"In my dreams, I saw a city fall into the sea. I heard the cries of thousands. I saw flames that outshone the lamps of heaven. And all the world was shaken . . ." --Anne Rice, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis
At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe.
It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent--and of how and why, and in what manner and with what far-reaching purpose, this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean.
And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit".
Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard
"Two women on either side of the Silver and Red divide tell the stories no one else knows.
Discover the truth of Norta’s bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1 New York Times bestseller Red Queen.
Queen Song ~ Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.
Steel Scars ~ Diana Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation—Mare Barrow.
Plus a Glass Sword sneak peek!An exclusive excerpt of the hotly anticipated second book in the Red Queen series, Glass Sword, transports readers to the world of Silver tyranny, a Red dawn rising, and one girl’s resolve to break down the system that will hold her back no longer".
Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis
Release date: November 29th 2016
Series: Vampire Chronicles (Book 12) Hardcover: 496 pages ISBN-10: 3038535790 ISBN-13: 978-0385353793
"From Anne Rice, conjurer of the beloved best sellers Interview with the Vampire and Prince Lestat, an ambitious and exhilarating new novel of utopian vision and power, uniting the ancient worlds and the legends of the Vampire Chronicles.
"In my dreams, I saw a city fall into the sea. I heard the cries of thousands. I saw flames that outshone the lamps of heaven. And all the world was shaken . . ." --Anne Rice, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis
At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe.
It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent--and of how and why, and in what manner and with what far-reaching purpose, this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean.
And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit".
Hello out there historical fiction junkies! I did my post a little bit different this year and kept up with what I did last year for my top reads of the year. I made a video for you all and I hope that you all enjoy watching me in action. This year I picked out 5 of my favorites and not all of them are historical fiction there is a pretty good mix up of genre's. For more information on the novels I picked for my favorite 2015 reads be sure and scroll below for full descriptions and links to amazon.
In order of appearance:
An Heiress at Heart by Jennifer Delamere
"A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she's finally returning home, but she's still living a secret life. Her best friend Ria's dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . .
A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville's world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he's invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother's young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love"?
The Girl on the Golden Coin by Marci Jefferson
"Impoverished and exiled to the French countryside after the overthrow of the English Crown, Frances Stuart survives merely by her blood-relation to the Stuart Royals. But in 1660, the Restoration of the Stuart Monarchy in England returns her family to favor. Frances discards threadbare gowns and moves to gilded Fontainebleau Palace, where she soon catches the Sun King's eye. But Frances is no ordinary court beauty-she has Stuart secrets to keep and her family to protect. King Louis XIV turns vengeful when she rejects his offer to become his Official Mistress. He banishes her to England with orders to seduce King Charles II and secure an alliance.
Armed in pearls and silks, Frances maneuvers the political turbulence of Whitehall Palace, but still can't afford to stir a scandal. Her tactic to inspire King Charles to greatness captivates him. He believes her love can make him a better man, and even chooses Frances to pose as Britannia for England's coins. Frances survives the Great Fire, the Great Plague, and the debauchery of the Restoration Court, yet loses her heart to the very king she must control. The discovery of a dangerous plot will force her to choose between love for herself and war for her beloved country.
Debut author Marci Jefferson's Girl on the Golden Coin brings to life a captivating woman whose beauty, compassion, and intellect impacted a king and a nation".
Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
"From the internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter comes the breathtaking story of Queen Lakshmi—India’s Joan of Arc—who against all odds defied the mighty British invasion to defend her beloved kingdom.
When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge.
Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male and one female—and rides into battle, determined to protect her country and her people. Although her soldiers may not appear at first to be formidable against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi refuses to back down from the empire determined to take away the land she loves.
Told from the unexpected perspective of Sita—Queen Lakshmi’s most favored companion and most trusted soldier in the all-female army—Rebel Queen shines a light on a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction. In the tradition of her bestselling novel, Nefertiti, and through her strong, independent heroines fighting to make their way in a male dominated world, Michelle Moran brings nineteenth-century India to rich, vibrant life".
The Sharp Hook of Love by Sherry Jones
"Among the young women of twelfth-century Paris, Heloise d’Argenteuil stands apart. Extraordinarily educated and quick-witted, she is being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess in the service of God.
But with one encounter, her destiny changes forever. Pierre Abelard, headmaster at the Notre-Dame Cloister School, is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers in France. His controversial reputation only adds to his allure, yet despite the legions of women swooning over his poetry and dashing looks, he is captivated by the brilliant Heloise alone. As their relationship blossoms from a meeting of the minds to a forbidden love affair, both Heloise and Abelard must choose between love, duty, and ambition.
