The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

Historical Fiction fantasy with the thrill of adventure!

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Book Description

An adventurous quest in Renaissance Italy with undercurrents of the supernatural, powers that could change the balance of supremacy throughout Europe.

To the casual observer, Battista della Paglia is an avid art collector, or perhaps a nimble thief. In reality, the cunning Italian is an agent for François, the King of France, for whom he procures the greatest masterpieces of the day by any means necessary. Embroiled in a power struggle with Charles V, the King of Spain, François resolves to rule Europe's burgeoning cultural world. When he sets his sights on a mysterious sculpture, Battista's search for the elusive objet d'art leads him to a captivating woman on a mission of her own. . .

Having spent her life under the controlling eye of her protector, the Marquess of Mantua, Aurelia longs for freedom. And she finds it in Battista. Together, they embark on a journey to find the clues that will lead him to the sculpture-- a venture so perilous it might have spilled from the pen of Dante himself. From the smoldering depths of Rome to a castle in the sky, the harrowing quest draws them inextricably together. But Aurelia guards a dark secret that could tear them apart--and change the course of history. . .

THE KING’S AGENT is based on the real life of Battista della Palla—a patriotic plunderer, a religious rogue—of the 16th century, a lifelong friend to the great Michelangelo. To some he is an avid art collector, or perhaps a nimble thief. In reality, the cunning Italian is an agent for François, the King of France, for whom he procures the greatest masterpieces of the day by any means necessary. When François sets his sights on a mysterious sculpture, Battista’s search for the elusive object leads him to a woman with a mission of her own.


As the cloistered ward of the Marquess of Mantua, the Lady Aurelia is a woman with a profound duty, and a longing for adventure. In search of the relic, Battista and Aurelia cross the breathtaking landscape of Renaissance Italy. Clues hide in great works of art—symbols that speak of other worldly forces—political forces collide, secret societies and enemies abound, and danger lurks in every challenge, those that mirror the passages of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Book Review

The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin is a fun historical fantasy adventure set in Renaissance Italy. At the heart of the story is Battista della Palla, a true historical figure, who is an art aficionado/procurer who is searching for a sculpture that will convince the King of France to lend his support to defend Florence. While committing an art theft, Lady Aurelia comes to his rescue and convinces him to take her with him in his adventures. As they work to unlock the mystery based upon Dante’s Divine Comedy, they trek perilously in dark corridors beneath dark castles, muddle through labyrinths, find openings to secret doors, and discover mysterious clues that lead to dark secrets.

Michelangelo is a minor character and his relationship with Aurelia is quite endearing as the story unfolds. The pages of this novel are filled with brilliant descriptions and dazzling details, typical of Donna Russo Morin’s style. This novel is a remarkably intricate and captivating romance sprinkled with intrigue, adventure, gothic style labyrinths, history, art, mystery, and much more. Rich and complex, there is something here for every reader. As inspiration for this work, the author reveals her passion for the video game Zelda, which helped her build a strong foundation with her this sons as they were growing up. I also enjoyed following Dante's Inferno as the mystery of the story was revealed.

This was a novel to savour and enjoy the richness that leaps off every page as you read it. Highly recommended.

AUTHOR BIO

Donna Russo Morin was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1958. Her writing endeavors began at age six and covered such timely topics as The Pink Pussy Cat for President and The Numbers 2 and 4 are in Love.

Traveling through adolescence on the wings of the ‘60s gave Donna a lot of grist for her writing mill. Feminism, civil rights, the Vietnam War were all a disturbing yet highly motivating muse. Donna found her voice in fiction and with the appearance of a new horror writer on the book scene, a little known author named Stephen King, she turned her pen to the gruesome and the grotesque.

After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Donna worked in marketing and advertising for large corporations and small non-profit arts organizations. When she had her children, she knew with a certainty that she needed to show them, by example, that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

In addition to writing and teaching writing, Donna has worked as a model and actor since the age of seventeen, when she did her first television commercial for Sears. Since then she has appeared in more than thirty television spots and print ads, everything from changing the oil in her car (that was acting) to modeling fur coats. She also appeared in three episodes of Showtime’s THE BROTHERHOOD, as well as in Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED.

