Book Tour Review: Enchantress by Maggie Anton

Title: Enchantress
Author: Maggie Anton
Genre: historical fiction
Series: Rav Hisda's Daughter #2
Pages: 376
Published: September 2 2014
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Rating: 3/5

Fantastic tales of demons and the Evil Eye, magical incantations, and powerful attractions abound in Enchantress, a novel that weaves together Talmudic lore, ancient Jewish magic, and a timeless love story set in fourth-century Babylonia.  

One of the most powerful practitioners of these mysterious arts is Rav Hisda’s daughter, whose innate awareness allows her to possess the skills men lack. With her husband, Rava--whose arcane knowledge of the secret Torah enables him to create a "man” out of earth and to resurrect another rabbi from death--the two brave an evil sorceress, Ashmedai the Demon King, and even the Angel of Death in their quest to safeguard their people, even while putting their romance at risk.

The author of the acclaimed Rashi’s Daughters series and the award-winning Rav Hisda’s Daughter: Apprentice has conjured literary magic in the land where "abracadabra” originated.  Based on five years of research and populated with characters from the Talmud, Enchantress brings a pivotal era of Jewish and Christian history to life from the perspective of a courageous and passionate woman. 

Maggie Anton's latest novel Enchantress is a deeply detailed and researched story that neatly ties reimagined history with well-crafted and pious characters. It's also the second novel in the Rav Hisda's daughter series, with the first book, Apprentice, dealing with the earlier years of main character Hisdadukh's life. It can read rather slowly, but this more religiously-inclined novel was memorable and different. The narration is direct and dry, but Anton's storytelling is effective and natural for Dodi's perspective.

I was interested in both the characters and the magical realism of the story for Enchantress, but entering into the series midway made it hard to fully understand either. Starting with the second novel is theoretically possible, but not recommended due to the sheer detail and background the reader will miss out on. There's an entire book of Rava and Hisdadukh and Rami's personal lives (voiced in her thoughts) that I don't know enough about to fully appreciate here in the second novel.

I liked this novel but couldn't personally connect with enough of the story's aspects to love it. I wasn't the hugest fan of the way the climax of the novel, but thought the ending was handled well and authentically. I was interested especially in learning more about the lore of the magic for the witches, but never felt fully shown. For me, it was a mixed bag with Enchantress, but it was interesting to read about a different era and people and from a distinct and original POV.

Discussion: How do you find time to read?

The biggest question I get asked as a book blogger is, "how do you find time to read so much?", and its sister question, "so, you read like all the time, right?"

You caught us. We have time turners.

The funny thing is, I really don't. I work 50-60 hours a week, so my biggest hobby is vegging in front of reality tv. I'm a multitasker, but I have a lot of hobbies that I try to make time for. I play video games, (puzzle games, Guacamelee, and Sims 4 right now,) I do logic puzzles, I craft, I bake. And yes, I read.

I do set aside half an hour a day, usually after dinner or before bed, but my real "secret" is my e-reader. I'm quick, though not as quick as my coblogger, (2000 pages in a week, what the hell, Jess?) and I can usually read a couple pages in line at the store or on my commute to work. Those little 5-10 minute sessions add up. For the fun of it, I noted my reading for a week, to show how I find time. (I work 10:30 am - 7 pm. Subtract 2 hours from all times to pretend I'm a normal adult who doesn't go to bed at 2 am.)

Sunday:

2:13 - 2:19 - 4 pages of The Way of Kings on the drive home from brunch.

4:09 - 5:20 - 19 pages of TWoK while working from home.

6:35 - 7:00 - 92 pages of The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul before dinner.

8:52 - 9:08 - 4 pages of TWoK 

12:45 - 1:10 - 18 pages of TWoK before bed.

1:12 - 1:31 - 11 pages of The Secret Garden

Total: 162 minutes - 148 pages


Monday:

10:27- 10:35 - 1 page TWoK on the drive to work

7:15-8:00 - 3 pages of TWoK

12:20 - 12:33 - 8 pages The Secret Garden

Total: 66 minutes - 12 pages (It was not a good day.)


Tuesday:

9:30 - 10:30 - 164 pages of The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul after dinner.

