Emma's Bookish Lifestyle

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Set during the reign of Henry VII at the introduction of the Tudor Dynasty, this followed the story of Joan Vaux herself a victim of the turmoils of court during the reign of the polar opposite kings in Edward and Richard. The death of the two boys in the Tower still lingers in the memories of the court as a new era approaches.  Lady Margaret's son Henry has returned and assumed his rightful position on the throne, he is to merge the two houses with his marriage to Elizabeth of the house of York with Lancaster.  Joan was kindly under Lady Margaret's patronage for a time during the upheaval and her mother was her lady in waiting for a time, now Joan finds herself honored with a position in the future queens court. Joan finds herself living in the shadow of the Tower of London and she not only has to navigate the politics of court, a jealous younger sister of the queen and the expectations of a women at court.  She finds hers...

I would first of all like to thank Hot Key Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to give my true and honest review on an ARC copy of this book. In a world where the flightless are ruled by those who can fly... When her father dies just before her birthday harboring a family secret, seventeen year old Aderyn's not only finds herself the Protector of the domain of Atraty's, where your bloodline determines the type of bird you can transform into.   Aderyn whose ancestral bird is the swan has not been able to transform since a tragic accident many years ago, when she witnessed the cruel death of her mother, torn apart by hawks which have long since become extinct. With her parents gone Aderyn finds herself at the mercy of an Uncle she has never met, a history she does not know, in a Court she has never attended. Seeking revenge for the murder of her mother and the love she has for her, Aderyn heads to the heart of the Citadel ruled by her Uncle to seek answers to th...

Firstly I would like to thank Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and provide a true and honest review of this book, having been an avid Jane Austen fan this was a book I could not miss getting my hands on. This is a continuation story in the style of Jane Austen and set's off with a recap of the Bennett sisters and their trials and tribulations during Pride and Prejudice.  Janice Hadlow seamlessly continues the story from the perspective and somewhat ugly duckling of the family, Mary's point of view as she seeks to find her true self and transforms into a women of some substantial substance. As the marginalized middle daughter to the Bennett family, the plain bookish girl of frustrating intellect takes Mary on a journey by her siblings before her.  She learns that true happiness can only be found within herself and that the rantings of her mother are both found less and hurtful preventing her from ever being able to meet with the exp...