Twice Upon a Time - Book Review

Book: Twice Upon a Time

Author: Hope Irving

Publication date: 31 October 2015

Genres: Paranormal, New Adult, Romance

Twice Upon a Time by Hope Irving is the first instalment in the Black Angel Book series. It is the story of the witch Deidre, who, being in love with the calligrapher monk Morgann, casts a spell to reunite their souls in the future. However, while Morgann's hosts remember everything, Deidre's do not.

We later learn that the tale of Deidre and Morgann is believed to be legend, especially amongst calligraphers.

The opening chapter though informative is narrated in a casual manner, not from a once-upon-a-time monk; it wasn't light either. Afterwards, the narration shifts between Rose and the man carrying Morgann's time-travelling soul.

I liked how Hope Irving kept the second narrator's identity a mystery (obviously I'm doing the same).

The idea that Morgann's current form may or may not appeal to Rose or Deidre is interesting and leaves room for possible problems.

"Somehow my soul remembers it all, hers doesn't.
But how will she remember who she was, who we were?
Will seeing me be enough?
Will I need to trigger her memory?
Will she accept me as I am now?"

Twice Upon a Time sets the backdrop for the upcoming books in the series. There is a lot of action, although not much with regards to bringing Deidre's and Morgann's souls back together.

Rose is an ordinary girl, whose heart has been badly broken in previous relationship. Here, she comes to spend the summer with her American side of the family. She deeply seeks to get her mind off the previous relationship and the man who broke her, G.

Rose is also a cutter and I particularly liked how Irving maintained this trait throughout the novel, even when Rose was happy, giving a realistic side to a paranormal story.

"Gifted Deirdre cast the spell that enabled our souls to eventually be reunited. She couldn't bear for us to be apart, and neither could I."

I did not enjoy the too much drinking part of the novel; I felt it was overdone. But that's just me.

Having been in the search for Deirdre's soul for-ever, Morgann or his host seems unable to comprehend that he may have found her, putting him off balance, and making him think irrationally. I liked that. Although, I felt sometimes he was way too irrational (but that's the norm in relationships now, especially when you make assumptions).

Getting viewpoints of the two protagonists allows the reader to guess at events and see beyond what is going on. There were parts when I was biting my nails with worry and others when I was telling off the characters or just going on "No. No. Nooooo!" (So you can probably say it's a bit of an interactive novel.)

"She had faith in me, so I have no choice but to have faith in me, too."

Twice Upon a Time is filled with active, fun, interesting and recurring characters, giving the novel a realistic side. The group barely sleeps; however, they do give Rose a breather, allowing her to get her mind off G. often.

Falling under the romance and new adult genres, the novel includes more than just kissing. In addition, Rose's desires are awakened all of sudden and need to be satiated.

"There is no way to find a logical way to deal with this when logic isn't involved."

There isn't major character development for the two protagonists, however, this is expected considering the tale will continue in other parts and hasn't seen major progress in this book. Although Rose does develop a bit, at least she figures out what she wants and that she can't wait for her crush to grow up or take a decision, Morgann's host seems to require several hard slaps on the face to wake him up.

Although there aren't many profound images in the novel, Twice Upon a Time has many beautiful quotes. I also liked the idea of calligraphy and how it connects the characters together, including Rose and her new crush. The following bit will you give you an idea on what I mean.

"To make it work, I have to focus like I do in calligraphy with the ductus; its' the same mechanism: one step at a time in a specific order. I have to remember to breathe. To ensure the fairytale ends well, I will stand by her side until she trusts me and she's ready for me. At last."

I liked that the ending to Twice Upon a Time was different from what I expected.

Overall rating: 4 stars

Note: I received a free copy of Twice Upon a Time from author Hope Irving in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading the next part(s) in the series, which I've been told are likely to be published in 2016.

Also, check out these extracts/excerpts from the novel, here and here.

