The Brilliance of Stars (Jack and Ivy #1) by J'nell Ciesielski

 

Washington DC, 1914. Ivy Olwen knows how to survive on the streets without two coins to rub together. But when she finds herself whisked into a secret society that seeks to maintain the balance of good and evil in the world, she can’t believe there’s more to life than just surviving. In the hallowed and historied halls of Talon, she learns European languages and ballroom dancing, as well as demolitions and sharpshooting—in short, everything a spy and assassin will need to survive in the field.

The first day Jack Vale meets Ivy, he knows she is not to be underestimated. The second day, he knows his heart will belong to no one else. Between sparring bouts and constellation gazing, Jack takes Ivy under his wing, and the two form a bond that soon turns to love.

While the rest of the world tumbles into war, the two embark on an official mission to take down a madman who has left a trail of blood and murder across Russia. Little do they know the unfathomable peril waiting in the wings of a chaotic Europe.

When Jack and Ivy are thrust into encounters each more terrifying than the last, Ivy must determine how far she will go to save the man she loves. Equal parts historical fiction and adventure novel, Ciesielski’s epic tale of espionage and romance will leave readers both enchanted and thrilled.

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When I come across a book I want to review I usually scan the synopsis briefly to see if I am interested.  It's usually not something I commit to memory, especially if I am familiar with the author in some way.  Sometimes in the interim between agreeing to read the book and actually sitting down to read it, (which can be a couple months) I forget what the book is about.  This book really surprised me.  Caught me off guard.  I have read other books by this author and this book wasn't really like those.  It had a different feel to it that I wasn't expecting.  

There is a constant, pressing forward momentum in this story.  It's got a LOT packed into it's pages.  History, danger, intrigue and evil.  I loved the first half of the book as we learned about Ivy and Phillip, their backstories, how they came to be with the spy organization.  The growing friendship between the two and Jack was a good one.  How can you not sympathize with the plight of orphans?  Scrappy, brilliant orphans who finally find a place to belong.  Yeah, there was some tugging of the heartstrings.

I didn't fully get the romance between Jack and Ivy because it was certainly unconventional and a bit out of the scope of what I understand.  Fighting each other to blood one minute and kissing the next.  Yeah, I don't really get that but I surely did love Jack's complete devotion to Ivy, especially once he took the leap to tell her.  Once he was all in, he was ALL IN.  I love that kind of loyalty and devotion.

The second half of the book definitely grew in intensity.  It was a crazy whirlwind of places, people, intrigue and violence that just got crazier and crazier.  By the time I reached the end, I felt quite over done.  Overwhelmed.  The other aspect I was caught off guard about was the ending.  I didn't realize I would have a cliff hanger ending with some heavy foreshadowing of things to come.  I don't love cliffhangers.  I'm going with a 3.5/5 stars for this one.

This book releases November 1st.

Content:  violence, death, peril, kissing.  Fade to black intimate scene between a married couple.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Slave Queen (An Omar Zagouri Thriller #3) by H.B. Moore

Special Agent Omar Zagouri’s latest case is his most dangerous—and his most personal yet. The discovery of secret sixteenth-century letters unveils a plot between the sultan Suleyman and his chief wife, Roxelane, to change the course of the Ottoman Empire. A descendent of Roxelane, Zagouri learns he has an enemy whose revenge has been centuries in the making.

Targeted by an antiquities collector who’s also descended from a chief rival for the ancient throne, Zagouri soon uncovers a modern-day conspiracy that threatens the lives of his family and the security of a nation.

To expose the plot, Zagouri must team up with Naim, the son of his nemesis, who heads an international black-market operation that may have ties to the killings. From ancient Constantinople to the present-day Middle East, Zagouri is on a collision course with history. Time is running out to solve a royal mystery and stop a ruthless killer—one who has Zagouri’s name on his hit list.

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This is a series I really love for so many reasons.  I am always excited to see another addition to this series and I feel like such a lucky girl to be able to read and review them!  H.B. Moore is right at home with this genre.  It is where she shines for me as an author.

So, this is the third book in this series.  You do not have to read the previous books to understand this book as each book has it's own specific story.  I would recommend starting at the beginning though.  It's such a fun ride and each book is so good.

Now for my many reasons for love.  :)

I love how this book jumps from present day to way back in history.  As Omar tries to unravel a conspiracy in present-day Middle East that involves a group of people trying to overthrow the government and re-establish their place as royalty, we also get the story of the Sultan and his wife that started the whole thing.  It's fantastic.  On one hand we have guns and chases, deadly plots and ruthless people.  On the other hand we have the rise of Roxelane from slave girl to Queen to the Sultan.  The plots are just as deadly, the people just as ruthless, but this side of the story gives us a peek into how it all came about.