12:50 - 12:58 - 5 pages of The Secret Garden 

1:05 -2:14 - 54 pages of TWoK before bed.

Total: 137 minutes - 223 pages


Wednesday:

12:41 - 1:30 - 14 pages of Lark Ascending while reports ran

2:34 - 2:50 - 10 pages of LA while printer was down

5:46 - 5:50 - 3 pages of LA while reports ran

9:09 - 9:45 - 23 pages of LA

1:11 - 2:08 - 43 pages of TWoK before bed
Total: 162 minutes - 93 pages


Thursday:

10:15-10:25 - 6 pages of TWoK on the drive to work.

3:40 - 4:00 - 17 pages of TWoK on lunch break

8:54 - 9:06 - 7 pages of TWoK waiting for Project Runway to come on/Google to update.

12:50 - 1:05 - 9 pages of The Secret Garden

1:11 - 1:46 - 25 pages of TWoK before bed.

Total: 92 minutes - 64 pages


Friday:

9:02 - 9:13 - 6 pages of TWoK on the drive to work.

10:07-10:12 - 2 pages of TWoK during unexpected computer restart

1:50 - 2:05 - 12 pages of TWoK on lunch.

6:26 - 6:28 - 1 page of TWoK while a report loaded

8:06 - 8:17 - 6 pages of TWoK on the drive home

11: 59 - 12:17 - 2 pages of TWoK during ANTM

12:30 - 12:45 - 9 pages of The Secret Garden

12:49 - 1:17 - 23 pages of TWoK before bed.

Total: 104 minutes - 63 pages


Saturday:

10:28 - 10:50 - 11 pages of TWoK on the drive to the spa.

10:53- 10:56 - 1 page of TWoK in the waiting room.

12:19 - 12:30 - 7 pages of TWoK on the drive to work.

3:46 - 4:00 - 9 pages of TWoK on the drive home.

9:06 - 9:08 - 1 page of TWoK trying to teach the cat a lesson.

12:53 - 1:15 - 14 pages of The Secret Garden

1:23 - 2:57 - 75 pages of TWoK when I should have been sleeping.

Total: 168 minutes - 118 pages


So, between my daily commute and 30-60 minutes before bed, I squeeze an average of 2 hours of reading into a day. In the grand scheme of things, that's a pittance. And yet, even with an awful Monday, I'm averaging 103 pages a day. The secret for me is to always be ready to read. Printer down? Four pages! Cat's being an asshole? One page! Do I really need eight hours sleep? FIFTY PAGES!

What about you? Do you rigidly schedule your reading time? Take the bus an extra stop to fit in a few more pages? Forgo sleep to torture yourself in fantasy worlds? Tell us in the comments!

Danielle's September Reads and Book Hauls

Oh September. You are not the book blogger's favorite month. I, luckily, only had five September ARCs, compared to some of my friends who had a score, but by the time I got through all my "required" books, I hit a pretty major slump. The good news is, I found a book to pull me right back out! The bad news? It's The Way of the Kings and I didn't finish its 1,005 pages, so I only have seven books on my read list this month.

In other, better news, I was featured over at Beauty and the Bookshelf's Be Our Tattooed Guest, showing off my Ray Bradbury ink.

Read:

The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn - 4 Stars (Review)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman - 5 Stars
Firebug by Lish McBride - 3.5 Stars (Review)
Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander - 1 Star (Review)
Jingo by Terry Pratchett - 4 Stars
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas - 4 Stars
The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul by Grant Morrison - 5 Stars


As for books bought, I had two hauls. Early in the month I bought What If?, The Girl With All the Gifts, and The Secret Garden at B&N.

Toothless is just for Meg.

I also had a super fun date with my husband to my favorite ice cream shop and used book store, where I picked up a new copy of Alloy of Law, An Offer From a Gentleman, Ten Things I Love About You, Naked Heat, and a collection of Poirot novels. I also bought Where She Went after I finished and LOVED If I Stay.

Wouldn't you know, the ice cream shop is next to the comic store?!

On the ARC front, I was approved for five that I'm super hyped for. Keep an eye out for reviews in the coming months! Princess of Thorns has been on my radar since last fall, so I'm over the moon.