Connect with Hope Irving:

Her newsletter: http://goo.gl/zXx2ho

Facebook: https://goo.gl/qPcwkO

Twitter: @HI_author

Pinterest: https://goo.gl/vBCeIKEndFragment    

Goodreads - Book page: https://goo.gl/4HSedH

Goodreads - Author page: https://goo.gl/cqRkhW

Blog: https://goo.gl/s53bEM

Twice Upon A Time playlist on YouTube: 

Historical fiction meets mystery in Sharlene Almond's Initiated to Kill - Book Review

Synopsis:

Two men, two different generations, both initiated into a powerful organisation that throughout history has sought control and use their power for destruction.

Two men leaving behind a wake of murder, revenge and vengeance. Two men that will stop at nothing, playing a game that only they know the rules.

One man roams the dark London streets for his victims, preying on women of the night. While the other stalks his victims in Seville, Spain; knowing that only he could uncover the true motives of one of the world’s most infamous serial killers – Jack the Ripper.

Book Review

Initiated to Kill by Sharlene Almond is a historical thriller and mystery alternating between modern day Spain and late 19th century Britain, the time of the notorious Jack the Ripper.

The book is good but not a light read; the reader has to be one that doesn't mind being confused at times.

There are two types of narration in the novel, third person for recounting events and sometimes the thoughts of certain characters, as well as the first person for who we later discover is Annabella, a student at Seville University. There are also letters written by Jack the Ripper.

Annabella has a scar on the back of her neck, while she doesn't have complete memory of how she got the scar; she knows that on that day she lost her ability to hear.

There are several mysteries in Initiated to Kill, some are major and some minor. Sharlene Almond constantly gives the reader bread crumbs of information, keeping the novel interesting at all times.

One of the things I enjoyed about the novel was Annabella's insights. Being deaf, she has to rely on her other instincts and observations of facial expressions, enabling her to decipher more than what people actually hear. She is able to decipher tiny gestures that can easily be invisible to the average person but not to her.

I also liked the short chapters in Initiated to Kill, which, along with pace, help the novel progress quickly especially since it's a long novel.

"But now, something was approaching. Something that felt like a train hurtling along the tracks, unable to stop or slow down. A train that would end in a wreck, lives ruined and lives lost."

The novel opens with a scene from the past related to masonic events and rituals. Shortly after, we are introduced to the mystery of a missing girl and the detectives Valero and Rivero, who despite trying hard to find the culprit(s), are always a step or two behind.

Until chapter 87, the perpetrator is a mystery, only referred to as "he" and "him". From one side, the investigators don't know who he is, and from the other, we as readers see him luring the girls, who see him as someone they trust but we don't get his name.

The novel has a lot of characters, but each of them has a role to play. At first, I thought there was no need to mention the names of the prostitutes from the Jack the Ripper scenes, but later I realised that these names were the actual names of the victims from that period, highlighting the historical aspect of the novel.

"A glass smashed, a door banged closed. Silence filled her ears. An unwanted tear ran down her cheek. She peered at the sun, wishing the magic that would turn the moon to the sun would take her away. But nothing would rescue her, and she could not leave."

Usually when the reader feels that an answer to one of the many questions has been revealed, several more arise.

One of the things that didn't go well with me in Initiated to Kill was the going to and back in the timeline. There is the time of Jack the Ripper, which is clear, but there are references to Annabella's childhood, other events in the past and events in the present. There is a lot of jumping between the present and the past, which in turn is divided into several periods, some are from the late 1800s and some are from the 20th and 21st centuries.

I would have preferred that the going in back in time parts were clearer, especially for Annabella and in order: 1999, 2000, 2001 and so on.

I also did not enjoy not knowing who was speaking or who the character in front of me was in several chapters. There was a lot of he/she that caused more confusion than suspense – for me at least.

There are parallel assassins across time; there is Jack the Ripper and a modern day psychopath with similar traits. I liked making a kind of compare and contrast, especially after delving deeper into the novel.

Once the reader feels they've got a grip on things, the author catapults us backwards or forwards in time and things become confusing once more.

"Another night of dreams left a nauseous feeling in my gut. That something was going to happen. I never believed in psychics, never believed I had any ability. But the overwhelming sense that something bad was going to happen intensified every night."

