JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

Betrayal. Magic. Murder. A tale of three siblings and three deadly sins.

King Cador’s children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can’t heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure.

All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky – bringing Myrdhin, meddler and magician. The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the land. But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.

Riva, Keyne and Sinne become entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, and must fight to forge their own paths. It’s a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.

Lucy Holland’s Sistersong is an enchanting retelling of the folk ballad, ‘The Two Sisters’. Switching perspectives between three sisters, Sistersong will please readers young and old. It’s charming and beautiful — inviting. No prior knowledge of the folk ballad is required to fall in love with this story.

Once, Britain was filled with magic. It’s been gone for a long time, forced out by the presence of Christianity and devoted religion. Three young sisters — Riva, Keyne and Sinne — are about to discover the very power inside of them, and the magic ready to unveil. We meet them as daughters of the King, but we follow their journey into leaders of great power.

“Walls and too many people press upon me, suffocating. I cannot stay here. I can weather their disdain — haven’t I done so for years? But their lack of understanding is so much worse. It means they will never see me as I see myself. To them, I am merely a shell of a king’s daughter.”

Lucy Holland brings us three very different women, all fighting against something they can’t control — Keyne feels a great desire to lead, but her gender means that people dismiss her as a potential ruler; Riva struggles with her disability, and what it may mean for her future; Sinne is a curious character, questioning what’s around her and following her romantic desires until it leads her onto a dangerous path. All three women feel confined within the walls of their home, and yearn for adventure.

The pacing of the novel is quite steady, but Lucy builds up to climactic finish. It’s pleasing to see transgender representation in the novel, and established well — it’s not an plot point for shock or surprise, but something built over time and within realistic pressures.

Not sure I loved the progression of Riva’s love story, and how it ended. The ending of their story felt neat and easy, but not realistic. I think Riva had capacity to be a strong independent character, but I felt her ending weakened her plot.

“All at once I remember my strange burst of will that pushed Sinne away, just as she was about to discover my bracelet. The memory is foggy. I don’t know how I did it — I was so angry at the time. I don’t even know what happened, really.”

Lucy captures first person writing incredibly well, especially since there’s three different perspectives and they all felt unique. Not once did I have to flick back to check which story I was reading at the time. I felt great sorrow for Sinne, whose story doesn’t progress and develop as I’d hoped it would. Whilst Riva is incredibly flawed, I did find myself rooting for her. She’s faced great adversity throughout her life, and yet, she perseveres.

Admittedly, the ‘twist’ with a certain character was dead obvious from early on. I think their actions were signposted a bit too heavily. No spoilers, but anyone familiar with the novel will know who I’m referring to.

“A weight settles in my chest: the strain of being far from home and safety. Of course, I’d barrelled and bruised my way through; it was the wisp that had led me to the forest’s edge. It had saved my life. And I had killed it for its trouble…”

Rich and atmospheric, Sistersong is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, folk tales, ancient history and medieval sagas. Young readers and fans of YA will love this too. Readership skews female 12+

I’m told fans of Circe will love this. I recently reviewed the fantastic novel by Jennifer Saint called Ariadne. I consider Sistersong to be in the same realm.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sistersong
Lucy Holland
May 2021
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

Have you ever imagined running away from your life? Well Birdy Finch didn’t just imagine it. She did it. Which might’ve been an error.

And the life she’s run into? Her best friend, Heather’s. The only problem is, she hasn’t told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems…

Can Birdy carry off a summer pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?

And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she’s ever actually liked (but who thinks she’s someone else)?

Funny and witty, The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent is an incredibly fun read. Full of heart and humour, I devoured this book in one day, savouring the story and the characters and relishing each chapter.

When Birdy Finch’s roommate — a world-renowned sommelier and wine expert — turns down a summer job in Scotland to spend the summer in Italy with her boyfriend, Birdy thinks it’ll be fun to take her place at the Michelin star restaurant. Birdy’s just found herself job-free, her ‘relationship’ doesn’t seem to have much promise, and she could use the escape. But what starts as a joke and something to pass the time, soon turns into a venture that overwhelms Birdy and it’s clear she’s way out of her depth. After all, Birdy knows nothing about wine.

