Sheila's Guests and Reviews

History - straight, or laced with fantasy and magic - sounds fun to me. I love to know more about history (which I didn't study seriously enough in school). But mostly I love the what-ifs, which the addition of magic, or mystery, adds so intriguingly. A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry Set around the time of the French Revolution, there’s enlightenment in the air, and maybe a promise of freedom for magicians. Freedom for slaves is debated in English Parliament. Magic powers are strictly regulated and often hidden away. Unlicensed magic can destroy lives. And definitely no wielding of magic in war. But all of this could be turned around as the French magicians claim back their rights, and dark forces stir. A long, slow read, this book is beautifully researched and thoroughly intriguing, with wonderful depictions of real-world characters only slightly changed by power. Sadly, despite its length, it doesn’t end. So now I’m eagerly awaiting the second half. An...

 A friend recommended this book to me and I felt sure I would love it. Instead I just "liked" it. It's a slow read, but it brings to life a different world in vivid detail. And its depiction of the struggles of a broken family to stay together is truly haunting. Before we were yours by Lisa Wingate In 1930s Memphis, a family living in comfortable poverty are split up by do-gooders, their children sent to a Tennessee Children’s home where they are prepared to be “sold” to eager (rich) adoptive parents. The novel is based on real records and presents a stark image of “doing good” gone wrong. In the present day, a privileged young woman finds herself drawn to a total stranger in a chance encounter. Choosing to research where the stranger comes from, she uncovers a past that just might change everything. The two timelines of this novel stay separate for a large part of this slow-reading book, leaving reader and protagonist alike to guess at what part each story might pl...