About the Book: 
Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Kensington Books
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 288

Series: Book One, The Arnaud Legacy
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal


Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she’s a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn't laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…

Review:
Phoebe's family has picked up and moved from sunny San Fransico to dreary England to live in a long abandoned mansion. This is a big change for sixteen-year-old Phoebe, but she is taking it in stride knowing that something she did but can't quite remember is the reason that her family must move.  Phoebe's step-father is heir to the Arnaud Manor in England, a mansion built in the 1700's for wealthy French expatriates; this is where Phoebe, her little sister Tabby and her mom and step-dad must now live.   Phoebe begins to explore the vast rooms of the mansion, she finds some weird things and begins to have creepy visions.  When Phoebe meets Miles, a cute boy her age who enjoys swimming as much as she does, Miles tells her the legend of Madame Arnaud, who is said to still haunt Phoebe's new home.  Together, Phoebe and Miles find out the Madame Arnaud is still around, and she wants to hurt Phoebe's little sister.  Miles and Phoebe try to stop Madame Arnaud, but they must battle their own demons first. 

Haunted has a great premise for a different type of Young Adult Paranormal read.  The setting was perfect, a creepy, old mansion with plenty of rooms, hidden passageways and a tragic history that pulled me into the mystery.  Madame Arnaud's legend was also especially disturbing and unique.  Phoebe's character was easy to relate to for a sixteen-year-old, she was strong but had plenty of issues to deal with including boys, parents and jealousy over her baby sister.  When I read horror and paranormal books I like to feel unsettled by the themes, setting and characters for the majority of the read.  In Haunted I did figure out the big plot twist rather early on, taking away some of this feeling. Much of the mystery for me was then turned to how Miles and Phoebe would fight Madame Arnaud.  I would still be interested in reading the next book in the series since many questions about Phoebe and Miles are left unanswered. Overall, this was a good paranormal story with a fairly predictable twist.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 



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About the Author: 

Lynn Carthage is a novelist living in Sacramento, California, near where the Gold Rush launched. Under her real name, she was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. Born in Vermont, Lynn has lived in Maine, Ireland, and Arizona. She reads voraciously, loves anything French, gets “itchy feet” to travel on a regular basis, and finds peace in the woods, in meadows, in nature. She has always been fascinated by how history allows us to imagine how people of the past lived and breathed and felt.
HAUNTED is her first young adult novel, and will be followed by the next two books in the Arnaud Legacy trilogy.

For more information please visit Lynn Carthage’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
Series: Book One, Fairytale Keeper
Genre: Young Adult/Historical/Fairytale Retelling


Adelaide’s mother, Katrina, was the finest storyteller in all of Airsbach, a borough in the great city of Cologne, but she left one story untold, that of her daughter, that of Snow White. Snow White was a pet name Adelaide’s mother had given her. It was a name Adelaide hated, until now. Now, she would give anything to hear her mother say it once more.

A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without last rites and the dead are dumped in a vast pit outside the city walls. In an effort to save Katrina’s soul, Adelaide’s father obtains a secret funeral for his wife by bribing the parish priest, Father Soren.

Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, pushing Adelaide toward vengeance. When Adelaide realizes that the corruption in Cologne reaches far beyond Soren, the cost of settling scores quickly escalates. Avenging the mother she lost may cost Adelaide everything she has left: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life.

Seamlessly weaving historical events and Grimm’s fairy tales into a tale of corruption and devotion, The Fairytale Keeper, leaves the reader wondering where fact ends and fiction begins. The novel paints Medieval Cologne accurately and vividly. The story develops a set of dynamic characters, casting the famous villains, heroes, and damsels of Grimm’s fairy tales into believable medieval lives. Though historically set, The Fairytale Keeper brims with timeless themes of love, loyalty, and the struggle for justice.

