Day: March 6, 2023

Posted in Books, Historical Fiction, History, Review

Empress and Solider – Book Review

Posted on by Tawny Molina

I don’t know about you, but I love a good historical fiction story. It gives me my historical fix and usually throws in a pretty entertaining story. Empress and Solider by Marian Thorpe are particularly delightful. Following a girl turned Empress and the son of a merchant turned spy, this intriguing story follows the lives of two different people from two different first-person perfectives. Seeing this ancient drama from an imperial and peasant mindset allows us to see points of view that one aspect of the wartime drama would not have allowed.

Marian Thrope gives us two points of view in Empress and Solider are those of Druisius and Eudekia. Each is a very different character who, through most of the story, has only briefly seen each other and thought of only a few times. This makes sense, however, as the lives of the two are exceptionally different. This ancient Roman-like world that Thrope has given us is a sprawling globe of other countries and people. How could two people from very different aspects of life meet anyway?

You may wonder, is this some out of their league romance story? Yes, and not but not in the way you would think. The main characters have their own lives, so avoid avoiding this book if you are worried about reading the same-old-same-old love story. If you are a fan of historical fiction in original settings, I strongly suggest you pick up this fantastic novel. I will be checking out Thrope’s other books soon!

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Review

Olly and the Spores of Oak Hill – Book Review

Posted on by Tawny Molina

Olly and the Spores of Oak Hill by Glenn Somodi is one of the cutest and most exciting books I have read this year. The story follows Olly as his family moves to Oak Hill in Littleton, Massachusetts, after his grandfather’s violent and unfortunate death. Upon arrival at Littleton, Olly discovers the Spores. These tiny and adorable mushroom-like people have lived in the area for centuries and in several other locations in the country with similar names. With their mutual home at risk, Olly and the Spores band together to find ways to keep Oak Hill from becoming a mall as money-hungry people grab at the land in the small town.

Olly and the Spores of Oak Hill read a classic adolescent adventure. The story is told from the point of view of the main character Olly, a fifteen-year-old boy living in the US. Being a social outcast looking for a way to fit in with a new town and school during the years he starts high school is undoubtedly a character any awkward teen (or former awkward teen) can get behind. This awkwardness makes Olly a particularly easy-to-love character. More so as his internal monologue is remarkably realistic. Through Olly, we also meet other characters who remain equally natural in their flaws and awkwardness.

As this story takes place in a tiny town in Massachusetts centered around mythical mushroom creatures, you may wonder how well the author describes the fictional aspects alongside the factual elements. Well, Glenn Somodi’s underground Spore world is described in vivid detail. The author gives us everything from the little clothing that the spore sometimes wears, including a pair of adorable little overalls on my new favorite character, to detailed descrip[tions about the tunnels and trees the Spores live under. We are even given an elaborate ceremony about how these adorable little people reproduce.

The Spores will live in my mind for a long time. I am looking forward to the rest of their adventures. More of Olly and his family, too, but mostly more Spores, please! They are just so darn cute!

On a semi related note I love the little pictures and treats the author sent along with the book!