Author: ramblingmads

I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
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Blog Tour: The Bookshop Ladies – Faith Hogan

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Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out. She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Kian, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.

As Joy gets drawn into the dramas of everyday life in the town, she finds it more and more difficult to confess why she really came, let alone find the truth about the painting she brought with her. When she does finally summon up the courage, it sets the cat amongst the pigeons in the close-knit, friendly community she has come to love.

My thoughts: Faith Hogan’s books are always little delights and this one, set as it is in a bookshop, is exactly that. I love books about bookshops and bookshop people, and the people of the Ballycove bookshop are a family of treasures.

I would quite like an Uncle Albie of my own, complete with pet giant tortoise called Dolly Parton. I have always wanted a tortoise and a kindly great-uncle who listens and offers good advice would be lovely (sadly I’ve run out of those).

Robyn is luckier than she realises when she accidentally railroads a visiting American called Joy into helping out in her newly acquired bookshop. Joy is actually there to find Robyn, though it takes her quite a while, and a lot of tears, to get around to telling her why.

Joy’s late husband’s last words and a bequest in his will are all she has to go on as she travels from their home in Paris to Ballycove, and the bookshop, with a painting under her arm. Once there she meets the delightful Albie, charming coffee shop owner Shane and grumpy baker Leo (Albie’s son), as well as Robyn and her mother Fern, an artist. 

As the women work together to get the bookshop ready for it’s relaunch (and Dolly snoozes under the stairs), they bond, but the revelation about who Joy really is will smash their new relationship apart.

A joyful celebration of books, bookshops, family, and finding your place in the world at any age. Just lovely.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: A Crown Forged in Blood – Poppy L. Roberts

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How gorgeous is this cover?! Make sure you add A Crown Forged in Blood by Poppy L. Roberts to your TBR!

Front

A Crown Forged in Blood (The Forged Queendom #1)

Expected Publication Date: December 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

A dark, spicy, morally gray story with strong women, dying magic and unexpected villains.

🗡️Emotional scars
🗡️Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🗡️Grumpy x Grumpy
🗡️Redemption
🗡️Forced Proximity
🗡️Fated Mates
🗡️Shadow Mommy
🗡️Morally Gray MCs
🗡️Perilous Quests
🗡️Bisexual FMC

The land is dying.

Magic is withering.

Death lies within the void.

Lithia has been a general for a century, but no battle could prepare her for the chaos that has befallen her world, nor has it given her time to adjust to being High Queen of Suviel. A day after becoming queen, reports flood in that a curse has seized the heart of Suviel leaving a void of magic slowly making its way across the land. As the land and the fae upon it watch their magic begin to wither, Lithia’s magic is the only hope to bring life back to the heart of Suviel.

Unfortunately, they have to be able to find the heart to save it.

Calcas is angry. His friends are dead, and the one who killed them is sitting on a throne. He’s spent a decade running from his anger, fighting, hiding, and clawing his way out of his grief. Now here he is, helping a queen he loathes, fighting for a land he wants no part of, to save his family.

They will have to navigate treacherous alliances and dangerous terrain to find the heart of Suviel. But, as they draw closer, they realize that the cost may be higher than they ever imagined. Sacrifice everything or succumb to the darkness that threatens to consume them all.

CW:

  • Main Character Death
  • Animal Death
  • Death of a Loved One
  • Violence
  • Explicit Sexual Content
  • Drugs
  • Non-Con (not graphic)

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About the Author

Poppy Roberts has always been a passionate lover of stories and has finally decided it was time to tell one of her own.

As a child she always enjoyed playing pretend, inventing stories, and immersing herself in imaginary worlds. Now, as an adult, she still gets excited about fairy rings, magical creatures, and discovering entirely new worlds. Her mother encouraged her love of reading at a young age, and Poppy’s search for that magical feeling has only grown stronger over time.