An interesting and new element in Initiated to Kill was the introduction of a new character towards the end of the novel, which added to the mystery and overgrowing list of suspicious characters.

The overall pace of the novel is quick, but it picks up significantly towards the end with a lot of action and chasing of the culprits or more victims. However, this rise in pace brings in additional confusion, especially when the police discover that there seems to be several perps.

My copy has several typos and spelling mistakes – that bothered me, a lot. There was also a lot of repetition in certain places like:

"Stepping back, he allowed them into his spacious office. Mahogany furniture dominated the spacious office."

Furthermore, two other mysteries arise at the end of the novel, namely: the identity of Annabella's father and the reason why the perpetrator wants her dead.

I both liked and disliked Almond's way of leading – or misleading – the reader in thinking who the perpetrator is and guessing at other events and character in the novel.

"Celestina's absence was like a hot coal refusing to extinguish."

A reader of Initiated to Kill would also need to be strong enough to handle some gritty and grotesque scenes, particularly those related to Jack the Ripper. The novel also requires a lot of patience and thinking. It's not a book you can read before you go to sleep (it's gritty in some parts) and it needs someone who is alert and ready to think.

Sharlene Almond, is applauded for the massive amounts of research carried out for Initiated to Kill, as well as the beautiful descriptions used with a variety of places, especially the University of Seville.

The confusion aspect in the novel was tiresome for me; hence, my overall rating is 3 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of Initiated to Kill from author Sharlene Almond in exchange for an honest review.

Note: Although I finished this novel a couple of months ago, it's taken me a while to write my review due to the complexity of the novel and the massive amount of bookmarks and notes I've put in and written. (My apologies for the delay)

That Other Me by Maha Gargash – Book Review

Book: That Other Me

By: Maha Gargash

Publisher: Harper Perennial (HarperCollin's)

Publication date: 26 January 2016

That Other Me by Emirati author Maha Gargash is a novel of beautiful prose handling the lives of members in one Emirati family and the workings within that family. It is a story of how very different women rebel against one man. 

Set in Egypt and the UAE in 1995, the novel covers various themes such as women, education, love, family, duty, and entitlement.

It is narrated in the first person perspectives of Majed, his daughter from a secret marriage Dalal, and his niece Mariam. We get some history pertaining to Majed and his brother Hareb, who is Mariam's father.

Majed is an obnoxious character with many faults, constantly berating those around him. I liked how Gargash enables the reader to see these faults through Majed's speech and thoughts. We don't need to know what others think of him; we get to do that for ourselves through him. The same method applies to Dalal, although Mariam is aware of some her own faults.

Moreover, each character has more than one fault, making the reader like and dislike each and every character, except possibly Majed who is also a misogynist.  

"I'd overpowered them. I'd broken them and slashed their resolve."

There is also the idea of Hareb's death. Mariam blames her uncle for her father's stroke, whereas Majed constantly compares himself to his older brother. He tries to highlight how the company is better under his management and how his brother was too naïve. Mariam also struggles in silence because of this burden of her father's death.

"[Adel] wants me to open up, but how can I with all this self-blame, this guilt that runs as deep as the river to my side, as thick as the silt at the bottom."

Both Dalal and Mariam have some haughtiness when dealing with Egyptians; however, we see that Dalal is a lot more like her father in terms of pride, condescension and haughtiness.

Although they are fairly good friends, the cousins are very different both in their attitudes and their view of the world. Dalal may be younger but she understands men and the world better than her older cousin.

Dalal is mostly ignored by her father Majed, who divorced her mother and left them in Egypt in the slums of Imbaba – as punishment. He also has several spies tailing them to see what they're up to and thwart any plans to hurt the family name "Al-Naseemy".

"The spies my father sends to watch us – there are two of them tonight – are caught off guard too. As mama breezes past them, one is quick to pretend he is looking for some important item in his pocket, while the other drops to the ground to tie his shoelaces, even though he is wearing sandals. What a clumsy duo!"

