> I liked Dunya's liveliness, resourcefulness and ability to admit that she was wrong about some people.
---> Trelawny made me fall in love right away, not only because he is handsome and doesn't back down when faced with the needs of others, but because despite the horrors of war and the loss of his arm having dulled his desire to heal and live a little, he doesn't wallow in self-pity.
Indeed, he gets involved in the girl's vivacity and without ever having an ulterior motive, he protects her and supports her in his plans so that she can find happiness.
Honor, kindness and honesty are not his only qualities. He's also smart and brave, in fact, the war has taught him to fight and despite not having an arm, he doesn't hold back when it comes to foiling an espionage plan or confronting the arrogant and despicable person with the sword.

---> I loved the fact that the protagonists of the 1st book (Lizzie and Vanya and the children with the dog and other characters) were secondary characters in this 3rd installment and I liked finding again, even if only in small cameos, the protagonist couple of book 2 ( Esther and Zelig).
Finding characters I was already very fond of and seeing them actively participate for most of the narrative allowed me to enjoy the whole story even more.

___ LITTLE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE so as not to give 5 full stars___
I rated it only 4.6 stars ( rounded to 5 because Goodreads doesn't allow half a star ) and not a full 5 stars, like the 2 previous books, because though the love story is gripping and very sweet to read, there are some open doors ( especially one in the ending ) which not only weren't necessary but they lead the reader to think that some events and adventures will follow ( in this book or in the next one ), but the truth is that the series is closed ( the last book is dated 2017) and the short story written by the author as book 4 is not connected to either the events or to the characters of the previous 3 book.
This means that I finished reading the book with a bit of a frustrating sense of unfinished business.

TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T MIND SPOILERS and also TO THE AUTHOR just in case she reads my opinion, I will explain myself a little better :  
There are 3 things that remain open:

__ 1) the most important at the end :

___WARNING : SPOILER____

our couple is stopped by two highwaymen with rifles, who then change their minds and leave. Dunya asks Richard who the villain was with the gun pointed at them, since it was clear that he recognized Richard and therefore let them go without robbing them. Richard doesn't answer and the novel ends with something unfinished which is decidedly annoying for the reader. This cliffhanger would make sense if the series continued, but it didn't and it made me angry.

___SPOILER END____

__ 2) The second thing is less important, but it seems like the introduction to a new story and instead it leads to nothing:

___WARNING : SPOILER____

in this book we find Misha, Vanya's trusted servant, brother of the novel's heroine. Misha convinces Dunya (the heroine) to take in a maid who was being mistreated and this is because it turns out that he is in love with her.
Maria, the maid and Misha, are mentioned a couple more times and then in the end Dunya and Richard leave on a trip with no definite return, around the world. Dunya says she wants to give Maria time to say goodbye to Misha and hopes that Misha will maybe ask her to marry him, but still he takes the maid with him, separating her from her beloved... BUT WHAT'S THE SENSE? The author could have written that Maria married Misha and they both remained employed by Vanya or another solution for them to be together. What the hell is the point of introducing a newborn love and then separating the characters forever, other than disappointing the reader? Let's remember that these are light romances where there is a happy ending for all the good characters (and here we even had a happy ending for a really bitchy girl, another thing I didn't like)

___SPOILER END____

__3) This third thing is perhaps not so important, but it bothers me that it doesn't make sense:

___WARNING : SPOILER____

at a certain point in the novel, the heroine's mother says a sentence that has nothing to do with the important events and characters at that moment.
He asks her if she treats her daughter-in-law (Lizzie, heroine of the first book and Vanya's wife) badly. Everyone answers yes in unison, then the whirlwind of events continues its normal course.
THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION and THAT ANSWER make the reader assume that there will be a clarification between the two characters and that Vanya's mother-countess will finally begin to treat her daughter-in-law with affection... NONE OF THIS... nothing happens in this book or in the next one because there is no continuation of the events of these characters.
At the end of the book Vanya says that Lizzie will try to talk to the angry countess... but then nothing more is said, no scene between the two women is described and she will no longer know anything about their relationship.
It seems that the writer thought about improving the relationship between the two characters, but then changed her mind (did she forget? Did she no longer want to dwell on the novel? ) well, in this case, before printing the book she should have deleted that question and that answer from the others... IT MAKES NO SENSE

___SPOILER END____

___ __IN CONCLUSION: do I recommend reading the book? Certainly yes and even if readable as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order or at least the first book, because you will be better able to enjoy the presence of the side characters and their actions.
---> You can enjoy book 3 even without reading the previous two books, but book 2 for me was absolutely the best, so don't miss it!