Not pictured:  I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One on TV by Maz Jobrani

That'll do me for this month, what did you read?

Planned Reads for October

I love autumn. I love the smell, the feel, the weather. It's my second favorie time -- after winter itself.  October is always a fun one because of the weather and Halloween. I don't do much myself but I enjoy seeing every else's costumes -- especially when they go for the nerdy or YA side of the costume spectrum.

I have some truly awesome books coming up as we get closer and closer to the end of the year. For historical fiction fans... pay close attention to...

Pompeii was a lively resort flourishing in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius at the height of the Roman Empire. When Vesuvius erupted in an explosion of flame and ash, the entire town would be destroyed. Some of its citizens died in the chaos, some escaped the mountain's wrath . . . and these are their stories:

A boy loses his innocence in Pompeii's flourishing streets.
An heiress dreads her wedding day, not knowing it will be swallowed by fire.
An ex-legionary stakes his entire future on a gladiator bout destined never to be finished.
A crippled senator welcomes death, until a tomboy on horseback comes to his rescue.
A young mother faces an impossible choice for her unborn child as the ash falls.
A priestess and a whore seek redemption and resurrection as the town is buried.

Six authors bring to life overlapping stories of patricians and slaves, warriors and politicians, villains and heroes who cross each others' path during Pompeii's fiery end. But who will escape, and who will be buried for eternity?

A Day of Fire by various authors
This anthology boasts some of my favorite authors all working together to tell the story of Pompeii the day Vesuvius erupted. What about that does not sound awesome? When you add in Sophie Perinot and Kate Quinn and Stephanie Dray and others? It's an instant buy. Luciky for me, I was asked to be apart of the tour and plan to dive in as soon as this post is done being written.

We also have Great Imaginations Blogger Trick or Treat stopping by later in this month. There's a fun giveaway connected with so be sure not to miss that!

Wrap Up for September

Dani

Reviews Posted:
Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan (Brothers Sinister #4.5)
Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper
Two Minute Review: The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan (Brothers Sinister #4)
The Wonder by Colleen Oakes (Queen of Hearts #2)
Series Review: The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn
Firebug by Lish McBride (Firebug #1)
DNF Review: Love and Other Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

This series has excellent covers. Plus! It's a (kinda/sorta) retelling of The Aeneid! #books #bookstagram #francescaliablock

A photo posted by Jessie Hall Wallace (@jypsyhowl) on Aug 18, 2014 at 5:16pm PDT

Jessie:


Reviews Posted:
The Island of Excess Love by Francesca Lia Block (Love in the Time of Global Warming #2)
Book Tour: Madame Picasso by Anne Girard
Book Tour: Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift (Highway Trilogy #1)
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

The Jewel by Amy Ewing (The Lone City #1)

DNF Review: Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Title: Love and Other Unknown Variables
Author: Shannon Lee Alexander

Genre: contemporary, romance
Series: Standalone
Pages: 350
Published: Expected October 7, 2014
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 1 out of 5

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

Reviewed by Danielle. 
“I meant how long until you die?

And there we go, after 163 pages of Charlie Hanson being one of the worst people in young adult history, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rarely do I have the “pleasure” of experiencing a character who is such an unmitigated ass, but C-Man takes the lead right out of the gate by conducting “experiments” of touching girls without their permission and acting confused when they respond negatively. He’s just never going to get the hang of women. :(

Chuck is a theoretical mathematics genius at an exclusive private school for the sciences. He’s been planning on attending MIT since he was 9 and he won’t let anything stand in his way of becoming valedictorian, being accepted to his dream school, catching the eye of a great mathematician who will take him under his wing until Charlie wins his first Nobel Prize. And yet, while we’re told all of this, the only schooling we ever see is Charlie purposely sabotaging his English class, because books and literature are for plebeians. Wouldn’t such a driven and ambitious character try his best in every class to ensure his place as the top student?

The school has a reputation for poor English grades and driving off any teacher foolish enough to try and teach it to them. This year, the poor lamb lead to slaughter is Ms. Finch, an unorthodox young woman who reads the class novels, just for the fun of it, and takes them outside to view the world in a different way. O Captain! My Captain! Sorry, wrong piece of media. Despite trying to engage with the students on a mathematical level, Chuck’s BFF, James, launches a full scale bullying attack on her, which Charlie, reluctantly at first, supports and escalates.

