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Category: War

Review: The Time in Between by Maria Duenas

[ 6 ] December 6, 2011

Reviewed by Alisha Churbe

The Time In Between is a recollection told by Sira Quiroga that begins and ends in Madrid, Spain. Her fate and adventures take her on an expedition through war torn Europe during the late 1930s. World War II is very much in the works and the Spanish Civil War rolls on.

I never imagined a story of a dressmaker during war times could keep my attention. The Time In Between is loaded with political and historical details, but the story only rarely slows from it’s breathtaking pace. Some of the historical details tend to slow the story down and many could be cut a bit shorter, but don’t let that deter you. This novel will take you back in time and let you experience the tales of risks and survival. The countries Sira visits and resides in, along with the characters you meet are very real, and many of them will stay with you long after the end.

On the back cover of this edition, the book summary mentions that The Time In Between has, “the storytelling power of The Name of the Wind” (by Patrick Rothfuss). In the end, I would have to agree with this statement.

In the beginning, I was disappointed that The Time In Between was not told using the same narrative structure, but it is quite similar. The Time In Between is much more grounded in history than the fantastic world of The Name of the Wind. It is also important to note that while Sira experiences a lot, takes risks, and ends up in danger, her story is much more of a curve upward. The ending seems abrupt, but it’s perfect. It leaves so much left to know, to ponder (a sequel, perhaps?), but it really couldn’t have happened any other way or it could have felt contrived or implausible.

The Time In Between is a twist on the normal coming of age stories. In the beginning, Sira is young, a daughter of a single mother, working as an assistant to her mother and Dona Manuela, running errands and sweeping floors. Duenas moves quickly through this portion of Sira’s life and gets us to the moments that shape her fate and send Sira on her adventures. In the end, she’s evolved into a strong-willed, charming and, at moments, quite cunning woman.

We travel with Sira through tough times, happy moments, loneliness, and true bliss. She breaks out of the life that is laid out before her and fights (sometimes unwillingly) to create a life of her own. She grows from a confused teenager into a woman who knows what she wants and in many ways, how to obtain it. She takes extreme risks, and some moments of The Time In Between will have you hanging on every word. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future offerings from Maria Duenas.

Rating: 4/5

Part-time fiction writer, Alisha Churbe lives in Portland, Oregon. In the rare instances when you can pry her away from books, Alisha can be found travelling in foreign countries, cooking, or hiking with her husband Michael and dog Euro.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Atria Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour: The Sacrovir Revolt by James Mace

[ 4 ] October 31, 2011

Please welcome James Mace, author of The Sacrovir Revolt, as he tours the blogosphere with Pump Up Your Book!

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

The Sacrovir Revolt is the second book in the Artorian Chronicles and I have to say it’s just as good as the first one! Artorius has continued to work with Vitruvius on his weapons training and has become a legend in his own right. Before too long there are rumblings of a revolt blossoming in Gaul. Artorius’ unit is sent to make sure the minor revolt does not become a major one.

When they get to Gaul they discover the man planning on helping them out is Sacrovir. Sacrovir is the gladiator owner who was humiliated and lost lots of money when Vitruvius killed his gladiator in the ring back in Rome. This causes a few warning flags to go off among the officers and they feel that all might not be as it seems.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Sacrovir Revolt. It’s not very difficult to read and the author did an excellent job researching the time period. At times the story is a little brutal but the worst things are only alluded to but rarely witnessed by any of the characters first hand. Once again, worrying about the set of heroes was unnecessary since them making it through the book was a given.

Mace usually has a second story going at the same time, such as the one involving Artorius. It tends to show whats going on back in Rome with the rulers, in this case Tiberius. I think part of the reason for this technique is that Mace has done so much research he doesn’t want it to go to waste. I enjoyed the asides and felt it added to the book, but it was only tangentially related to the main story arc. The Sacrovir Revolt is a great book for those interested in the Roman army or even in Rome in general.

Rating: 3.5/5

Check out our review of the first book in the Artorian Chronicles, The Legionary

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Pump Up Your Book. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Devil Colony by James Rollins

[ 3 ] September 2, 2011

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

The Devil Colony is the 7th book in James Rollins’ Sigma Force series. This time an ancient secret, sought after for centuries, has resurfaced once again. It caused a strange explosion, then everything seemed to disintegrate into sand, including the bedrock. Sigma’s arch-nemesis ‘the Guild’ have an excellent idea what it is, so they have a large head-start. Painter Crow becomes personally involved when he discovers his niece was present and is being blamed for the catastrophe.

The trail goes back in history all the way to Thomas Jefferson and Lewis & Clark, who were attempting to find the treasure before the ‘enemy’. There are hints all over the U.S. – Utah, Kentucky, DC – as well as Europe. It appears to be a weapons grade nanotech and could kill the entire planet.

Honestly, I enjoyed the last book in the Sigma Force series much more. I think my biggest problem with The Devil Colony was the whole back story on the nanotech, how dangerous it was, and how it got to be in the places it showed up in. Half the story was hand-waving to distract the reader away from some very important things that were needed for me to accept it, and I couldn’t swallow it.

