The Girl Who Never Left by Alison Stuart; More Character and Less Mystery

 

The Girl Who Never Left by Alison Stuart; More Character and Less Mystery 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Despite the marketing towards The Girl Who Never Left by Alison Stuart focuses on a mystery, the mystery is probably the least important aspect of it. Instead it is the character development of a woman exploring a new life after the death of her husband.

Helen Morrow’s husband Charlie is killed in The Great War/WWI. Instead of returning to her native Australia, she moves into her late husband's family estate, Holdston. Helen befriends her mother in law, Evelyn and Paul, Charlie's cousin who suffers from his own war ghosts. Helen finds an old diary written by an ancestor of Paul and Charlie's depicting an unhappy marriage and some dark secrets. Helen and Paul investigate the diary's revelations as they fall in love and deal with their own traumas.

By far the most fascinating aspects of the book are Helen and Paul’s post-war struggles. It's hard to live in the present when the past is so brutal and violent.

Helen is forced to live her life in a new place surrounded by strangers. She is far from Australia and constantly feels like she is being judged. She feels out of place in her late husband's wealthy home. The formidable Lady Evelyn, Charlie's mother, hovers between domineering matriarch and welcoming grandmotherly type. Helen isn't sure whether she is welcome or not.

She makes some good friends though. Servants Sarah and Sam Pollard provide steady sources of comfort and understanding for the bereaved widow. She befriends Tony, a titled childhood friend of Charlies’, who develops an attraction to her. Her daughter, Alice thrives in Holdston.

What makes Helen’s journey profound is that of a WWI era widow starting her life over again. Even though she is in the grip of grief, depression, and mental anguish, she keeps it suppressed for Alice's sake. Being an impoverished single woman in the early 20th century, Helen can only depend on the charity of her in-laws to survive. It is a desperate situation and the reader is made to feel and understand it.

Besides Helen’s story, we also get a parallel subplot featuring Paul, Charlie's cousin and Helen's soon to be love interest. If Helen has the stress of living among strangers, Paul has to face the pain of coming home. He has to return to a life that remains the same while he came face to face with trauma, violence, and death. He would rather study archaeology in places like Mesopotamia than go home and face a family that loves him but can't understand what he is going through.

He has PTSD flashbacks of his time on the Front particularly with Charlie. He weighs his guilt, memories, shame, and anxieties of what he did and didn't do and the aftermath of those actions. Paul can't adjust to life back at home with so much baggage surrounding him.

The mystery that surrounds the book concerns an unhappy marriage, domestic violence, and the division between living one's truth and doing one's duty. It thematically shares much with the rest of the book but really it is not as important as Helen and Paul’s plots. The book could just as easily have gone without it.

Instead of focusing on a mystery, the book's true strength lies in the personal journeys of two people who have to start their lives over after being faced with death and the senseless violence of war.

Tom Ryan's Shoes Legend of The Banshee Castle by T.A. Keenan, Sketch by Ros Hill, and Whispers of Blue Ridge by Nina Purtee

 

Tom Ryan's Shoes: Legend of The Banshee's Castle by T.A. Keenan

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

T.A. Keenan’s Tom Ryan's Shoes: Legend of The Banshee Castle is a gentle slice of life, a dramatic account of life at the beginning of the Irish Potato Famine, and an engaging folktale involving witches, curses, and finding true love. Most importantly, it is a masterful example of storytelling by Keenan writing the book the way someone would verbally relate their family history.

In 1933, brother and sister, Tommy and Molly find a steamer trunk full of papers that belonged to their mother, Lizzie. Most of them consist of Lizzie's handwritten accounts of their family history, stories that she told her children out loud. Molly’s thoughts wander to a specific story that Lizzie told in 1897.

Lizzie's story focuses on her father, Tommy and Molly's grandfather, Tom Ryan in 1846 during the Potato Famine. After being rejected by his girlfriend’s parents, Tom goes to work on his family farm, mostly walking the family pig to market. Along the way, he is accompanied by his cousin, Frank. During this day, the cousins encounter various people and situations. 

The most fascinating person that the Ryan Cousins meet is the Bean Feasa or the Hag, a woman of knowledge, witch, healer, and midwife who crosses their path many times. As they are going about their business, she is going about hers blessing or cursing various people and requesting that they leave specific offerings as a reward, bribe, or a peace offering.

The story of the Ryan Cousins and the Bean Feasa conveys various situations that run the gamut from commonplace, humorous, romantic, tragic, disturbing, eerie, bizarre, uncanny, and magical. Keenan weaves the ordinary and mundane with the ethereal and otherworldly rather well. He depicts the voice of Ireland in a specific point and time by interacting the natural physical world with the unseen and invisible world.

Keenan captures the Irish milieu well by making each character unique. We see the peaceful farmlands, rolling hills, the recognizable accents and colloquialisms. Above all, there are the quirky characters.

 There is a crotchety taciturn neighbor who makes his opinions about everything known. A couple carry on an extramarital affair under the clueless husband's nose.There is a snobbish nun who can't believe that she is stuck in this backwater area. She is from France for crying out loud! Trouble making twins plan bullying shenanigans for the lulz.There is a lot of humor and charm in these looks at everyday life.

However this is not a book about fluffy nostalgia with only a postcard look at rural Ireland. All of the charm and humor is used as a front for the darker edges that appear because of the trying times of English oppression, crippling famine, and religious dominance. Sometimes the humorous moments are intertwined with the tragic. 

Tom and Frank see the various struggles that their friends, neighbors, and others are going through. Many characters are facing unemployment, starvation, and are considering leaving Ireland forever. While alcoholism is prevalent throughout, the historical context suggests that it is used for people to sedate their troubles away when they can't move up, out, or forward.

 There is an ongoing English presence of upper class land owners who look down on the locals with disdain and ownership that they can do whatever they want to these people and face no repercussions (at least until 1916 but that's another story entirely).

The cousins see lads and lasses kept from each other by income, religion, or their own personalities perhaps in desperate attempts to either move up a social status that doesn't include hunger and poverty or to hold onto a family legacy and culture before it's forced into extinction.

 A Magdalene Laundry is an important scene as we encounter young unwed isolated expectant mothers. A pharmacist sells abortifacients and other medicines on the side for those who don't want to bring children into such an uncertain world. A single mother is resorted to begging for food with her children. 

By far one of the most heartbreaking moments occurs when Tom and Frank see the bodies of an elderly couple floating down the river. It is implied that they committed suicide. Besides this image, the most disturbing aspect is the indifference displayed from Tom, Frank, and everyone else.

 Aside from the usual duties that come with fishing the corpses and planning for the burial, there's no grief, no mourning, no investigation. Just talk about whether the burial will be a church burial. It's a weariness that accepts that things are bad and are only going to get worse. 