Review:
Adelaide's mother has lovingly nicknamed her Snow White as she tells Adelaide the story of her birth within the small village of Cologne in the 13th century.  After a fever sweeps the town, Adelaide's mother perishes.  Adelaide's father, a humble shoemaker scrapes together enough money to bribe the town priest, Father Soren, to give a proper funeral for her mother.  When the funeral goes awry, Adelaide becomes enraged at Father Soren and begins to learn of the wrongdoings of the church, she is also set on revenge and the redemption of her mother. 

I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings and could not wait to read this series.  Adelaide's story is set firmly in historic reality but shows a glint of fantasy and magic here and there that would lend to the stories being woven into fairy tales through time.  Through the writing medieval Cologne was brought to life along with the struggles of the people at the time. Adelaide, her family and some other townspeople are all firmly set in this installment.  I immediately loved Adelaide's fiery spirit and willingness to right a wrong.  I also fell in love with Ivo, a young man apprenticing as an armorer that Adelaide is friends with and grows fond of.  Their beginning romance is done well, and is incredibly sweet so far.  Adelaide's father and her mother's cousin, Galadriel were not as likable of characters, but their places within Adelaide's story are foreshadowed.  This is only the beginning of Adelaide's story and I can not wait to see what happens with the characters as well as how more fairy tale elements are woven in with the next book, Countess Captive. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

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About the Author: 
Besides being the award-winning author of The Fairytale Keeper series, Andrea Cefalo is a self-proclaimed medievalist, hopeless bookworm, and social media junkie. She graduated with honors from Winthrop University in 2007 where she studied Medieval art history and children’s literature. The next three books in The Fairytale Keeper series—The Countess’ Captive, The Baseborn Lady, and The Traitor’s Target—will debut in 2015 and 2016. She resides in Greenville, South Carolina—ever perched before her trusty laptop—with her husband and their two border collies.

For more information please visit Andrea Cefalo’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Read An Excerpt: 
Intro: Adelaide’s best friend and first love, Ivo, has asked Adelaide to tell him the tale of Hansel and Gretel. But Ivo, always ready to tease Addie and try to make her laugh, isn’t being the greatest listener.

“Once Gretel was inside,” I say. “The witch intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it. Then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind and said, ‘I do not know how I am to do it. How do I get in?’

“‘Foolish girl,’ said the old woman to Gretel. ‘The door is big enough. Just look, I can get in myself!’ She crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into the oven, shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh, how horribly she howled—”

Ivo interrupts me with a great AWOOOO!!!

A huddle of women turn their wimpled heads, their faces screwed up.

“Are you mad?” I ask through giggles. “What are you doing?”

He laughs. “I’m howling like a witch.”

“That’s not how a witch howls.”

He stops. “Oh, then how do they?”

“I don’t know.” I grab his arm and tug him away from the on-lookers. “But not like that…not like a wolf. Come on.”

Review: 
Mackenzie Day finally feels like she has her life in order when she graduates with a degree in music therapy.  Music has saved Mac's life.  Mackenzie's parents both died when she was young and her aunt, who saw Mackenzie as a burden, raised her.  On top of that, Mac has always been different, she is able to read other's thoughts.  This talent became too overwhelming for her when she started kindergarten and Mac was given an Integrated Listening Systems to help her tune out everyone else's thoughts, the iLs has been Mac's lifeline throughout her life.  Just as Mac is ready to enter the career world, she stumbles upon a man whose mind she is unable to read.  With this mysterious man, comes an invitation to join an even more mysterious group called the Unseen, a group of people who can read minds, just like her. 

