Blog Tour: Solomon's Bride (Book Two of The Tiger and The Dove Trilogy) by Rebecca Hazell

Solomon's Bride (Book Two of The Tiger and The Dove Trilogy)
Author: Rebecca Hazell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: 2014
Pages: 384
Source: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Once a princess of Rus’, now a fugitive from the Mongols with a price on her head, Sofia flees to Iran and what she thinks will be safety. Instead, she becomes a virtual prisoner in Alamut, capital of the feared, secretive sect called the Assassins. There she must answer to the Grand Master himself. In this gripping second journal of her adventures, she is confronted with a world that further challenges everything she thought she knew. And she like Solomon’s youngest bride, if she escapes, can she face a lonely death in the desert or might she finally find love?

My Review: This is a sequel to The Grip of God. Sofia manages to escape from the Mongol war camp. She flees to Iran. She thinks that is safe, but instead she becomes a prisoner again. Sofia must undergo many more trials and suffering. Yet she learns the Muslims customs and beliefs. Sophia also plans to escape, but it may be her death.

I felt sadness for Sofia. Sofia already had a tough time in the Mongol camp, and now she is a prisoner to the Grand Master himself in Iran. Sofia felt hopelessness, and it is clear that she is a survivor. She is a different person than she was in The Grip of God. She is strong and assertive. She is still determined, and still finds hope. I found myself rooting for Sophia. Sophia also has found love with a knight. Could this knight be the love that Sofia has always dreamed of?

To be honest, I liked this book better than The Grip of God. It is not as graphic as the first book. I liked how the Middle Eastern world and the European world clashed and met through the Crusades. We even get to meet famous historical figures, in particular the French royalty. We even get to learn about both the Islamic and Jewish religions. Sofia finds the two religions in common because they are much like her own. She is able to understand them. In this book there are three religions that are discussed in detail: Christian, Islamic, and Jewish and they all have their common roots.

Overall, this novel is about tragedy, love, loss, survival, friendship, and hope. Because this book is a sequel to The Grip of God, the beginning is not as slow moving, and takes you immediately into the plot. It is action moving, and we get to learn more about different cultures and customs than the first book. This book is a worthy sequel. I am eagerly anticipating Consolamentum to find out what happens to Sofia and where her journey is next. Hopefully, in the next book, Sofia just may find her happy ending. I recommend this book to all those who are interested in the Crusades, and historical fiction. Most importantly, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the world of the 13th century, for the author does a great deal in bringing that world into life. This book is an adventure and a survival story. This book features a strong woman who is on a quest to find happiness in a cruel world.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Shelley Stratton: Trolley Cars, the Metro, and Bringing Historical Settings to Life

Shelly Stratton is the author of She Wears the Mask . This interesting guest post discusses how she incorporates realistic details and facts about streetcars from the early 20th century, which were common long before her birth. Mrs. Stratton describes her love of these older modes of public transportation as well as how she felt a joy and kinship with those who patronized these iconic symbols of urban transportation throughout the industrial age. Thank you, Mrs. Stratton! Trolley Cars, the Metro, and Bringing Historical Settings to Life By Shelly Stratton Decades ago, whenever I visited my great grandmother and great aunt in NW Washington, D.C., they would always ask me, “Did you drive in or take the trolley car here?” As I removed my coat or stowed away my umbrella, I would politely correct them with “I took the metro.” But after correcting them so many times and both of them persistently referring to the metropolitan transit ...

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath...

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII's Sixth Queen by Laura Adkins: A Book Review

Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Queen Author: Laura Adkins Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pen and Sword History Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 185 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Kateryn Parr is mainly remembered today as being the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, the one who 'survived'. Kateryn was not only a wife but a queen, mother, reformer, and author. Kateryn would face a number of events in her lifetime including being held to ransom during the Pilgrimage of Grace, being placed as regent while Henry was in France, a role which only one of his five previous wives held, her namesake Katherine of Aragon, and overcame a plot which would have led to her arrest and execution. While Queen she was able to unite the Tudor family and establish some form of happiness for Henry VIII's three children. Raised by her mother Maud Parr, under a humanist education, Kateryn was intelligent enough to understand her role in life...

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