POPPY L. ROBERTS

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Blog Tour: Hera – Jennifer Saint

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Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helped her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father so that they could rule the world. But, as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as their father was, and she begins to question her role at his side. She was born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time? Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself, or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Traditionally portrayed as a jealous wife, a wicked stepmother, and a victim-blaming instrument of the patriarchy, Hera is ripe for a retelling that shows her as a powerful queen–ruthless when she needs to be, but also compassionate, strategic, and ambitious. With Hera, beloved and bestselling author Jennifer Saint delivers another epic and enthralling reimagining of a Greek heroine we only thought we knew.

Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. She is the #1 internationally bestselling author of Hera, Atalanta, Elektra, and Ariadne.

My thoughts: Hera is an interesting choice after Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta. Zeus’ sister/wife, not often seen very positively, driven to wreck terrible revenge on the women Zeus rapes (let’s face it, that’s what he does, it isn’t consensual 99% of the time) and the children he abandons. 

I can’t think of a positive myth of Hera, she isn’t in many of the best known stories, and ones like that of Herakles (named after her in an attempt to please her) she’s all Vengeance and Wrath. 

Goddess of women, marriage and sometimes childbirth (although her daughter Eileithyia actually is), represented by peacocks – which always seem more Zeus like in their look at me fanciness, especially as peahens are very plain.

I did find her a bit more sympathetic here, sometimes. Because she is vengeful and full of rage, bitter and constantly trying to bring Zeus down. But she is also a victim of his cruelty, her children never really seem to love her, the monsters she favours go off to serve or hide elsewhere, even her sisters don’t really bother with her. She seems very alone on Olympus.

Despite being Zeus’ partner in bringing down the Titans, seated at his right in the hall of Olympus, he doesn’t give her a domain of her own or a particular place to belong. She becomes the reluctant goddess of wives and marriage – and reluctantly a wife. Her anger and spite is born of resentment and perhaps if she’d been given more to do she wouldn’t have so much time on her hands.

I couldn’t decide whether I liked her or not – she wasn’t very likeable, spiky and disdainful, but I didn’t dislike her. This version of Hera seemed less black and white than the more commonly portrayed version I know from mythology. Jennifer Saint does this very well, her books are always very enjoyable, even when the protagonists do questionable things. Her Ariadne and Elektra – neither all good or all bad are certainly like this (Atalanta is more a straightforward hero).

I am really into these modern day re-evaluations of mythic figures – and Jennifer is one of the best at this, they feel like real women, even if they live in worlds peopled with gods and monsters.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: One Little Nightmare/One Saccharine Dream – Dawn Darling

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OneLittleNightmare copy

We are thrilled to be working with Dawn Darling and her Of Gods and Monsters series. Check out what our readers are saying about One Little Nightmare and One Saccharine Dream!

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One Little Nightmare (Of Gods and Monsters Book 1)

Publication Date: October 2023

Genre: Dark Romance/ Dark Romantic Fantasy/ Greek Mythology

A paranoid schizophrenic with a dark passenger lurking in the shadows.
A broken Siren who would give anything to end her curse.
A mystery girl with the traumas of her past written on her body.

A Beautiful Nightmare

Brooks wakes in an insane asylum with a broken wristwatch and no memories. He spends colorless days ignoring beautiful hallucinations and adrenaline-inducing nights fighting the monsters inside, but they’re only the beginning. After a mystery girl shrouded in secrets and painted with scars appears in the asylum, Brooks wakes from a vivid nightmare to discover that not all is as it seems. As plague looms and patients disappear, Brooks works against the clock to uncover the shattered pieces of his past, but what he finds may mean the downfall of Olympus.

A Sinister Dream

Damned to a glass prison, Xia has never known a life of freedom. The Gods of Olympia covet her Siren song and when she’s not dancing for them, she’s feeding The Lord of Nightmares her soul. Solace is found only with the man she meets in her dreams, but he doesn’t even think she’s real. Pity, because Brooks is the only one who can save her.

Pandora’s Box has been opened and an evil moves in the asylum that even the gods cannot contain.

