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The Sekhmet Bed (The She-King Saga #1) by Libbie Hawker: A Book Review

The Sekhmet Bed (The She-King #1) Author: Libbie Hawker Genre:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Running Rabbit Press Release Date: 2011 Pages: 355 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis: Is Ahmose's divine gift a blessing or a curse?      The second daughter of the Pharaoh, Ahmose has always dreamed of a quiet life as a priestess, serving Egypt's gods, ministering to the people of the Two Lands. But when the Pharaoh dies without an heir, she is given instead as Great Royal Wife to the new king – a soldier of common birth. For Ahmose is god-chosen, gifted with the ability to read dreams, and it is her connection to the gods which ensures the new Pharaoh his right to rule.       Ahmose's elder sister Mutnofret has been raised to expect the privileged station of Great Royal Wife; her rage at being displaced cannot be soothed. As Ahmose fights the currents of Egypt's politics and Mutnofret's vengeful anger, her youth and inexperience carry her beyond her dep

Daughter of the Gods by Stephanie Thornton: A Book Review

Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt Author: Stephanie Thornton Genre:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Berkley Release Date: 2014 Pages: 450 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis: Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course.      Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Isis Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.      Once, Hatsheps

Blog Tour: Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Author: Jennifer Anne Davis Narrator: Kim Bretton Series: Knights of the Realm, Book 1 Length: 7 hours 58 minutes Publisher: Reign Publishing Released: Oct. 11, 2019 Genre: Fantasy      Reid has spent her whole life pretending to be a man so she can inherit her father’s estate, but when a chance encounter threatens to expose her lie, she is forced to risk everything.      In the kingdom of Marsden, women are subservient to men, and land can only pass from father to son. So, when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.         Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within th

Blog Tour: Trailing the Hunter by Heidi Eljarbo

Trailing The Hunter by Heidi Eljarbo Publication Date: October 30, 2019 eBooks & Paperback; 298 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction Synopsis: A ruthless witch-finder.     One determined woman.     1661 in southeastern Norway.     Clara Dahl has made a decision. She has seen the dread and sorrow witch-finder Angus Hill has caused in her hometown and sets out to find him. Her goal is to fight the wrongful and wicked misconceptions about witch hunting. But the witch-finder’s influence is strong. How can she warn the villagers of something they don’t understand?      Clara’s heartfelt desire is to protect and rescue the women who are in danger without causing more harm. As Clara develops secret plots to thwart the plans of the notorious witch-finder and works to help the villagers, she finds friendship and the possibility of true love. Available on Amazon Praise “A spellbinder from the very beginning. Eljarbo’s sound historical research is evident an

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox: A Book Review

The Widow of Pale Harbor Author: Hestor Fox Genre:  Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: Graydon House Release Date:  September 17, 2019 Pages: 352 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Synopsis: A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?     Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.     But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.     As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspi

Blog Tour: The Queen of Warriors by Zenobia Neil

The Queen of Warriors by Zenobia Neil Publication Date: September 19, 2019  Hypatia Books eBook & Paperback; 363  Pages Series: Alexandra of Sparta, Book One  Genre: Historical Fantasy         Synopsis: Alexandra of Sparta vowed her sword and her heart to the goddess Artemis. And the goddess blessed her. But no warrior lives at peace, and soon, Alexandra loses her title, her troops, and all she holds dear, including the man who holds her heart.      Cursed by a Babylonian witch, she is forced to return to a city she once conquered to make amends, but is captured by the powerful Persian rebel, Artaxerxes. As his prisoner, she awaits judgment for her crimes. But Artaxerxes is not what he seems. With death approaching, Alexandra must face her violent past and discover the truth of her captor’s identity before it’s too late. Available on Amazon About the Author     Zenobia Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the Romans. She wri

Blog Tour: Libery by Kim Iverson Headlee

Author: Kim Iverson Headlee Narrator: Lillian Rachel Length: 13 hours and 45 minutes Publisher: Pendragon Cove Media Released: Aug. 2, 2018 Genre: Historical Romance      How hard would you fight for a chance at impossible love?       From the critically acclaimed, award-winning pen of Kim Iverson Headlee comes the thrilling, poignant tale of love across a vast social divide.        Winner of the 2015 International BooksGoSocial Best Book.          Betrayed by her father and sold as payment of a Roman tax debt to fight in Londinium's arena, gladiatrix-slave Rhyddes feels like a wild beast in a gilded cage. Celtic warrior blood flows in her veins, but Roman masters own her body. She clings to her vow that no man shall claim her soul, though Marcus Calpurnius Aquila, son of the Roman governor, makes her yearn for a love she believes impossible.         Groomed to follow in his father's footsteps and trapped in a politically advantage

Blog Tour: The Spirit of Grace by Terry Lynn Thomas: A Book Review

The Spirit of Grace by Terry Lynn Thomas Publication Date: November 26, 2017 HQ Digital Series: Sarah Bennett Mysteries, Book One Genre: Historical Mystery Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion. Now, on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s murder, Sarah has been summoned home. Convinced of her innocence, she returns to Bennett House, hoping to put the broken pieces of her life back together. But when another murder occurs shortly after her arrival, Sarah once again finds herself a suspect, as she is drawn into a web of suspicion and lies

Blog Tour: Rational Creatures Edited by Christina Boyd: A Book Review

Editor: Christina Boyd Narrator: Victoria Riley Length: 18 hours and 3 minutes Series: The Quill Collective, Book 3 Publisher: The Quill Ink, LLC Released: Jul. 18, 2019 Genre: Anthologies  “But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.” ( Persuasion , Jane Austen)  Jane Austen: True romantic or rational creature? Her novels transport us back to the Regency, a time when well-mannered gentlemen and finely-bred ladies fell in love as they danced at balls and rode in carriages. Yet her heroines, such as Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Elinor Dashwood, were no swooning, fainthearted damsels in distress. Austen’s novels are timeless classics because of their biting wit, honest social commentary - because she wrote of strong women who were ahead of their day. True to their principles and beliefs, they fought thro