“That’s the problem with ten hours of uninterrupted sleep — rigor mortis begins to set in. So much for brushing up on my wine knowledge; I could barely type the word ‘wine’ into Google, I was so exhausted.”

The plot is something a lot of young readers will be able to relate to — Birdy has absolutely no idea what she’s doing with her life, both in a personal sense and a professional one. And when she pretends to be her housemate Heather — who has no idea she’s done this — the ‘joke’ quickly envelopes her and Birdy finds herself in over her head.

With gorgeous scenery and a well-captured setting, The Summer Job is a breath of fresh air — an absolute gem of a novel. It’s an uplifting rom-com, full of wit. The dialogue is quick and clever, and the story is heartwarming and enjoyable. The storyline contains character growth, emotional depth, and the possibility of redemption.

“Her voice trails off and she looks across at me, her face contorted with a mixture of concern and confusion. Concern, I think, that a human being in real life — and not in a black-and-white slapstick film — had pointed a bottle of champagne at her face while trying to loosen an extremely stubborn cork.”

The first person POV allows an intimate insight into how Birdy is struggling with the direction of her life. Her parents are conspiracy theorists, her father an alcoholic, and she’s never had a stable relationship. When she meets James, and the other wonderful people who work at the Scotland restaurant, she starts to feel like she belongs. But she’s living a lie — how is she going to weave her way out of this? The novel builds slowly, taking readers to a rather tense, climactic ending.

Birdy’s voice is instantly inviting. She’s warm, charming and quick-witted, but she also possesses a certain level of maturity that allows her to reflect on her situation and understand how to survive in it.

I did find the final couple of chapters a little disappointing. There’s a big confrontation, and then most of the resulting chapters skip ahead in time. I almost felt like there was 50 pages missing — an entire chunk of the book that got condensed into mere pages. But I guess wanting more pages in a book is a good sign.

“She gives the impression that nothing is ever a secret around her, and if it was, it would be sensible to fess up straight away. She stands up and wanders over to the wine rack, reaches behind one of the bottles and pulls out a packet of Marlboro.”

Fabulous, escapist and fun, The Summer Job is one of my favourite reads of 2021. Highly recommended alongside a nice glass of red. Readership skews female, 25+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Job
Lizzy Dent
April 2021
Penguin Random House Publishers

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn

Burma, 1945. Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy: in search of adventure, attached to the Fourteenth Army, fighting a forgotten war in the jungle. Assigned to run a mobile canteen, navigating treacherous roads and dodging hostile gunfire, they become embroiled in life-threatening battles of their own.

Oxford, 1976. A woman slips into a museum and steals several rare Japanese netsuke, including the famed fox-girl. Despite the offer of a considerable reward, these tiny, exquisitely detailed carvings are never seen again.

London and Galway, 1999. On the eve of the new millennium, Olivia, assistant to an art dealer, meets Beatrix, an elderly widow who wishes to sell her late husband’s collection of Japanese art. Olivia travels with Beatrix to a New Year’s Eve party, deep in the Irish countryside, where friendships will be tested as secrets kept for more than fifty years are spilled.

Inspired by the heroic servicewomen who served in the ‘forgotten war’ in Burma, Kayte Nunn’s The Last Reunion alternates between dual timelines and centres around a valuable netsuke from WWII that is stolen from a museum. In 1999, it resurfaces, along with the story of how it came to be in that museum, and its origins.

Whilst the novel opens with the theft in 1976, we never return to that storyline. It merely sets up the mystery of the novel, and draws the reader in.

Written in third person, The Last Reunion switches between 1945 and 1999. In 1945, we mainly follow the determined Bea as she signs up as volunteer for a mobile canteen with a group of other women. In 1999, young art dealer Olivia tracks down an elderly Bea in an effort to find out what happened to the famous — but missing — fox-girl netsuke.

“Bea turned away, her hand to her face. Death was all around them — she wasn’t so naive as to think otherwise — but to see it up close, and one so pointless, was somehow more shocking than reading the lists of soldiers who died in battle every day.”