Thankfully the darkness is only a part of the story and is tempered by the quirky charm mentioned earlier and the fantastic aspects. There is talk about ghosts and spirits in the atmosphere. A little man appears in various pages and dispenses uncanny advice and might be a leprechaun. A beautiful woman is compared to a leannain sidhe, a beautiful fairy that takes a human lover. There are references to a castle that might be haunted by the banshee, the wailing female spirits that predict the death.

By far the most enchanting character of the story is the Bean Feasa. She is able to see what people are really worth, recognizing their virtues and vices by sight and a few words of dialogue. She knows secrets that many hypocritical authority figures hide and calls them out on their promiscuity, crimes, corruption, and abuse of power. 

She acts as the words of vengeance, perhaps the voice of a people who have had enough. She curses them then offers to remove them in exchange for food and other items. She uses her own fierce reputation as leverage.

However, the Bean Feasa is not unkind. She also rewards good behavior and foreseeable fortune such as when she tells Tom that he will find true love. As before, she does this in exchange for food and other goods. While they probably are for her (even witches have to eat after all), we learn that there are more heartwarming reasons. They reveal that this stern, baffling, eccentric crone is probably the most moral ethical character in the entire cast and the real heart of the book.

This book uses the power of Lizzie’s storytelling to ensure that these people, their real world, their legends, their world will never be gone. Not as long as there is another generation to hear and read it.

Sketch by Ros Hill

This is a summary. The whole review is on LitPick.

Sketch is on the surface a witty meta fictional satire about superheroes and the comic industry but underneath it is a deep nuanced clever work about creativity, free will, and finding one's own purpose and agency.

In 1967, Charles, an illustrator, while on a trip to Egypt received a bottle of magic ink. Heba, the mysterious seller, suggests that with all of the problems in the world, he should draw a superhero. He does and creates Sketch who comes to life and is given powers through Charles' drawings. However, where there are superheroes, there are always supervillains and Sketch is no exception. His archenemy is the Finger Gunman who knows about the ink and wants to use it for his own destructive means. This rivalry ends in grief and tragedy.

40 years later Sketch finds Sid, a young man with a connection to all of the goings on from the past and needs him to confront his former enemy once more for their final battle.

There is some brilliant commentary about superheroes and comic book culture such as Sketch and The Finger Gunman playing their expected roles to the hilt particularly the end when The Finger Gunman has Sketch and Sid captive in his lair and monologues because of course.

Despite the humorous references, there are some interesting questions raised about the creative process, maturity, and choosing one's path.

In their first few minutes of creation, Sketch and The Finger Gunman only possess the knowledge their creators gave them. They know names and goals but don't have the ability to understand why or how to act towards them. In both cases, they have to make the choice to be a hero or a villain.

This shows that a creator, or a parent, gives the tools but they have to decide what to do for them. Charles may have drawn and wrote Sketch's powers, but he had to choose to use them and take the path of a hero. The Finger Gunman was created for the same purpose, but he chose the alternative. 

Whispers of Blue Ridge by Nina Purtee 

This is a summary. The whole review is on Reader's Views 

Nina Purtee’s novel Whispers of Blue Ridge has a beautiful rural Southern small town setting. It has a charming romance between a couple that goes from meet cute and flirtation, to making love, to making long term plans, to potential soulmates. It's a nice trajectory but underneath all of the light surface sweetness, there is a dark undercurrent of actions that are results of secrets, affairs, the failures of maintaining perfection, and death.

Vintner Savannah Gray runs Graystone Winery in Blue Ridge, Georgia after the deaths of her parents and grandmother. The upcoming wine tasting festival is an important event and coincides with the arrival of rodeo champion Jake Rollins who is looking for sponsorship from Graystone. Jake’s arrival opens family rivalries and long buried secrets that resulted in a serious car accident that took lives and left many physically and emotionally destroyed. The memories force Jake, Savannah, and other characters to come to terms with the revelations that could change their lives forever.

Jake and Savannah are a fairly decent couple. Savannah struggles to hold onto her family business and care for her aging grandfather. She also has her own personal goals that put her in conflict with her family responsibilities. She is torn between her loyalty to her family and pursuing her own happiness. 

Jake fits the rugged outdoorsy cowboy and love interest without much depth beyond that type of character. He doesn't come into his own until he reveals that he was involved in the accident that left him scarred, traumatized, and amnesiac.

The accident forces the characters to come to terms with the difference between the reality and the image that they tried to convey. The setting of Blue Ridge is one of those idyllic small towns that live off of maintaining an image of beauty and perfection. . It is a small town where status quo must be maintained at all costs and serious issues are brushed aside unless forced to face them.

When the true events that led to the accident and the subsequent aftermath are revealed, the characters have to weigh the consequences of earlier lies and secrets. Jake, Savannah, and the others have to confront the truth of what happened and how the subsequent years of artifice, pretense, and maintaining a perfect idyllic facade contributed to this catastrophe. 

King of My Scars by Abby North; Whoever Romances in Vegas Stays in Vegas

 

King of My Scars by Abby North; Whoever Romances in Vegas Stays in Vegas

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Abby North’s Suspenseful Romance novel, King of My Scars, can be a bit paint by numbers in terms of romance but it doesn't shy away from darker and more disturbing topics like domestic abuse, battered person syndrome, stalking, and self-esteem issues.

Ariana has fled her abusive husband, Aaron. She leaves their swank Los Angeles home for Las Vegas hoping to move on. She is rescued in a tight spot by Denham King, hotelier, who moves her to one of his penthouse suites. He's handsome, charming, helpful, and kind but Ariana is reluctant to pursue a romance with him. She has had two previous bad relationships and isn't sure she is ready for #3. Then again the third time could be the charm.

Ariana is a strong yet vulnerable lead character. North expertly details how her trauma affected many of her actions in the present. Her trauma is realistically described and depicted and despite being put into a new romance. It doesn't shy away from her fear and reluctance to embark on another serious relationship.

That she has had two abusive relationships is a very understandable detail. She fled her first boyfriend Jonny who stalked her so much that she moved cross country and changed her name. When she encountered Aaron, she was susceptible to the love bombing, the manipulation, the controlling masquerading as caring, and the sharp criticisms coming from her latest lover.

While one would expect Ariana to recognize the signs and flee immediately from the scene, that isn't always the case. She was so determined to believe that her prior relationship was a one-time thing that she justified the abuse until it was too late. There is also a part of her that believed that she deserved the abuse that she was given. 

She emerged as someone with low self-esteem, PTSD, and battered person syndrome. She may have been able to physically leave the situation but mentally and emotionally, she's still there.

This perspective helps to understand the context of her struggles so they make sense. She is in danger a few times and is rescued by Denham. While it can be cringy and some would say dated, in this specific situation it works. She has extreme PTSD from both of her bad relationships so of course she would be on edge and feel helpless. These situations probably aren't helping either.

Ariana is naturally cynical and mistrusts Denham. Even though he's handsome, wealthy, charming, and empathetic, she is still living in the mindset of reluctance and caution that were her survival instincts during her previous relationships. After all, if Aaron was able to play the part of a nice guy before revealing his true colors, who’s to say that Denham isn't doing the same?

