Svetlana's Reads and Views

 Name of Book: Author: ISBN: Publisher: Part of a Series: Type of book: North, war, politics, fantasy, Sutherners, Anakim, Albion, fighting, weapons, harshness, autumn to spring  Year it was published: Summary: Characters: Main characters include Roper, Bellamus and Uvoren. At the start Roper seems to be a naive youth who is in shock at the sudden death of his father, and he makes a right but highly unpopular decision. However, throughout the book Roper grows and becomes a bit more ruthless towards his adversaries, even going against the wisdom. Bellamus is a human upstart who is on the side of antagonist and who is also very ambitious but has experience in handling the capricious and mercurial queen of his country. Uvoren had a high position as a Sacred Guardsman and enjoyed popularity and isn't above taking advantage of Ropers naivete or else backstabbing. It is interesting to note that despite his despicable deeds, he had some sort of boundaries towards Roper.   T...

  Name of Book: Wild and Distant Seas  Author: Tara Karr Roberts  ISBN: 9781324064886 Publisher: W.W. Norton  Type of book: Based on Moby Dick, 1849-1905, Nantucket, Massachusetts, quest, South America, Europe, generational trauma, repetition cycle, travel, female-centric,  Year it was published: 2024 Summary: A gorgeous debut, laced through with magic, following four generations of women as they seek to chart their own futures. Evangeline Hussey’s husband is dead―lost at sea―and she has only managed to hold on to his Nantucket inn by employing a curious gift to glimpse and re-form the recent memories of those around her. One night, an idealistic sailor appears on her doorstep asking her to call him Ishmael, and her careful illusion begins to fracture. He soon sails away with Ahab to hunt an infamous white whale, and Evangeline is left to forge a life from the pieces that remain. Her choices ripple through generations, across continents, and into the d...

    Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: When one says Egypt, I imagine that the Egypt that is imagined is one of ancient pyramids and pharaohs or Alexander the Great, or Egypt of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But Egypt that's not often thought about is one between Alexander the Great and Cleopatra; the Egypt of Ptolomies. This is the time period that is covered in this book, a bridge between ancient Egypt and Roman protectorate, and boy was I in for a wild and unpredictable history ride, especially as it involves ancient Iran and the truth of how Rome became the ruling power of Egypt. I thought I knew everything there was to know, but its a lie, and I learned a whole lot more. If you want to understand the Egypt before it became Roman protectorate as well as how the Ptolemaic Dynasty influenced the future, giving way to Roman Empire, and if you are looking for something beyond the typical ancient Phar...

  Name of Book: Night in the City Author: Michael McGarrity ISBN: 9781324066279 Publisher: W.W. Norton Type of book: Detective, mystery, 1950s, New York, murder, lawyers, mafia, life threatening, ex boyfriends,  Year it was published: 2025 Summary: When Sam Monroe’s former lover is found dead in her Manhattan penthouse, he must fight to clear his name. In this exhilarating New York noir, Assistant District Attorney Sam Monroe, a Korean War veteran, quickly becomes the prime suspect in the murder of socialite Laura Neilson and is forced to risk his career and reputation to find the killer before the world comes crashing down around him. As Sam uncovers information about the men in Laura’s life, he suffers a series of attacks from rogue cops and is targeted for elimination by members of a well-known Mafia crime family. Forced to operate in the shadows, Sam becomes entangled with private investigator Deborah Jean Ryan, who offers to help for reasons she refuses to disclose. ...

 Name of Book: The Liar's Knot Author: M.A. Carrick ISBN: 9780356515182 Publisher: Orbit Part of a Series: The Rook and the Rose (prequel The Mask of Mirrors, sequel Labyrinth's Heart) Type of book: Fantasy, con, nobility, Italy based setting, masks, fortune telling, lack of trust, changes, lives, mysteries, numbers, magic, past Year it was published: 2021 Summary: Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us. In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look. Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He'll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he's built. Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he figh...

    Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: Unfortunately I am the rare minority that wasn't a fan of SPQR, the authors book about Rome from the time of myth to 200s of modern era? I am happy to report that in the case of EMPEROR of Rome, I am definitely a big fan. It's organized, has a character list and information is easy to find. Maybe because I am more familiar with Roman Empire, I was able to enjoy this book a lot more than the previous one. The author covers a lot about Roman emperors, from how they were seen by their subjects to their travels and even to their deaths, often using historical evidence and admitting when none exists. There is high intimacy with this  subject matter, and the reader becomes more and more eager to see what else the author will reveal about the emperor's and their families. While I don't think it's a good starting point when it comes to Roman Empire history, but it a good...

    Title of the book: Author: Publisher: Publishing Date: ISBN: Summary: Author Info: Personal Opinion: I am guilty of admitting that I took ancient prehistory as facts, never really questioning or wondering how we know what we know, and is it accurate or just built from imaginations? In this book the author dares to tackle our history of prehistory, how the all too familiar ideas of ideology were not benevolent and of how much prehistory is more of a fantasy than reality. Starting in 1750s with European gaze of Indigenous people, and ending in present time, the author leaves no stone unturned in search for the truth. A highly recommended and entertaining as well as thought provoking read.  This was given for review  5 out of 5 (0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)