History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Ariadne Unraveled  Author: Zenobia Neil Publication Date: 7th July 2021 Publisher: Hypatia Books Page Length: 345 Pages Genre: Mythic retelling/ Historical Romance      Ariadne, high priestess of Crete, grew up duty-bound to the goddess Artemis. If she takes a husband, she must sacrifice him to her goddess after no more than three years of marriage. For this reason, she refuses to love any man, until a mysterious stranger arrives on her island.      The stranger is Dionysus, the new god of wine who empowers women and breaks the rules of the old gods. He came to Crete seeking vengeance against Artemis. He never expected to fall in love.      Furious that Dionysus would dare meddle with her high priestess, Artemis threatens to kill Ariadne if Dionysus doesn’t abandon her. Heartbroken, the new god leaves Crete, vowing to become better than the Olympians.      From the bloody labyrinth and the shadows of Hades to the halls of Olympus, Dionysus must find a way to defy Artemis and unite wi

Devayani Author: Manjula Tekal Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Garuda Prakashan Release Date: March 21, 2021 Pages: 249 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis : Long before the Ramayana and Mahabharata wars were fought, Yayati, a scion of the lunar dynasty, was the emperor of Aryavarta, the land of the virtuous. He was an ancestor of the Kaurava princes. A tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and passion in the backdrop of a war between the Devas and the Asuras, Devayani, is a modern retelling of an ancient tale from the Mahabharata . Devayani, the self- willed daughter of Sukracharya, the Asura preceptor, became wife of emperor Yayati through a failed love affair with Kacha. How did the princess Sarmishtha, her friend, become her servant and then her rival? Why did Yayati have to ask his children to make the ultimate sacrifice—to give up their youth for him? Devayani takes you on a journey through infatuation, lust, jealousy, rage, betrayal, love and wisdom.Yayati's s

        I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the DAUGHTER OF SPARTA by Claire M. Andrews Blog Tour hosted by  Rockstar Book Tours . Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!   About the Book: DAUGHTER OF SPARTA (Daughter of Sparta #1) Author:  Claire M. Andrews Pub. Date:  June 8, 2021 Publisher:  Jimmy Patterson Books Formats:  Hardcover, eBook, audiobook Pages:  400 Find it:   Goodreads ,  Amazon ,  Kindle , Audible ,  B&N , iBooks , Kobo , TBD , Bookshop.org      Sparta forged her into a deadly weapon. Now the Gods need her to save the world!       Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands—upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cann

  The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift Publication Date: May 18, 2021 Quire Books Paperback & eBook; 406 pages Genre: Historical Fiction     Naples 1633     Aqua Tofana – One drop to heal. Three drops to kill. Giulia Tofana longs for more responsibility in her mother’s apothecary business, but Mamma has always been secretive and refuses to tell Giulia the hidden keys to her success. When Mamma is arrested for the poisoning of the powerful Duke de Verdi, Giulia is shocked to uncover the darker side of her trade.      Giulia must run for her life, and escapes to Naples, under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, to the home of her Aunt Isabetta, a famous courtesan. But when Giulia hears that her mother has been executed, and the cruel manner of her death, she swears she will wreak revenge on the Duke de Verdi.      The trouble is, Naples is in the grip of Domenico, the Duke’s brother, who controls the city with the ‘Camorra’, the mafia. Worse, her Aunt Isabetta, under Domenico’s t

Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait (Six Tudor Queens #4) Author: Alison Weir Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: 2019 Pages: 527 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review Synopsis: T he surprising and dramatic life of the least known of King Henry VIII’s wives is illuminated in the fourth volume in the Six Tudor Queens series—for fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and The Crown .      Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe's most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in Engla

Dawn Empress: A Novel of Imperial Rome Series: The Theodosian Women, Book Two Author: Faith L. Justice Print/ebook Publication Date: 24th May 2020 Audiobook Publication date: 19th February 2021 Publisher: Raggedy Moon Books Page Length: 354 pages Audio Book Length: 12 hrs 41 min Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction Synopsis: As Rome reels under barbarian assaults, a young girl must step up. After the Emperor’s unexpected death, ambitious men eye the Eastern Roman throne occupied by seven-year-old Theodosius II. His older sister Pulcheria faces a stark choice: she must find allies and take control of the Eastern court or doom the imperial children to a life of obscurity—or worse. Beloved by the people and respected by the Church, Pulcheria forges her own path to power. Can her piety and steely will protect her brother from military assassins, heretic bishops, scheming eunuchs and—most insidious of all—a beautiful, intelligent bride? Or will she lose all in the trying? Dawn

Clytemnestra: The Mother's Blade Author: Victoria Grossack, Alice Underwood Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace Release Date: 2017 Pages: 351 Source: Kindle Unlimited Synopsis: Raised a princess in Sparta, Clytemnestra understands that leaders make many sacrifices. But she is shocked when she is forced to marry the murderer of her husband and firstborn child.      Though she wields great power as High Queen of Mycenae, and adores her younger children, being Agamemnon’s wife is difficult – and becomes harder after her sister Helen’s departure for Troy ignites the greatest war the world has ever seen.      Clytemnestra remains determined to protect her children and her city. But then a long absent prince – her husband’s hated rival – begins to claim her heart…   My Review: Clytemnestra has a tarnished reputation in Greek mythology. She is known to be an unfaithful wife and a murderer. However, this novel gives us a glimpse into Clytemnestra’s psyche and th

The Sun Down Motel Author: Simone St. James Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal Publisher: Berkely Release Date: 2020 Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review Synopsis Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls . Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary. Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared i

Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus Author: Victoria Grossack, Alice Underwood Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace Release Date: 2010 Pages: 262 Source: My personal collection Synopsis: Young and beautiful, born to a powerful family, Jocasta is destined to become Queen of Thebes... trapped in a loveless marriage, she cannot save her firstborn child from her husband's wrath... left alone on the throne after her husband's death, she must contend with the dangerous Sphinx and contrive a plan to protect her city...charmed by a foreign prince, she does not know she is falling in love with her own son... My Review: Oedipus is one of the most tragic stories in Greek mythology. The myth explains that one cannot escape one’s fate. This novel retells the myth, but through Jocasta’s eyes. Jocasta is also a victim of fate. No matter how powerful she is as a queen of Thebes, she was powerless in preventing her own horrific destiny from coming true.       I found

  I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the MUSIC OF THE NIGHT by Angela J. Ford Blog Tour hosted by  Rockstar Book Tours . Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!   About The Book: Title:   MUSIC OF THE NIGHT Author:  Angela J. Ford Pub. Date:  February 15, 2021 Publisher:  Angela J. Ford Formats:  Hardcover, Paperback, eBook Pages:  262 Find it:   Goodreads ,  Amazon , Kindle , B&N , TBD ,  Bookshop.org , Purchase a signed copy and receive a bookmark & art print! Read for FREE with A Kindle Unlimited Membership!      A haunted tower, a mysterious instructor and the lure of the music of the night…      After the death of her father, Aria is left penniless and destitute. To avoid working the streets she becomes the ward of a Count and moves to a remote town called High Tower.      High Tower is a gloomy place with one vivid attraction: the theater. Lords and ladies come from afar to be seduced by a night of unforgettable entertainment.