Alongside many other elements, The Last Reunion explores female friendship, family and sacrifice, and how in the toughest of times, we find ourselves drawn to those who may be very different from us.

The Last Reunion feels like a fresh addition to the historical fiction genre.I’ve read many novels set during WWII and this was an aspect to the battle that I hadn’t heard or read about. This new perspective will appeal to seasoned historical fiction readers like myself.

Another strength lies in Kayte’s detailed descriptions of setting, characters and objects – particularly the netsukes. Each character feels unique, their voice distinct. Additionally, you felt like you were experiencing the war alongside these women, particularly with such vivid descriptions of weather — the rain, the floods, the heat. The writing is so visceral, scenes lift from the page.

“Olivia hesitated; it seemed like such an odd request, to accompany an old woman to a reunion, but she would love to visit Ireland; it had always seemed to her to be such an appealing country; the accents alone were utterly beguiling.”

Admittedly, there were elements to the ending that felt a little rushed, as if the motivations or thoughts behind certain actions happened too suddenly to feel authentic. For example, when Plum comes to her senses about her husband, and also when a career opportunity conveniently lands in Olivia’s lap.

“Bea was familiar with the sight of her father’s service revolver, had watched him clean and oil it, but though he had explained its workings to Archie when he was still a boy, Bea had never been allowed anywhere near it. Guns, the unspoken message had been, were for men and boys, not the business of women and girls.”

A story of friendship and family, but also loss and betrayal, The Last Reunion is recommended for readers of historical fiction, war stories, and family sagas. Readership skews female.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Reunion
Kayte Nunn
April 2021
Hachette Book Publishers

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?

ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

An enchanting retelling of ancient Greek myth, Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne is an absorbing, dual POV tale of two forgotten Greek sisters — Adriadne and Phaedra, daughters of the cruel and malevolent King Minos.

Infatuated and desperately in love with the handsome Theseus (Prince of Athens), the young and naive Ariadne betrays her father and passes along the secret to defeating her brother, the Minotaur. Afterwards, Theseus’ promise to whisk her away to Athens turns out to be a falsity, and Ariadne soon finds herself abandoned on the island of Naxos. Elsewhere, we follow Ariadne’s sister Phaedra, who also comes to experience Theseus’ deception and betrayal.

“Later, would I want to claim that I was possessed of a madness, that I didn’t know what I was doing? That I moved through my story as the Fates directed, that I bore no responsibility for it myself?”

Ariadne positions its lens on forgotten women of Ancient Greece. Some readers may recognise or be aware of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, but most will not. Their stories are often wrapped up within the tales of heroic men — other tales of might. This time, Jennifer is shining the spotlight on the sisters.

Both sisters are fierce and determined, and grow into adulthood with confidence. Ariadne takes control of her story and learns of her own strength, refusing to accept what’s expected of her. When Theseus betrays her, she finds a life for herself that makes her far happier and full of purpose than his love ever would’ve given her.

Phaedra may be more reserved and timid, but she knows when to pick her battles. She takes refuge in the shadows, protecting herself and collecting information. She builds on her suspicions about Theseus. Over time, she grows into a headstrong character who is determined to pursue her true desires, rather than simply accept the life she has.

Side note: this book has a gorgeous, gold-foiled cover that shines on a bookshelf.

“What could I say that would ever make him listen? That would ever turn his head and yank his attention sharply away from his important preoccupations — the affairs of the court, the rule of the peasants, his cool calculations that whirred away in his brain, endlessly weighing up the options before him to find what would bring him the greatest value.”

Whilst this novel far outshines criticism, there are a few faults of note.

The novel has a beautiful slow build, and readers will appreciate the character development and plot progression — the whimsical, magical feel of the story and its contents. The ending, however, feels very rushed, particularly around the conclusion of Phaedra’s story. It felt brief and sudden, and I couldn’t help but feel a little cheated.

Additionally, and I have seen this noted in many reviews, but there is a lot of info-dumping in the novel. Mostly through dialogue. Great long historical tales that go for pages and don’t feel natural in discussion. It contributed to a rather stiff and silted dialogue at times, and I found myself skimming those parts, or skipping them altogether.