For fans of Scarlett St. Claire, Raven Kennedy, and Amber V. Nicole, this gripping tale of ruthless gods and ancient power will satisfy all of your darkest desires. If you love romantic fantasy with a touch of poison, characters coming into their own, and an MMC who would watch the world fall to save her, this tragic tale of longing and destruction is for you.

This is a dark romantic fantasy intended for mature audiences. If you like the ruthless side of the Greek Gods, this series is for you. Please check the author’s website for CW’s.

Content Warnings:

  • graphic violence on the page
  • sexual abuse (not on the page and left up to reader interpretation. Never explicitly stated)
  • Suicide/sacrifice
  • Forced birth and kidnapping
  • Mentions of self harm
  • Mental illness including schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations, and stalking
  • Graphic sexual content
  • Murder
  • Torture and archaic asylum treatments
  • Explicit language

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

813nDRmMb0L._SY522_

One Saccharine Dream (Of Gods and Monsters Book 2)

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Genre: Dark Romance/ Dark Romantic Fantasy/ Greek Mythology

“I am the Father of Darkness, the Void Between the Stars, Creator of your Gods, and the Eater of Souls. I am Chaos, the Deathless God, and I will find you.”

Still reeling from his trauma in the Asylum, Brooks is hell-bent on saving the Siren who holds his heart. Fighting the Deathless God lurking under his skin is only part of the battle, though. When Brooks discovers the great cycle of chaos has been broken, he’s left near powerless and out of control.

After a deadly battle in Club Hel with the Lord of Nightmares, Xia realizes he’s no longer the most dangerous monster in the room. She must find a way to balance who she was with who she is becoming, but the path to righteousness is most often paid in blood and her Siren is ravenous for a taste.

Defiance was not obedience, and good girls were obedient.

Raised to be the perfect bride, Persephone lived a life of seclusion and proprietary under the watchful eye of her mother. After a string of handsome strangers claim more interest in her soul than her beauty, the Goddess of Spring finds the cost of disobedience is more than she can afford to pay.

When a scrappy thief with more secrets than truths proves to be the missing link between salvation and damnation, will they wake from a nightmare only to be caught in a saccharine dream?

This is a dark romantic fantasy intended for mature audiences. If you like the ruthless side of the Greek Gods, this series is for you. Please check the author’s website for CW’s and proceed with caution. You’ve been warned, Darling. Welcome to the Freakshow.

Content Warnings

  • Graphic Violence
  • Graphic Language
  • Grahpic sex
  • Murder
  • Torture of an mc
  • Drowning
  • Non-con
  • Narcissism
  • Mentions of suicide
  • Religious sacrfices
  • Starvation
  • Manipulative sex
  • Trauma
  • PTSD
  • Gaslighting
  • Capture

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

About the Author

“Wow! Dawn Darling? Are you a detective? Superhero? Burlesque star?!”
Erm, the answer is no. I am a super socially awkward weirdo who never wanted her small town to know what thoughts and characters lived in her head. (Spoiler alert, that cat was out of the bag when I stood in front of my classmates sophomore year and read an excerpt of New Moon for a project).

I’m a bipolar mom of two who is a professional at disassociating and building wild fantasies in my head while I do it. I say way too many curse words and start every day with six shots of blonde espresso over ice without fail. Don’t worry, I have ADHD too, so the caffeine makes me normal, not crazy eyed.

I grew up in a small town who encouraged women to become a nurse or a teacher and, while those are valiant careers full of men and women stronger than I’ll ever be, I was quick to say fuck that. When I was pushed to use my degree in creative writing to work at the local newspaper, can you guess what I said then? If your answer was fuck that, you were right.
I write adult fantasy/paranormal romance with dark themes (always check the TWs) and characters with as many personalities as me.

I live in the USA and my dream home state is Washington, but my husband refuses to move there because he says he’s afraid I’ll find a coven of vampires and run away with them. He’s probably right. So, I’ll settle for Alaska where the sun can only touch me for 6 months out of the year and I’ll have all the snow my heart could desire.