There was character development, whether good or bad, not only for the three main characters, but for others as well. Readers will be surprised by some transformations.

The theme of entitlement is evident especially with Majed and Dalal, to the point of irritation and scariness. Majed's selfishness and berating attitude is constant throughout the novel, not only with his subordinates but also with his wife, his children and Zohra, his secret wife. We see him mistreating everyone and no one stands up to him except Zohra and later Dalal, who tries anything and everything to defy him, and finally another character (no spoilers, sorry!).

At one point, Majed says he will change his ways and embark on a path of righteousness; however, this endeavour is quickly tainted by his ulterior motive to marry off his niece in order to get rid of her. He also considers the wealth of her matches in order to acquire additional wealth for himself and his business.

Although Mariam is older than Dalal, she is less outgoing and extremely shy to the extent that she can't summon the courage to say "good morning" to her crush, Adel, which appears to be a childish and fantastical crush. Adel is a minor character in the novel, but he helps Mariam – eventually – mature a bit in her dreamy view of him and the world.

"Always, my courage drained like water down a bathtub. I could almost hear the gurgle and slurp of it as my mouth turned dry."

The word choice and flow in That Other Me is simply beautiful. I enjoyed Gargash's writing A LOT. The words just flowed on the page, prompting me to carry on. The switching of viewpoints kept the novel interesting. You want to know what happens next.

I liked how Gargash managed to maintain the time frame and background information through the three perspectives. You do not feel lost. You also get to see each character's observations regarding one particular event like Hareb's death or Dalal's actions.

The novel also handles the themes of parenthood and love (both family and romance). Dalal constantly tries to earn the love and admiration of those around her, at first with her father, then her mother then others.

"Clara had a sweet voice that often grew croaky at the end of the day as she tended to my incessant needs. Whenever she felt a tantrum brewing, she would burst into song at the top of her voice… One day my father shouted at her, accusing her of scaring me. I liked that he did that. I thought it showed his love for me."

With Zohra, Dalal's mother, the reader begins to worry that the mother may not have her daughter's best interest at heart, as seen when she tries to get quick fame for Dalal while obviously trying to spite her ex-husband, Majed.

There is also the theme of women and education. The story begins with Mariam, who is under Majed's care, studying dentistry in Egypt. We get the views of other women in her family regarding education. For the grandmother, Mama Al-Ouda, a girl should only learn to read and write. Travelling abroad to be educated is not natural and spoils a girl's mind.

We see that one of the women on the side of Majed's wife, Aisha, is an independent woman, a source of disgust and contempt for Majed.

"It was in the early 1980s that, after a couple of years of marriage, she divorced her husband with the excuse that he was a lazy drunk, indifferent toward her. To the chagrin of her family, she didn't go back to live with them. Instead, she rented an apartment and sought employment at the Ministry of Public Works. Then she took study leave to get a degree in architectural engineering (a most unusual vocation for a woman)… and returned to the Ministry once she was done to work as an engineer in the Tenders and Contracts Department. What business does she have sticking her nose in a man's world, as if she were his equal?"

This issue of education remains till today in the poorer parts of the Arab world, Egypt included, as the elderly believe women need to become wives and mothers before being educated or allowed to work.

A reader of That Other Me needs to remember that this is a work of fiction as it has some scathing views of the ultra-wealthy Emiratis.

I liked Gargash's use of Arabic words, some of which are non-translatable, while others were used to give a better feel of the novel and the settings, like "habibchi" as said by Dalal's manager.

The imagery in That Other Me is brilliant, constant and fresh. There are a lot of scenes and speeches worth highlighting/quoting/noting throughout the book. (I'm holding myself back).

I loved Gargash's use of poetic justice. Simply wicked!

Overall, That Other Me is an enjoyable, mind-provoking and flowing read. I'll definitely be interested in reading more of Maha Gargash's work in the future.

Note: The number of quotes I highlighted in the novel is HUGE. Naturally, I couldn't quote them.

Note: I received a reviewers' copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you :)