I loved the premise of this story and enjoyed Mackenzie's character.  It was a quick-paced read.  I loved Mac's character for her perseverance.  Even though the constant bombardment of other people's thoughts has made Mackenzie's life difficult, she has found comfort with her iLs and was able to graduate with a degree in music therapy with hopes of helping other kids the same way she was helped with her listening system.  Everything changes when the Unseen comes along.  They offer Mac everything that her childhood did not.  Mac is very skeptical at first, but Owen, a very handsome mind reader, helps to convince Mac that the Unseen is where she belongs.  I was a little dismayed that Mac gave up her dreams with music therapy to join the Unseen, especially since a hot guy was involved in her decision. However, once Mac starts her training, it is obvious that the Unseen is where she belongs. Part of the reveal at the end was obvious to me, but I'd still like to see where the story goes.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Book: 
Publication Date: January 15, 2015
Palladino Books
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Genre: Historical Fantasy



Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, erotic medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When she materializes the ghost of his dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra’s mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome. Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, and the public demands to know – does the “Queen of Spirits” really have supernatural powers?

Nigel Huxley is convinced she’s simply another vulgar, Italian trickster. The icy, aristocratic detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums launches a plot to trap and expose her. The Vatican is quietly digging up her childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers; her abusive husband Pigotti is coming to kill her; and the tarot cards predict catastrophe.

Praised by Kirkus Reviews as an “enchanting and graceful narrative” that absorbs readers from the very first page, The Witch of Napolimasterfully resurrects the bitter 19th century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife.

Praise for The Witch of Napoli “Impressive…an enchanting, graceful narrative that absorbs readers from the first page.” -Kirkus Reviews



Review:

In Naples, Italy at the turn of the 20th century, Tommaso Labella gets the chance to photograph the medium Alessandra Poverelli.  Tommaso captures a photo of Alessandra levitating a table and Alessendra captures his heart.  Alessandra's ability to levitate tables, produces knocks and become possessed by spirits soon earns her a following along with much skepticism.  One man of science, psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi believes that there may be some scientific explanation to Alessandra's feats.  Lombardi takes Alessandra and Tommaso on a tour of Europe for shows and scientific testing; meanwhile, Nigel Huxley, head of England's Society for the Investigation of Medium believes that Alessandra is nothing but a cheat and launches a campaign to bring her down.  

Based on the real and turbulent life of Eusapia Palladino, Alessandra Poverelli's story is brought forth in a magical interpretation. Thorugh the eyes of Tommaso, Alessandra is placed in an enchanting but realistic light.  Tomasso and Alessandra are both from the impoverished section of Naples, and Alessandra's attitude shows it.  She is fiery and defiant and will not be put up with being called a cheat.  I enjoyed Tomasso's point of view since he didn't care if Alessandra's talents are real or not, he just cared for her.  One of the mysteries carried throughout the book was if Alessandra truly had powers.  The writing was done in a mesmerizing way that allowed the reader to decide.  Set in the age of Spiritualism, I was intrigued by the power struggle between science and paranormal and religion and the Spiritualist's threat to the church.  With all of the competing viewpoints, Alessandra's struggles made for a fascinating and engaging read.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

About the Author: 
Michael Schmicker is an investigative journalist and nationally-known writer on the paranormal. He’s been a featured guest on national broadcast radio talk shows, including twice on Coast to Coast AM (560 stations in North America, with 3 million weekly listeners). He also shares his investigations through popular paranormal webcasts including Skeptiko, hosted by Alex Tsakiris; Speaking of Strange with Joshua Warren; the X-Zone, with Rob McConnell (Canada); and he even spent an hour chatting with spoon-bending celebrity Uri Geller on his program Parascience and Beyond (England). He is the co-author of The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People (St. Martin’s Press). The Witch of Napoli is his debut novel. Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia for three years. He has also worked as a stringer for Forbes magazine, and Op-Ed contributor to The Wall Street Journal Asia. His interest in investigating the paranormal began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where he first encountered a non-Western culture which readily accepts the reality of ghosts and spirits, reincarnation, psychics, mediums, divination,and other persistently reported phenomena unexplainable by current Science. He lives and writes in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a mountaintop overlooking Waikiki and Diamond Head.

Connect with Michael Schmicker on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (February 1, 2015)

Miramont Castle, built in 1897 and mysteriously abandoned three years later, is home to many secrets. Only one person knows the truth: Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter of the Comte de Challembelles and cousin to the man who built the castle.