Sherry Jones weaves the lovers’ own words into an evocative account of desire and sacrifice. As intimate as it is erotic, as devastating as it is beautiful, The Sharp Hook of Love is a poignant, tender tribute to one of history’s greatest romances, and to love’s power to transform and endure".
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
"Old vampires, roused from deep slumber in the earth, are doing the bidding of a Voice commanding that they indiscriminately burn their kin in cities across the globe, from Paris to Mumbai, Hong Kong to San Francisco. Left with little time to spare, a host of familiar characters including Louis de Pointe du Lac, Armand, and even the vampire Lestat, must embark on a journey to discover who—or what—is driving this mysterious being".
The vampire Lestat is finally back. This time he has a
purpose he just does not know it yet. Picking up in modern times Lestat is
still the pitiful self-made outcast. Loathing
himself he has refused to intergrade himself back into his vampire family. In
his self-imposed exile Lestat roams the world haunted by the past that he cannot
change. While wandering he does a few miraculous things, first he saves a
little girl named Rose from utter destruction and becomes her uncle “Lestan”. Second
he meets two unique vampires one of very ancient lineage named Seth that is the
human son of the dead queen of the damned Akasha. Seth’s newly made vampire
partner Dr. Fareed is a genius doctor that has quickly become a valuable asset
to the “vampire tribe”. In his medical experiments Fareed has discovered a way
to stop the vampire blood in the body long enough to give Margaret new eyes and
Flavious a new leg. With these medical
break troughs whirling around the vampire community is on the cusp of a new era
not just medically but also socially. The vampire dj Benji has taken notice of
this and on his nightly broadcasts he tells all the vampires that “we are a tribe of one” and every night he
begs Lestat to come home and help the tribe. Lestat refuses to do so but
Benji’s pleas do not go unheard.
The whole vampire community is still recovering in the wake
of the terrible events that Queen Akasha dealt them. At the time no one knew
that when she awoke she also woke up many super ancient vampires that had been
sleeping for centuries and even some millenniums. As they have been coming to
many have found that this mysterious “voice” has been talking to them demanding
the destruction of the young vampires all across the world. Some of the ancient
ones had fallen victim to incessant demands of the Voice nearly driving them to
madness. Lestat has become a great vampire of interest to the Voice and loved
to torment him.The torment of the Voice
had been harassing Lestat for quite some time until the burnings of the young
ones began. That was Benji’s reason in vigilantly calling Lestat home to the
tribe. There is only one way the vampire tribe was going to figure out what
this mysterious Voice wants. They would all have to come together to and use
all of their strength to find out where this voice is coming from. Only then
will they discover its reasons for wanting to destroy the young ones. The Voice must be stopped at all costs before
it kills them all.
5/5 I loved this wonderful addition to the Vampire
Chronicles because it almost brings every single one of the vampire characters
together. The only part of this novel that I did not like was that Anne left
out Tarquin Blackwood and Mona Mayfair.The only reason it upset me that there was no mention of them was
because the last two previous novels in the series were completely devoted to
Lestat’s adventures with Mona and Quinn in New Orleans. I was disappointed
because I felt that if everyone was coming together to be a tribe then that
would include Mona and Quinn. On a really positive note there was a new feature
I really found useful that none of the previous novels had and at the very end
of the novel there is a full character index and an “informal” guide to the
whole series. I found both of these features really helpful in jogging my
memory on the previous novels events and it really helped in keeping track of
all the newly awaken vampires. I would not recommend this novel as a stand-alone
novel because it literally pulls the previous twelve novels together. If you really
want to read this novel with out reading all twelve other novels I would
recommend at least reading “The Queen of the Damned” because then you will at
least get the major points in the back history.
R ~ Rating for sexual references and graphic violence
FTC ~ this novel is from my personal collection. I received
no compensation for this review and it is reflective of my honest opinion of
this novel.
Hey everyone I decided to do my top reads of 2014 a little different this year because my blog has changed a bit lately. As you can see below I made a youtube video for all of you. I hope that you all get the chance to check out my latest video embedded below. I also made a list of the books I picked with links to the synopsis on Goodreads, my review on the novel, and where to buy it on Amazon. I hope you all had a lovely holiday and happy new year, and HAPPY READINGS!
