Queen of Tomorrow is the second book in the Stolen Empire by Sherry D. Ficklin and it rocked its predecessor as Ficklin began Catherine’s transformation. With it the tone of this trilogy darkens and in a word is was brilliant. Set in Russia and loosely based on a young Catharine the Great I found myself swept up as Catherine navigated the Imperial Court.
Death Steppe: A World War II Novel by Judy Bruce transports us to the western Soviet Union as Germany tries to invade. It follows a Russian war window and a German lieutenant whose paths will eventual cross as they deal with the challenges these times bring them. Beautiful, brutal and steeped in faith this tale exposes both the horrors of war and the beauty of love.
The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith is a follow up to his wildly successful Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter novel. I chose to listen as soon as I saw MacLeod Andrews was narrating. This was a riveting alternate travel through history and my travels with Henry Sturges were absolutely delightful.
I am always drawn to tales set during World War II and could not help picking up The Alphabet House by Jussi Adler-Olsen. Alphabet House is a psychological thriller about two British pilots who find themselves behind enemy lines. Their journey to survive finds them being admitted as patients in the Alphabet House, an asylum for Nazi officers. Adler-Olsen takes us on their harrowing journey during the war and after.
Passing through Perfect by Betty Lee Crosby is the third book in the Wyattsville series but will work as a standalone. Crosby brilliantly captivates life in the late 1940’s in a small rural Alabama farming town called Grinder’s Corner. Once again, Crosby weaved her magic and held me spellbound. She has this subtle gift for bringing characters and the period to life.