Dawn Darling

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Blog Tour: Ghosts of the British Museum – Noah Angell

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When artist and writer Noah Angell first heard murmurs of ghostly sightings at the British Museum he had to find out more. What started as a trickle soon became a deluge as staff old and new – from overnight security to respected curators – brought him testimonies of their supernatural encounters.

It became clear that the source of the disturbances was related to the Museum’s contents – unquiet objects, holy plunder, and restless human remains protesting their enforced stay within the colonial collection’s cabinets and deep underground vaults. According to those who have worked there, the institution is heaving with profound spectral disorder.

Ghosts of the British Museum fuses storytelling, folklore and history, digs deep into our imperial past and unmasks the world’s oldest national museum as a site of ongoing conflict, where restless objects are held against their will.

It now appears that the objects are fighting back.

My thoughts: this was a really interesting, thought provoking read. I have been many times to the British Museum, it’s collections often coinciding with something I was studying at school – Egyptians, Romans, Greeks. I can remember my sister, aged 5, being absolutely captivated by a pair of huge vases on the stairs, she could probably have fitted in one, and being deeply unnerved by the Egyptian mummies on display.

The main thing haunting the museum it seems are not just those who died in its buildings (there seem to be a very large number of suicides by staff over the years – someone should probably look into that) or the ones attached to the various artifacts, but colonialism.

I was genuinely horrified by some of the things Noah learnt in his meetings with museum employees past and present. The most infamous stories I knew – the theft of the Parthenon marbles by Lord Elgin, the Benin Bronzes the museum just won’t return (give them back already!) But there were so many truly awful stories, of theft, murder and outrageous behaviour. Some of the items are never intended to be displayed – so why does the museum have them?

The number of people who told Noah they’d had creepy experiences around specific items had Mike Wachowski from Monsters Inc singing “put that thing back where it came from…” in my head while I was reading. Cursed objects are cursed for a reason, do not mess with them.

I don’t really believe in ghosts, but I do agree that things can hold onto strange energies. The house I grew up in apparently came with a presence – according to my mum – it’s an old building and she felt the previous owner was a bit worried about how we would treat her home. It sounds a bit woo woo, but the otherwise fairly sensible people who had these interactions in the museum (and my mum, a nurse with a scientific brain) suggest there might be something to it. I was much more sceptical of the psychics and mediums Noah took into the museum – if you’re predisposed to “see” things, funny enough you often do.

I am very much of the return things to their homeland, put the thousands of human remains back where they came from school. We can use replicas, photos, video links to the museums in the items homelands (how much more stunning would the Parthenon look in the Athenian sunlight, finally reunited?) and the internet to study these incredible items, in context, surrounded by their home, instead of in cold and sterile rooms in Bloomsbury. And the British Museum could have a go at being an actual museum of Britain – I really enjoyed the exhibition they did a few years ago on my ancestors, the Celts. It might be nice to have a museum of Britain, though no human remains please, leave the dead to their rest.

Noah’s book is very timely, and made me quite sad to think of so many precious and important things being left to time in Storage, never displayed,yet not returned home to their people and their place, forgotten and neglected. It’s an important and powerful read and I hope more people pick it up and realise that perhaps these artifacts don’t belong there, but to the descendants of the people who created them.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Cure for Magic – Talia Greer

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ACureforMagic copy

We’re celebrating the release of A Cure for Magic this week! Make sure you get your copy on May 28th!

ebook (1) (1)

A Cure for Magic (The Ardor Magic Cycle Book 1)

Publication Date: May 28, 2024

Genre: NA Fantasy Romance

💜 A Messy Bisexual Princess
👑 Black Royals
📕 Dark Academia
🔥Elemental Magic
💖 OT3/Throuple
🔮 Magic Training
🏕️ Only One Tent
🙊 Hidden Identity

Marika Cyran is destined to rule, if she survives her own power first.

When rebels attack the royal compound, Marika learns the true price of her family’s legacy. The same deadly magic her ancestors outlawed now runs in her veins, and her royal blood paints a target on her back.