Donna lives peacefully, close to the beautiful shoreline of Rhode Island that she loves so much, with her two sons, Devon and Dylan, her greatest works in progress.

Artemis Rising, by Cheri Lasota

Myth and legend unite in Cheri Lasota’s hauntingly beautiful debut novel, Artemis Rising. Even with such an intricate plotline, this book is a highly engaging read that will sweep you away with its lyrical passages.



The story begins as Eva’s mother is mentoring her in the rites of the pagan goddess, Artemis. Eva takes the name of the water nymph, Arethusa, and thus consigns her fate to the myth surrounding the nymph, who was pursued by the river god, Alpheus. But Arethusa’s father, a strict Catholic, discovers them and ships them off to the Azores. Soon, Arethusa finds herself the object of attention of the ship owner’s son, the darkly handsome and possessive Diogo.



When a storm wrecks the ship, Arethusa awakens in the arms of her shy rescuer, the soft-spoken Tristao. Now parentless, Arethusa must suffer the derision of her fellow orphans. Diogo soon appears at her bedside and Arethusa begins to believe that he is her Alpheus.



Soon, another legend arises in Arethusa’s life – the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde. While struggling to unravel these two ancient tales and their often disturbing correlation to the events in her own life, Arethusa searches for the strength within herself to discover her own destiny.



While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the myth and legend that Lasota has so skillfully laid out here, this book is surprising in both its depth and its message. It gets even more intense as it nears the end. The characters are solid and true. Most of all, Arethusa is a unique heroine of uncommon strength who will have you rooting for her all the way. It’s a love story unlike any other, making Artemis Rising even more memorable.

Sword of Neamha by Stephen England

In Stephen England’s the Sword of Neamha, Cadwalador of the Aeudi tribe sets out from northern Gaul with his beleaguered people, fleeing from certain annihilation by other tribes. Life takes him on an unexpected adventure. He makes fateful choices that determine his destiny and ensure the fate of his people.

Cadwalador is a young man in the service of a Gallic chieftain, who is heir to the leader of the Aeudi. The tribe is under siege and flees their shores, intent on conquering the land of Erain (Ireland), with stops along the way on the island of tin (the future Britain). Cadwalador’s chieftain inspires others to flow his banner, with two fatal weaknesses: his love of strong drink and his ruthless ambitions. He is a dangerous man, made even more so when he is drunk. He earns the enmity of one of the mercenaries in his service, Cavarillos, after an ill-advised attack on a village sees scores of Aeudi die needlessly. Cadwalador counted Cavarillos among his friends, but the two have a bitter parting when the young man chooses his chieftain’s life over helping his friend. It is a decision that will shape Cadwalador’s life. He pays a heavy price for his loyalty and, in the end, loses more than he expected. He also helps forge a powerful legend across the land, but with ruthless enemies closing in on all sides, it’s not always certain that legend will be enough to win the day.  

Several elements stood out in this story. Despite the foreign and often un-pronounceable Celtic names, there were familiar themes. There is the flush of first victory and first love, as well as bitter treachery and defeat, enough to entertain historical fans who like gritty action. The scenes are visceral. There’s blood and guts everywhere. The action never stops, even in what should be quiet family moments for Cadwalador. Of all the things I admired about Mr. England’s style, it was the way in which he creates sympathy for his characters, especially those who at the outset don’t seem to deserve it. Even his villains have justifiable reasons for their murderous nature. The Sword of Neamha is a fascinating read for anyone who like historical fiction set in the Celtic or early Britannic period, or those who enjoy epic battle scenes and action that propels the characters through upheaval and triumph.        