I don't know if North intended this but there are times when the Reader doubts Denham 's sincerity. There are a few red flags like when he uses his vast wealth to solve problems, hides information from Ariana, or veers towards arrogance. While Denham is written as a better alternative to Ariana's exes, he could become yet another abuser in her life and Ariana might have fallen into familiar and toxic territory. 

Perhaps these are traits that make Denham a multi-layered flawed character, but it could also be a commentary that Ariana’s suspicions are not entirely wrong. At least, Denham is aware of those traits and works on them so Ariana doesn't end up with more of the same.

The Las Vegas setting is also a subtle play on the book's themes of relationships. It is a city of glitz and spectacle where one can't always tell fantasy from reality at first. Someone is drawn to a casino for the atmosphere and the opportunity to win easy money. A few hours later they give away their life savings and have to go to Gambler's Anonymous. 

Ariana’s exes and Denham are like that, good looking, flashy, charming, charismatic and appear like nice guys to her. She is drawn in by the fantasy and then is left battered by the reality of her ex's abusive natures. 

What sets Denham apart from them, is that he is able to transcend the initial illusion that often comes with first meeting someone who creates instant attraction. He is able to show through his actions that he is a good man and has the patience to wait for Ariana to recognize that. 

He is the reality of love that lives within the Vegas illusions and helps Ariana to live in that reality as well. 

Where The Streetlight Ends by Bradley Butts; Being Laramie Buchanan Another Boulder Girl by Cynthia L. Clark, The Courage of Two Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer and The Fight For Freedom of Conscience in Early America by Nancy Kelley

 

Where The Streetlight Ends by Bradley Butts

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery 

Bradley Butts’ Horror Anthology is a strange but brilliant combination of classic supernatural campfire tales and postmodern existentialist terror. It reminds us that when it comes to paranormal horror, evil can be found in any form, in any setting, and in any time.

“The Doodle”

Alex, a high school student, has written conversations with a sentient doodled figure on the wall. 

The conflict between The Doodle and Alex are chilling as The Doodle recognizes and uses Alex's loneliness for friends and skepticism against him. The Doodle is a character that intentionally starts out as welcoming and friendly. There are moments where its presence is almost adorable like when it tells Alex that it is his friend. 

It becomes possessive and sinister when it feels abandoned by Alex. For example, it doesn't understand the concept of weekends when Alex is not in school. The smiley face becomes a frown and the wide curious eyes are narrowed in anger. It defaces Alex's notebooks and desks, calls him a bad friend, and threatens to kill him.

Alex's curiosity and eventual terror are multiplied because for a long time believes that he is having conversations with a human who is sending secret messages. His insistence that he is stalked by a human adversary is a means to gain control of this creepy situation. If he attributes it to a human something that can be stopped by normal means like expulsion or arrest. A supernatural presence in the form of a living drawing resists being defeated or contained so could stalk a human in perpetuity.

“The Strange Sound”

A sound affects all who hear it, particularly most of the student body of a high school.

This story recognizes the value of not displaying or telling much and leaving our imagination to do the heavy lifting. We are not given specifics of what the sound is as witnesses compare it to a hum or a whisper. We aren't told where it comes from, why certain students are affected, or what the whispers actually say that upset those who hear it.

The physical, mental, and emotional changes are the focus. The narrator's friend, Sara is one of the first to hear it and she goes from a bright curious teen to a catatonic zombie. She becomes languid, inert, lethargic and is devoid of energy and vitality.

The sound affects other classmates until over half of the student body is afflicted leaving friends, classmates, educators, families, and the entire town at a loss. The physical and mental impact of an unexplained phenomena affecting almost an entire generation cannot be overstated as the kids deal with the mysterious strain of this phenomena and their surviving loved ones have to cope with the loss and aftermath.

“Hangman on the Dark Web”

An innocent round of the spelling game Hangman becomes all too real for the young man playing it on the confidential and exploitative Dark Web.

Many of the stories deal with the fear that can be found through modern technology. This and the next story deal with that subject. This one attacks online fascination with the ghoulish, violence, forbidden, bizarre, and morbid particularly on the Dark Web.

The game goes from a spelling time waster to a psychological trap. The Gamemaster reveals personal information that the Narrator never said. Instead of a generic stick figure in the noose ready to meet its maker, the figure is all too familiar to the helpless Narrator. The only thing that he can do is play to rescue the doomed character.

While many of the stories don't have much of an explanation of where the creepy events originated, this story provides a few hints. The puzzle’s resolution, a famous literary quote, provides a clue. It indicates that the Narrator brought this disaster on himself for being overly curious, not cautious enough, and meddled into dark places where he doesn't belong. To quote the movie Wargames, “The best way to win is not to play.”

“The Filter”

Chloe uses a new filter on her selfie and her picture and face go through painful changes.

This is the second tech related story and covers another online obsession: using AI and filters to improve one's appearance and to make them look more attractive and flawless to followers.  

As Chloe changes her picture, she finds her face becoming painfully distorted to match the image. It does not skimp in describing the torture as her eyes enlarge, her skin is stretched, and her bone structure is manipulated. She is in agony.

Most readers would probably wonder why Chloe doesn't stop altering the filter but it appears that she can't. She is compelled and addicted to changing her appearance and can't stop even when she wants to. She is deprived of her personality and free will and turns into something that only exists to be looked at.

“The Beckoning Call of Black Hollow”

David visits an abandoned wooded area for his forestry studies and is frightened by the local monsters.

After covering modern sensibilities with two tech heavy stories, this one returns to basics. It's a campfire tale about the monsters in the woods with some interesting twists. This story has a strong ominous atmosphere. Everything from the winding trees, the magnified sounds and smells, and the chill in the air already gives an unsettling energy even before the creepy stuff happens. Of course once they start, it gets worse. 

David hears disembodied voices call his name and imitate people in his life to draw him outside to respond. He was warned not to respond to the voices and or go outside to see where they are coming from. This is advice he follows to the letter proving that he has more intelligence and common sense than most horror protagonists. It reminds readers that sometimes what you suspect and hear  can be just as frightening as what you do see.

The monsters themselves are a slight letdown as the approaching feelings and voices were much scarier than their physical presence. However, they are clearly inspired by the most recent infamous monsters that have haunted the Internet and social media communities for a few years now. It adds a current sheen to old tales by saying that the monsters might change appearance but the fears are the same. The fears of loneliness, isolation, the dark, insanity, and the possibility of evil. Those will never leave.

Being Laramie Buchanan Another Boulder Girl by Cynthia L. Clark

Cynthia L. Clark’s Being Laramie Buchanan has a decent lead character with a lot of depth and layers. Unfortunately, it gives her a substandard plot that alternates between too much and not enough.

Laramie Buchanan has plenty of problems. Her mother has died and her father is consumed with grief. She hovers between her job as an events coordinator at an art gallery and Yoga studies. Her love life is also complicated. Her romance with restaurateur Vick ends badly and she is interested in Chance who assists at the resort where she attends her Yoga retreat.