H.B. Moore really knows how to write a story rich with history, culture and thrills.  As a reader, I feel like I'm stepping into the thick of things right away.  I have to admit that my favorite bits are when we are way back into history.  The rise of Queen Roxelane is a story I could read all on it's own and be perfectly happy.

If you haven't ever read a book in this series, I would surely recommend that you give it a try.  This series is one of my favorites.

Content:  A few instances of mild swearing.  Slavery. Concubines as part of a harem, and multiple wives.  There are references to sexual instances, but nothing described in any detail.  There is some violence. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lost King (An Omar Zagouri Thriller #2) by H.B. Moore

Undercover agent Omar Zagouri has been ordered to Giza. A prominent Egyptologist was murdered, and a priceless artifact—the only complete version of the Book of the Dead—is missing. Omar is still reeling from the recent disappearance of his girlfriend, Mia Golding, but he puts his quest to find her on hold to track down the lost piece of history.

Omar’s mission is not just to locate the sacred book; he must also rescue the two archaeologists kidnapped and forced to translate its hieroglyphics under threat of death. Their kidnapper is determined to discover the text’s rumored explosive revelation: that Moses did not receive the Ten Commandments from God but instead copied them from the Egyptians. Though Omar’s need to find Mia grows more urgent, he must focus on finding the enemy who will stop at nothing to ignite a controversy that will change history, and the world, forever.

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There are so many things I loved about this book.  This series is one of my favorites by H.B. Moore.  She does a fantastic job of bringing ancient Egyptian history to life.  In this book, we alternate between two stories.  Omar and his mission in the current day and age and Hatshepsut's story from long ago.  

 The pacing of this book is fantastic.  There is never a dull moment- especially when it comes to Omar and his mission.  There are car chases, kidnapping, explosions, gun fights and traitors.  It is exciting and full on the whole way.  I loved it.

Honestly, I think I loved Hatshepsut's story the best.  It was so rich and heartbreaking.  I was caught up in her world- I could see it and feel it and even smell it!  It made me want to dig into the history myself. 

This is the second book in this series.  The first book is "Finding Sheba" and I would recommend reading that book before you start this one.  It will give you the back history you need to understand the characters better.

Content:  Sensuality, sexual situations between a married couple and between unmarried couples.  Some details.

On Tour with Finding Sheba by H.B. Moore

 

 An ancient legend is reborn . . . One that might prove the Bible false. For centuries, historians have theorized the Queen of Sheba as only a seductive legend, and scholars have debated over the legitimacy of King David or King Solomon. When undercover Israeli agent, Omar Zagouri, stumbles onto a tomb in Northern Jerusalem he unknowingly finds the final clue that threatens to overthrow government claim to the Holy Land, pits wealthy collectors against one another, and sends ruthless archaeologists scrambling to find the queen’s secret burial place. An assassination attempt on the Coptic Pope, His Holiness, Patriarch Stephanus II, is only the first in the chain of lethal crimes. Omar must find a way to prevent the greatest discovery of the century from becoming the most deadly.

Wow, this book was packed full of interesting things.  I want to call it a historical thriller but it wasn't really fully historical because obviously it's fiction and it wasn't really a thriller because it wasn't scary or anything but it thrilled me.  :)   Hum, is that clear as mud?  Historical Thriller.

At first I was a bit confused because there are quite a few different characters, all in different places doing different things.  It took me awhile to get to know the characters enough that I felt like things were coming together in my head.  I really did love how all these characters are all on different paths taking them to the same place where they all collide in great climactic force.  It was, well, thrilling.

I love books based on historical things, even loosely.  What an amazing job Ms. Moore has done with research, making this book feel so believable.  I loved the Queen of Sheba story that was interwoven through the book.  I feel like that could have been stretched even longer to a whole book of it's own and I would have gladly bought into it.  

This was just a very satisfying read.  I loved it.

Content:  some violence, including a human sacrifice that was somewhat graphic.

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Heather B. Moore is the award-winning author of ten novels, two inspirational non-fiction books, and two anthologies, including The Newport Ladies Book Club Series, A Timeless Romance Anthology, and Christ’s Gifts to Women (co-authored by Angela Eschler). Her historical fiction is published under the pen name H.B. Moore. She is the two-time recipient of Best of State in Literary Fiction, two-time Whitney Award Winner, and two-time Golden Quill Winner for Best Novel. Her most recent historical novel under H.B. Moore is Daughters of Jared (2012 LUW Gold Award of Excellence & 2012 LUW Best Book Trailer).

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