Desperate to learn her powers before they destroy her, she takes shelter at Nella University, hiding her true identity. But it’s not quite the sanctuary she’s hoping for. Argent, the roommate she’s paired with, is a prickly woman who seems to despise her. The same rebels who want her family dead flourish here under the guise of a student society, and their most popular member, Harland, seems a little too interested in her dangerous power…and Marika herself.

When a spark ignites between all three of them, it complicates Marika’s quest for control. To stay is to spit upon her family’s memory. To leave is to forfeit her once chance to corral the unruly magic. And to do nothing is to risk being consumed by the very forces she seeks to understand.

A Cure for Magic is the first book in a New Adult romantic fantasy trilogy featuring dark elemental magic, hidden royals, and a medium-heat romance that is secondary to the plot. Perfect for fans of dark academia and the Netflix adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow & Bone.

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Blog Tour: The Crystalline Crucible – Adam Rowan

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If you love action, adventure, and treasure hunting, you’re going to want to read The Cystalline Crucible by Adam Rowan!

The Crystalline Crucible

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: New Adult/ Action Adventure

Maxwell Jacobs, a neurodivergent 21-year-old with a passion for knights, Tetris and cheese sandwiches, harbours an audacious dream-to become the greatest treasure hunter in England. His chance comes with The Crystalline Crucible, a treasure-hunting contest promising untold wealth and answers to the world’s biggest secrets. However, Max’s mission gets off to a rocky start when he’s arrested for breaking into a museum in search of a clue. His fear of leaving his hometown, Stapleford, his cynical best friend, Rosie Shaw, and his clumsy, awkward nature only serve to complicate things further. Overall, his prospects seem dim. That is, until Max crosses paths with Khalil Ahmed, a former criminal seeking redemption and quick cash. Despite their differences, their shared desperation draws them into The Crystalline Crucible. Together, they’ll decipher cryptic clues and embark on an epic nationwide adventure, with high stakes and a singular goal: to find treasure!

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Cover Reveal: Minor Works of Melda – Juliette Caruso

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We’re excited to share the beautiful cover for Juliette Caruso’s upcoming romantic fantasy called Minor Works of Melda!

Minor_Works_of_Meda

Minor Works of Melda

Expected Publication Date: July 15, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance

  • Rivals to Lovers
  • Found family
  • One Bed
  • Grumpy Half-Fae MMC

She’d be the most gifted witch in centuries, if she had an ounce of power in her veins.

With weak magic and no social graces, Meda’s dreams of becoming a great witch are impossible. It doesn’t matter how much harder she works than her rival, Kalcedon: she’ll never win. The heartless half-faerie has so much magic that just being near him makes her blood sing.

When an ancient Ward-spell falters, a wave of devastation crashes across the islands of the Protectorate. If the spell fails for good, they’ll be at the mercy of the cruelest fae lord their world has ever seen. But if Meda can translate the ancient spell fast enough to understand who is destroying it, and how, she won’t just save the isles. She’ll finally prove her worth.

Meda’s sharp mind isn’t enough to win against an unknown enemy. She’ll also need Kalcedon’s endless well of power. And as they travel the Protectorate’s islands, navigating grief and racing against time, she begins to see a new side to the half-fae. Behind his cruel words, there may be a battered heart more human than Meda dares admit… and a man who will do anything to keep her safe.

…Even if it costs the whole world.

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Blog Tour: A Farewell to Imperial Istanbul – Ayşe Osmanoğlu

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Set against the majestic backdrop of Imperial Istanbul in the aftermath of the First World War, A Farewell To Imperial Istanbul is a captivating tale of family, duty and the resilience of the human spirit.

