Month: December 2018

Recent Reads Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Posted on by Pam

My review: ?????

Once Upon a River is set on the River Thames, and starts with a stormy winter solstice night, and a young girl being rescued from the river, and thought to be drowned, except she wakes up.

Three different people claim her to be their own, but she doesn’t say anything, or act as though she recognises anyone.  A couple whose daughter was kidnapped two years ago, a grandfather who hasn’t ever seen his granddaughter, and a woman in her forties who recognises the girl as her sister.  But who is she?

All of this, and the stories of Quietly, the ferryman who rescues people, whilst never stopping for rest himself.

This was such a thematic read, with the river ever present, that you could practically feel the dampness everyone spoke about in the book.  I thought the characters were well filled, and the stories being told in the book were very good.

This has a bit of a fantastical, and that works in this setting.  

It’s a lovely read, and will sweep you along with it.


Once Upon a River is out on 17th January 2019, and will be available on Amazon, and everywhere else you can find books!

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

Recent Reads: Blackberry and Wild Rose by Sonia Velton

Posted on by Pam

My review: ?????

Blackberry and Wild Rose is set in Spitalfields, in London, with 2 women changing each others life.  The year is 1768, Esther is married to a Huguenot silk weave master, and Sara is a whore in a tavern, and being set on by her madam when Esther tries to help her.

We are taken back to the 18th century in the way food is made, the clothing people wear, and how they treat each other, and it is a fascinating step into history, with enough detail about silk weaving to let you imagine it, without making it boring.

But, all isn’t jolly, there’s unhappiness from the silk weavers who feel they aren’t being paid enough, and there’s cheaper materials coming in, unhappiness from the masters as the silk is getting more expensive, unhappiness from an ignored wife, and from the jostling of servants for their mistresses approval and good graces.  Revenge, boredom, arrogance and spitefulness all play a part in this story, along with hope, love and desire.

I really enjoyed this book, with evocative characters, a rich background and sumptuous silks.

Blackberry and Wild Rose is out on 10th January 2019, and will be available on Amazon, and everywhere else you can find books!

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and Quercus (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

Recent Reads: The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden

Posted on by Pam
The Winternight trilogy is going to consist of The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower, both available now, and The Winter of the Witch which is due out on 10th January 2019.


Like Spinning Silver (you can read my review here), this has a basis in Russian fairy tales, which adds newness and snow to the story.

Vasya is a young girl, who can see and talk to the Chyerti, who are the supernatural creatures that protect the homes, the stables, and the bath houses, and the supernatural creatures out in the world.  An example is the domovoi, who lives in the oven, eats crusts of bread, and is loyal to their family.

Vasya is quite wild, and so her father decides that since her mother died giving birth to her, she needs a new mother, Anna, who can also see these spirits, but she rejects them as ungodly creatures.

The church leader in Moscow has a problem priest, one is who is getting too much attention, and so is sent to this same little village, to be their priest, but he likes to make people scared of all their old ways, telling them they are making God angry.  And something seems to be happening in the village, making fires burn faster and people scared.

My review: ?????


Vasya continues her adventures, but the reality of a young woman travelling isn’t ever far from us. But, with her other options being marriage or a convent, travelling seems the best thing, and if she’s dressed as a boy, then everything will be fine, right?


We meet Vasya’s brother and sister, Sasha and Olga, and see how life has treated them in the ten years since they left home, one to marry, the other to become a monk.


These two books make up a fantastical story, set in snowy Russia, with a heroine that you cheer on. Katherine Arden really breathes life into the setting and the characters, and it makes it such an enjoyable read, and I can’t wait to read the third book!







Vasya’s story continues, and with the Crown Prince unhappy with her, and spring arrived, I wonder what fresh trouble she can get herself in!

The Winter of the Witch is due out on 10th January 2019.