Livi Michael

For review on my blog:

https://mybookreiews.blogspot.com/p/city-of-dogs-book-reviwe-003.html

Norse mythology and dogs, two of my favorite things in one book. Can this get any better?

The City of dogs start out slow and once all the dogs are interduce everything takes off. Like I say in another review, I rather have the backstories done early on then in the middle of action.

Each dog has its own personalities and act naturally like dogs. There good humor and a great story about each dog overcoming their fears.

Plus, Jenny is a Jack Russel Terror a dog I use to have. It may not mean anything but, I tear up when Sam found her.

It mentions a few times that Vikings wear helmets with horns. At the time I was mad, but people
do make mistakes or don't do more research.
The blend of Greek and Norse mythology was interesting although not well done in balancing it out. The twist with the mistletoe dart puts a new spin on the ragnarok myth.

Character 4/5


Plot 4/5


Writing 3/5- The writing lack in flow and felt dry at times.


1 for Jenny being a Jack Russel (there awesome)

.5 for a unique story

Total 12.5/20= 3.5*stars*… (meer)

The Wars of the Roses is rich in drama with a range of historical figures, gruesome battles, and mysterious deaths. I've read several novels set during this period, but this might be one of the more ambitious fictional depictions of the era. The author aims to incorporate many of the different historical figures, Margaret of Anjou and Margaret Beaufort are the most prominently featured, but others like Cecily Neville, Richard Duke of York, Suffolk, and Alice Chaucer also have their own sections. An interesting novel and I look forward to continuing this series.… (meer)

I freely admit that I am a book -judger-by-its-cover kind of reader. Sometimes I get a dud, but most often I get what I got from this book — a true little gem of a story.We first meet Joe and Annie as they struggle to escape the tortuous servitude they suffer under Old Bert and The Mistress. The children manage to get away and literally bump into Travis, a man of the Road, who saves them from certain death. Travis introduces our two young heroes to life on the Road, teaching them to hear through their feet, find food, and stay safe on the dangerous byways of England in the grip of the Industrial Revolution. Eventually, the pair find their way to a traveling show where Annie’s ability to commune with the dead lands her in the spotlight. Joe, jealous of Annie’s “talent” and of the attention she gets from the show crowd, hoofs it into Manchester, the blackest of the black industrial towns. There he hooks up with a gang called the Little Angels and begins a life right out of Oliver Twist. After much drama, Joe finds his way back to Annie, who desperately needs him. The two find each other and find a home. Happily. Ever. After.

Despite the tremendous number of plot twists and turns, I completely enjoyed this story. It presents an unusual look at the life of children during the Industrial Revolution, a point in history before the concept of “childhood” was known. The heart-rending choices made by parents who could no longer care for their children are presented in a way that will make any parent cringe. Although there are a few instances where I think the editing could be better — for instance, I somehow doubt that a 19th century English child would have “freaked out” — I had a fine time reading this one and would recommend it for ages 10 and up.… (meer)

The battle between York and Lancaster is well trodden material for readers of historical fiction. Ms. Michael’s book purports to be about the two Margarets in the middle of the fray; Margaret of Anjou – Henry VI’s wife and Margaret Beaufort – mother to the eventual Henry VII. I would put the book at 3/4 Margaret of Anjou for in reality when writing about events taking place up just the crowning of Edward IV, Henry VII is hardly in play. Her manner of telling her story is somewhat unique from other books I have read in the period – she writes (for the most part) in very short chapters that use dialog and bits of additional information to expound on the chronicles of the day. The only exception really is the one long section detailing Margaret Beaufort’s move and marriage to Edmond Tudor.

This manner of storytelling leads to a somewhat choppy experience for the reader. It took a bit to figure out exactly what the author was doing. I also think the fact that I was rather familiar with the time period helped me in reading the book. It’s not that the author wrote it poorly it’s just a very confusing time period and this book is just not very in depth. It just skims the surface of what is a multi decade time period. It will certainly give a reader new to the War of the Roses a taste of the conflict and certainly either a desire to delve further into it or it will confuse them. It will depend on just how interested that person is in the history of England.

I was also a little disappointed in the book given the title, that it did not focus more on the women. I realize that history leaves far less in the written record about women – even those that were remarkable for their time – but given that the book was purported to be about these two most remarkable women it did not offer me as a reader that much about them but more about the men in their lives. I suppose that is the way it will always be.

Overall this was an interesting take on the reign of Henry VI but I really didn’t learn anything new. I did enjoy reading all of the quotes from the chroniclers of the time. The writing style is easy to read and the section on Margaret Beaufort was the more interesting part of the book for me.… (meer)