Genre: Historical-Fantasy

Co-hosting Year Three | #WyrdAndWonder is the soul lift we all need right now! Come find out how #JorieReads Fantasy & reclaims her readerly joy whilst she hosts #IndieAuthors throughout the event!

Posted Sunday, 3 May, 2020 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

#WyrdAndWonder 2020 event banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you can see – a NEW year of #WyrdAndWonder is upon us – as Imyril, Lisa & Jorie help fill your life with more Fantasy than you can dive into in a singular month – giving you even more reasons why you love disappearing into realms of fantastical delight! This is the singular month which is anchoured to our love of Science Fiction (ie. celebrated during @SciFiMonth) wherein we get to bring everyone together to dip into the waters of Speculative Fiction which tackle thematics, subniches of genre & unique storylines threading through Fantasy.

These stories are generally focused on our readerly lives – as book bloggers Wyrd And Wonder started off as a book blogosphere celebration explosion of #Fantasy Lit love – however, in the ensuing years since we first began this fantastical adventure in [2018] we’ve happily encouraged our participants to celebrate Fantasy wherever they can find it – in walkabout graffiti (see also tweet), in the world of Dungeons & Dragons (see also post) – which are a few examples of this year’s revelations or in any of the numerous motion pictures, television series, sound for motion picture or television, graphic novels, audiobooks, fashion and/or an eclectic mix of artistic expressions, styles and mediums.

And, this of course is only the tip of the iceberg!

Fantasy truly is much more than a genre – it is an exploration of hidden worlds & themes which are universally appealling to a wide audience – crossing through all boundaries and uniting everyone together who finds a niche of Fantasy their jam. This is why we wanted to create a happy space to celebrate this wicked wonderful section of Speculative Fiction – to find the joy in what others are finding for themselves & uniting together to highlight every which way to Sunday Fantasy gives us a burst of #randomJOY and lifts our souls!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

This #WyrdAndWonder – I have a key sub-focus on interest in pursuing #dragonfiction & celebrating the #dragons – past & present I’ve either come to love and/or desire to meet & greet in the near future! I am contemplating hosting a readalong for two different novels of dragon fiction as well – whilst I’ll be making my final announcement about this on Monday, 4th May – this weekend, I’m musefully lost in my #WyrdAndWonder TBR!

I have stories leftover from Years One & Two whilst I have a few new additions for Year Three. I’ve been stalked (thanks for the brilliant way of referencing this, Imyril) by my chronic migraines throughout the years and months of Wyrd And Wonder – never letting that stop me from participating – it has had a few wrinkles of angst where I couldn’t always finish the stories and/or posts I had in queue. Last year was quite awful with a high yield of 5x but although this Wyrd And Wonder started off on a two day migraine & severe Spring pollen allergies attacking me head – I’m walking into the event with a chin held high. I mean, alternatively who wants to abandon the joy at this point? Not I. Never! I mean – seriously, migraines & Spring allergies are a part of my life and although they drive me batty I refuse to abort my plans – which is why I’m a diehard Wyrd And Wonder’er every year! Laughs.

I’m taking my cues from this lovely dishy post about ALL the ways in which you can read FANTASY (thanks again to my co-hosts Imyril & Lisa for finding it) – in order to map out my 2020 Wyrd And Wonder TBR! Won’t you join me? Let’s go on a walkabout of fantastical proportions and see where #JorieReads this Wyrd And Wonder as the 3rd Year kicks-off!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Wyrd And Wonder 2020 banner created by Imyril. Image Credit: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono from <a href="https://www.123rf.com">123RF.com</a>.
Wyrd And Wonder 2020 banner created by Imyril.
Image Credit: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono from 123RF.com.

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Welcome to *Wyrd & Wonder*

Imyril, Lisa and I have delightfully planned a wicked #awesomesauce month of FANTASY celebration for you! This marks our 3rd Year co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder and we couldn’t be happier knowing we have more participants this 3rd Year as well as renewed interest in the events we’ve planned.

Before I share with you what I’ll be reading this lovely Wyrd And Wonder – I wanted to take a moment to tell you which lovely authors I’ll be hosting on my blog and/or through my chat @SatBookChat! This year, I wanted to reach out to authors I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading but am happily discovering through the Indie Publisher @OdysseyBooks (visit their website) – whilst I have the opportunity to read two of their authors and host them during Wyrd And Wonder!

Per my tradition during #WyrdAndWonder – I love to give Indie Fantasy Authors a chance to have their stories showcased – either through my readings of their stories and/or via guest features or chats during #SatBooKChat. This year, I happily am carrying on the tradition whilst giving my heart an uplift as I wasn’t sure until recently if I could pull this part of my plans off! I am so dearly grateful to Odyssey Books and their lovely authors who have been responding to my emails.

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The authors by this publisher you’ll happily see on my blog this year are as follows:

* Felicity Banks (The Monster Apprenctice)
@FBanksBooks | Website

* Elizabeth Foster (Esme’s Wish)
@e_foster3 | Website

* Carolyn Denman (Songlines)
@CDenmanAuthor | Website

* K.J. Taylor (The Shadow of the Skytree)
@WorldStitcher | Website

* Kathryn Gossow (Cassandra)
@KathrynGossow | Website

* Rachel Nightingale (Harlequin’s Riddle)
@NightingaleRA | Website

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One author you’ve might have already caught sharing some of his own fantastical interests via our #WyrdAndWonder feeds is Owen Crane. He reached out to me via my Review Request page directly and this set me on a course to receive his novel to read & review but I’ve also selected him as one of my Fantasy Indie Authors to host during #SatBooKChat! You can follow his feeds via @owencrane.

For those of you who haven’t yet visited with me on Saturdays – I host a Romance & Women’s Fiction book chat called #SatBookChat – we meet-up @ 11a NYC | 4p UK/Ireland | 8a West Coast USA | 1a Australia – wherein this New Year 2020 I decided to enlarge our focus to all stories within all genres which feature strong female characters and/or have a presence within Feminist Fiction. Speculative Fiction is one category next to INSPY I’ve been wanting to grow via @SatBookChat and this 3rd Year of Wyrd And Wonder – I am very close to announcing my schedule for when you’ll be able to interact with the 3x authors I’ve selected to be featured this May!

I am awaiting confirmations on dates – look for a special announcement post & s/o via my Twitter feeds this coming week – as our first guest will be on Saturday, the 9th! What you need to know is to stalk the tag #SatBookChat before your time zone collides with NYC (11a) EST and once the chatter starts to begin – kindly contribute your own questions & happily join the discussion by adding our tag #SatBookChat to your tweets. Unlike in past years, I am not going to have us *thread the convo via #WyrdAndWonder’s tag as it was a bit harder to add both tags into the convo & have the discussion feel uncluttered. I will be archiving the chats again this month – so if you miss the chats as they run, you will have a chance to ‘re-read’ through the archived edition wherein you can respond with the tag to the author and/or the other participants who took part in the chat itself.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #WyrdAndWonder
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Posted Sunday, 3 May, 2020 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Fantasy Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event

An Audiobook Spotlight | “Two Thousand Years” (The Empire Saga, Book Two) by M. Dalto, narrated by Amanda Abeillan

Posted Friday, 27 March, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Book Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring, knitting and playing solitaire agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions.

Through hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions, I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods. Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue wherein I can also request new digital audiobooks to become added to their OverDrive selections. Aside from OverDrive I also enjoy having Audible & Scribd memberships as my budget allows. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I have been able to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year since 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Two Thousand Years” via Audiobookworm Promotion who is working with M. Dalto on this blog tour in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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What drew my eye to listening to “Two Thousand Years”:

When I first read the premise of this story & the series it was beginning – I thought for sure it would be a wickedly good fit for me as an audiobook listener. Especially as I am one of three co-host & founders of a month-long Fantasy event called: #WyrdAndWonder {@WyrdAndWonder} – yet, I couldn’t have been more off base with this selection! I love soaking into worlds of Fantasy & seeing what an author can envision for their world – however, as I’ll explain – this unexpectedly just wasn’t my cuppa in regards to the story itself or the performance of the narrator. As I still stand by what I blogged previously about narrators – sometimes they really can break your interest in hearing a story!

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An Audiobook Spotlight | “Two Thousand Years” (The Empire Saga, Book Two) by M. Dalto, narrated by Amanda AbeillanTwo Thousand Years
Subtitle: The Empire Saga Book One
by M. Dalto
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
Narrator: Amanda Abeillan

Two thousand years ago, the prophecy of fire and light foretold the coming of the queen empress who would lead the empire into a time of peace and tranquility. But instead of the coming of a prosperous world, a forbidden love for the empress waged a war that ravaged the land, creating a chasm between the factions and raising the death toll of innocent lives until the final, bloody battle.

Centuries later, Alexandra, a 22-year-old barista living in Boston, is taken to an unfamiliar realm of mystery and magic where her life is threatened by Reylor, its banished lord steward. She crosses paths with Treyan, the arrogant and seductive crown prince of the empire, and together, they discover how their lives, and their love, are so intricately intertwined by a prophecy set in motion so many years ago.