Available at Smashwords, B&N and Lulu. Also,  

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook and Lewis Carroll

Nickolas Cook's novel Alice in Zombieland is a dark, charmingly twisted retelling of Lewis Carroll's original Alice in Wonderland. When Alice takes a stroll through an old graveyard, she encounters the mysterious Black Rat and follows him down an open grave. Hitting her head on the leaning tombstone, she falls and falls, seeing rotting bones and skulls and other frightening symbols of death before she reaches the bottom. That's when the nightmare truly begins.

While playing the well-known game of the "Drink Me" potion versus the "Eat Me" cake, Alice hits her head again, which causes her to bleed profusely and create a pool of blood. Poor Alice is then troubled by curious, terrifying changes in herself. She's cold, her skin is pale blue and rotting, and her teeth and hair are falling out. On top of that, she's desperately craving a taste of the various zombies, monsters, and other characters she meets during her journey through Zombieland.

Many of Carroll's well-known characters make an appearance in Cook's retelling, such as the Undead Cheshire Cat, the Zombie Mad Hatter, and the Dead Hare; but despite these characters' ghoulish charm, it is the Dead Red Queen who is the real terror of the story. Why does she insist on putting jeweled collars on all the zombies? What is the purpose of that strange box? Will Alice be able to keep her head during a game of zombie croquet? But the most troubling question of all is Alice herself. With these horrifying changes to her body and mind, will Alice ever be able to leave Zombieland, or is she its newest permanent resident?

Published by Sourcebooks in March 2011, Alice in Zombieland is filled with intriguing, yet disturbing characters and locations. Cook's Alice is both creepy and sympathetic, and the strange people and creatures she meets will make the reader both laugh and shudder. Zombieland's spine-chilling settings will make the reader feel as if they stumbled into a charming nightmare that they will never want to leave.

Cook is a master of retelling a classic tale with a delightfully dark twist, and he kept me guessing at what would happen next to little Alice and her newfound "friends." I believe this book is destined for great things, and I can't wait to read more of Nickolas Cook's fascinating tales.

The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden

The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden

On the banks of the ageless Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the young Caliph Rashid al-Hasan rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. Cairo is awash in deception. In the shadow of the Gray Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of the power grand vizier. In the crowded souks and narrow alleys, warring factions employ murder and terror to silence their opponents. Egypt bleeds. And the scent draws her enemies in like sharks: the swaggering Kurd Shirkuh, who serves the pious Sultan of Damascus and Almaric, the Christian king of Jerusalem, whose greed is insatiable and whose knights are hungry for battle.

And yet all is not lost. There is an old man who lives on a remote mountainside in a distant land. He holds the power of life and death over the warring factions of the Muslim world – and decides to come to the Caliph’s aid. He sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife…

The strength of the book is, perhaps best demonstrated by how many “rules” Oden breaks within the first two pages and yet, you won’t be able to put the book down. The novel starts with the much-villain-ized prologue. If you're a writer, you might have heard about that rule on not starting a novel in the middle of a fight because the reader won’t know who to cheer for? Yup, he breaks that rule, too. And by the end of that four page fight scene, I couldn’t have cared less how many rules Mr. Oden broke as long as one intriguing tool – the knife – was explained.

Mr. Oden did not disappoint me in that or any other aspect of the book. In fact, he managed to surprise me.  

Oden killed off a few characters I had come to like and did not expect to die. However, their deaths have meaning and power.  Assad, the Assassin or Emir of the Knife, is probably considered an antihero in that he rejects every core value of the normal human except for loyalty to his master. He is not particularly likeable, but he is compelling. When he entered a scene, I could not put the book down until he disappeared again and because of that, I felt like I liked him by the end of the book. Would I like to meet him in an alley? No. Way. But as a character, I still can’t wait for his return.

Lion of Cairo is an amazing tapestry of faith, betrayal, loss and just a little bit of love. If you enjoy books centered around warfare and political intrigue, run, don’t walk to the bookstore and buy this one.

Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

Review by Sheila R. Lamb

Wickedly Charming offers a new twist on historical fantasy. Set in the present day, Charming and Mellie are torn between their contemporary lives and the world they left behind, hundreds of years in the past. Through various portals, fairy tale characters are able to travel back and forth between the mythical Kingdom and the present day Greater World.

Charming doesn’t really go by Charming. Not now. In modern Los Angeles, he’s known as bookseller Dave Econto. He rarely returns back to the fairy tale world of the Third Kingdon, not since Ella (aka CinderElla) divorced him, taking their two daughters with her.

Mellie is angry and for good reason. Her step-daughter, a Miss White, told the world that Mellie tried to murder her. And now Mellie is trying to overcome the untrue accusations, by organizing the activist group, PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Archetypes. When Mellie bumps into Dave at an LA bookfair, sparks fly. Literally. The recognize each other from their past lives in the Kingdom world. 

As Charming figures out “...you and I met at a party ... a century or two ago when someone decided we should clear up the Charming mess and the stepmother gossip and see if we could take care of those Brothers Grimm.”

First, the two modern day fairy tale misfits have to overcome some stereotypes of their own. She knows he is one of family of Charming’s. He knows she is a Stepmother. They dance around their attraction to each other until Charming’s jealousy of one of Mellie’s supposed dates, Bourke, causes a humorous scene in an L.A. coffeeshop.

“ ‘I think you should stop talking now,’ Mellie said to Bourke. 

Charming recognized that tone. It was a warning tone, one that the magical used in the Kingdoms as fair notice that magic was about to occur. 

‘Don’t Mellie,’ Charming said softly.

She ignored him.

‘You think I should stop talking, do you, your highness?’ Bourke asked.

It took Charming a second to realize that Bourke was using the phrase sarcastically.”

As the two forge a rocky friendship, Charming tries to help Mellie tell her side of the story by offering to be her ghostwriter. In the meantime, Ella gives him full custody of their two daughters, and Charming finds himself  with his hands full a single father. He must protect his girls from school bullies and try to explain why their mother has disappeared. 

Mellie is reluctant to help, given her bad standing as a stepmother already.  Slowly, she begins to make overtures to Charming’s daughters, and a tenuous relationship between the three women in Charming’s life begins to develop. Soon, Charming and Mellie can no longer deny their wickedly magical attraction to each other.

A fun and delightful story, read Wickedly Charming and find out what really happens to “happily ever after!”


Wickedly Charming will be published by Sourcebooks in April 2011.

The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman

    

Two Pearls of Wisdom is easily one of the best, most inventive works of fantasy I've ever read. Superb writing, characters and character development were precise and sometimes surprising and the world building was on a level seldom seen.

For instance, have you ever heard of magic built around the twelve animals of the zodiac and the Chinese belief in meridian points within the human body? In answer to the first question: yes, once. In answer to the second question: never unless you count traditional Chinese mythology. In 37 years of reading fantasy, I have never come across something quite this inventive. I wish I'd thought of it, but I can only admire.

Eon is a crippled boy with the unusual ability to see all twelve mystical dragons of the zodiac. Eon is also not a boy, but Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who will be killed for presuming upon a man's position if she's discovered. To complicate matters, the Emperor lies on his deathbed. His brother and Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye, seek to make the "String of Pearls," a weapon of unholy power, and with it, change the world. Eona must learn to trust her power and find the strength to face a vicious enemy who would seize her magic and her life.

If you love political intrigue and fantasy as much as I do, then you're probably longing for a unique take on the genre. "The Two Pearls of Wisdom" is it and it's the first in a series.  Please be aware, in the U.S., the book's title is "Eon: Dragoneye Reborn." (Ms. Goodman is Australian and "Two Pearls" is the original Australian title.) I don't do spoilers, but I can tell you this was obviously planned as a series of books. "The Necklace of the Gods" won't be one of those sequels that happened because a sequel was the unplanned, but most expedient literary offering. "Two Pearls" is a stand alone novel that clearly paves the way for what must happen next.

Based on the first book, I look forward to another magical story unfolding.