İstanbul, 1922: As the Ottoman Empire crumbles in the wake of the Great War, the fate of the Imperial capital and the House of Osman come under threat. Emboldened following their victory in the Turkish War of Independence, the Turkish Nationalist Government in Ankara abolishes the
Ottoman Sultanate, marking the end of over six centuries of Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Caliphate endures for now, but Istanbul, stripped of its Imperial mantle, mourns its lost glory. Prince Nihad fears for the nation and the fate of the Imperial family, while his son, Prince Vâsıb, envisions a hopeful future defined by peace following the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne.

As the new Republic of Türkiye emerges from the ashes of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire, Istanbul and the Ottoman Dynasty confront the crossroads of history, their destinies entwined with the shifting tides of the Bosphorus. Yet, amidst these perilous currents that separate East and West, where the deep waters threaten to engulf the city’s Imperial past and sweep away its soul embodied by the Imperial family, the Ottoman Dynasty must navigate a new and uncertain course.

The history of the Turks and their vast and powerful Empire has been intertwined with the Ottoman Dynasty for over six hundred years. But can the Imperial family survive the tempest of change as the world enters a new era?

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Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu is a member of the Ottoman Imperial family, being descended from Sultan Murad V through her grandfather, and from Sultan Mehmed V (Mehmed Reşad) through her grandmother. After reading History and Politics at the University of Exeter, she obtained an M.A. in Turkish Studies from SOAS, University of London, where she specialised in Ottoman History. Her debut novel, The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus was published in 2020.
Ayşe Osmanoğlu lives between Türkiye, France and the United Kingdom with her husband, five children and two cats. Her research and literary works concentrate on the late Ottoman period, exploring narratives embedded in her imperial heritage.

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My thoughts: I enjoyed the author’s previous book, The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus, and was looking forward to reading this book. I wasn’t disappointed.

It conjures up a vanished world of Imperial splendour, with the Princes and Princesses of the Ottoman Empire in their finery, riding to parties in fine carriages and early motor cars. Their lives in the 1920s might be very different from their ancestors – power having passed to the government as opposed to direct rule, but they still remain the upper echelon of society.

As the tides of change flow along the Bosphorus, they sweep all before them. Beginning with the last Sultan’s journey into exile with his young son, it ends with the train ride that takes dozens of the Imperial family away, many for the final time, from their beloved homeland.

While the story could have been just a list of dry facts leading to exile, the author, a descendant of the Imperial family, infuses the events with personal recollections from her grandparents and their family, bringing the events to life.

I’m not an ardent monarchist, but the way the Osman family were treated seemed particularly heavy handed, stripping them of their titles, houses, and even their citizenship – a very cruel and unnecessary extreme, many of the family were never able to return because of this and are buried far from their homeland.

Some were presumably left rather impoverished, as they didn’t have hidden wealth, relying on the State to provide a stipend. From grand palaces, they were sent across Europe and Asia, to lives of uncertainty and loneliness.

The book was moving and sensitively written, obviously as this is the writer’s family, there is some bias, but overall it felt quite balanced, there was a sense of the facts being delivered and no animosity towards the Turkish government.

I don’t know a huge amount of Turkish history, despite having friends and colleagues whose families come from the country, so this was fascinating and deeply interesting. The world of interwar Türkiye is so far removed from the modern country, and probably from many memories that this provides an incredible look into a time and place that has long since passed.

Giveaway To Win an A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul prize bundle… (Open to UK Only) a Rafflecopter giveaway

The list of prizes is below:
 Paperback signed copy of A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul
 Scented Candle from the Imperial İstanbul Collection – Scent: Harem Garden (Jasmine, Rose
& Orange Blossom)
 Black matchsticks
 Traditional Rose Turkish Delight
 A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul postcard
 Set of four A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul bookmarks

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

**Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by
Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway
organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.**

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Cover Reveal: Tomb of the Sun King – Jacquelyn Benson

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Respectable lady scholars shouldn’t be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts.
Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains.
Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems.
Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is
about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet
best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts to hand… or a recipe for disaster.
Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the
necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history.
To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops—even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and solving one of Egypt’s greatest mysteries.
Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series!

Jacquelyn Benson writes smart historical fantasy where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.
She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.
When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.