I know a bit about history, about cultures, and about physics which interfered with plausibility of this book. The rest of the story was excellent, the weaving of histories and the suspense, even the conspiracies. I just couldn’t believe in the threat itself, in how it ‘worked’ or in how long it existed undetected.

Rating: 3.5/5

Check out Caleb’s review of another Sigma Force novel, The Doomsday Key

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by William Morrow. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Review: The Profession by Steven Pressfield

[ 3 ] August 18, 2011

Reviewed by Erin McKibbin

In 2022, humanitarian organizations from the U.S., Sweden, and Norway start to send food and medical relief to the people in the African breakaway republic of Zamibia despite the sinister efforts of the country’s president to confiscate the supplies and terrorize the people. In 2032, six southern provinces break away from the stable, peaceful Iraq forming their own state, Tajikistan – an oil producing country to rival Saudi Arabia. Force Insertion is hired to provide the might behind the cause.

Force Insertion is a mercenary army led by a U.S. war hero – turned war criminal- General James Salter. Hired by corporations and nations, both big and small, this military conglomerate attracts the best warrior from all nations to its payrolls and the customers with the deepest pockets. Grown out of necessity, this organization begins to rival the revenue and power of multi-national corporations such as General Electric. But, does Force Insertion always do the bidding of its customers? Or does James Salter have an ulterior motive in mind when he put together the largest mercenary army in the world?

Steven Pressfield puts together an action packed, intriguing concept of where the future of the military and war might be headed in The Profession. As he so deftly describes, the instant media reports from war zones has made it impossible for standing armies to be able to carry out their missions due to the public outcry back home. The only armed entity that could possibly escape that Achilles Heel would be an international mercenary force. And, it stands to reason that should an entity such as this rise, the person at the helm would succeed where others have failed: global domination.

Rating: 4/5

Erin fell in love with the written word as a small child and subsequently spent most of her life happily devouring literature. She works as a freelance news, marketing, and technical writer as well as a full-time researcher/investigator in the sign industry. Erin lives just outside of Cleveland, Ohio enjoying the beauty of life with her children and grandchildren.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy

[ 11 ] July 30, 2011

Reviewed by Colleen Turner

“The silence after he’s spoken seems to hold on to the words, as you might hold water between your hands – just for an instant, a precious moment, before it all leaks away”.

Vivienne de la Mare is doing what many housewives do on the Isle of Guernsey in 1940: she is taking care of her family while her husband is away at war. She has her hands full: young Millie is full of life and curiosity and not adept at readily taking someone else’s words for fact; Blanche is trying to blossom into womanhood within the constraints and frustrations of wartime; Evelyn, Vivienne’s mother-in-law, is constantly longing for her son while her mind slowly begins to slip away.

Then Guernsey is attacked and becomes occupied by the German army. These stilted, foreign men begin to requisition anything they choose and a tenuous balance is established between the islanders and the Germans. Many think that you are letting your side down if you so much as speak to these invaders, while others do what they need to for work or survival.

When an officer begins to show Vivienne some kindness, she isn’t immediately sure what to do. How can she trust this person who is a part of something that has done so much harm? Her feelings for Captain Gunther Lehmann quickly becomes too strong to fight and she begins a love affair like nothing she had ever thought possible. Within her candlelit room at night, they try to shut out the war and suffering outside and just enjoy the precious time they have together.

With the repercussions that could follow the revelation of their relationship, they decide to keep it secret. This tender time with Gunther becomes harder and harder to enjoy as the conditions around them begin to worsen. With supplies so low, everyone leads a continuously hungry, exhaustive existence. The establishment of work camps on the island brings the cruelty and death right to her doorstep and she can no longer look away or shut the reality of life from their nighttime meetings.

When Millie befriends a skeletal prisoner from the work camp, Vivienne must decide how far she is willing to go to help those suffering around her. How far can she push the family’s safety, and how much can she really trust this enemy she has grown to love? In this madness of wartime, what is right is no longer easily seen.

I cannot begin to fully express how much I loved The Soldier’s Wife! The descriptions are eloquent and atmospheric and you cannot help but become immersed in the surroundings: lazy bumblebees float through the thick, heady scented air and the bright flowers often seem in huge contrast to the dark goings on. Only the harsh winters and tossing sea seems to mirror the general life on the island. The streams have voices and the wind whispers to Vivienne, and you are lost in the story. Vivienne’s biggest fear is for her children to be left motherless as she had been, and this showcases how strong her feelings are: for Gunther and for those suffering around her. As she fights to discover what is right, you will do the same.

The Soldier’s Wife isn’t for history or historical fiction lovers alone. This is for anyone who likes a brilliant story that just won’t let go.

Rating: 5/5

Colleen lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband, son and pet fish. When not working or taking care of her family she has her nose stuck in a book (and, let’s face it, often when she is working or taking care of her family as well). Nothing excites her more than discovering a new author to obsess over or a hidden jewel of a book to worship.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Hyperion/Voice. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour: Soldier of Rome: The Legionary by James Mace

[ 6 ] July 18, 2011

Please join James Mace, author of Soldier of Rome: The Legionary, as he tours the blogosphere with Pump Up Your Book!

