Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Layered Pages Wednesday Reviews



The King Stag by David Pilling


With Edward II (poor guy) out of the way, Mortimer (the horrid man) and Isabella (I still wonder about her) now rules England. Isabella’s son, the King, Edward III (hope he turns out good), is now a young man and wants to rule England. His rightful place. Meanwhile, Sir John Swale (my hero) and Elizabeth Clinton (lovely lady) are in exile and Swale wants to return home to England. The King Stag is a fantastic lead up to Exiles (The John Swale Chronicles) #3.

As I was reading this story I was thinking about how Mortimer is not good for Isabella and why doesn't she see right through him? And I was thinking too that Isabella is not stupid in the least, she probably knows what she is doing by using Mortimer for her own agenda. It could really go several different ways I guess. That is one of the great things about reading. One can broaden ones imagination about the characters and what their real motives are. There are only a few authors I think writes Historical Fiction-Medieval to my liking and David is among them. Where was I? Oh, yes! Back to my review...

The character building is fantastic! There is a lot of action in every corner! David wonderfully portrays Medieval England, the royal family and court life. Castles and sword fighting, and royal intrigue! What's not to love?

I highly recommend The King Stag!

I rated this book four stars.


Stephanie
Layered Pages/Team Leader






My Temporary Life by Martin Crosbie


My Temporary Life by Martin Crosbie will tug at the heart strings of all who read it. In his debut novel Crosbie has written a coming of age story that shows how not only the main character, Malcolm Wilson but those in his life, can rise above neglect, abuse, and bullying. I enjoyed reading the story and getting to know the characters. My Temporary Life is set both in Scotland and in Canada so it was interesting for me to read about the differences between the two countries from the way the natives talk to the way they dressed, to the way the landscapes and the buildings look. Crosbie did a great job of really putting the reader into the story.

Overall, My Temporary Life, was a compelling story some parts of the story were a little slow for my taste but there were parts that I couldn't stop "turning the pages". Malcolm Wilson wants to be the hero of his life and struggles throughout different situations to do just that. Malcolm shows the reader that no matter what hand that life deals you there is a way to rise above your circumstances and to help others. Malcolm proves to be the hero by the end of the story and also shows the reader that no matter how “temporary” a situation may be, you never forget where you come from or where your home is.

I rated this book three and a half stars.


Rachel Massaro
Layered Pages Review Team Member






No comments:

Post a Comment