The History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, by Jacob Abbott

The History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, by Jacob Abbott chronicles the life of Cleopatra VII (or, as we tend to refer to her, just Cleopatra). I have not studied Cleopatra in depth, so what I am writing is based off of this book. I have glanced at a few online articles and it seems like the book was fairly accurate. However, it is possible that an Egyptologist would disagree. Because of this, I am not taking accuracy into account when I review this book.
Cleopatra was the last Egyptian Pharaoh (or second to last, depending on how you interpret her son's rule). Born to a line where violence and politics were deeply connected to familial relationships, she was witness to and a participant of many family fights that ended in blood, betrayal, and death. Her ascension to the throne came at a time of civil war and was only accomplished with the aid of Julius Caesar. Whether through genuine affection or because she thought it would give her political power, Cleopatra began an affair with Caesar (who was already married) and, on his death, with Marc Antony (who was also married). In addition, Cleopatra was imprudent with her money, using it to constantly indulge herself. Her lavish lifestyle and her affairs with married men contributed to the fall of the Ptolomeic dynasty.
Abbott takes a long time to get to the topic of Cleopatra. The author first discusses the land of Egypt and the Ptolemies (Cleopatra VII's ancestors). While these can be related back to and are somewhat vital to understanding Cleopatra's life, the author spends too much time on them. It is not until Chapter Four that Cleopatra enters the book with anything other than a mere mention. Even afterwards, the author focuses a lot on the characters surrounding her, such as Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Marc Antony, etc. At one point, there are ten pages in a row that do not even mention Cleopatra. While these figures are central to Cleopatra's life, Abbott could have discussed them while focusing more on how Cleopatra was acting during the crucial events, her motivations for influencing these men, etc. Now, I feel obligated to admit that the entire book was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about all of these people. However, when one picks up a book entitled "The History of Cleopatra" one expects to and usually wants to read about Cleopatra. I feel that the earlier chapters could have and should have been condensed and the later events written from an angle that involved Cleopatra a bit more than it did. This book was interesting but, written as it was, it should have been entitled something along the lines of "A History of the Ptolemy Dynasty and its Relation to Rome".
There are a few misused words and/or awkward phrasing of ideas. However, there are not enough to get in the way of reading and comprehending.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Maybe this is a bit harsh; after all, it is interesting to read. However, as it is called, "The History of Cleopatra", I would deduce that Abbott's goal in writing this book was to inform the reader on the life of Cleopatra. He does this to some degree but digresses a bit too much.

Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution, by Keith DeCandido

Children of the Revolution, by Keith DeCandido is a novel based on the tv show, Sleepy Hollow. The novel switches between the past and the present. In the past, Colonel Johann Rall summons the demon Abaddon to the body of the witch, Serilda (who viewers may remember from Season One)and George Washington must do his best to combat this new threat. In the present, Ichabod has a vision of Katrina, telling him to find his Congressional Cross, a reward he had been sent 'posthumously'. Serilda's followers are hunting down and murdering people for these crosses, planning to use them to resurrect Serilda (and thus Abaddon). The problem is, since Ichabod was (to the public's knowledge) dead, Katrina was on the run, Jeremy wasn't known to be Ichabod's son, and Ichabod's father had disowned him, the cross was not given to Ichabod's family as it should have been. With no time to lose, the team (they need a name) begins their search for the cross, racing against time to stop the witch and demon from being returned to this world.
Overall, I liked the book. It presented a case/mystery/problem that could have happened in the show. It's well written, with little to no grammatical/spelling errors, and all plot points seem to be used. All loose ends (except for those which need to be left untied for the show) are tied up. My only complaint is that Ichabod seemed a bit too oblivious to modern culture. In the show, he is confused, but there are certain things that he either understands must be a reference, ignores, or just comes up with his own explanation for. For instance, one time Irving asks Ichabod, "So, what's the plan, Stan?", and Ichabod responds with, "My-my name is Ichabod." (Location 918 on Kindle). On the show, Ichabod may have been confused, but he probably wouldn't have called attention to it. He most likely would have figured it was either a reference or that Irving was just rhyming and left it at that.
I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander

The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander has two story lines. In the present day, Professor Felix Guichard is called in to consult on mysterious symbols found on the body of a dead girl. In his research, he meets Jack, who we learn is dead. Or was. She was supposed to die, but magic keeps her alive. However, people with her condition need to have certain sigils on their body and remain inside magic circles for a certain amount of time (hence the girl dying when she left them). It soon becomes clear though, that there is a bigger danger. With Maggie, a witch, Jack saves other people from dying so that they can live full lives and so their blood (which has magical properties) can be used to help others. Someone is hunting for revenants and they've focused on finding the one Jack just saved: a teenage girl. They don't know who this woman is. However, they know one thing: her intentions aren't pure.
In the past, Edward Kelley and John Dee (occultists/spiritualists) have been called to the court of Istvan Bathory. It seems his niece, Erzsebet, is ill with a debilitating condition that both weakens her and has left her barren. The mission seems simple. Using their knowledge and skills, Kelley and Dee will save this woman's life. However, as they learn more about the Bathory family, it becomes clear that saving Erzsebet may lead to an even greater danger.
The overall story line is interesting. It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens next and how the magic works. However, there were two things that made it impossible for me to fully enjoy this book. The first is that Erzsebet is portrayed as a victim of a curse that has been in her family for generations. She is possessed by a demon, which leads to her becoming quite possibly the most prolific serial killer of all time. Erzsebet Bathory was a messed up woman. We might never know if she had some disease or psychological illness that made her behave the way she did. But, despite any circumstances that might have contributed to her torturing and murdering hundreds of girls, she was not a victim. There might be more things in Heaven and Earth than we understand but, unless we rule out every single scientific solution for a condition/problem/event, we should not assume that the person is besieged by supernatural assailants. Erzsebeth was a monster but, to the best of our knowledge, she was responsible for her actions, not a demon or a curse. To pretend otherwise is insulting to her victims. They may have lived a long time ago but they were just as human as we are and they don't deserve to have their murderer pitied.
The second feature is that the romance that develops between Felix and Jack seems a bit rushed. They go through a lot together and maybe it's only natural that their relationship progresses beyond the category of just friends, but it seems to happen too fast. One day they meet and, over a course of a few days, Felix is declaring his love for her. It just seems like it should have been slowed down a bit.
In conclusion, the basic plot line is entertaining, but the aforementioned points detracted from the story. I'd give this book a three out of five.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

Dandelion Fire by Nathan D. Wilson

When we last left Henry, his family, Zeke Johnson, Richard,and he, had knocked out Nimiane and shoved her through a cupboard. Henry had also found out that he was adopted and had come from one of the cupboards. Frank had also come from the cupboards, but at a different time than Henry. In this book, Henry burns his hand on a dandelion and goes blind. In his dreams he meets a strange man, Darius, who claims to be a wizard. Darius suggests that Henry is a wizard too. In hopes of making Henry his son, Darius kidnaps both Richard and Henry. Henry is prepared for a strange ritual but it turns out that it was already started or preformed on him. Darius' assisant helps Henry escape and Henry is then taken in by an elderly couple. Somewhere along the line Henry regains his sight.
In the meantime, Henrietta thinks that Richard and Henry have gone to Fitzfaeren without her and 'follows' them. She is captured by two men and brought to their mother and queen, Magdalene (who has magic). Magdalene tells Henrietta that, with the help of Eli (who is also Magdalene's brohter), Henrietta's grandfather stole the Fitzfaeren's artifacts and that that brought about the destruction of their city. Magdalene plans to hold Henrietta hostage in order to regain the artifacts. However, Henrietta escapes and meets up with Eli. Eli tells her that Nimiane is still alive and that she is headed towards the world they are in. As a result everything in the world will die. They set out towards Hyfling but are captured by Caleb, a Prince of Hyfling,and his men. Eli is recognized as a criminal in that city and is held in a bag. Henrietta is treated as a guest. Caleb attempts to return Eli to Magdalene but Magdalene disowns him . Seeing (with her powers) that Henrietta is the neice of Caleb (Frank is Caleb's long lost brother), Magdalene lets Caleb keep her as well. Caleb, Henrietta, Eli, and the men head towards Hyfling. Along the way,Eli escapes but upon recapture. swears fealty to Hyfling.
While this is going on, Darius has brought Richard back to the house and banishes the house and everyone in it (Frank, Dottie, Anastasia, Penelope, Zeke, Richard, and a police officer) to some other world. Darius then goes to join Nimiane. With nothing else to do, the group goes into one of the cupboards in an attempt to find Henry and Henrietta. The cupboard leads them to Hyfling.
Meanwhile, Henry has made his way home, but finding it abandoned with a note saying where the family is headed for, goes to Badon Hill. He is kidnapped by pirates/slavers but escapes with the help of fitzfairies (one of whom is named Fat Frank) and a wizard(Monmouth). At first Henry is held prisoner for releasing Nimiane. Everyone keeps calling him 'Mordecai's son' and talking about how his father has disappeared. Fat Frank and some other fitzfaeren help him escape and go with him to Hyfling.
Two fitzfairies die along the way, but the others get there and Henry's whole family is reunited.
Henry meets his biological mother,sisters, grandmother, cousins, and Uncle (Mordecai is the brother of Caleb and Frank). Mordecai returns and there is a big fight with Darius (who is possessed by Nimiane) and many people (including Eli) die. However, Hyfling emerges victorious and Henry and his family stay in Hyfling.
Okay, while this is very action packed and exciting and does answer some questions, it is also confusing. Everything the reader finds out is from overheard conversations. Henry hears bits and pieces of conversation (Mordecai's his father, Mordecai was betrayed and imprisoned by the council of the Fitzfaeren) and that's all one has to go one. Henry takes it in stride and doesn't ask any questions about it. If I was thrown into a magical world and heard people talking about my past I'd ask them to slow down and explain things. Henry doesn't do this. In the end, it is up to the reader to filter out bits of data. Not only is this an annoying way to gather information, but it also makes Henry seem unrealistic. So while I enjoyed the book because the characters were fun and a lot of cool things were going on, it could have been so much better if the author had slowed down a bit and had one of the characters explain the history and/or background of the world.

