The Little Library Project

  As far as Romeo and Juliet inspired writings go - this was by far, the most perfect I could have expected. On one hand, the trope is familiar to us all but can sometimes come across as cliched and forced.  However, One For My Enemy used so many layers to bring this story to life in a really compelling way.  Using familiar settings of New York and underworld crime families, magic is weaved in to create this love story that focuses not just on our modern-day Romeo and Juliet, but their families.  The writing is stunning, it's extremely plot driven but the insight into the characters is just enough to choose favourites.  This is my first read of Olivie Blake and now I am SO excited to read Atlas Six because her writing is stunning.  And whilst it's completely unrelated, I'm glad that I'd previously read The Witch and the Tsar because it gave some of the Russian family names and terms so much more meaning. 

Having been interested in the Romanov executions from a young age, this book was an immediate addition to my TBR but I was so disappointed to find the paperback was £16 to buy. That's not within my paperback budget.  But then, I signed up to Kindle Unlimited and I cannot tell you how pleased I was to find this book on there - and it was of course my first KU read.  The thing with books that are based on real people and real events; it's easy to judge them on the historical accuracy. It's easy to metaphorically tear a book apart because the fictionalised character and events to not match what the reader believes or knows.  And going into reading Anastasia,, that's exactly what I was concerned about. I have an educated idea of what happened, how and when. And there was one point of this book where the timeline was note matching up - specifically Red Sunday. In reality this would have happened when Anastasia was 4/5 years old, whereas in Lark's story - she was in her t...

  I received a copy of The Witch and the Tsar from NetGalley and I couldn't wait to dive in.  Baby Yaga is a witch. In 16th century Russia she is both respected for her knowledge but feared for her talents. Having been persecuted in the past, she lives in the forest with her companions, known as a healer and working with the communities and villages around to protect and cure them of their ailments.  But something strange is happening in Russia - her best friend, the Tsarina has been poisoned and the seasons are no longer behaving as they should. Travelling through the country, Baby Yaga must look to the old Gods to fix what has become unbalanced and see that her Motherland is not destroyed int he process.  The Witch and the Tsar is a beautiful story, mixing traditional Russian folklore with historical fiction set within an almost permanent winter backdrop. It has everything; myth, magic, love and war. I absolutely loved it and adored the way the writer described not...