Alex, now the predestined Queen Empress Alexstrayna, whose arrival was foretold by the annals of the empire, controls the fate of her new home as war rages between the crown prince and lord steward. Either choice could tear her world apart, as she attempts to keep the empire's torrid history from repeating itself.

In a realm where betrayal and revenge will be as crucial to her survival as love and honor, Alex must discover whether it is her choice - or her fate - that determines how she survives the empire's rising conflicts.

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Historical-Fantasy, New Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781731461797

ASIN: B0849Z224C

Published by The Parliament House

on 3rd February, 2020

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 8 hours and 20 minutes (unabridged)

Pages: 363

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The Empire Saga:

Full Details about the Saga!

Two Thousand Years by M. Dalto

Two Thousand Years (book one)

Mark of the Empress (book two)

Beginning’s End (book three)

& this series has novellas: (more info on author’s site)

Reylor’s Lament  (novella one)

Treyan’s Promise (novella two)

Sarayna’s Fate (novella three)

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Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #TheEmpireSaga + #AudioReads, #Audiobook

as well as #Fantasy, #FantasyRomance and/or #NewAdult

About M. Dalto

M. Dalto

M. Dalto is a Young Adult and New Adult author of adventurous romantic fantasy stories. Her bestselling debut novel, Two Thousand Years, was a 2016 Watty Award winner (Wattpad.com). She has since released two companion novellas, and its sequel, MARK OF THE EMPRESS. Her sophomore release, LADY MUTINY, has been signed with Magnolia Press for publication in 2020.

She was recruited to participate in Wattpad Paid Stories program for serialized authors in March 2019, and has since been invited into the Wattpad Stars program. She continues to volunteer her time as a literary mentor and freelance developmental editor, where she hopes to engage, assist, and inspire new writers through their literary journey.

She spends her days working as a full-time real estate paralegal, leaving her evenings to pursue her own writing agenda. When she’s not typing furiously at her computer, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing video games, and drinking coffee. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband, their daughter, and their corgi named Loki.

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Posted Friday, 27 March, 2020 by jorielov in After the Canon, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Classical Literature, Dragon Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, High Fantasy, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Inspired by Stories, Jane Austen Sequel, Pride & Prejudice Re-telling

Conversations with the Bookish | conversing with Heather Rose Jones about her series Alpennia whilst featuring her newest release “Floodtide” during #FFFeb!

Posted Saturday, 29 February, 2020 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

Conversations with the Bookish badge created by Jorie in Canva

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I admit – this interview was meant to be shared on Jorie Loves A Story quite a long while ago – between my illnesses in December & February, and the hard start I had to [2020] in January – I have somehow managed to delay the showcase I was thankful to have put together for #Floodtide on behalf of a series I was blessed to have discovered via the twitterverse in [2019]. I cannot apologise enough to the author, Heather Rose Jones for consistently being unable to run this feature and for pushing my spotlight & interview on her series further afield from the time-frame she intended her promotions to run in the book blogosphere.

What first drew my eye towards this series was the author found me on Twitter! From there, I started to do some digging on her website, rooted round and found out more about her Alpennia series and decided it was something I’d readily enjoy reading. Therefore, in October of 2019 I started to put this together – however, that was also right in the middle of my Autumnal health afflictions (as I had issues with my migraines in September & November; whilst I took ill during the months of October & December) and sadly, that is at the heart of why this featured interview and series showcase was getting rescheduled quite consistently!

I have been a ready fan of Historical Fantasy series for quite a long while now – however, most recently I am quite sure my readers might remember my listenings to Richard Storry’s series the Ruritanian Rogues series – a series I am still listening to now, as I had to take a few breaks from my listenings of the series which included an issue with my ears during my last cold virus this February. The reason I broach this series is because the world within Alpennia is also described as being “Ruritanian” which I felt was quite kismet; having previously becoming intrigued by Storry’s version of this kind of world-building.

More curious is the fact Ms Jones recently featured Edale Lane on her blog wherein Ms Lane discusses her world-building through her research for the #NightFlyerTrilogy; which similar to the world of Alpennia is also feminist driven Historical Fantasy! This was an interesting coincidence as I recently reviewed the first novel in the series “Merchants of Milan” and hosted a special vlog interview with Ms Lane! It truly never surprises me about how bookish connections online have the tendency of keeping me ruminatively surprised by how close the book world truly is and how interconnected we all are with each other! The other connection of course, is how Ms Lane & Ms Jones have both writ series which are rooted in f/f character arcs and befit the reading concentration this February for those sharing their sapphic reads this #FFFEbruary | #FFFeb.

I have always been keen on reading Feminist driven Literature – even though I have read and sought out more of this niche of stories as a book blogger, there was an interest to find more of them prior to becoming a book blogger. As I decided to redirect the focus of @SatBookChat to be more inclusive of Feminist Lit this year whilst honouring our past focusing on Romance & Women’s Fiction – this particular series is a great compass point of the kinds of Speculative Fiction and series I am seeking as I move forward as a book blogger and as a chat hostess. I love finding uniquely spun stories which have a world unlike others and which have a unique presence of self within their own world-building.

As I was reading about Alpennia as a whole it isn’t any easy world to pin down as the series itself is quite all-encompassing. I normally would seek out to read the first books in a series but the more I learnt of this series through this conversation with Ms Jones, the more I felt comfortable that perhaps “Floodtide” would be a good fit for me as a reader to embrace the larger world in which this story is set. I am going to be requesting this book as a purchase request at my local library and I am hopeful it might get accepted and arrive in time for Wyrd and Wonder this May, 2020 – the Fantasy event I co-host every year with Imyril and Lisa (@WyrdAndWonder).

For now, the honour is mine to share an up close and personal view into Alpennia as we tuck closer to what inspires the series and how Ms Jones has crafted it. I am grateful our paths crossed in the twitterverse as this is one of my favourite routes of connecting to authors and of being able to discover new Indie Authors and voices within Speculative Fiction and the other genres I regularly seek out to read!

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Without further adieu :

brew your favourite cuppa & enjoy the convo!

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Conversations with the Bookish | conversing with Heather Rose Jones about her series Alpennia whilst featuring her newest release “Floodtide” during #FFFeb!Floodtide
by Heather Rose Jones
Source: Direct from Publisher

The streets are a perilous place for a young laundry maid dismissed without a character for indecent acts. Roz knew the end of the path for a country girl alone in the city of Rotenek. A desperate escape in the night brings her to the doorstep of Dominique the dressmaker and the hope of a second chance beyond what she could have imagined. Roz’s apprenticeship with the needle, under the patronage of the royal thaumaturgist, wasn’t supposed to include learning magic, but Celeste, the dressmaker’s daughter, draws Roz into the mysterious world of the charm-wives. When floodwaters and fever sweep through the lower city, Celeste’s magical charms could bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor of Rotenek, but only if Roz can claim the help of some unlikely allies.

Set in the magical early 19th century world of Alpennia, Floodtide tells an independent tale that interweaves with the adventures. A stand-alone book in the Alpennia series (Alpennia #4)

Genres: Historical-Fantasy, LGBTQIA Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781642470468

Published by Bella Books

on 15th November, 2019

Format: Trade Paperback

“In the first quarter of the 19th century, Alpennia, like the rest of Europe, has seen the rise and fall of the French Empire under Napoleon and is struggling to find their place in the aftermath. The greatest Alpennian asset in that struggle is their strong tradition of thaumaturgy, calling on the Mysteries of the Saints to answer the challenge of more powerful neighbors. At first, Margerit Sovitre has little thought for nations and politics. Her interest in mystical studies is entirely personal. But as the Alpennian stories progress, Margerit and her circle of friends will be drawn ever deeper into intrigues at the highest levels, and they will learn that the ancient rituals that protect Alpennia are only one face of the magical forces at work.”

Published by: Bella Books (@bellabooks)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #Floodtide, #FFFebruary or #FFFeb

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Posted Saturday, 29 February, 2020 by jorielov in 19th Century, Author Interview, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction

(Video) Author Interview | Jorie and Edale Lane discuss “Merchants of Milan” the first novel of the Night Flyer Trilogy!

Posted Wednesday, 26 February, 2020 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

Video Interview banner created by Jorie in Canva using Unsplash.com photography (Creative Commons Zero).

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I have a very special *surprise!* for you,  as you may remember – I’ve been trying to bring more vlog interviews to Jorie Loves A Story. Two authors had to be rescheduled (ie. AshleyRose Sullivan & Stephen Zimmer) whilst a few others had a scheduling conflict – which is why today I am thrilled to bits to bring my second video interview to my readers! Isn’t this exciting!?

In March [2018] as I was celebrating my *5th Blogoversary* I was honoured with featuring Ms Chris whilst conversing with her about her Road Ghosts Omnibus release for her Road Ghosts series! If you missed viewing the companion post where I gave live feedback on behalf of her responses to my questions, kindly make sure you visit after you’ve enjoyed this new conversation with Ms Lane.