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe

Dreibrand Veta is a skilled warrior from an impoverished and disgraced noble family. Angered by the actions of his military leader, Dreibrand rides off into an unexplored wilderness, hoping to gain wealth and fame by his discoveries of this new world. Alone and vulnerable, he encounters Miranda, a woman with two children who have fled the beatings of a cruel and abusive slave master.

In this secret land, Queen Onja reigns as supreme goddess of the Rys. Her powers are far reaching. She can enter the mind of her subjects and enemies, controlling them at her whim. Shan is a spellcaster with magical powers that rival those of Queen Onja's. Although he is her most respected advisor, he becomes disenchanted with her degrading cruelty. For years he has awaited to usurp her throne in order to save the kingdom.

When Onja steals Miranda's children and leaves her to freeze to death on a glacier, Shan rises to action. Together with Dreibrand, they rescue Miranda. Shan plans his rebellion and the three set out to convince the leaders of other Rys tribes to join them in rebellion against Onja.

This book was a very pleasant surprise, gripping me from its first few chapters. The three dimensional characters were intriguing and believable. Thrust into impossible situations, their personalities developed as the story evolved, soliciting sympathy from the reader for their individual plights.

Tracy Falbe has created a credible fantasy world filled with conflict and danger. The story was easy to follow and most enjoyable. The author's lovely writing style allowed the story to unfold seamlessly and at a good pace. As I got further into the story, I could not help but feel as if I was deeply involved with the characters and their plight.

Union of Renegades is the first book in the Rys Chronicles. Even more exciting is the fact that you can download it for free at http://www.braveluck.com/.

The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Fire Lord himself, is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, he little suspects that she's been raised in outward purity and innocence, she was secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father…and him. But when she gets to court, they both discover that nothing is what it seems, least of all the person they married…

This was a fun, sexy romp in the hay, the garden, the bedroom… oh, just anywhere. If anything, I thought the sex scenes went a little over-the-top in the quantity and language, but that could be because I’m not accustomed to reading romance, let alone erotic romance.

That said, I enjoyed the tension in the love story and adventure aspects of the novel. The fantasy has a few original sparks in that magic has elemental affinities and the elves are angelic psychopaths instead of Tolkien-esque heroes or Shakespearian faeries. There are also nice moments of pathos between Dominic and Cassandra, such as:

‘“Now it’s my turn,” she softly whispered. “Tell me of Mongrel.”

Dominic started. “How do you know of my dog?”

“Cook told me …nay, do not be angry. She sought only to comfort me with a bit of knowledge about the stranger I married.”

He ran a hand over his forehead. Cook had known him since he was a lad, and although they treated each other with indifference, he’d always suspected that the redhead had a softer heart than she revealed. And Mongrel…just the name brought a memory of shared warmth and unquestioning loyalty. Words flowed from his mouth without thought. “The stable master tried to drown the runt, but he had more will to live than anyone credited. I found him on the bank of the Thames, weary and half-dead, and could only admire his spirit. I nursed him back to health and he shadowed me from that day on until he died…”

The vision of fire blackening fur and the sound of Mongrel whining in agony brought Dominic back to himself. But too late. For his wife held his cheek in one soft hand, and the sound of her sigh held too much sympathy. “I’m so sorry. You must have loved him so.”

Dominic jerked away from her touch.”

And the push and pull continues between the two of them, though there’s never any doubt how each feels. The greater question is whether they’ll survive, since Dominic’s father has a habit of burning everything Dominic loves. To find out what happens, you’ll have to read “The Fire Lord’s Lover.”

I look forward to Ms. Kennedy’s next, as this is the first in the Elven Lords Series.

From Mountains of Ice by Lorina Stephens

From Mountains of Ice by Lorina Stephens

This historical fantasy sweeps the reader into an Italian fantasy world set in the time of the Renaissance. At the center of this tale is the tiny kingdom of Simare. Sylvio di Danuto is a respected nobleman, the much respected family friend and advisor to Simare’s king. Sylvio possesses the ability to commune with the dead whenever he holds a human bone in his hand. Hence he is known as a “bone-speaker”. He makes bows of bone and many who hold the bows believe the spirit of the dead speak to them.  