"Prince Lestat by" Anne Rice Released 10.28.2014
"The novel opens with the vampire world in crisis...vampires have been proliferating out of control; burnings have commenced all over the world, huge massacres similar to those carried out by Akasha in The Queen of the Damned... Old vampires, roused from slumber in the earth are doing the bidding of a Voice commanding that they indiscriminately burn vampire-mavericks in cities from Paris and Mumbai to Hong Kong, Kyoto, and San Francisco. As the novel moves from present-day New York and the West Coast to ancient Egypt, fourth century Carthage, 14th-century Rome, the Venice of the Renaissance, the worlds and beings of all the Vampire Chronicles—Louis de Pointe du Lac; the eternally young Armand, whose face is that of a Boticelli angel; Mekare and Maharet, Pandora and Flavius; David Talbot, vampire and ultimate fixer from the secret Talamasca; and Marius, the true Child of the Millennia; along with all the other new seductive, supernatural creatures—come together in this large, luxuriant, fiercely ambitious novel to ultimately rise up and seek out who—or what—the Voice is, and to discover the secret of what it desires and why... And, at the book's center, the seemingly absent, curiously missing hero-wanderer, the dazzling, dangerous rebel-outlaw—the great hope of the Undead, the dazzling Prince Lestat..."
In this last novel of the “New Tales of the Vampires” series
we are introduced to a new vampire Vittorio. Vittorio was a young boy on the
verge of manhood during the 15th century Italy. His family ruled on
high from their mountain top castle in northern Tuscany. His ideal life was
shattered in one tragic night of murder. The family castle was invaded in the dead
of night by what Vittorio would later find out is the ghastly Order of the Ruby
Grail. Every single man woman and child
was murdered except Vittorio. He was the only one spared by the super natural killers.
Vittorio fought valiantly to protect his little brother and sister but could
not stop these freakishly strong killers from their mission of death. Spared by the woman who had helped destroy his
family Vittorio became obsessed with vengeance and finding out more about this
supernatural woman Ursula and the Order of the Ruby Grail.
4/5 I enjoyed a brand new vampire and a new romantic one
too! I wish Anne had written more of this branch of the Vampire Chronicles
because I would read those too. This one was a short, fast paced read and I
enjoyed it. I would recommend this one to historical lovers alike because it
does not really tie into any of the other novels in the series, it defiantly
can be read as a stand-alone novel.
The ancient vampire Pandora has lived for millenniums and
finally tells her tale. Roman by birth during the height of the great Roman
reign, Pandora was an anomaly in the world of men. She was educated,
articulate, strong and not to mention beautiful. You can say she is defiantly
the love of Marius’ life from the moment they met. They had first met as
mortals and Marius had begged Pandora’s father to be allowed to marry her. Her
father told Marius “you are destined to be a roaming historian” and he was
deemed unfit for marriage. Marius and Pandora aka Lydia back then went their
own paths but had never forgotten each other.
In a horrific turn of events Pandora is forced to flee Rome
in fear for her life. Alone she is secreted away to Antioch to start a new
life. With no family or friends to comfort her Pandora grieved terribly for her
loss and ended up turning to the only comfort she could think of, the temple of
Isis. Finding new friends with her goddess Isis she felt compelled to share her
tragedy and the freakish dreams that had been plaguing her ever since she left
Rome. The dreams were disturbing to the temple and they did not know what to
make of them but they knew someone who might be the only person that could help
her to understand them. The “mysterious mind reader” as they called him turned
out to be none other than Pandora’s lost Marius. This was just the beginning of
Marius and Pandora’s love that endured for millenniums. This time around there
was no way Pandora would give Marius up and not with out a fight.
3/5 Not my favorite, it was really short and basically only
gave the beginning of Pandora’s tale. I would not recommend this novel unless
you have read “Blood and Gold” because the two novels really tie in together.
And if you want the whole story you have to read them both.
R~ Rating for sexual references
FTC ~ this novel is part of my personal collection.
The adventures of the southern gentleman turned vampire, Quinn Blackwood and the Brat prince Lestat continue on with Blood Canticle. This time around Lestat could not help himself and he made a new vampire. Mona Mayfair has always been the love of Quinn’s life yet she was dying. The only way to save Mona was to give her the dark gift or say goodbye to her forever, which Quinn could not bear. After Mona was given a new life the deadly trio set out to find out the truth about Mona’s mysteriously missing daughter. Mona’s daughter was a “taltos” which was an alien race that over the years had been born to only the women that were witches. Mona’s family had a dark extensive history with the taltos, which is all covered in the series The Lives of the Mayfair Witches.
Mona’s cousin Rowan was the matriarch of the family and she was also a super genius doctor. At times Rowan had a history of mental instability that all stemmed from her history with the taltos. Mona wanted answers from Rowan about her daughter but Rowan did not really have any clear answers for her, which made the trio all the more determined to find out the fate of Mona’s daughter. Coming together in this novel the Mayfair witches and the vampires contact the only ancient being that Lestat knew would know the truth. The ancient vampire helped locate the daughter and what they find is shocking to say the least.
