Exciting coming of age historical Viking fiction

When The Viking Gael by J.T.T. Ryder opens, the protagonist, a teen by the name of Asgeir, lives on the family farm in Norway with his mom, aunt and older brother, Odd. His father is a famed Viking warrior but missing. The last known whereabouts of his father reported him serving as a Huskarl of the King of Lothlend, but he’s been gone long enough, that his family isn’t sure if he is alive. 

About the Book: The Viking Gael

Quiet life on the farm is shattered when Ulf the Old visits and claims a debt owed by Asgeir's father. His older brother, Odd, steps up to challenge Ulf in a duel and loses his life. Ulf claims Asgeir’s father’s sword, Gael Kisser, and Asgeir is conscripted to serve as a deckhand upon Ulf’s ship to pay off the debt. As he does, he imagines the day he will once again hold his father’s sword, as thoughts of revenge percolate in his heart. Not thoughts of murder, but to kill Ulf in an honorable way.

 

BookHookup Book Review: The Viking Gael: An immersive and exciting historical Viking adventure (The Viking Gael Saga Book 1)

I enjoy historical fiction, and The Viking Gael is a quick read that delivers a unique coming-of-age adventure that plunges the reader back in time to the Viking age with superb world building details. It is well-written, fast paced, and portrays interesting elements about the lifestyle of Viking warriors, their customs, and weapons.

The protagonist is a teenage Viking lad forced to sail as a deckhand for the man who killed his brother. Now he must serve to pay off his father’s debt. It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I familiarized myself with the historically correct Viking jargon and culture but it didn’t take long for me to be rooting for Asegir to survive, fall in love, and find his way home while living the Viking way of life.

I recommend this exciting Viking novel to those who enjoy Viking history, historical fiction, and coming-of-age sagas. Battle scenes are a little gruesome, but not overly so and in my opinion might be labeled PG13 if it were a movie. I do think the story could be fleshed out a little more, but the plot makes sense and the story moves along at a steady pace. While this is the first book in the series, the story does standalone but opens the door for the journey to continue in book 2. I’m happy to give The Viking Gael 4 stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Black Coffee Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About Author J.T.T. Ryder 

Joseph Thomas Thor Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods. 

https://oldworldheroism.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oldworldheroism/

https://twitter.com/JTTRyder

 

 

 

 

Emotionally charged heart-wrenching story

Montpelier Tomorrow is an emotionally charged, heart-wrenching story that grabs you like a riptide and drags you along through the everyday life of Colleen Gallagher, a mom in her mid-50s who was widowed in her 20s as she was expecting her third child. As the story opens, she is working toward retirement. But life takes a turn when she visits her adult daughter, Sandy when her second baby is due. That’s when Colleen learns that her son-in-law, Tony, has been diagnosed with ALS. None of them really understands the impact of what this will mean to their future, but it doesn’t take long for the fatal disease to start to steal Tony’s abilities to function. 

About the Book Montpelier Tomorrow

Author Marylee MacDonald does an excellent job not only capturing the details of juggling Colleen’s role as a mom, grandma, and Mrs. fix-it around the house, as well as donning the hat as the cook, but also follows her into her new role as the caregiver of her son-in-law who is not easy to get along with. She captures the raw emotions that rock their everyday world where all the usual chores, repairs, diaper changing, childcare, etc. still clamber for attention, but Tony’s care takes on first place. Feeding him a single meal takes hours, showering him requires a feat of strength, just getting him out of the house to transport him is a challenge. Colleen meets each challenge while her daughter continues to work to keep their medical insurance. Amid it all, MacDonald captures the raw emotional roller coaster of negative emotions like hopelessness, depression, feelings of alienation, and the loss of control as she steps away from her job as a kindergarten teacher for a semester. Problems sleeping exacerbate the situation as the family faces the heartbreaking truth that ALS will take Tony’s life. 

Book Review: Montpelier Tomorrow

While this is not a happily-ever-after read, it is an emotionally engaging read, filled with flawed characters, and it reminds you that even a mother’s love can’t fix everything. The inclusion of small sensory details places the reader right there, seeing everything that’s happening, hearing the sounds, and smelling the aromas, scents, and odors of her environment. I loved MacDonald’s writing style and I recommend this book to people who enjoy Women's Literary Fiction that touches the heart, those who have been affected by ALS, and for caregivers currently caring for someone suffering from a devastating disease. I’m happy to give this book 5 stars. 

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received The Hired Hand as a free review copy from BookTasters and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

About Author Marylee MacDonald

Marylee MacDonald grew up in Redwood City, California, married her high school sweetheart, and worked as a carpenter in California and Illinois. When she's not writing, she's hiking in the red rocks of Sedona, walking on a California beach, or plucking snails from her tomatoes.

Her short stories have won the Jeanne Leiby Chapbook Award, the Barry Hannah Prize, the Ron Rash Award, the Matt Clark Prize, and the American Literary Review Fiction Award. Her short story collection, BONDS OF LOVE AND BLOOD, was a Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB Finalist, and her novel, MONTPELIER TOMORROW, was a Gold Medal winnerhttps://maryleemacdonald.com in the Readers' Favorites annual book awards. Her most recent short story collection, BODY LANGUAGE, contains stories about the resilience of the human spirit. To help writers who haven't been able to find an agent, she wrote THE BIG BOOK OF SMALL PRESSES AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS.

She currently splits her time between Tempe, Arizona, where her husband is a professor, and Santa Rosa, California, where she tries to stay out of the way of fires.