It's an odd contrast when a book succeeds so well with their protagonist but falters so much with the plot that is put around her. The strength of Laramie's character cannot overcome the weakness of the plot or plots. Some things are over explained either in dialogue or narration.The book can't decide whether it's a romance, a family drama, a woman's fiction, a thriller, or a bildungsroman.More twists and unnecessary complications are thrown in a book that didn't need more of them.

It's a shame that Laramie Buchanan does not live in a better book. 

The Courage of Two: Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer, and The Fight For Freedom of Conscience in Early America by Nancy Kelley 

This is a review summary. The full review is on LitPick 

Nancy Kelley’s Courage of Two Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer, and The Fight For Freedom of Conscience in Early America is a fascinating account of two women who stood for their beliefs, made their opinions known, and refused to be silent in the face of adversity

This is a nonfiction book about Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer, two women who offended the religious establishment in the 1660s with their outspoken views on religion. Hutchinson preached from the Bible during private meetings and Dyer’s embrace of Quakerism put them at the center of controversies in which they were persecuted, arrested, tried, and threatened with exile and death.

Hutchinson showed a lot of spunk and knowledge in sessions and when being confronted by authority. Her Biblical studies were quite detailed and academic. She also had a witty, almost sardonic way of defending herself especially during her trials. Her words offended the Puritan community and she was eventually banished. 

The other deuteragonist, Mary Dyer, had a slow start in the book. She started out as one of Hutchinson’s students and strongest defenders. 

After Hutchinson died, Dyer came into her own. She joined The Society of Friends AKA The Quakers, a sect that Hutchinson would have fit in perfectly. Puritans considered Quakers, especially Quaker women, a threat. They made Dyer an example of their hatred sending her to her death and Quaker martyrdom.

People who are interested in religion will look at women of the past practicing their faith and living according to their beliefs. But even those who are interested in history will be interested in this book about two women remembered for challenging patriarchal authority.

And Then They Fell in Rome by C.L. Rosario; Magical Realism Novel About Love, Coincidence, Fate, and The Power of a Great Bromance

 And Then They Fell in Rome by C.L. Rosario; Magical Realism Novel About Love, Coincidence, Fate, and The Power of a Great Bromance

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

Spoilers: C.L. Rosario's novel And Then They Fell in Rome, is a powerful Magical Realism Contemporary Fantasy book that says a lot about love, romance, fate, coincidence, synchronicity, and maturity. Mostly it's a book about the importance of friendship between men. A novel that is largely concerned about romance is told primarily from the points of view of a group of male friends, a circular bromance if you will.

A group of friends called the Troubadours meet up in 2021. They are Freddy Bustamante, Juan Fernandez, Charlie Costa, Brian Verdugo, and Jan Luis Larose and are reuniting for the first time since their Senior year in college three years prior. In the middle of their drinks, laughter, and reminisces, a woman appears. She is called “La Bruja” (“The Witch”) or “The Stranger.” She says that she had been following them for some time, entered the minds, and took the forms of people that they met. 

La Bruja has a challenge for the guys. One of them, Jan Luis, was “compromised on a cosmic level” and is in danger of dying young. The only cure is love. The other Troubadours need to help him find love. To make things even more complicated, La Bruja removes the memories of their conversation from The Troubadours’s minds. So they know that they have to help Jan Luis but not how or why.

The book is rich with moments of magical realism with more emphasis on the realism than the magic with the exception of the appearance of La Bruja who comes straight from the latter. Her presence is reminiscent of Latin American novels that fit the magical realism subgenre. She is a mythical and legendary creature in a real world setting. The guys are talking about everyday things in a commonplace setting then BAM, she appears and moves things in a different direction. 

Most of the book focuses on situations that can be magical, mundane, coincidental, or from a more cynical perspective contrived. When the characters, except Jan Luis, go to Rome, a series of serendipitous moments lead them to the right people at the right time. After one relationship is threatened, one of the Troubadours encounters another woman who is connected to his previous lover.

Conversations and encounters are told through multiple perspectives so we don't realize that characters are supposed to meet and fall in love until it happens. Going down the right street, visiting the right cafe, and looking up at the right time leads to a meeting with the love of a lifetime. Even Jan Luis’s later trip to Rome seems to be fated to occur at that specific moment in time.

Similar to works like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, La Bruja 's presence is tied to the real world conflicts concerning the characters. However the two books merge magic with politics, war, colonization, authoritarianism, and other global issues. 

The focus of And Then They Fell in Rome is exclusively on personal friendships, romantic attachments, and the interactions between men and women. Romance in and of itself can be considered magical with people looking and acting like the best versions of themselves to attract and enchant someone else. Sexual and emotional attachments are often described in fantastic ways (“She enchanted me.” “He's so charming.” “I am drawn to your presence.”) 

Even the ideas of creating lasting relationships, finding compatibility, and finding that perfect partnership are actions that often resist being analyzed and quantified because there are always exceptions, variables, emotional experiences and situations leading to other potential outcomes. So this book just injects literal potential magic where figurative magic already existed to give a slight nudge to the characters.

Speaking of characters, this book has some well written multifaceted characters. While La Bruja is my personal favorite, the Troubadours and their love interests convey richness and complexity.

The Troubadours are a group that doesn't play on conventional male stereotypes when guys get together. They aren't looking to drink, party, have wild and crazy adventures, and score as many hot willing babes as possible. They are ready to enter the next stages of their lives, as professionals, committed boyfriends, potential husbands, and maybe someday fathers. They aren't looking for one night stands. They are looking for a lifetime.

The complexities of modern relationships are shown through the Troubadours’s romantic experiences as they look for their potential partners. Juan goes through three separate romances before he realizes that he let his jealous assumptions interfere with what could have been a great relationship. One woman leads him to face his regrets so he can change his future. 

Cinephile Brian keeps comparing his love life to favorite films and hopes to find the leading lady in his life. He is faced with the reality that real people don't act according to a script. They need to be recognized for their frailties, flaws, and insecurities, not his fantasy projections of them.

Former frat boy Freddy is caught between two women: Maddy who represents his lost wayward wild youth and Katelyn who offers a chance at adulthood, maturity, realization, and authenticity. He also has a previous close association with La Bruja and is the only one who remembers her conversation with them and sees the truth that no one else does. 

Charlie is tempted to cheat on his girlfriend with unexpected results. This encounter forces him to confront his own thoughts about fidelity, desires, commitment, and adulthood.

 What about Jan Luis, the central focus of these romantic journeys? His past of an unhappy childhood with separated parents and a previous break up of his own have made him reluctant to seek or accept love. He is in danger of closing himself off emotionally and achieving fulfillment only in dreams and fantasies.

The love interest characters are just as brilliantly written. These are characters with their own stories, identities, and agencies. They aren't there solely to fulfill the Troubadours’s romantic desires but are meant to stand toe to toe in equal footing with them. The relationships happen because the characters work on improving themselves as individuals before they become coupled. 

