Her story begins on a train. The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo. Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move. But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission? Synopsis from Goodreads. ✱ Pages: 388 (hardcover) ✱ Publication date: October 2015 ✱ Series: Wolf by Wolf #1 ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | Amazon US

I went in only knowing that this was an alternate history where Hitler lived. Pretty interesting (and scary) premise, right?

The Plot

I can't believe I actually read a book that's basically about motorcycle racing. I have absolutely no interest in motorcycles or racing... or motorcycle racing. But Wolf by Wolf is so good. I got really caught up in the plot, especially because the story-telling happens in the 'then' and 'now' - describing Yael's childhood and the horrors she has seen, as well as the deadly race she is caught in, in the present. Wolf by Wolf keeps moving at a fast pace (literally and figuratively), and there's something really original about this alternate history.

Yael

A superb protagonist who faces her problems head on and struggles to do what she thinks is right,Yael is interesting and relatable. Because of her peculiar ability to skinshift ( - to change her looks at will), she takes on what could be the most important task in the resistance against Hitler, and she concentrates on that mission in a way that really makes you respect her. The rest of the resistance is easy to side with too, and the other characters who take part in the Axis Tour get more and more interesting as the story progresses and we learn about them, little by little.

Important Themes

Graudin's brilliant writing brings the story to life and makes us wonder about questions of morality and identity. These are pretty big themes to grapple with, but it's done extremely well: Yael's ability to skinshift makes you wonder what it is that makes a person who they are. If you can change the way you look, who does that make you? Questions of morality come up too - is it right to do things that are wrong if it's for the greater good? Important things are explored in a very smart way in this story, and I couldn't help but appreciate that.

Exciting and exceedingly enjoyable, Wolf by Wolf is an amazing work of alternate history.

Have you read this one or other books that focus on alternate history?

I'm catching up on my ARCs - and you'll be delighted to know (or not) that I finally ventured into historical romance (yes, I'm looking at you, Ezrah!).

Orphaned and living at Fellsworth School, Isabel Creston and her young stepsister Lizzie go from the strict morales of Fellsworth to the high-handed care and guidance of an aunt that Isabel can't even remember meeting. Things at their new home, Emberwilde, are very different from the school, something strange is going on in the woods near the estate, and somehow Isabel finds herself with two possible suitors. ✱ Pages: 352 (ebook) ✱ Series: Treasures of Surrey #2 (stories in series not strictly related) ✱ Publication: May 2016 (Thomas Nelson) ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | ✱ Amazon US

The cover is pretty. I was feeling guilty for avoiding things labelled 'romance.' I thought maybe it was fate?

I'm pretty picky when it comes to romance in books. It's either because I'm not a romantic, or because I'm too much of a one. Who knows? Whatever the case, I feel hesitant about picking up books that actually focus on the romance - because I'm so afraid of them getting it wrong and ruining it for me. Luckily for me, in addition to a sweet romance, Dawn at Emberwilde also provided some intrigue in the form of a nice sub-plot, so overall I was a happy camper.

The characters are the driving force here, and Isabel is precisely the kind of protagonist I like: caring, stubborn, and knows her own mind. Especially when it comes to a historical setting, I appreciate a woman actually having agency - or at least trying to achieve it. Alternating points-of-view for the chapters make the story move efficiently, and we get to know the two main characters, Isabel and Mr. Galloway. well enough to care about their happiness.

So yes, I did like this HR novel. It was sweet and innocent and romantic and I enjoyed every page of it, okay? (No, I'm not being overly defensive.)

Against my initial expectations, I did enjoy this one. If you have a sweet-tooth and you're in the mood for a light Regency romance, look no farther ;)

So. Would it be acceptable to go on a bender and start on pride & prejudice next?

 

What are your feelings about historical romance? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments :)

Click to add on Goodreads! "Reader, I murdered him." A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Firstly: I admit to requesting this book based on my first impression of the cover: it is beautiful, and I'm not denying it.

Secondly: This book surprised me so many times, and in so many ways.

Thirdly: Go read it. It is delightful.

Orphaned at a young age, Amelia spends her formative years in an orphanage. After being emancipated at 18, she soon ends up moving to Washington, D.C., determined to become a female lobbyist. Eventually, she gets hired by the National Women's Suffrage Association, and towards the end of the 19th century, starts lobbying for the constitutional amendment that would grant women the right to vote.

Remember the Ladies is a debut novel of astonishing historical detail, which also provides us with a witty, resourceful female protagonist trying to make it in a man's world, The first half of the book is very much centred on Amelia, from the moment she is orphaned, to her entrance to the political game, It made me feel really close to Amelia, and I felt I could understand her decisions very well. The second half offers us another perspective on the politics and what goes on behind the scenes, as some of the chapters are written from the perspective of Senator Edward Stillman.

Published: May 2014, Scribner

After two or three days of idly reading 60 pages at a time, I suddenly got so hooked that I had to stay up until 2am to finish it. Like many novels set in World War II, All the Light We Cannot See is touching, thought-provoking, and a bit upsetting at times.

Werner is a German boy who ends up fighting in the second world war when he is only sixteen. Marie-Laure is a blind French girl who escapes Paris with her father to Saint-Malo to live with her uncle Etienne. The events unfold over many years, and the two very different perspectives on the war work extremely well and make the story a strikingly touching account of WWII. One of my favourite things about All the Light is the way it gives you a perspective to both sides, and makes you sympathise with (some of) the Germans as well as the French.