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Mini Reviews (19)



I have really enjoyed Ms. Kostova's books in the past so when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it.  I know next to nothing about Bulgaria so I was fascinated by the history and view of the country itself that was relayed in this story.  The story has a variety of very unique characters who somehow all manage to meet up in their efforts to return the ashes to their rightful owners.  The story bounced between the past and present lives of several characters and I liked that the reader got a glimpse of Bulgaria's history from different points of view.  My one complaint about this book was that it was too long.  The story dragged on at times and I think it could have been condensed a bit.  Otherwise, a very enjoyable read.  3 stars.



I have always been intrigued by Anne Boleyn as a historical figure.  She's very complicated and I think that this book made clear how complicated of a person she was.  This book is a very detailed, sweeping view of Anne Boleyn's life from a very young age until her death.  It is clear that Ms. Weir did an extensive amount of research (as she always does) and really tried to provide some balance to Anne's life and personality.  There were points in the story where I really did not like Anne at all and parts where I felt bad for her and the position she was in.  Ms. Weir is very sympathetic to Anne in her portrayal even though Anne is pretty awful in some parts.  I will also add that this is a very long book; it really does go into depth regarding Anne's rise and fall.  Because of this the story did seem to move slowly at times; it definitely seemed like I would never see Anne and Henry get married.  We all know how  Anne's story ends but I think the author took it one step too far and things got kind of weird.  Like really weird.  Beside that, it was a good read for those who are fans of the Tudor era.  I definitely look forward to the next book in the series. 3 stars.
I received both books from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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  1. AudraJune 7, 2017 at 8:28 AM

    Ooooh, both sound good. I've never read any of Kostova's stuff, but bloggers always seem to like her work.

    ReplyDelete

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