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

In Soldier of Rome: The Legionary we meet a young man, Artorius, who joins the Legions in order be a part of the force sent to punish the German barbarians for the Teutoburger Wald massacre. They had wiped out three Roman Legions including the one his older brother had been attached to. We follow Artorius as he becomes a recruit, is trained to be a Legionary and finally marches with the army to exact vengeance upon the barbarian horde.

The Legionary takes place primarily as Tiberius takes over after the death of Caesar Augustus – an interesting and popular time for Roman historical fiction. While I’m not a Roman historian, what knowledge I do have about the time period matched with the facts Mace used in his stories. I believe he tried to be accurate in the details, especially when he described the Legions’ weapons and their use.

James Mace tells a good story; there are some gruesome moments, which is to be expected given the topic at hand. Mace has his favorites and you can expect them to come through mostly unscathed. All the bad things happen to others. This is not a dig against The Legionary (and my wife prefers stories that work like that!), but it reminded me of a Western , or even a David Eddings book, where you know the good guys are going to win. Not everyone prefers that kind of story. For my part, I did enjoy The Legionary and do plan to acquire at least the next one in the series if not all of them.

Rating: 3.5/5

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Pump Up Your Book. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Road to Rome by Ben Kane

[ 3 ] June 1, 2011

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

The Road to Rome by Ben Kane is the third and final(?) book in the Forgotten Legion series. I gave final a question mark because even though it was a good finish, there was enough question of what Romulus was going to do next for another book to be possible. As far as The Road to Rome is concerned, I think it held up well. The second book, The Silver Eagle, did not quite have the same effect on me as the first, The Forgotten Legion, and I think The Road to Rome was a great way to wrap up the series.

The book starts off exactly where the The Silver Eagle left off, with Romulus and Tarquinius having just been conscripted into the Roman legion in Egypt. Having caught a glimpse of Romulus, Fabiola is in a boat being rowed out to a ship that will take her away from the rebellion and back to Rome. After being separated for almost eight years, both are given a moral boost knowing that the other still lives.

Fabiola goes forward with her plans to have her ‘father’ murdered for the rape of her mother. She convinces Brutus to let her buy the Lupanar, the famous brothel she had once been a prostitute in. Fabiola thinks it will be an easy way to find those willing to help her execute her plan. Little does she know that another shadow from her past will make her life a lot more difficult.

Romulus was drafted and is on campaign with Julius Caesar as he attempts to quell the rebellion in Egypt. He eventually gets in trouble but through his punishment he receives the greatest prize he ever hoped for. He eventually meets back up with Fabiola only to have disappointment thrown in his path again.

Overall, I found The Road to Rome to be another excellent book that is sure to transport the readers back to ancient Rome. It portrays both the grandeur and the filth that went hand in hand in the empire. If you like stories about Rome and the ancient societies give this series a try.

Rating: 4/5

Check out Caleb’s reviews of The Forgotten Legion and The Silver Eagle

Caleb is a software engineer and amature woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by St. Martin’s Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: All Other Nights by Dara Horn

[ 8 ] September 18, 2010

Reviewed by Erin McKibbin

Coming of age for any young man is a turbulent experience. Coming of age in the Union Army during the Civil War is even more tumultuous. Coming of age in the Civil War when the young man is Jewish is Herculean.

Jacob Rappaport joins the Union Army to escape the pre-ordained life laid out by his father. He agrees to become a spy and assassin for the Union Army to win the approval of his replacement fathers (the Army generals). But, can Jacob win his own approval and stop running from his past? Perhaps the love of a Confederate woman can teach Jacob the lessons that can’t be learned behind the butt of a rifle.

“There were approximately 130,000 Jews living in the United States in 1860” and “were dispersed throughout the nation, with the largest Jewish community in New York and the second largest in New Orleans.” In fact, some of the Civil War’s most prominent figures were members of these two Jewish communities. Dara Horn incorporates some of these historical people into the characters she created for All Other Nights. Judah Benjamin, the first Jewish Cabinet member in American history (and the second Jewish United States Senator), appeared in the book as himself, while Lottie Moon, Confederate spy with unusual talents, is split into two very riveting characters involved in Rappaport’s life.

Throughout the book, the characters were constantly faced with the difficult topics of slavery and prejudice and how these issues and actions played out in the moral compass inherent in the Jewish identity. Just as there were many Jews who were abolitionists, there were just as many who owned slaves and felt entitled to do so. And yet, both [amazonify]0393338320[/amazonify]celebrated the Passover feast (which deals with the history of the Jewish people escaping bondage) without guilt. Rappaport specifically is forced to confront his own culpability in the bondage of other humans and the guilt over the sins committed in the cause of freedom for all.

All Other Nights is a gripping tale that engages the reader to consider the ever perplexing relationship between father and child, the ethics of political strife, the morality of slavery and prejudice, and the loyalty of love and family.

Erin fell in love with the written word as a small child and subsequently spent most of her life happily devouring literature. She works as a freelance news, marketing, and technical writer. Erin lives just outside of Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

This book was provided free of any obligation by W. W. Norton & Company. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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