Clairvoyant from the time she could talk, Adrienne’s visions show her the secrets of those around her. When her visions begin to reveal dark mysteries of her own aristocratic French family, Adrienne is confronted by her formidable Aunt Marie, who is determined to keep the young woman silent at any cost. Marie wrenches Adrienne from her home in France and takes her to America, to Miramont Castle, where she keeps the girl isolated and imprisoned. Surrounded by eerie premonitions, Adrienne is locked in a life-or-death struggle to learn the truth and escape her torment.

Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, this hauntingly atmospheric tale is inspired by historical research into the real-life Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

“You might want to keep the lights on when you read Elizabeth Hall’s chilling debut, Miramont’s Ghost, in which a young girl who’s clairvoyant winds up exiled and imprisoned in the Miramont Castle in Colorado. Set in nineteenth-century France, this is sure to be a mesmerizing and haunting read!” --RT Book Reviews, “Forewords”



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Review:
Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter to the Count of Challembelles has always had visions, a gift of clairvoyance, just like her grandmother.  To a young Adrienne, her visions are nothing but fun stories and insights into the lives of others. However, to most everyone else, Adrienne's visions cause distress and they believe her to be troubled, much like her late grandmother was.  Adrienne's Aunt Marie, a domineering and manipulative force in the family is especially unsettled by Adrienne's stories of her visions and does not want any more rumors about her family flying around their small French town.  As Adrienne grows, the two people in her life who provided security with her gift are taken away from her.  Aunt Marie believes she has the perfect solution to the her family's issues with Adrienne; she will bring Adrienne to her home in Colorado, the newly built Miramont Castle, to live with her cousin, the Father Julien Morier.  Once Adrienne arrives at Miramont, however, she realizes that there are no limits to her Aunt's meddling ways.

This book was not at all what I expected, but I was still on the edge of my seat the entire way through.  First of all, this is not a story of a haunted house, but rather about how the life of a person might cause them to haunt a house.  Adrienne's story is tragic and there is no happy ending here, even though at points the story seems similar to a fairy tale with an evil aunt, a  locked away gifted girl and the hopes of prince charming coming to the rescue.  This is a story the grows with suspense and has many little mysteries, from Adrienne's first visions there is a growing feeling that something just isn't right. The writing does a beautiful job adding to the foreboding atmosphere, there is a lyrical prose and abundant detail to set the scene and create the unease of the characters surrounding Adrienne.  Most interesting to me was that the story included many true details from the actual building of Miramont Castle and the actual mysteries surrounding the building intrigued me even more.  Overall, Miramont's Ghost is an emotional, tense and unsuspected read for someone not looking for a happy ending.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author: 
Elizabeth Hall spent most of her life in the mountains of Colorado, working as a teacher, writer, and radio show host. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes and plays with fiber.

About the Book: 
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Plume
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 320
Genre: Historical Fiction



A mesmerizing tale of art and passion in Belle Époque France.

As a woman, aspiring sculptor Camille Claudel has plenty of critics, especially her ultra-traditional mother. But when Auguste Rodin makes Camille his apprentice—and his muse—their passion inspires groundbreaking works. Yet, Camille’s success is overshadowed by her lover’s rising star, and her obsessions cross the line into madness.

Rodin’s Lover brings to life the volatile love affair between one of the era’s greatest artists and a woman entwined in a tragic dilemma she cannot escape.

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Review:  

Camille Claudel aspires to be an artist, a profession in which women did not often practice in 1890's France.  With a disapproving mother, but supportive father, the family moves to Paris so Camille can attend an art school which will accept women under the advice of sculptor Alfred Boucher, who sees a great talent in Camille.  With schooling, Camille's talent flourishes but she also becomes obsessed with her work.  When her tutor, Alfred Boucher must leave, he asks Auguste Rodin to take over instruction for Camille.  At this point, Camille's work becomes inspirational, but a love affair with Rodin causes her to lose her grip with reality. 