While the romance and magical realism are important aspects of the story, by far the central relationship is not between the Troubadours and their significant others. It is among the Troubadours themselves.

These are five friends, who are brothers in heart and spirit. The conflict of helping Jan Luis find love becomes a catalyst that leads to their own conflicts and questions. They would be unable to evolve without each other. It's easy to recognize that these men deserve romantic love when we see that they are capable of maintaining a filial love. They are there for each other through university, work, romance, and marriage. Chances are their future kids will have not only loving fathers but four honorary uncles that will protect them with their lives.

It's also a kind of brotherly love that inspires change in each other. They aren't afraid to give one another advice or criticism to say exactly what they did wrong and how they can be better people. It is among the best bromances that I have read in recent novels. They aren't just there for each other in good times but bad as well.

And Then They Fell in Rome is a book that is magical, realistic, romantic, and bromantic.

By The Sword (Guardians of The Crown) by Alison Stuart; English Civil War Backdrops Engaging Romance and Fun Predictable Adventure

 

By The Sword (Guardians of The Crown) by Alison Stuart; English Civil War Backdrops Engaging Romance and Fun Predictable Adventure 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: The focus of Alison Stuart’s Historical Fiction novel By The Sword part of her Guardians of The Crown is not the English Civil War. That's just the historical backdrop. It's not really even a Woman's Fiction about a woman living with and challenging her role similar to The Wedding Shroud by Elizabeth Storrs. Those are parts of it but the main focus is the romance between the main characters.

 The novel is formulaic, runs on far too long, and some of the dialogue and plot points seem to survive on a charcuterie platter consisting solely of Velveeta cheese products. But the characters are winning, their trajectories hold the reader’s interest, and despite being predictable and formulaic, there are charming moments that make you root for these likeable characters.

In 1650 England recently widowed Kate Ashley and her son Tom were facing genteel poverty when they received word from their dying grandfather-in-law. In absence of any male heirs, he designates Tom to inherit the Thornton Family estate. Since he is only a boy, his mother Kate cares for it until he comes of age. She must restore the estate to its former glory and fend off greedy neighbors.

Jonathan Thornton, grandnephew, cousin of Kate's late husband, and exiled because of his loyalty to King Charles, now wants to garner support for the king. He meets the young widow and helps her with the inheritance and defending her new homestead. However, the two become attracted to one another despite avenging armies, a menacing rival of Jonathan's, and Kate's complicated feelings and loyalty to her late husband's family, particularly his handsome cousin.

The novel centers around an appealing couple that carry the book together or separately. Kate is an older character than the usual one that leads Historical Fiction. She is a widow approaching middle age and is already used to being an experienced leader in her household. This is less about a young woman discovering her agency than it is about an older woman maintaining her agency during great change and turmoil.

Kate is uncertain about being around her late husband's estranged family as anyone would be coming to a house of strangers. But she quickly accepts this change and settles into the family. She befriends many of the locals like Jonathan's sister and becomes an indispensable member of the household. It's likely that when Tom comes of age, the Thornton Family estate will be in good hands. 

Jonathan also carries a world weariness that comes with age and experience. He is on the side of the Royalists, even fights alongside King Charles whom he considers a friend. His war time experiences enable him to think fast on his feet which comes in handy when getting himself and Kate out of trouble. He is used to violence and tough situations.

However, we also see someone who probably realizes that he is past his prime as a soldier. The passages where he acts as a father figure to Tom and as a love interest to Kate reveals him as someone who wouldn't mind settling down and has found the right family to do so.

Kate and Jonathan’s romance works pretty well even through the predictable formula. There are plenty of moments where Kate, Jonathan, or both are in a tight spot and need to use fighting prowess, intelligence, or medical know-how to get them out of it.

There are one dimensional antagonists that are no match to the heroes. One has an understandable grudge against Jonathan but is written so broad and reprehensible that their somewhat justifiable reason disappears underneath the veneer of melodramatic boos and hisses.

It's like those old adventure movies and novels where you shake your head amused, know the good guys will survive, but enjoy the cliff hanging excitement and the romance. It's fun but predictable. But remember, predictable can sometimes be fun. 

A Matter of Time (The Bridge Through Time Series Book 4) by Jennae Vale; Enchanting Romantic Fantasy Has Questions

 A Matter of Time (The Bridge Through Time Series Book 4) by Jennae Vale; Enchanting Romantic Fantasy Has Questions 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: A Matter of Time is the fourth book in Jennae Vale’s The Bridge Through Time Series so that probably explains the confusion and questions about the overall series and ongoing story arcs especially since it is the first in the series that I have read. When it settles down and focuses on the specific Romantic Fantasy, it's charming, funny, heartwarming, and enchanting.

Womanizing nobleman and apparently antagonist in previous books, Sir Richard Jeffords is sent from 16th Scotland into the future by witch Edna Campbell to learn a lesson on how to treat women. He finds himself in modern day San Francisco where he meets Angelina Lawson, a modern woman with an interest in medieval martial arts and an unhappy love life. The two become attracted to one another and become closer even though they come from different centuries. Meanwhile an antiques dealer, Malcolm Granger, is obsessed with finding a sword from Richard's time and he will do anything to get it even go backwards in time with him.

There are two distinct aspects to the book and one works better than the other. The good news is when the book acts like a Romantic Fantasy, it's predictable but fun in its own way. 

Richard and Angelina’s romance goes down smoothly because they are perfectly compatible. There are indications from other characters that Richard was a villain in previous books so he is a harder cynical character because of this and a bit uncertain when it comes to a reciprocal love.

Angelina has also had her share of heartbreak and is the typical modern day jaded female Romance protagonist. She is less certain about love than Richard is. These are the types of characters who are perfect for each other. 

They may trade witty barbs, mock their deliriously in love friends, and deny their attraction while simultaneously becoming more and more intimate. It's a fun and interesting romance between two characters who like disagreeing with each other almost as much as they like making love.

The time travel aspects are a bit different from other books in the subgenre. Richard has been to the present in a previous volume, so this second trip is nothing new. He is unfamiliar with being in San Francisco however and gets lost easily. It's less like someone in a separate time period and more like a regular person visiting a new city on vacation.

It also helps that Richard is not alone. In fact, while in modern San Francisco, he encounters Nick, a friend of Angelina’s who is also a friend of his from Scotland. Nick is a charming comic relief character who is also close to Angelina.

 The Reader braces themselves for a love triangle. Thankfully, we get a reprieve. Instead, Nick treats Richard and Angelina like his favorite siblings. It also clears the path for him to find a love interest in the next book.

Another interesting character is the creator of this time travel escapade, Edna Campbell. She is an older wise woman with the gift of foresight. She is often quick with a magic spell, an herbal remedy, and a sardonic comment for those around her.

Edna is happily married and is surrounded by friends and family so she is the opposite of the usual lonely witch found in these works. In fact, if she were ever arrested and charged with witchcraft, she would have plenty of loyal allies who would have her back.

Things get incredibly confusing in later chapters which I admit are partly because I haven't read the earlier volumes. We meet more friends of Angelina and Richard's that have traveled back and forth in time which is highly questionable. 

Are these the only time periods that allow time travel? Is there some sort of cosmic link to 21st century California and 16th century Scotland? Can characters from the past go further back or from the present go to the future? How do we account for the implausibility that all of the time travelers all knew each other before their adventures? Does all of this time tripping affect the time stream or the space time continuum? Aren't there people in either time period missing someone? Is there anyone left in modern San Francisco or Scotland who hasn't been bitten by the time travel bug?

There are also other parts that don't work so well. Malcolm is an incredibly cheesy antagonist and his subplot is written without much depth or subtly. He wants a specific sword that belongs to Richard's family and he puts his and Angelina’s lives in danger. It's a pretty transparent attempt to create more conflict that doesn't always work.

Also again this is because I didn't read the previous books. In some of the last few chapters, we are told about some of Richard's more nefarious deeds in the previous volumes. It causes one to think differently of him. 

It's not that he reformed and found love that is the problem. Many characters go through redemptive story arcs and emerge on the other side as friends of the heroes. But the way his villainy is described as almost hand waved.

A character with the history that Richard has would have more guilt in his next relationship. There should be more flashbacks and remorse connected with his past. For it to be dismissed and info dropped in the final chapters seems almost dishonest. Like Vale was trying to rewrite or gloss over the history of one of her own characters.

Still despite the flaws, this is a fine book for fans of Time Travel Romance Fantasies. It's probably much better to look at its own merits than part of a series or do what most normal people do and read the series in numerical order.

The Girl From Melodia by Jonathan Toussaint; The Toxic Musician and The Troubled Muse

 

The Girl From Melodia by Jonathan Toussaint; The Toxic Musician and The Troubled Muse

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

Spoilers: The relationship between an artist and their muse is one that has been discussed, studied, analyzed, argued about both for and against, critiqued, defended, parodied, and recognized. The Artist, usually a man but these days any gender will do, is a tortured soul driven by emotion and is inspired by The Muse, often a woman but again that has changed, who is the source of their art and possibly the breadwinner while they go through their artistic funk. The model for the portrait. The name in the catchy rock song. The disguised protagonist or love interest of the novel. The unattainable unrequited love of the romance film. Despite being named for the Greek goddesses who were the sources of the arts themselves, oftentimes the modern Muse takes a secondary role in creation. 

Think Camille Claudel for Auguste Rodin, Gala for Salvador Dali, Aline Bernstein for Thomas Wolfe, Leila Waddell for Alesteir Crowley, Yoko Ono for John Lennon, Patti “Layla” Boyd for George Harrison and Eric Clapton, Charlotte Gainsborough for Lars Von Trier, and Uma Thurman for Quentin Tarantino. While many muses have had careers of their own, the stereotypical assumption towards them is that the Muses are just required to shut up, stand there, passively inspire, and not actively create their own art. Often if the Artist is a Narcissist, they will agree with that assumption. That is what is at play with Johnathan Toussaint’s novel, The Girl From Melodia.

 The Girl from Melodia is like a folk song. It's about two people who are looking for their authentic voices and are consumed by a passionate love, a love that ends badly. It speaks about truth, love, art, obsession, and unhappiness all of the things that make a perfect tragic love song, but a very crappy real life incompatible relationship.

Martyn Lockhart is the son of famed English folk singer/songwriter, John Lockhart. He is proud of his family legacy and his father’s reputation but he also wants to come out of his father’s shadow and be known as his own person. In 1992, Martyn encountered Francoise, a French woman at the Tulle Music Festival. To Martyn, the Artist, Francoise is the Muse. She inspires him and the two begin a very passionate romantic love affair that continues when returning to Martyn’s native England. Unfortunately just as quickly as the romance and creativity are set afire, they fizzle out when the reality of commitment, artistic temperament, financial and practical woes, and professional and personal insecurity set in.

It cannot be overstated how unhealthy this relationship is. Martyn is the archetypal Artiste. He is creative, passionate, reckless, iconoclastic, argumentative, self-absorbed, and Narcissistic. Everything is material for his music. His first encounter with Francoise leads him to his latest song and concept album, The Girl From Melodia. 

Melodia is a fictional country that Martyn created as a child that he could mentally retreat to in his imagination when things got tough for him. In many ways, Martyn never left that fantasy and still remains in Melodia even as his real world falls apart around him.

He possesses a romantic ideal of Francoise at first. She inspires him with her looks, carefree attitude, lively spirit, and vulnerability. Like him, she is also a passionate writer particularly in her journal which she describes the headlong sexual and romantic emotions of being near each other and the intellect of two creatives sharing ideas. She is also a musician and songwriter and just as she inspires him, Martyn inspires her.

These are the days of the early lyrics and first juvenilia poems which describe the youthful innocence of plunging feet first without thinking or caring about what comes next. Francoise fills that Melodia fantasy so well that Martyn tries to remain there. He wants to hold Francoise to the fantasy world and image that he created. But he considers Melodia and Francoise as his works and there is only room for one writer and artist in that fantasy.

That all changes when they move to England and their real natures, especially Martyn’s, emerges. Because just like Martyn has all of the positive aspects of an artist like creativity and passion, he also has many of the negative aspects. He is the kind of guy who diss tracks like “You’re So Vain,” “You Oughta Know,” or most of Taylor Swift’s catalog were written about.

Martyn is the type of guy who excites, fascinates, and blinds one with his talent, charm, looks, and artistic fire at first. Then his true nature is revealed to be controlling, absent, egocentric, jealous, volatile, immature, and self-indulgent. Suddenly, his love interest is left with a broken heart, a diminished soul, and a cynical outlook on love to fill at least hundreds of discographies.

One of the ways the narcissism is manifested is when Martyn suffers through writer’s block. As his creative well runs dry, Francoise is activated. She writes, rehearses, and performs. There are even hints of a record deal which makes Martyn furious. 

It is very reminiscent of stories like A Star is Born, which is a film that I thoroughly despise no matter the adaptation for reasons that I won’t go into, despite the original screenplay being written by Dorothy Parker, one of my favorite writers. Martyn feels that he is supposed to be the creative one, the musician, the poet and Francoise is the creation, the inspiration, the model. He can’t live with his partner’s success if it is at the expense of his own and doesn’t have the enlightened foresight to take pride in it. 

To Martyn, the muse is not supposed to drink from the artistic poetic well. She is supposed to guide him to the well and provide him with a cup. He was once interested in her talent when it was hers, but now that’s in direct competition of his own, he sees it as a threat. He behaves irresponsibly, withdraws from Francoise, belittles her, and in one of the worst chapters destroys her demo recordings that she worked hard on for months.

Her songs and journal entries show that she is just as driven, just as passionate, and cares about her music just as much as he does. She shapes Melodia into her own fantasy and Martyn doesn’t want to share it.  

To his credit, I suppose Martyn recognizes these attributes in himself. In the prologue, as he goes over his relationship with others, particularly Francoise, he realizes that he is to blame. He compares himself to a vampire sucking on Francoise’ energy and creativity to survive.

 The novel reveals that she wasn’t the only one who suffered from his egotism and his previous partnership with a former friend produced violent results because of Martyn’s conceit and insecurities. Looking back with regret and harshly obtained wisdom, he comments in the narration with lines like “This still haunts me,” and “I know that I shouldn’t have done this, but..” He knows that he screwed up so has some humility and remorse over it.

Some of those negative attributes can be attributed to his upbringing by his folksinger father, John. John also possessed a similar artistic temperament, penchant for violent behavior, and self-destructive coping mechanisms. Those mechanisms led to the decline of his relationship with Martyn’s mother. 

Martyn saw the creative sparks and emotional decline from the front row. But he only connects to his father through their music. He wanted to achieve the artistic, professional, critical acclaim, and audience adulation that his father had. Unfortunately, he got that and everything that came with it: the temper, the addiction, the mistreatment of partners and didn’t realize it until it was too late.

One could say that Martyn’s regret is more self-indulgence and that he hasn’t truly repented. That may be true. He might find another toxic relationship to inspire then anger him. But he may also see this as a wake up call and finally gain the maturity to improve not only his life but his music as well. 

The Promise of Love (The Promise of a Dragonblood Book 1) by Emmeline Lovel; Fantasy Romance Features Promising Female Lead and Questionable Plot Points

 

The Promise of Love (The Promise of a Dragonblood Book 1) by Emmeline Lovel; Fantasy Romance Features Promising Female Lead and Questionable Plot Points 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Emmeline Lovel’s Fantasy Romance, The Promise of Love, the first book in the Promise of a Dragonblood series reveals a character that has a lot of promise but has extremely questionable plot points.

In a world where people are judged by their magical abilities, Princess Mira is an outlier. One of three sisters, she is magically resistant. She can telepathically communicate with dragons but she keeps that a secret from everyone around her. She is the victim of bullying, threats, and condescending attitudes. She has a chance meeting with a stranger who is revealed to be Walderon, prince of a neighboring kingdom and the two develop an attraction which is hampered by Walderon’s arrangement with Mira’s sister. There is also a conspiracy unfolding within the kingdoms and Mira finds that she, her friends, family, and way of life are in danger.

Mira is a heroine surrounded by people who can do fantastic things. That makes her feel out of place and bland compared to others. She often uses attributes like observation, intelligence, courage, and resilience that most take for granted. It could be a story about someone discovering her actual talents and strengths could be her power and that she doesn't need magic to be a hero. 

However this theme is not as cut and dry as it should be. She has two attributes that set her apart from others. One is that she is magically resistant. She is unable to use magic but she is also unable to receive magic. Ironically, this makes her invincible from magical attacks, a gift that is eventually used to a benefit but takes some time for others to recognize it.

One can look at Mira’s magical resilience as a metaphor for disabilities but only up to a point. Her family tries to keep her in hiding so she doesn't get hurt. Her peers and sometimes relatives mock and disregard her. Some think that she can be cured. She even becomes swayed by a manipulator who uses her uniqueness to their advantage. These are all things that people with disabilities have to endure.

But this theme is muted by one simple glaring fact. Mira actually has a magical ability but is unwilling to share it with others. Her telepathic communications with dragons show strong mental and emotional connections and animal communications. She explains why she doesn't share her talent but it is not explained clearly enough and makes the rest of the book ring hollow.

Perhaps one of the issues that I have is that her telepathic abilities seem to be ongoing. She didn't just discover them. There is no sudden hearing of the voices, being shown her new abilities or learning the advantages and limitations. Her unwillingness to share them could be depicted as her just learning about them. She's new at this and isn't certain whether she is crazy or not. Her secret keeping could be reframed out of uncertainty and self-preservation.

Instead, Mira has had them for a long time, for years in fact. Hiding and never mentioning them especially when there are times that it could help her family make her seem like an idiot at best and selfish at worst. 

There are also other issues. She is in a love triangle with Walderon and her sister which gets over-explained and repetitive. The manipulative character is so obvious from the word go that their betrayal leads to sighs and eye rolls rather than opened agape mouths and wide eyed surprised expressions.

For a Fantasy novel, this needs more than just promise to make it dearly loved.

Gravity Flow The Jimmy Whistler Stories by EM Schorb, Walk With Me One Hundred Days of Crazy by Ernesto H Lee, Penthesilea Rise of An Amazon by Stephanie Vanise, The Bluestockings A History of The First Women's Movement by Susannah Gibson, Violeta by Nikki Roman

Gravity Flow: The Jimmy Whistler Stories by EM Schorb, Walk With Me: One Hundred Days of Crazy by Ernesto H Lee, Penthesilea: Rise of An Amazon by Stephanie Vanise, The Bluestockings: A History of The First Women's Movement by Susannah Gibson, Violeta by Nikki Roman 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

These are summaries. The full reviews can be found on Reader Views or MockingOwl Roost 

Reader Views 

Gravity Flow: The Jimmy Whistler Stories by EM Schorb 

This is a seriocomic anthology of various moments in the life of Jimmy Whistler, a writer, in the 50's-60's.

The covers Jimmy's troubled childhood, his time working in a burlesque theater, military career, writing career, his friends, lovers, children, and other important experiences.

Characterization is this book's strongest asset. Jimmy's experiences are told by various vignettes that describe events in his life. He encounters many eccentric characters including a burlesque performer, a Beatnik poet, and different lovers.

The book is told through Jimmy's point of view so we see the world through his eyes. Most of the characters are broad, farcical, and bizarre. Jimmy's narrative voice is arrogant, impulsive, but always fascinating.

 

Walk With Me One Hundred Days of Crazy by Ernesto H. Lee

This is a powerful evocative novel about life, love, death, and learning to appreciate life.

Mark Rennie and Karen McKenzie are both dying. Instead of just waiting for the inevitable, they decide to spend 100 days traveling and enjoying themselves before the end.

The book is a descriptive travel guide of different experiences like dancing in Cuba, walking across the Great Wall of China, and swimming with sharks in Cancun. It is a scenic itinerary of exciting adventures and experiences.

It also captures how people face death in different ways. Some want to do everything medically possible to prolong their lives while others would rather face death on their own terms. There is no one way to face this conflict and all are valid.

Penthesilea: Rise of An Amazon by Stephanie Vanise 

This is a powerful and gripping Historical Fiction novel about a young Amazon, Penthesilea during the Trojan War.

She is third of four daughters of the Queen of Amazon. Penthesilea lives in the shadow of her other sisters and struggles to find her own identity in war.

Various characters and events from Greek Mythology appear including Hippolyta, Hercules, Paris, Helen of Troy, and Achilles. They are made more complex in this adaptation as Vanise captures their psyches and inner conflicts.

