Tag: historical fiction

A city burning. A revolution raging. A woman on the run.

Nadezhda has never wanted to be a witch. But the occult is in her blood. Her mother, Militza, conjured Rasputin and introduced him into the Romanov court, releasing the devil himself. 

Now he is dead, but Militza still dreams of him – stalking her sleep and haunting her waking hours. As Petrograd burns and the Russian Empire crumbles, Nadezhda escapes through the capital, concealing a book of generational magic. But as danger grows closer, she may be forced to embrace her heritage to save what she loves most…

Based on a true story, The Witch’s Daughter is an epic tale of women rising from the ashes of an empire, perfect for fans of Elodie Harper’s The Wolf Den and Madeline Miller’s Circe.

Imogen Edwards-Jones studied Russian at Bristol University. Her first book, The Taming of Eagles, was about the first 100 days of the collapse of communism. A writer and journalist, she has travelled extensively within the old Soviet Union, studying in Kyiv. She is the author of twenty books including the best-selling Babylon series. Married with two children, Imogen lives in London. She is also a member of the London College of Psychic Studies and an honorary Cossack. Her latest novel, The Witch’s Daughter, is the sequel to The Witches of St Petersburg.

My thoughts: I was really excited to read this book, I am a huge Russian history nerd and have been to St Petersburg some years ago, and even been to the palace that features in the opening of this book, where Rasputin was killed. It’s very creepy, our tour guide was a descendant of the Prince who organised the murder. And behind a door on the way out is a terrifying waxwork figure of the monk himself. I think she kept it there to traumatise visitors. It worked!

This is the sequel to The Witches of St Petersburg, but you can read it as a standalone if you haven’t read the first book (but I also recommend it). Opening with the dramatic death of the monk many blamed for the Romanovs’ downfall (he was poisoned, shot and drowned) is very dramatic, winter on the river Nev, beautiful and deadly.

It’s 1916, the First World War is consuming millions of young men from across Europe, including Russia, unrest is gathering as the serfs finally have enough of their aristocratic masters, the boyars and princes of the Russian Empire, there have been poor harvests, people are starving but the Imperial Family continue to throw parties and enjoy life.

As the wartime years gather pace, so do the Bolsheviks, including Vladimir Lenin, and the tide turns against the Romanov dynasty. It can be hard to feel sorry for them but when you read about the deaths, torture and imprisonment, including children, you do, all their wealth and privilege did not stop them being horrifically murdered (the deaths of the Tsar and Tsarina’s siblings, burnt alive in a mine shaft are particularly gruesome and cruel).

I have been to Peter and Paul Fortress where the Romanovs were interred after their bodies were recovered from Ekaterinberg, they lie under huge marble blocks in an austere and silent chapel, far more fitting than the holes they were thrown into by the furious soldiers.

The family members that survived, rescued from house arrest in Crimea, by the British navy, are the ones this story focuses on, the Dowager Empress never truly believing her son the Tsar, and his family had been murdered. Terrified and traumatised the extended remaining royals stayed in their summer homes, guarded by soldiers, surrounded by their enemies, the chef is something of a hero, valiantly scrounging up meals from potatoes and a few bits and pieces in the kitchen, providing a feast from almost nothing.

Militza and Stana are survivors, but the life their children are living is tough and frightening, Nadezhda loses her first love to war, and almost loses her second to the revolution. Struggling to survive in Yalta, she finally embraces the gifts of her mother’s line, the witchcraft she has long denied.

There is tragedy and heartbreak aplenty as the Russian Revolution takes grip, it’s something when the German army are seen as heroes, arriving to relieve the house arrest of the family and negotiate their eventual release.

This was a fascinating read, seeing the Revolution from a very different angle, not that of the Bolsheviks or the Soviets but from the perspective of the extended Romanov family, those that survived the horrific deaths of so many.

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

A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.

In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter, Olivia, have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.

When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbours and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times

Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them.

