Flora Reviews... The Viscount's Son by Aderyn Wood

 

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17704012-the-viscount-s-son)

...So what’s this book about?

This story is a Novella (shorter than a novel but longer than a short story) and it is written in the style of a fictional blog by our heroine, Emma. Emma is an intelligent twenty-something book conservator who has given herself this online project to transcribe an ancient and mysterious diary. Emma's colleague, Jack, believes the medieval 'diary' is a fake but she decides to translate the text anyway and leave it up to her readers to decide. The story follows Emma's journey to discern the mysteries of the medieval memoir, while glimpsing her life too as she writes her blog.

...So, what did I like about it?

I loved the unique way that Aderyn Wood told this story and the clever way she combined older “classic” style language and mannerisms in the form of the 16^th century journal entries with the modern style of writing we use today, that we read in Emma’s blog. I felt as though I not only got to know Emma through her blog but the mysterious diary writer “N.C.” too, which is all down to the creative and descriptive talents of Ms Wood. Although I did guess the twist, I was still gripped, wanting to keep reading and the way the story ended... wow, it not only made me smile (I think I actually gasped!) but left me feeling intrigued. I love that (eek! it’s hard to write a review without giving anything away! Lol!)

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

No not really, although I hope it’s not a stand alone story ... hint!hint!

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

This is a great story! It’s easy to download and way too cheap to ignore! If you like mystery stories with a bit of fantasy and romance without being gory or overtly erotic (although it’s not squeaky clean ;-) ), you will love this story. What are you waiting for...

Flora Reviews... The House of the Wulfings: a fantasy tale of Robin Hood by J.P. Reedman

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20925651-the-house-of-the-wulfings)

 ...So what’s this book about?

This is a short story (25 pages) set in the Anglo-Saxon period of British history about Robin Hood. Our story takes place sometime after Robin and Marion have married and are living together, with the rest of Robin’s band of outlaws, in Sherwood Forest.

...So, what did I like about it?

The premise for this story is brilliant! The opening chapter plunges us straight into the action. This story wouldn’t look out of place among those books containing old English fairy stories and folk tales. The way this story was told felt like those I have read in “British Folktales” by Katherine Briggs. Ms Reedman’s historical knowledge shines through in not only the names of her characters but their behaviours and her descriptions of the places in which her story takes place. The story’s style and language being from a past era rather than a modern creation making it feel an authentic part of our English history.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

I must confess to getting a bit lost in the old style descriptive language and at times it distracted me from the flow of the story, (something that I’ve experienced before when reading classic literature so I think this is more about my aptitude than the story itself). I do wish that the story had been longer though, to give me more insight into J.P. Reedman’s version of Robin, Marion and the rest of the outlaws as I didn’t feel as though I knew them at all from her point of view, instead I had to bring with me my existing pre-conceived versions of them all into the story.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I loved the premise of this story – I enjoyed the originality, but I wish it had been longer. Perhaps Ms Reedman will write some more Robin Hood based stories... I think fans of folk tales, historical fiction and historical fantasy would enjoy it too.

Flora Reviews... Flower of Scotland by William Meikle

(See Flower Of Scotland by William Meikle on Goodreads.com)

 

...So what’s this book about?

This is a collection of William Meikle’s short stories (1000-2500 words each), that have appeared previously in magazines or anthologies.  The 14 stories are from various genres; horror, mystery, sci-fi, paranormal.

Turn Again

The Yule Log

Twitterspace

Supply and Demand

At the Beach

Flower of Scotland

Habit

Animal, Vegetable or Mineral

The Last Day of Summer

The Strange Case of Dr McIntyre

Rickman’s Plasma

Can You Hear Them?

#dreaming

The Young Lochinvar

...So, what did I like about it?

The different writing styles are sympathetic with the story and it’s characters. I was impressed with how quickly the characters in these tales felt real to me and had me involved in their individual stories (I even shed a few tears).  Every story had a mystery element to it that had me eagerly guessing where I would be lead next right up until the end.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Not really. I found the beginning of “Rickman’s Plasma” hard to follow at first but this was only down to my lack of scientific knowledge (some of the words I had to look up!)  and once the story got going I was happily immersed.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

This is a great collection of short stories! It’s like listening to a “Best of Rock” compilation CD, various sub-genres but all get your heart pumping and endorphins flowing. So, if you’re a fan of horror, mystery or sci-fi and like suspense and tension without all the gore, then give this book a go. I haven’t read any of William Meikle’s other books but after reading these stories, I will be looking for more!