3/5 Not my favorite, out of all the books in the Vampire Chronicles this one is by far my least favorite. That does not mean I did not enjoy reading because I did enjoy the novel. I think if I had read the whole Lives of the Mayfair Witches series first then this novel would have been much better. I also felt that since I have not read that series that if I had I would have more fully grasped everything that was going on with Mona and Rowan. I would highly recommend reading the Lives of the Mayfair Witches before reading this novel.
X-Rating for sexual references
FTC- I borrowed this book from my local library
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
"An exciting debut: a vivid, richly imagined saga of ancient Rome from a masterful new voice in historical fiction
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.
As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress".
Mistress of the Vatican by Eleanor Herman
"Today's Roman Catholic Church firmly states that women must be excluded from church leadership positions, but they neglect to mention that for over a decade in the seventeenth century a woman unofficially, but openly, ran the Vatican. Now, Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with the Queen, exposes one of the church's deepest secrets, laying bare facts that have been concealed for 350 years.
Beginning in 1644 and for eleven years after, Olimpia Maidalchini, sister-in-law and reputed mistress of the indecisive Pope Innocent X, directed Vatican business, appointed cardinals, negotiated with foreign ambassadors, and helped herself to a heaping portion of the Papal State's treasury. Unlike the ninth century's Pope Joan, whose life is shrouded in mystery, Olimpia's story is documented in thousands of letters, news sheets, and diplomatic dispatches.
Knowing of Pope Innocent's absolute dependence on his sister-in-law, Cardinal Alessandro Bichi angrily declared on the day of Innocent's election, "We have just elected a female pope." Mischievous Romans hung banners in churches calling her Pope Olimpia I. Cardinal Sforza Pallavicino bewailed the "monstrous power of a woman in the Vatican." One contemporary wrote that women might as well become priests, since one of them was already pope.
Born in modest circumstances, Olimpia was almost forced into a convent at the age of fifteen due to the lack of a dowry. She used deceit to escape, and vowed never to be poor and powerless again. Throughout her life, Olimpia exacted excruciating vengeance on anyone who tried to lock her up or curb her power. But her grisly revenge on the pope who loved her would be reserved for after his death. . . .
Seventeenth-century Rome boasted the world's most glorious art and glittering pageants but also suffered from famine, floods, swarms of locusts, and bubonic plague. Olimpia's world was kleptocratic; everyone from the lowliest servant up to the pope's august relatives unblushingly stole as much as they possibly could. Nepotism was rampant, and popes gave away huge sums and principalities to their nephews instead of helping the poor. Dead pontiffs were left naked on the Vatican floor because their servants had pilfered the bed and stripped the corpse.Mistress of the Vatican brings to life not only a woman, and a church, but an entire civilization in all its greatness . . . and all its ignominy".
"Fiery, fierce, and erotic, Blood Canticle marks the triumphant culmination of Anne Rice’s bestselling Vampire Chronicles, as Lestat tells his astounding tale of the pleasures and tortures that lie between death’s shadow and immortality. . . .
Surrounded by its brooding swampscape, Blackwood Farm is alive with the comings and goings of the bewitched and the bewitching. Among them is the ageless vampire Lestat, vainglorious enough to believe that he can become a saint, weak enough to fall impossibly in love.
Gripped by his unspeakable desire for the mortal Rowan Mayfair and taking the not so innocent, new-to-the-blood Mona Mayfair under his wing, Lestat braves the wrath of paterfamilias Julien Mayfair and ventures to a private island off the coast of Haiti. There, Saint Lestat will get his chance to slay his dragon. For Mona and the Mayfairs share an explosive, secret blood bond to another deathless species: a five-thousand-year-old race of Taltos, strangers held in the throes of evil itself".
Taltos by Anne Rice
"In the third chronicle of the Mayfair Witches, the Talamasca seek to preserve the nearly extinct Taltos race by bringing together a male and female. Their searching catches the attention of an ancient Taltos named Ashlar entwined with Lasher's identity. Ashlar reveals the taltos mythology and lineage and enlists the help of Michael and Rowan in his battle againsst evil. Ashlar longs to make right the sufferings of his people. To help Ashlar, Michael must keep his coupling with Mona Mayfair (a precocious teenager who loves sex and computers equally) a secret, for it has produced a new female Taltos. Rowan attempts to assist him, but the task is difficult given that Morrigan, the Taltos, has been named the heir to the Mayfair fortune. Morrigan becomes the new monster of the Mayfair family".
Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis: The Vampire Chronicles
Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard
