Scotland

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Book Review: THE FIREBIRD by Susanna Kearsley

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Series: Slains, #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Released: June 4, 2013
Source: Review copy from NetGalley

Whoever dares to seek the Firebird may find the journey — and its ending — unexpected.

Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes sees images; glimpses of those who have owned it before. It’s never been a gift she wants, and she keeps it a secret from most people, including her practical boss Sebastian, one of London’s premier dealers in Russian art.

But when a woman offers Sebastian a small wooden carving for sale, claiming it belonged to Russia’s first Empress Catherine, it’s a problem. There’s no proof. Sebastian believes that the plain carving — known as “The Firebird” — is worthless. But Nicola’s held it, and she knows the woman is telling the truth, and is in desperate need of the money the sale of the heirloom could bring.

Compelled to help, Nicola turns to a man she once left, and still loves: Rob McMorran, whose own psychic gifts are far greater than hers. With Rob to help her “see” the past, she follows a young girl named Anna from Scotland to Belgium and on into Russia.

There, in St. Petersburg — the once-glittering capital of Peter the Great’s Russia — Nicola and Rob unearth a tale of love and sacrifice, of courage and redemption…an old story that seems personal and small, perhaps, against the greater backdrops of the Jacobite and Russian courts, but one that will forever change their lives.

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I love books that blend past events with the present, and THE FIREBIRD did so in a unique way. Nicola Marter is a secret psychometrist, someone who can divine information about people or events by touching an object. A new client comes to the gallery where she works with a small wooden carving she calls “The Firebird.” The woman believes the carving once belonged to Catherine the Great and was given as a gift to one of her ancestors. Nicola can sense by touching the bird that the woman’s story is possibly true. However, she can’t tell the client or her boss this without exposing her gift, so she sets out on a quest to find another way to prove the item’s authenticity.

Nicola is a smart, compassionate and determined character, but she’s also quite stubborn and unsure when it comes to using her gift of sight. She enlists the help of a lost love named Rob McMorran (aka little Robbie from The Shadowy Horses, all grown up), whose ability to see the past is much greater than hers. Rob is more open and honest about his gift, and he hopes he can teach Nicola to embrace hers as they go through this journey together.

So, essentially, Nicola and Rob were chasing “visions” of the client’s relative, Anna, in the past. They tracked her from place to place across Europe, and they were able to see important events from her life that eventually led her to Russia. Young Anna’s life was an exciting and dangerous adventure to read about, as she was caught up in the political intrigue of the time. I also enjoyed the dual romances in this book, one in the present and one in the past.

THE FIREBIRD was an engrossing, well-researched story that will delight fans of paranormal and historical fiction. While I did enjoy THE SHADOWDY HORSES more (it had an extra-special “something”), THE FIREBIRD was a wonderful and unique follow-up.

Rating: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: THE SHADOWY HORSES by Susanna Kearsley

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Publisher: Sourcebooks
Released: October 2, 2012
Source: Review copy from NetGalley

The invincible Ninth Roman Legion marches from York to fight the northern tribes, and then vanishes from the pages of history.

Archaeologist Verity Grey has been drawn to the dark legends of the Scottish Borderlands in search of the truth buried in a rocky field by the sea.

Her eccentric boss has spent his whole life searching for the resting place of the lost Ninth Roman Legion and is convinced he’s finally found it—not because of any scientific evidence, but because a local boy has “seen” a Roman soldier walking in the fields, a ghostly sentinel who guards the bodies of his long-dead comrades.

Here on the windswept shores, Verity may find the answer to one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time. Or she may uncover secrets someone buried for a reason.

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This is the first book by Susanna Kearsley I’ve read, and it exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about this story. The author created the perfect Gothic atmosphere that pulled me in.

Verity Grey is an archaeologist hired for a dig in Eyemouth, a village on the east coast of Scotland. Her new boss has spent his life searching for clues about the fate of the Ninth Spanish Legion, a Roman legion who disappeared possibly in Britain during the early 2nd century. He’s believes the answers to the mystery are buried in a field on Rosehill Estate.

Verity is excited to be offered a job on the project, until she finds out the only proof comes from a young boy said to have second sight. Little Robbie has seen the ghost of a Roman Sentinel roaming the field, which of course, Verity is skeptical about at first. But it’s not long before she can sense his presence too.

The mysterious ghost isn’t the only man keeping her at Rosehill. She’s also rather taken by a handsome Scottish archaeologist and professor named David Fortune. Honestly, I’m not sure which one I fancied more, David or the ghost! They both gave me goosebumps.

THE SHADOWY HORSES was a captivating blend of ghost story, mystery and romance. The pacing was steady, not fast or slow, but I stayed hooked up to the last word. I enjoyed the entire cast of characters, each one with a distinct personality and something important to contribute to the plot. I also enjoyed the archaeological tidbits on how digs are organized and carried out.

THE SHADOWY HORSES is going on my favorites list for this year, and I’m so pleased to have discovered Susanna Kearsley’s amazing writing talent.

(I picture the ghostly Sentinel looking a bit like THIS. What do you think? *g*)

Rating: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: TREASURE ME by Robyn DeHart

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Series: The Legend Hunters, #3
Publisher: Forever
Released: March 1, 2011
Source: Review copy from publisher

The Legend Hunters…

The Men of Solomon’s meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends. And no legend is as captivating as the Loch Ness monster…

Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore, has always been torn between his beloved Scottish homeland and his duty to the English Crown. Yet his is truly an adventurer’s soul-and he’s determined to find a long-lost stone hidden near Loch Ness.

Bookish Vanessa Pembrooke heads to the Highlands to prove the existence of the legendary beast. Instead she finds the first man who has ever shared her hunger for adventure. Soon Graeme and Vanessa are fighting a dangerous battle as well as their own simmering attraction. As their passion grows, so does the danger. Ultimately, they must risk everything to keep the cursed stone out of a murderer’s hands. But can they survive without losing the greatest treasure of all-their love?

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After finding her fiance in a compromising position with another woman, the scholarly Vanessa Pembrooke abandons her wedding plans and heads to Scotland in search of proof that the Loch Ness monster once existed. After a precarious situation at a local pub, Vanessa suddenly finds herself “accidentally” married to Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore.

Graeme is a member of The Men of Solomon’s, a secret group of treasure hunters who study myths and legends. Graeme’s quest is to find The Stone of Destiny, and Vanessa is thrilled to discover her new husband shares her love of adventure. Hot on their tail is a dastardly treasure hunter called The Raven who has his sight set on acquiring the precious stone himself – at any cost.

Treasure Me was an exciting Victorian-era adventure with plenty of action, danger and a bit of romance along the way. Vanessa was truly the star of the book. She was smart, skilled and independent. She was a scientist and a scholar, determined to be taken seriously in a man’s world. You have to respect a woman who sees calling off her wedding over a cheating fiance as more free time to search for fossils! The story’s main focus was on the quest to locate The Stone of Destiny, and Vanessa and Graeme’s romance was somewhat overshadowed. Still, there was a strong connection between the two characters, and it only grew stronger.

A fast-paced plot and interesting characters blended with Scottish legends made Treasure Me an enchanting tale. This is the final book in Robyn DeHart’s The Legend Hunters trilogy, though it can be read stand-alone. I have not read the first two books yet, and I never felt lost. Of course, because I enjoyed this one so much, I have some catching up to do with the rest of the series!

Rating: 4¼ Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.