It’s not just his teacher Charlie bullies. He’s rude to his friends, to the point where it’s an ongoing “joke” that he never apologizes. He admits that he doesn’t remember he has a sister unless she’s right in front of him. He runs over Mrs. Dunwitty’s flower garden and is forced to do yard work for her to make up for it. He’s openly hostile and refers to her as Mrs. Dimwit, because…? (He does HAVE parents, unlike James and the Love Interest, but they’re in perhaps two scenes, so I have no idea how he treats them. We have a serious case of missing adults in this book.) This isn’t “genius with no social skills”; this is full on asshole.

The love interest is Charlotte, an enigmatic and moody young woman with hope tattooed on her neck and feathers drawn on her shoes and fingertips smudged with charcoal, who just so happens to be the English teacher’s sister. Charlie is obsessed with her from the second he sees the back of her neck. I have no idea how Charlotte feels; she doesn’t get a point of view.

Not every love interest who changes a character’s life is a manic pixie dream girl, but Charlotte is. She spends all of her time at Charlie’s house, ostensibly because she’s lab partners with his sister, but really to teach him the joy of old musicals, abstract art, and taking risks. I chose to DNF when her secret was revealed, because it’s extremely derivative of another MPDG romance by a certain “savior of young adult” that just became a movie. I also found it completely out of place, because the foreshadowing suggested she was mentally ill, possibly suicidal, not dying of cancer.

I hate this book too much to try to finish it. I’m completely baffled at who the audience for a book about hating books is supposed to be, and how I can possibly root for, or fall in love with, this main character. Again, I did stop just shy of the halfway point and you may find the end redeems the beginning, but I don’t recommend trying it to find out.

Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Genre: young adult, dystopia
Series: The Lone City #1
Pages: 358
Published: September 2014
Source: Book Expo America
Rating: 2/5

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

I knew early on that The Jewel and I were not going to be bookish best friends. But we were cruising along to a comfortable acquaintance -- the kind where I would smile companionably if I were to see The Jewel walking down the street --  when the instalove romance hit. That's when I knew that all The Jewel and I would be to one another was ambivalent and disappointed. In the span of a few pages, the few pages it takes our lovers to meet, The Jewel went from aggressively adequate to le boring. 

There are a few interesting things happening in the book before it derails into Instalove Central. The city's severe stratification -- both socially and geographically -- is an intriguing setup for the characters to operate within. The rules governing the society itself can be confusing until it's almost too late to care, but this dystopia can sometimes feel like the successor of The Handmaid's Tale it calls itself. The general feel of some characters can feel... very familiar (Cinna, is that you? Prim, what are you doing here?) but Ewing fashions main character Violet into more than she first appears. 

The things that work against the book are glaring and annoying. The names of the characters -- Ochre. Garnet. Carnelian. Ametrine. -- are silly, verging on ridiculous. I can't take a character named Ochre to be anything more than words on a page; he never felt real, like many of his compatriots. It doesn't help that Violet is really the only fleshed out character, but these other ludicrously-named people only serve to jerk me out of whatever worldbuilding Ewing was trying to create.

However silly the names or non-dimensional the side characters, it really is the romance that wrecked my read of The Jewel. It is boring to read two people "fall in love at first sight." Not only is it not believable, it just kills the story. Love is more than attraction and availabilty. You never get the sense that Violet and Ash represent more to one another than a chance to make a choice. They don't know each other, not really, and thus makes it impossible for me to care about them as a pair. I did not ship it because this ship is nothing more than a hollowed-out, weak hull. It sinks, it doesn't swim (mixed my metaphors BUT YOU GET THE POINT.)

I don't know if I will pursue this series. I was interested in Lucinna's machinations and the Duchess's mysterious motivations, but I need more from the principal character than love for her sister and longing for a man she barely knows. The interesting world and society can only take you so far into a book. The cliffhanger is evil and ends on a terrible point so I may be not be immune to trying the second book. Just know that The Jewel takes cues far more from The Selection than The Handmaid's Tale.