I wasn't quite sure that I would enjoy the subject matter of this book, but I liked the time period that Rodin's Lover was set in and I enjoyed Becoming Josephine, so I gave it a try.  I ended up loving it.  I was completely captured by Camille's character.  She is a little wild and fiercely independent, she does not care at all for the standards of women at her time.  At first, she just seems like a woman born into the wrong time period.  As Camille begins to become absorbed in her artwork and she begins an affair with Rodin, we see a gradual dissent into illness.  There is a created tension of what Camille believes and what is actually happening that adds a layer of suspense.  In addition to just learning about Camille's life, I was also thrown into Belle Epoque Paris as Camille and Rodin visit different Salons and encounter other artists of the time. Most of all, after reading this book I appreciated learning about Camille's life and was inspired to look at more of her artwork.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author
Heather Webb grew up a military brat and naturally became obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before turning to full time novel writing and freelance editing. Her debut, BECOMING JOSEPHINE, released January 2014 from Plume/Penguin. Her forthcoming novel, RODIN’S LOVER, will release in winter of 2015.

When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world.

For more information, please visit Heather’s website. She loves to chitchat on Twitter with new reader friends or writers (@msheatherwebb), on Facebook, or via her blog. Stop on by!

About the Book: 
Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison 
(Secrets of Itlantis #1) 
Publication date: February 2nd 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…

Review: 
Aemi has spent her life as a slave in the Village of the Rocks.  She has grown up hearing stories of the dangerous People of the Sea.  Lately, the Old Man who she works for has been muttering that the People of the Sea have been watching them; everyone thinks that the Old Man is crazy, until the People of the Sea rise out of the water to burn the town and take prisoners.  Aemi is taken along with the Mayor's son, Nol, her village rival.  Aemi and Nol are taken to an impressive city under the sea and made to be indentured servants to a wealthy family.  Aemi, however only has one thing on her mind- escape, and she might just have to work with Nol to do it.  When war erupts under the sea, Aemi discovers something that changes her perspective and that might hold the key for peace in the underwater cities.

 
A fun and fast-paced young adult read that is set in a beautifully created and interesting world.  Aemi was also an awesome character, though she is a slave, she is confident, strong, and smart.  She has made friends and knows how to throw a spear.  The city under the sea is very well described, the world building was very imaginative; I could picture the gardens, the rooms with the ocean sky-views and even the ships.  Although, I did wish a little more was explained as to why the People of the Sea were down there in the first place and how they had all of this advanced technology when the people on land did not.  Anyway, I enjoyed Aemi and Nol's adventures underwater along with the plot twist about Aemi's past near the end.  Also, there is not really a focus on any love story so far and that was nice to see in a YA novel.  Aemi is left with a lot of decisions to make at the end of Sea and Stone and I will check out the rest of the books in the series to see what happens. 
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20456671-of-sea-and-stone

Purchase:
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Stone-Secrets-Itlantis-Book-ebook/dp/B00I7LZV12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417465298&sr=8-1&keywords=Of+Sea+and+Stone+kate
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-sea-and-stone-kate-avery-ellison/1118470817?ean=978149547

About the Author: 
I’ve been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I’m thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I’m not writing, I’m creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.

Author links:
http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.ca/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4863270.Kate_Avery_Ellison
https://www.facebook.com/kateaveryellison
https://twitter.com/katiewriting

About the Book:
Title: Telemachus and Homer

Author: Scott Locke

Genre: YA Fantasy

For every boy who grew up in his father’s shadow and every girl who has been underestimated, there comes a time to look within themselves to see if they have the strength to meet the challenges of the lives.  For Telemachus this time arrives soon after Odysseus returns from his twenty year absence, when Telemachus comes to appreciate that his own life needs to be about more than waiting for his father to guide him.  On the verge of embarking on an adventure, he learns that his community has been threatened and realizes that he does not know how to help.  Swallowing his pride, he recognizes that Homer, a young blind woman is a necessary ally.  Homer, like Telemachus has something to prove, for although she is respected for her knowledge, she feels unfairly defined by her community.  Together, as the people of Ithaca’s last hope, they begin their quest.