Through a strange twist, the king is usurped by his son, Prince Carmello. The brash youth strips Sylvio of his ancestral home and lands, banishes Sylvio, and then proceeds to neglect the country and rule with cruelty and greed. After many years, for unknown reasons, the Prince summons him back to Simare.  Cautiously he returns, but soon finds his life is in grave danger.

Lorina Stephens pens a fascinating historical fantasy, but it is much more than a tale of adventure. It is a classic battle against good vs evil and the ability of one man to overcome adversity against an insane, power-driven ruler. The Italian setting gave it a sense of realism, which I very much enjoyed. The author’s writing style is lyrical and emotive, making the story enjoyable and credible with its vibrant descriptions and introspection. In essence, this is a grand story, richly told.

Dragon at the Edge of the World

Dragon at the Edge of the World by Charles White is the story of two Viking brothers, Lief and Kevin, and now you know it's also a tongue-in-cheek fantasy.

The first line of the book: "There were not many places where Lief the
Invincible was welcome."

Apparently this includes home. When Lief's brother Kevin sails his new boat away from Greenland and winds up lost in North America, their mother nags Lief into rescuing Kevin. Mischief ensues when Kevin is captured by the Wendat Indians and Lief by the Mohawks. With each Indian tribe vying to use their confiscated Viking warships to destroy each other, the brothers have to find a way to survive.

Through harrowing river trips, schemes, betrayals and rescues of damsels in distress, the brothers eventually come together to defeat the blood thirsty Rood Fugger before he can bring gunpowder to North America and destroy the Indian way of life - prematurely.

The humor in "Dragon at the Edge of the World" is welcome, but there was room for more of it. Hopefully, Charles White, the author of "Dragon at the Edge of the World," will find more points of whimsy in his next book.

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Wilson

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade opens with the main character as an elderly woman telling her tale to her granddaughter. So while there is never any question as to the main character's survival, this YA book nonetheless captured my imagination and I am not someone who routinely reads YA. Ms. Wilson's fantasy is fluid, descriptive and unobtrusive. You'll never realize she holds the reins. If you rate by the tears-o-meter, it is by far the best book I've read in months.

When Oyuna of the Kerait tribe is mamed – her foot crushed – by a black mare, she is marked forever. Her parents try every treatment imaginable, but there is no cure for her foot, her life or her luck. Still, Oyuna knows she is meant for more than stirring mare's milk into ayrag. She dreams of speed and freedom, but needs a fast horse to win the next great race and make her dream come true.

Yet when her father allows her to pick a horse, her choice is Bayan, a mare well past her prime. But Oyuna cannot turn away when she hears the horse's plea for help. Reluctantly, Oyuna rescues Bayan and their friendship changes Oyuna's life.

The soldiers of Kublai Khan take riders, food and horses from Oyuna's tribe, including Bayan. Rather than lose her mare, Oyuna masquerades as her stepbrother and leaves with Bayan and the soldiers. Oyuna is discovered and she and Bayan are dismissed from military service. They now serve as a currier to the great Khan. This is good news to Oyuna, who knows the Khan has a herd of ten thousand white mares. If she and Bayan deliver his precious message in time, perhaps he will give her a fast horse.

She and Bayan brave many dangers crossing the Gobi, but at last reach Kublai Khan's court. Received well, Oyuna develops a friendship with the Khan, but he wants Bayan for his own. Rather than leave her friend or trade her for the mount she wants, Oyuna stays in her ruler's service. Then tragedy strikes the Khan's herds including Bayan. Only Oyuna can save her beloved mare, but time is faster than any horse.

You must read "I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade" to discover the ending. Nothing will induce me to tell, but be prepared when you read this book. Pack a lunch so you won't have to get up and have tissues close by. You'll need them.