Recent Arrivals

I have received a lot of fun books today!

I got:

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

The Matrix meets Interview with the Vampire in this sexy gothic thriller about two beautiful witch sisters and the love triangle that consumes the information thief who is drawn into their intrigues.

Season of the Witch tells the story of Gabriel Blackstone: hacker, information thief, and skilled “remote viewer.” Asked by a former lover to investigate the disappearance of her stepson, Gabriel’s suspicions fall on Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk, two beautiful sisters who live in a rambling Victorian house in London. Independently wealthy, the sisters spend their time dabbling in alchemy and the ancient Art of Memory—invented by the Greeks and used by alchemists and magi such as Giordano Bruno and Leonardo Da Vinci. The sisters are white, or “solar,” witches, who aim to use alchemy not to turn lead into gold but to attain ultimate knowledge and therefore ultimate power. Gabriel soon becomes convinced that his client’s son had been murdered and that one of the women is the killer. But which one?

As Gabriel infiltrates the world of the sisters, he finds himself drawn inexorably deeper— becoming entranced even as he realizes that he is in mortal danger. When he is caught snooping, Gabriel must race to unlock their secrets before they can retaliate. To save himself— and the one he loves, presuming she is not guilty—Gabriel will have to fight one of the sisters within the landscape of her own mind.

The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand (one of the books I won)

When Renata, newly engaged to a wealthy Nantucket summer boy, comes to the island to visit her fiancs family, she decides to confront her tragic past. She goes against her fathers wishes and visits Marguerite, the godmother shes been forbidden to see her entire lifethe one person who can unlock the mystery surrounding her mothers untimely death. But Marguerites life is not so simple and preparing dinner for her goddaughter proves much more complicated than either of them imagined. Whether it is in her Nantucket detail, her insight into the emotional dramas that shape peoples lives, the moments that define them, or the loves who rule them, Elin Hilderbrands storytelling abilities soar to new heights with every novel she writes.

The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny (for one of the books I won I got to pick what I wanted, and I picked this. I am having a terrible time finding books that I want lately, so this was really the only thing I could think of at the time.)

All ten of Roger Zelzany's classic Amber fantasy novels in one book! Join Corwin, Merlin and the others in wild adventures in the lands of Amber, Earth, and the Courts of Chaos, where the powers of Amber and Chaos constantly battle for supremacy through intrigue and adventure. Revisit Amber, the land of mystery, adventure and romance. Amber, the one true world. All other worlds, including our Earth, are merely Shadows.

The Halifax Connection by Marie Jakober (because I live near Halifax)

A Canadian counter-intelligence novel with a memorable romance at its heart, The Halifax Connection brings to life 1860s Montreal and Halifax with wit, action and a finale that will leave you breathless.

Canada in 1862 is still a few scattered colonies run by an indifferent British crown. As the American Civil War heats up south of the border, Southern Confederates flood into Montreal and Halifax, among them numerous spies and military officers planning secret missions against the Union – missions they hope will provoke a war between England and the United States, throwing the whole weight of the British Empire into the Confederate camp.

Erryn Shaw is a charming British aristocrat who has been banished to the colonies and now wants nothing more than to run a theatre. Instead, he is convinced to spy for the British and finds himself befriending arrogant Southern Rebels to learn of their plans. On a mission to Montreal, he gets wind of a sinister plot–a plan the Confederates believe will win them the war. And he can’t seem to find a way to stop it.

At the same time, he meets and courts an intriguing woman, Sylvie Bowen, who escaped the cotton mills of England seeking a better life. Though she’s drawn to Erryn’s charm and cleverness, she once met with disaster at the hands of the South, and he knows it is only a matter of time until she discovers his ties to the Rebels and turns against him.

Drawing on actual events, The Halifax Connection captures a fascinating and largely forgotten piece of Canada’s history. From the comfortable parlours and ballrooms of the bustling metropolis of Montreal to the back alleyways of the port town of Halifax, to the deadly high seas patrolled by Southern raiders, the novel draws a remarkable picture of Canada in the mid-1800s – its people, its power struggles, its hopes and its dreams.