About the Author: 

Scott Locke is a graduate of Brown University with a concentration in biology and of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he earned his J.D.  Scott has published many articles on various aspects of intellectual property.  Telemachus and Homer is Scott’s first publication of fiction.

Links: 

Buy the Book: http://www.amazon.com/Telemachus-Homer-Scott-Locke-ebook/dp/B0089XB3WY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416846087&sr=8-1&keywords=Telemachus+and+homer

http://indiereader.com/2014/09/telemachus-homer/

https://www.facebook.com/MANDEMik/posts/200246670102582

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7990125.Scott_Locke

http://www.mythforum.com/threads/telemachus-and-homer.1395/

http://blog.dreamtheanswer.com/tag/telemachus-and-homer/

http://blog.dreamtheanswer.com/2014/04/underestimated-and-living-in-a-shadow/

Review:

After the Trojan War Telemachus waits everyday for the return of his father, Odysseus.  Telemachus spends two decades of his childhood waiting, slowly growing into a man who only wishes that his father was there while he was growing up.  Homer was born blind, but she has not wasted any of her childhood with idleness.  She has soaked up any knowledge useful to her and has become proficient in math, science, history, geography and medicine.  Homer has befriended Telemachus as he keeps vigil for his father at the coast.  Telemachus acts as Homer's eyes, telling her of the sights around her.  Meanwhile, Homer has picked up on Telemachus' moods and the root of his pain.  Also befriending Telemachus are a chrompath and a timekeeper, two mythical creatures.  When Odysseus returns home a hero to the town of Ithaca, Telemachus finds out that the father that has been absent for twenty years is not what he expected.  The Trojan people have also not forgotten Odysseus and the horse that destroyed their people.  The Trojans enact revenge on Odysseus that sends Telemachus and Homer on a adventure of their own. 


Based on Greek mythology, Telemachus and Homer features action, adventure and fantasy. I was most impressed by the characters and the relationships that they found with one another.  Although Homer is blind, she is fiercely independent, logic driven and the voice of reason. Homer has the ability to find the best course of action and to believe in Telemachus.  Telemachus lacks confidence and believes that he lacks strength, with Homer's guidance and belief in their friendship, Telemachus is able to become as much of a hero as his father.  I also had a soft spot for the mythical creatures, Amaryllis the chrompath, a winged creature with a hippopotamus face with the ability to heal and Manos, a grumpy Timekeeper with the body of a hairy turtle.  Together they added a fantasy feeling as well as some comic relief.  The adventure aspect of the story is also well done, sending Telemachus on a quest to save his father that he was about to run away from.  The settings were also interesting, Hera's garden and Troy after the war were vividly described and I was able to picture them. A few minor things bothered me with this story, but not enough to ruin it; there were several small editing errors in my copy as well as the fact that it was told from a third person point of view, as many myths are, not allowing me to fully grasp the characters motivations.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.   

Read an Excerpt: 
When he arrived at the house, it was empty. This was no surprise, because everyone was

at the party. Before he began to pack, Telemachus surveyed the house, just as he did the path leading up to it. He slowly walked up and down the halls, which were decorated with paintings and sculptures that depicted his father’s rugged features, chiseled muscles, broad shoulders, and angular face. As he had done so many times in the past, after seeing the dozens of tributes to his father, Telemachus looked at his own reflection in the back of a shield and in a still pool of water. He paused and felt his biceps, as if wishing to make them grow. But after a few moments, he again accepted his small stature, his soft features, and his thin body. In his mother, these features were a source of beauty, but in a young man, like Telemachus, they were a source of insecurity.