My thoughts: I’m not really a fan of books set during WWII for various reasons, but I really enjoyed this one, particularly the look at the lives of ordinary women and the Boots’ Booklovers’ Library.

Set in Nottingham, where Boots is still headquartered, Emma joins the staff of Boots’ Booklovers’ Library, founded by Mrs Boots after her husband’s family business became more than just a local chemist. Subscribers paid a yearly fee and could take out a book at a time. It no longer exists but it fascinates me as a student of literary history. 

Emma finds friendship and solace in her role advising subscribers on their next reading choice, and even a little romance with a handsome fireman! It also helps her when her daughter is evacuated to the countryside as Nottingham comes under fire from German bombers.

The relationship between Emma and her beloved daughter, Olivia, is at the heart of the book, a widow, herself raised by her widowed father, Emma tries to be the best parent she can, but learns to accept help and support from her kind and generous hearted neighbours so she can work and care for Olivia.

There was some humour and joy amidst the bombs and fear, mostly in the form of Emma’s colleagues and their customers, who all have their own quirks. All of them united by a love of reading, finding an escape from the horror surrounding 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.

‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’

The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle.

To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local constable that she is his reclusive wife of ten years, Luna. He carries her back to the neglected and crumbling Ravenswood
Hall, promising if she agrees to maintain this charade, he will keep her safe until her injuries have healed.

But the house is haunted by shadows and secrets. What’s more, the real Luna Greybourne is missing, without trace. Scratches and marks made by her around the house suggest witchcraft; and indeed
Luna is known locally as the Ravenswood Witch; her reputation in tatters, like the wallpapers of the padlocked rooms she’d destroyed.

As strange happenings in the house continue, outside the screech of a raven echoes across oppressive woods that seem alive with dark magic. And the woman who is now pretending to be Luna can’t help but fear she’s escaped the noose for a far more terrible fate…

A completely compelling and unforgettable historical bookclub read – fans of Jane Eyre, Weyward and The Binding will be utterly spellbound.

Purchase

Jenni Keer is the well-reviewed author of historical romances, often with a mystery at their heart.
Most recently published by Headline and shortlisted for the 2023 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year.

Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletter
Bookbub

My thoughts: I’m not sure pretending to be a complete stranger’s wife and then not just fleeing, but actually going on with the pretence is the best plan in the world, especially when you start to learn that his missing wife is seen as a witch and feared by the locals.

Set at a time when mental illness was even less well understood than it is now, Luna Greybourne is clearly a very unwell and unhappy woman. Her husband, Marcus, has tried to help her to no avail and things have gotten so bad most of the servants have fled and the local community regards him with distrust.

Posing as his wife might help this young woman hide from her current troubles but it could just as well backfire and see her arrested for something else. They may not be hanging witches anymore (England did not burn them at the stake, that was for heretics) but even in the 19th Century, there was superstition and plenty of asylums filled with “mad women”.

The house has seen some terrible things, the rooms need repairs and redecoration, the furniture is battered and the whole place is heavy with neglect. Marcus requests that “Luna” oversee the restoration of his home while she recuperates. The rather peculiar servants, a married couple who appear to hate each other, will assist.

I loved Luna’s little feathered friend, ravens are highly intelligent, as he demonstrates and remember their friends, use tools and can even learn to talk. But his presence adds to the rumours that she’s a witch and responsible for various things that happen. All of which means more scrutiny, not less. Especially when Marcus’ aunt comes for a visit.

Women had very few rights and there wasn’t much justice at this time  – you could be locked away or even executed without much evidence, and I can sort of understand wanting to be someone else till the furore dies down, but “Luna” puts herself into more danger by having to trust others not to tell, and she can’t seem to follow a simple instruction – stay out of the woods and away from the healer man.

This gets quite dark and turns into something of a supernatural thriller as events build to a head, we learn about both the original Luna and her replacement, the fate of our heroine’s supposed victim and delve into the politics at play in this small place. Clever, gripping and fascinating.

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