For today's #HistFicThursdays blog, I am thrilled to be welcoming Samantha Ward-Smith to the blog with a guest post about her latest book Ravenscourt , as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour! Read on to find out about the inspiration for her novel, and how she brought Ravenscourt into the Gothic tradition. But first, let's meet the book... Blurb He wanted to be gone from the dark enclosing room, with its mocking misery, to be gone from this house of nightmares, of shattered dreams, and discovered secrets which could not be put back in the box. Venice, 1880. Alexander, Viscount Dundarran, seeks refuge from scandal amidst the fading grandeur of crumbling palazzos during the infamous Carnival in the city. There he encounters the enigmatic Lady Arabella Pembrook—a young, beautiful widow. Both are scarred by their pasts but find solace in each other and a chance at redemption. But when duty calls Alexander back to England upon his father's death,...
"Lifesong" by Julia Blake
Book Review
☆☆☆☆
The first thing that
struck me about this book was the beauty of the language. Each sentence has
been exquisitely crafted to ensure it has the most impact and meaning on the
reader. Although it was not my sort of book, I appreciated the artistic skill
of the author and must congratulate her that she portrayed such a worrying
concept so beautifully.
One of the main things I
look for in a book is the strength of its characters. The author developed all
the characters well in the short time she had given herself, so I felt the
characters’ concern and pain alongside them.
I found the novella a
little dark for my taste (this is purely a matter of personal taste) and I
would have liked a little more hope in the story. The end seemed satisfactory –
and not – at the same time. I acknowledge, however, that this is important for
the message the story conveys.
Blurb (from Goodreads)
She came from a different place, a world living in harmony with the lifesong that flows through everything, connecting all to the great song of the universe.
Suddenly, she's trapped on our world, a place hell bent on self-destruction, a place that destroys without thought, poisons its own water supply and pollutes the very air that it breathes. Horrified to discover we have no lifesong, the question burns – what kind of a world is this, that can treat itself so?
Hauntingly beautiful, this story will make you think and feel about our planet and our choices, and wonder - Is the love of one woman enough to save an entire world?

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