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, by Kara Cooney

Though Hatshepsut was one of Egypt's longest ruling Pharaohs, people have heard of her. Despite being an accomplished ruler, history has glossed over her many achievements. The Woman Who Would be King, chronicles Hatshepsut rise to power, her rule, her death, and the reasons why so few know her name.
Hatshepsut was born into a world where women were swept under the rug. Though able to be influential as wives, sisters, mothers, and regents of kings, women were unable to hold the throne themselves, unless there were no other candidates. Born to the first of the Thutmoside Kings, Hatshepsut would not have been born expecting to rule. She could expect to exert influence as a high priestess of Egypt's religious order. She would have expected to marry her half-brother, Thutmose II, and exert influence as Great Wife of the King, and later bear his child and become the Queen Mother. However, things took a different turn when her brother-husband without fathering any sons with Hatshepsut. While he had fathered sons with other wives, all these sons were infants and unable to rule. Traditionally the heir's mother would have acted as regent but none of the other wives were of high birth nor had they received the same political training as Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut claimed to receive a divine revelation from Re that she would be placed on the throne. Whether out of genuine conviction at this revelation and religious dedication, ambition, or a desire to maintain the strength of Thutmoside line, Hatshepsut arranged for herself to be made regent. As her regency progressed, Hatshepsut used her family history, Egyptian architecture, religion, and manipulated language to maintain power and eventually become Co-King with Thutmose III. As Pharaoh, Hatshepsut established many trade routes and commissioned numerous architectural innovations. Her rule lasted about two decades, yet there is no evidence that she used murder or violence to hold the throne. There seems to be no rebellion against her as Pharaoh. Instead, Hatshepsut seems to have held the throne through propaganda and skilled leadership. However, not everyone agreed that a female could be Pharaoh or that she had the right to the throne and, after her death, there was an effort to erase all mention of her as Pharaoh, leading to many statues and murals being defaced. This led to history all but forgetting her, until archaeologists were able to recover evidence of her reign.
Cooney chose a difficult person to write on. Because the Ancient Egyptians were more concerned with the facts instead of the motivations behind them, it is difficult to paint a portrait of the Pharaohs. We know what happened but we don't know why certain people acted in certain ways, what they thought about, or if the end result was a result of outside influence. It is doubly hard to piece together Hatshepsut's life because so much of the evidence we have has been defaced and some parts are lost. However, Cooney does a marvelous job of presenting what Hatshepsut may have been like. She tells the reader the limitations of our knowledge and lets them know that many things are suppositions. However, those suppositions are based off knowledge about Ancient Egyptian culture, the daily lives of those in the Royal Palace, and gender roles. Out of these, we are given a picture of how Hathsepsut most likely lived. When Cooney suggests a reason behind Hatshepsut's actions, she backs it up with evidence taken from studies of the Ancient Egyptians. Furthermore, Cooney humanizes Hatshepsut without turning the biography into a historical novel. She maintains the reader's interest throughout the entire book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read. It is a fascinating chronicle of an amazing woman. Five out of five stars.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill

The Woman In Black, by Susan Hill, tells the story of Arthur Kipp. The book begins with Arthur and his family gathered in their country house for Christmas. One soon finds out that Kipp is a retired solicitor, whose family consists of his wife, Esme`, his step-children, and his step-grandchildren. The family is gathered around the fireplace, telling ghost stories, when the step-children ask Arthur to tell one of his own. Arthur tries to back out, saying he has nothing to tell, but the step-children insist. Finally, Arthur tells them that he will not tell a story and abruptly leaves the room. After walking outside to regain his composure, Arthur reveals to the reader that he does have a ghost story, a true one, one that he has not told anyone and which has haunted him for ages. He then returns to the house and decides to commit his thoughts to paper, in an attempt to escape the turmoil that the past events have caused.
When Arthur was a young man, engaged to a woman named Stella, he was sent to the town of Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of a Mrs. Alice Drablow and settle her affairs. Almost as soon as he arrives, Arthur is plunged into a world of intrigue. While the townspeople are friendly, they avoid the topic of Alice Drablow and her house, Eel Marsh House, as if it were the plague. Even more mysterious, is a woman in black, who Arthur sees at Mrs. Drablow's funeral, and who appears on the grounds of Eel Marsh house, even though they are supposed to be vacant. There are strange sounds on the marsh and noises in what should be a silent house. While Arthur tries to explain these away but, soon his answers only lead to more questions and he is forced to come to the conclusion that not all things can be explained.
This book has a great beginning. Before the first chapter is over, the reader is hooked. As the story progresses, tidbit by tidbit of information is added to form a mystery. It builds up to Arthur finding out the back-story of Eel Marsh House and the Woman in Black. However, then it ends a bit too soon. While Arthur does find out why the Woman in Black is haunting the house, he never does anything about it, even after it impacts him rather drastically. Of course, many people, if they were in his shoes, would be too terrified or distraught to try to end the haunting. However, the book feels like there should be one more scene to it. Maybe a scene where Arthur returns to the house to try to put a stop to the Woman in Black, or maybe one last encounter, face-to-face. Instead, we find out what the Woman in Black did to Arthur, and then the story is over.
All in all, this book is worth the read. The prose is lovely and most of the story is entertaining. It will keep readers focus and keep them guessing. The only problem is that it ends a bit too soon. I'd give this book a four out of five.

A Letter to My Cat: Notes to Our Best Friends, by Lisa Erspamer

A Letter to My Cat, is one of those rare books that will make you want to cry, but in a good way. This book collects letters written from humans to their furry, feline friends. Accompanied by lovely photos of cats, humans from all walks of life write to their cats, revealing how these wonderful companions have changed their lives. Some letters are about the ways that cats force their humans to attend to their needs and wants. Some talk about how, when one comes to love a cat, one stops caring so much about cat hair on clothes and torn up furniture. Others speak about the things that cats do that drive us crazy, but which we secretly love. Others delve into how some cats (both figuratively and literally) have saved their owners' lives.
Any cat lover will be able to relate to the feelings and thoughts described by these writers. Many readers will laugh, as they realize that the (seemingly ridiculous) things that other cat owners do to make their cats happy are things that the readers do, as well. Even those who are animal lovers, even if they are not cat people, will be able to relate to many of the emotions described in the book. Of course, those who are not animal lovers will find many of the writers insane but, since the audience is meant to be cat lovers, that should not be a problem. I would definitely recommend this book for any animal/cat lover.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Journal of Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow) by Alex Irvine

The Secret Journal of Ichabod Crane, by Alex Irvine, is exactly what it sounds like. It takes place during the first season of Sleepy Hollow (the Fox tv show), starting with Ichabod's imprisonment in the first episode and ending partially through the last episode. This book includes Ichabod's thoughts on the events of the show and recollections of his life during the Revolutionary War era. It also contains small tales from his life that aren't in the show, as well as drawings done by Ichabod, newspaper clippings, and police files.
The book is very well written. There are few (if any) grammar/spelling mistakes. Irvine did a great job of capturing Ichabod's personality. All of the entries seem to be things that Ichabod would actually think or say. In addition, as the book progresses, there are small changes in Ichabod's thinking and writing that reflect how he has changed throughout the show, as he has assimilated to his life in the present era. The author clearly researched, not only the tv show, but the history of the Revolutionary War era. The book includes tidbits of information that are historically accurate, yet most people would never hear about in their history classes. The files, drawings, newspaper clippings, etc., allow the reader to delve deeper into the characters and events of the show. There is even a code at the end of the book that, when cracked, gives (what I believe are) small hints at what is coming in the second season. The only possible downside I can see to this book is that one needs to be familiar with the show for it to make sense. Ichabod does not recap everything that occurs, rather he gives a brief description of what is happening and his thoughts. This is a plus for those who have seen the episodes and do not need to be given a play-by-play, but could be confusing to those who have never seen Sleepy Hollow. However, as the book is written for fans of the tv show, most of the audience should be familiar with the book and, therefore, should not be confused. In all, I'd say that this is a wonderful book and anyone who loves the tv show should definitely take the time to read it.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.