Telemachus then methodically packed two bows, thirty-six arrows, two swords, two daggers, a shield, a helmet, his paint box, twelve canvases, his journal, and rations that in addition to any fish that he could catch would hold for two months. If he could not establish himself somewhere and be self-sufficient in that time, then he would return to the world where he was be merely an extension of his father.

When everything was loaded in his wheelbarrow, he sat down to write a note to his parents.

Dear Mom and Dad,

By the time that you read this note, I will be gone. Ithaca holds very little for me, and it is my time to explore the world. I have taken my ship. I am not sure where I will go, but I know that a journey is in my destiny.

I would have told you in person, but I know that you would have tried to stop me. I love you and will send word when I arrive at my destination.

Always your son, Telemachus

He sealed the letter with his family crest and affixed it to the door.

About the Author: 
Hazel Gaynor is an author and freelance writer in Ireland and the U.K. and was the recipient of the Cecil Day Lewis Award for Emerging Writers in 2012. Originally from North Yorkshire, England, she now lives in Ireland with her husband, two young children, and an accident-prone cat.

Find out more about Hazel at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Book: 
From the author of the USA Today bestseller The Girl Who Came Home comes an unforgettable historical novel that tells the story of two long-lost sisters—orphaned flower sellers—and a young woman who is transformed by their experiences

“For little sister. . . . I will never stop looking for you.”

1876. Among the filth and depravity of Covent Garden’s flower markets, orphaned Irish sisters Flora and Rosie Flynn sell posies of violets and watercress to survive. It is a pitiful existence, made bearable only by each other’s presence. When they become separated, the decision of a desperate woman sets their lives on very different paths.

1912. Twenty-one-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London to become assistant housemother at one of Mr. Shaw’s Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the homes have cared for London’s orphaned and crippled flower girls, getting them off the streets. For Tilly, the appointment is a fresh start, a chance to leave her troubled past behind.

Soon after she arrives at the home, Tilly finds a notebook belonging to Flora Flynn. Hidden between the pages she finds dried flowers and a heartbreaking tale of loss and separation as Flora’s entries reveal how she never stopped looking for her lost sister. Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie—but the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.



Purchase Links

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Review: 

Tilly Harper takes a job as a housemother at the Training Home for Watercress and Flower Girls in London.  Tilly leaves behind her mother and paralyzed sister in hopes of forgetting the tragedies that she caused in her past.  Immersed in her work with the girls of Violet House, Tilly forms bonds with the orphaned and disabled girls who create beautiful silk flowers at the Shaw's factory.  While at the Violet House Tilly finds a small box with a diary that belonged to one of the previous housemother's, Florrie.  As Tilly reads the journal, she finds an intriguing mystery of Florrie and her lost little sister, Rosie.  Florrie and Rosie grew up as flower girls on the streets of London, Florrie had a crutch from a childhood illness and Rosie was partially blind.  When the girl's mother died, Florrie vowed to protect her little sister and held her hand wherever they went.  One day the sisters were separated, Florrie was found by Mr. Shaw and placed in the Training Home. Florrie never stopped looking for her lost little sister.  Now, Tilly wants to try to solve the mystery and find the lost little sister while repairing her relationship with her own sister.

A heartwarming tale set in Victorian and Edwardian England tells the stories of two sets of sisters trying to find one another. I enjoyed learning about the homes that were created for the many orphaned and crippled girls that lived on the streets at the time, Hazel Gaynor based the Violet House off of the real work of John Groom and his Mission for Flower and Watercress Girls.  The book is written back and forth through time, intertwining the stories of each sister, building the mystery of what happened and allowing the pieces of how their stories fit together to fall into place. I fell for the stories of both sets of sisters that were created.  Florrie and Rosie's story was heartbreaking and endearing.  While Tilly and her sister Esther remain distant for reasons of their own.  I was emotionally invested with each of them and was excited to see how everything came together in the end.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.