Penthesilea in particular is looking for recognition in a powerful war like family. She strives to empower herself and stand out. She strives to be one of a kind not one of hundreds.

MockingOwl Roost 

The Bluestockings: A History of The First Women's Movement by Susannah Gibson 

This is a fascinating Historical Nonfiction account of the Bluestockings, a group of 18th century women who hosted salons, encouraged creative talents, and discussed politics, philosophy and other topics in which women were discouraged from discussing.

These women supported one another in their creative pursuits like writing and art. These were women whose voices might otherwise have not been heard. They also had unconventional lives where some married supportive men, had Lesbian relationships, or opted not to marry at all.

The Bluestockings did not last very long but they were an influence for many women like Jane Austen, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Elizabeth Gaskell who in turn inspired the various waves of Feminism. Women's History would have been very different without them.

Violeta by Nikki Roman 

This is a Gothic Literature novel that focuses on child abuse, trauma, and finding ones personal power and independence.

Violet Valentine is isolated by her mother who keeps her secluded from the outside world. Her only contact is with her brother, Tommy. The toxic situation explodes when their mother puts both children'a lives in danger.

Violeta involves the anxieties that are found in families particularly between parents and children and siblings. The Valentine Family engage in continuous conflict, emotional and psychological instability, and fragile dysfunction. 

The siblings are confined and battered by their mother’s volatile and abusive behavior so they can only rely on each other. They support each other to break from her, recognize their comfort, strength, and independence, and find sanctuary and a real home.

Diamond Mask (The Galactic Milieu Trilogy Book 3) by Julian May; Sequel Ramps Up Hydra Attacks and Female Characterization

Diamond Mask (The Galactic Milieu Trilogy Book 3) by Julian May; Sequel Ramps Up Hydra Attacks and Female Characterization 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: When we last left the Remillard Family, in Jack The Bodiless, the family was under attack by a sinister being called Fury and Fury’s aide Hydra. They were created during the death of patriarch Victor who tried to control the united metaconcert of the highly metapsychic family. Because of this, they know that Fury and Hydra are Remillard Family members who might not know the violent sadistic creatures exist within their psyche. After several murders and attempts, Hydra is identified but goes into hiding. Fury however remains an enigma. 

Meanwhile, Teresa Kendall-Remillard learns that she is pregnant with her fifth child despite strict laws from the Galactic Milieu to control the amount of authorized metapsychic births. Psychic impressions and mental communication occurs even within the womb suggesting that the little one will be highly powerful indeed. Jon, AKA Jack Remillard is born and is highly psychic and intelligent. As a toddler, he suffers a cancer that metastasizes and devours his entire body leaving only a disembodied brain. He is able to create a body image surrounding his brain so he can live a seemingly normal life.

Diamond Mask, the next volume in The Galactic Milieu Series, begins ten years after the ending of Jack The Bodiless. Jack is now a child prodigy and attends classes and experiments with his college age brother Marc. He is destined for a high position in the Milieu. Things seem to be quiet on the Fury-Hydra front for a while. Note I said for a while.

Fury reappears to his eager sadistic subordinate. Hydra is ordered to resume their attacks. This time they attack the mother, uncle, and aunt of Dorothea McDonald, a Scottish girl who is an adept metapsychic and healer. After the murders, Dorothea and the rest of her family go into hiding on another planet, Caledonia and she tries to suppress her abilities. But over the years, she can't ignore them nor can she ignore the mental communication with a certain bodiless lad from Earth.

Diamond Mask is a worthy continuation in the series. The biggest standouts are the terrifying presence of Hydra and the multilayered presence of Dorothea McDonald.

In the previous volume, The Family learned that Hydra was actually five of the Remillard cousins sharing a hive mind. They were sadistic, immature, and their mental communications with Fury were darkly comical. However there wasn't much distinction between them. 

This volume is where we really get a sense of their depravity and sadism. They come into their own as individuals with one as the brains and leader, another is charismatic and charming, another is lustful and active, another is innovative and tech oriented, and another is muscular and silent. 

Along with their individuality, their own personal desires come forward. They aren't just hurting people because Fury ordered them to. They have their own independent reasons, ambitious goals, and unsatisfied hunger compelling them to act. This suggests that they learned from the master, Fury, and soon Fury won't be able to control the monsters that they created.

The Remillards are still a presence and have their conflicts. Many question their allegiances like Anne’s loyalty to the Galactic Milieu and Unity and Adrien and Severin’s support for Rebellion. Marc weighs his own beliefs while preparing his own questionable potentially destructive project.

This volume introduces Dorothea McDonald, the future love interest of Jack Remillard. They don't meet face to face until towards the end and their union is tepid so this gives us a chance to get to know Dorothea on her own terms rather than created to just be a girlfriend and nothing more.

In the previous book, we were told that interstellar travel is a routine thing. We see a few short travels to other worlds including where Uncle Rogi Remillard visits a completely frozen planet and is given an important assignment. But Diamond Mask is the first one where intergalactic travel is a primary focus.

One of the interesting aspects of many of the planets is the cultural presence of Earthlings. Many of the Earth’s citizens took to the stars and brought their cultures with them. So there are references to planets with Japanese, Irish, Inuit, Nigerian and other diverse themes. 

Dorothea’s family lives on Caledonia, a planet colonized by Scottish Earthlings. The McDonalds live in a world of castles, rich farmland, tartans, and family clans. It makes sense that people exploring unfamiliar terrain would want to take something familiar with them and recreate their own history and traditions.

Dorothea's story compared to Jack’s shows that people faced with similar issues can react differently to them. Their metapsychic abilities manifest early, are highly intelligent prodigies, and come from influential academic powerful families. But their personal experiences are quite different.

Jack is unable to hide his abilities because of his family and his illness, so he doesn't. In fact he dramatizes it. He is amused when students wonder what a prepubescent kid is doing on a college campus and even adult academics seek his advice. 

Jack's abilities and intelligence makes him seem remote and far off from other students so he has very few friends his own age. He is great at forging alliances and allyship but is a cypher when it comes to close emotional connections. This explains why he persists on mentally communicating with Dorothea despite her objections. He found someone who is on his intellectual and metaphysical level.

While Jack uses his abilities, Dorothea does not. As a child she compares her various powers as boxes on a shelf. When she has no choice but to use them, she only opens one box i.e. uses one power and only in extreme circumstances. 

Dorothea resents her family’s studies on psychic abilities so she suppresses her powers.She tries as hard as she can to act like a normal kid and withdraws into herself. 

Dorothea puts on a metaphorical mask to hide her capabilities. The events of the book from her family's murders to a natural planetary disaster leaves her scarred but brings out much of her strength, resilience, and abilities. Once she puts on a literal mask decorated with diamond studs, she no longer hides.

She pushes herself forward and stands out accepting her power and leadership. Dorothea's presence ultimately shines like the diamonds that Jack compares her to, hidden, priceless, powerful, beautiful, and strong. Jack and Dorothea are a couple who ultimately shine brightly together and apart.