“Where would one find the courage to do such a thing? I wondered. To cast away a life of riches and power and anything he desired; to give his life in the very prime of his youth for his people. To go knowingly and willingly into the snaking coils of our dungeon as living meat for our monster.”

Lyrical and gorgeously written, Ariadne will please fans of historical and mythological fiction. The novel will leave a lasting impressing on its readers.

Readership skews female.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ariadne
Jennifer Saint
April 2021
Hachette Book Publishers

The Emporium of Imagination by Tabitha Bird

Welcome to The Emporium of Imagination, a most unusual shop that travels the world offering vintage gifts to repair broken dreams and extraordinary phones to contact lost loved ones.

But, on arrival in the tiny township of Boonah, the store’s long-time custodian, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray, makes a shocking realisation. He is dying . . .

The clock is now ticking to find his replacement, because the people of Boonah are clearly in need of some restorative magic.

Like Enoch Rayne – a heartbroken ten-year-old boy mourning the loss of his father, while nurturing a guilty secret.

Like Ann Harlow, who has come to the town to be close to her dying grandmother. Though it’s Enoch’s father who dominates her thoughts – and regrets . . .

Even Earlatidge in his final days will experience the store as never before – and have the chance to face up to his own tragedy . . .

Enchanting and evocative, Tabitha Bird’s The Emporium of Imagination is a heartwarming story about confronting past mistakes, missed conversations, and lost loved ones. Set over a period of 21 days, we glimpse into a magical world of possibility, within the four walls of an impossible store.

Set in the rural town of Boonah, Queensland, we meet Earlatidge Hubert Umbray as he’s setting up the new Emporium store one evening. He’s the custodian of the magical shop, which among other wonderful things, allows visitors to receive phone calls from family and friends who are either deceased or astray. It allows visitors to confront and overcome long-held secrets and anxieties.

As we soon learn, Earlatidge’s time as custodian is almost over, and he must find someone new to take over his work.

“I want to scream that word all over the house. Yell it at the walls that are scuffed up because he let us play soccer in the hallway. Yell it in the backyard where we used to wrestle and where he rescued Nipper from the top of the water tank. Yell it in his empty bedroom…”

A sweet tale with a gorgeous cast of characters. We meet three boys grappling with the recent death of their father, and their exhausted grandmother who is desperately trying to raise these boys the best she can. We meet a woman who has recently lost a close friend and is about to lose her beloved grandmother, and we come to understand Earlatidge’s story and how — through great loss — he came to be custodian of the Emporium store.

Anyone who has lost someone, or lost touch with someone, will be able to relate to this story. It’s beautiful and moving, but it’s also quite heartbreaking. We meet characters when they’re at their lowest point — they’re in desperate need of some guidance and direction, some wise words. The store offers them that.

“The key. A cantankerous key. Over the years, it has appeared in ordinary places like pockets, under doormats, in letterboxes and inside his shoe. But it has also hidden in more unusual places like the bottom of a maple syrup bottle in Canada or inside a pint of Guinness. Until the key makes an appearance, Earlatidge is always careful not to gulp his drinks.”

The Emporium of Imagination is about grasping the life you have left, and pursuing what you really want. It’s about accepting the past is in the past and moving on, but acknowledging the importance and necessity of grieving. It’s about the comfort you can find in those around you. With a little magic and imagination, you’ll get the answers you seek.

This book is reminiscent of children’s fairytales — whimsical, hopeful and enchanting. It’s a novel that will wrap you up and engage you until you’ve read the final page. Tabitha’s writing is descriptive and full of beautiful prose and general wonderment.

“Earlatidge is right about the note. No matter what I do with the phone invitation, it keeps coming back like a determined stray animal. I find it in my jeans pocket, on my bedside table and under the blankets. It even blocks the water coming out of my tap as I’m trying to brush my teeth. Reluctantly, I keep it.”

An enduring tale alive with possibilities, The Emporium of Imagination is recommended for fans of magical realism, family saga and literary novels. Readership skews female, 30+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Emporium of Imagination
Tabitha Bird
April 2021
Penguin Random House Book Publishers