Find out more at: https://maryleemacdonald.com

Closed door romance charged with tender passion

Set in mid-eighteenth-century England, The Heir and the Enchantress by Paullett Golden, (The Enchantresses Book 5) delivers a romance that woos seventeen-year-old Hazel Trethow and twenty-year-old Harold Hobbs into a relationship neither wants. While this romance novel is part of a series, it is a complete story and can be read without reading the previous books. My only regret is that I haven’t read the first four books. 

 

About the Book: The Heir and the Enchantress

As the story opens, Hazel has her mind set on marrying for love rather than getting trapped in an arranged marriage with the man she was betrothed to as a child. She fancies herself a matchmaker and puts a scheme in place to find a love match for herself and her best friend, Agnus. The consequences are disastrous and she finds herself trapped in a scandal that will ruin them both.

Harold Hobbs, her betrothed, is busy trying to save his family from ruin due to his father’s poor choices. He has no intention of marrying Hazel but before he makes the announcement to his father, he meets her. The encounter surprises them both as attraction sparks a change of mind. But then the scandal erupts and in a very clever plot twist they end up married. I’ll say no more because I don’t want to spoil this multi-layered plot that pits the young couple against the manipulation of their controlling fathers. The author throws a very interesting, non-conventional Nana into the mix that adds humor and much more.

@donnasundblad Book Hookup Review The Heir and the Enchantress #bookhookup #bookreview #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #cleanromancebooks #cleanromancebooktok ♬ original sound - Donna Sundblad

Book Review: The Heir and the Enchantress

The Heir and the Enchantress is emotionally satisfying and delivers an optimistic ending. The unpredictable plot is rife with secrets, obstacles, and family challenges. The complex characters' strengths and weaknesses make the drama believable. As for the romance, Golden embraces a closed-door approach charged with tender passion. Her tasteful portrayal of desire made me melt. I think people who enjoyed the Carla Kelly's Regency Romances Series will find The Heir and the Enchantress to their liking. I loved every aspect of this book and am happy to give it 5 stars. I recommend it to people who enjoy historical romance, closed-door romance, and regency romance.

Other books in this series include:

The Earl and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses Book 1)

The Duke and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses Book 2)

The Baron and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses Book 3)

The Colonel and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses Book 4)

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author: Paullett Golden

Celebrated for her complex characters, realistic conflicts, and sensual portrayal of love, Paullett Golden writes historical romance for intellectuals. Her novels, set primarily in Georgian England, challenge the genre's norm by starring characters loved for their flaws, imperfections, and idiosyncrasies. Her plots explore human psyche, mental and physical trauma, and personal convictions. Her stories show love overcoming adversity. Whatever our self-doubts, love will out. 

 

 

Fast paced action for Middle Schoolers complete with monsters, evil witch, and a magical land

The Lucky Diamond by Valinora Troy is book 1 in a Middle Grade magical fantasy quest series. It delivers fast paced, unpredictable action, complete with monsters, an evil witch, and the stunning, magical land of Nivram wrought with danger. 

 

About The Lucky Diamond

The story centers around five orphaned children who eke out an existence, surviving in hiding from the authorities in Lowdar. Outside the gates of Lowdar is the threat of the Great Forest, where monsters lurk, ready to kill. The oldest of the orphans is Yvonne, who does her best to keep her younger siblings, Susan, Vicky, Cathy and Alan, safe. Each child cherishes a gift left to them by their parents, except for Alan, who not only lost his gift but can’t recall what it is.

The Lucky Diamond opens as dusk settles on Lowdar. Cathy’s twin brother plays a game with the other boys in the street. The last through the gate is a colonel from the Nivram National Army. The bell tolls, and the gate clangs shut, signaling that curfew is about to start. Cathy worries as she waits for her sister, Vicky. The authorities take her brother into custody with threats of being thrown into the Great Forest.

This day changes the lives of all five siblings when Cathy finds a three-inch diamond on the way home. But it is no ordinary diamond. It’s a shape-changing species who introduces itself as Princess of the Ancient Order of Diamonds—Lucky.

The children escape Lowdar to return Lucky to her home. Along the way they meet challenges at every turn, and the adventure becomes one of self-discovery for each of them. During the journey, the five children are unaccompanied by adults, meet magical creatures, and learn valuable lessons. But the story is totally different.In many ways, this story has a Chroniclesof Narnia feel but also reminds me of the Hogwart's at times. 

@donnasundblad Book Review The Lucky Diamonds #luckydiamond, #books #booktok #bookworm #booksforkids #bookrecommendations #bookreview ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

Book Review: The Lucky Diamond

The Lucky Diamond is a fast paced imaginative read and a perfect choice for Middle School readers who enjoy fantasy with plenty of action. Though I must give parents a heads up that the story is charming, but does have some scary characters, so if you have a child troubled by monsters, they might not be ready for this book. I also recommend this entertaining read to older readers who appreciate magical fantasy like Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia. I had one unresolved question, but I’m about to start reading Revenge of Queen Rose (The Lucky Diamond series book 2), and hope to have it answered there. While the world building depicted a believable world, I thought the plot felt rushed at times and could be more developed. However, with that said, the story flowed well, never stalled, and held my interest. I am starting book 2 and looking forward to it.

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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and received a free review copy of this book in collaboration with Blackberry Book Tours. I have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 

About Author Valinora Troy

Valinora Troy has been writing since she could read, if not earlier. Her first book, started at the age of six, featured a girl finding a magic diamond. It took her all summer to write the first few pages. Since then, she has written many stories, both short and full length novels. THE LUCKY DIAMOND, her first full length middle grade children's fantasy, was published November 2021.