:-) Apologies for my faulty English, which is not my native language, thank you for reading my review, I hope it can be useful to you in choosing whether or not  to read the book.


READ ALSO "The Imperial Season" BOOK #1 and BOOK #2:
#1

Vienna Waltz (Book Review)

#2

Vienna Woods (Book Review)

---

Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page

to stay updated on my latest reviewsand bookish news! ✨

FOLLOW ME or ASK MY FRIENDSHIP ON GOODREADS

Book review : An Honourable Thief by Douglas Skelton | Humorous and Gritting Historical Action Mystery

An Honourable Thief
by Douglas Skelton
Company of Rogues book #1

My rating: ★★★★☆
GENRE : #HistoricalFiction #ActionMystery #HardBoiledVibes

Actually 3.7 stars rounded up to 4.

It really took me a long time to get into the book and to get fond of the characters but finally, almost halfway through the novel I felt involved in the plot.

The author divided the story into 3 MAIN PARTS.

-----> Part 1:

It starts with a lot of action and humorous lines by the main character, the villains, and the people around him
I generally love action and humorous books. I dare say that action+humour+mystery-or-and-adventure is the perfect mix for me, but I had a great problem with this story.
The humorous lines felt so forced, and the dialogues with jokes so long that they sound ridiculous, It felt like reading an old hard-boiled detective novel starring Sam Spade ( do you know The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett ? ) combined with a femme fatale or some comic book starring Spider-Man or Batman... I expected to read "boom, splash, boing, gulp, crack and so on" at any moment !

I assume the author wrote PART 1 as a sort of introduction to the hero and his lifestyle... but there were too many chapters full of action and jokes with no real substance... it felt more like a competition between the hero and his adversaries to prove who was the coolest.

___ THE PLOT begins in earnest with Jonas Flint, the hero, who—despite having been a thief and a scoundrel—works as a sort of secret agent for an important figure who, in turn, works for the monarchy. The action I was talking about takes place during a mission where the character shows off all his James Bond skills, using guns, swords, and daggers, all while cracking jokes non-stop during the fighting. We are in 1715 London, and the main mission of the book is to recover a document written by the dying queen, which could compromise the future of the throne and the stability of England at a time when Jacobite uprisings are already causing unrest and death.

Part 1 also introduces the historical setting of the novel.
When a sovereign has no direct heirs there's always great tension and a high risk of riots, revolts, and wars to gain power...

-----> Part 2:

It was a little more serious and far better than the first.
It takes the reader into the hero's past and deeper into the patriotic feelings of the people, especially the Scots towards the English monarchy, in the daily difficulties of common people and in the callousness that, at that time, saw slavery as normal.
The intelligence, sensitivity, and goodness of heart of a few people were unfortunately suppressed by the arrogance of the wealthy and those of aristocratic rank.

In this second part there is no shortage of moments of lightness or witty jokes, but here I was able to appreciate them because they were well-dosed (not too many or forced) and skillfully mixed with deep feelings and emotions.
In this second part I began to grow fond of the characters and suffered with them in their difficult moments.

Although Jonas' mission was always his primary goal, the second part explores the introspective side of the main character and his family/friends more thoroughly.

Talking about characters, the main ones are fictional, but they are well-blended with real historical figures, and you'll find many clarifications on the matter in the author's final notes.

-----> Part 3:

It is also interesting and engaging.
Even if it's more focused on the main mission (to recover the important and dangerous document), all the events of the second part come to a head.
There are a couple of very important twists, and while one is a little bit predictable (I saw that one coming!), the other is truly surprising—and I have to warn you: it's a little sad and bitter.

👉Overall, I'm happy to say that I liked the book, and I'm thinking of reading the next one in the series too.
The series is named "Company of Rogues" and it consists of three books total.
Each book works as a standalone, but I think that reading all three in a row gives the reader a more complete understanding of Jonas Flint’s soul. This is very important because Jonas isn't a flawless hero; I must admit that at the beginning, I wasn't happy to have a protagonist who killed people left and right, even if they were villains. But his past helps the reader to accept him, and in this first book, we eventually see the good sides of his soul and the shame he feels for having led a certain kind of life.

WARNING : Some crude and bloody scenes are present in the book, and the language used by certain characters is quite vulgar.

I hope my opinion and impressions have been useful in helping you decide whether or not to read this historical fiction.

Thank you all for stopping by and reading my thoughts.

Join me on FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner,

to stay updated on my latest reviews and bookish news! ✨

FOLLOW ME or SEND ME A FRIEND REQUEST ON GOODREADS