I have been enjoying taking this journey with you and reading your reactions after you finish listening the conversations as they evolve. Although, these are vlog interviews – I encourage you to play them as they are embedded here, whilst having the JOY of reading my in-line reactions as I initially listened to them myself – seeing where the author & I each reacted to each other as we had this ‘virtual’ fireside chat and engaged in an intrapersonal way.

If you use YouTube directly, I encourage you to leave a comment on there as well as on this post in the threads below. This way both I & the author will know your thoughts, listening to your thoughtful comments & the conversation can carry forward. Bless you if you choose to share the video or this post on your own social networks.

Now, as you know – I am rather infamous for having delightfully in-depth conversations – therefore, before you hit the PLAY button, due yourself a kind favour? Brew yourself a cuppa & find a comfy spot to sit – this next interview is happily *thirty-five!* minutes in length as I truly like to ask a few challenging questions whilst also asking questions that might spark discussion as these vlog interviews are set-up a bit differently than my traditional interviews I conduct either by email or phone.

The fact I was able to pull this together whilst my whole family was struck down by one health affliction after another is rather the most remarkable footnote on this post. I, myself have been battling through a severe cold for a week now and the migraine which chased after the cold is the numbing kind which are hard to shake. To say I am just not myself this end of February is putting it mildly but evenso, I was thankful I could put this vlog interview together for my readers and have it anchoured to the last day of the blog tour – as I was thankful I was given this opportunity to host another one of these special features for Tomorrow Comes Media.

As you listen to the vlog itself – you will start to notice I truly wanted to carry-over the style I originally developed for this series of interviews when I interviewed Ms Chris but also as a carry-over effect from the kind of conversations I regularly host during @SatBookChat – where this style originated. I like to dig into the heart of how a writer approaches their craft of writing inasmuch as how they develop the series they are writing (if they currently have one in-progress, such as Ms Lane). This allows the reader to have a more intrapersonal glimpse into the story and the direction of the series – giving you a lot of fodder to chew on as you’re listening to the vlog but also to contemplate the larger themes of the story in the historical context in which it was written.

My questions were mere talking points wherein happily Ms Lane took as inspiration to broach upon more of the character back-stories and the foundational arcs in how this series is first introduced and rooted to how we meet Florentina as she is at the centre of the story. As you watch the converstation develop you will also become more privy to the historical nuances and timelines of what is included in the background of the story and how the research Ms Lane undertook also plays a strong role in how the story was then told.

I hope you’ll enjoy your visit with me today, as you tuck into this vlog interview where the questions I asked Ms Lane were to be a rounding of enquiry about the Night Flyer Trilogy, the characters and the particulars of how she wrote this Historical Fantasy series.

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Merchants of Milan by Edale Lane

Published by: Past & Prologue Press
Available Formats: Softcover and Ebook

What I enjoyed about reading “Merchants of Milan”:

We first get to know Florentina through her reaction to the ingenious and beautifully designed clock – whose ornate design and the intricate ways in which the clock drew your eye to how it was designed showed how much she appreciated the artistry of engineering objects. Whilst it was her impression of Madelena which took her breath and held it; for she was a woman whose confidence was self reflected not just in her attire but her countenance and the ways in which she fluidly could articulate herself to others. Florentina for her sake was unable to formulate a witty response but allowed herself the chance to enjoy the randomness of their first conversation. You didn’t realise at first why this clock struck her as impressive until Maddie (Madelena) talked a bit about it and it was further revealled how it was an original design of Florentina’s father. I would imagine that parting image of seeing the clock against the tides of her own grief would have felt bittersweet; a lost remnant of his talent but one which thankfully had a place of honour.

It didn’t take long for both women to feel comfortable round each other and to feel as if they had met a treasure friend. They were each keeping their internal thoughts to themselves which was a bit of fodder for the reader to enjoy as their thoughts were merged together even though they hadn’t realised they were keeping their thoughts on similar territory to each other whilst in each other’s company. Both of them had an ease of comfortability which eluded to how they might be better matched together in other areas as well. For Florentina’s part, as a woman who was ready to scheme and watch her ideas take root after chasing after a goal she had in mind – it was the best outcome for her – as she not only won over the sister, but the sister’s brother who would become her employ! She had papers to prove her worth as an employable governess and as a woman who could tinker for the family – repairing what is broken wouldn’t be a challenge for her and it would allow her access to a family she had hoped to bridge herself into without too much attention placed on her reasons behind applying to them for employment. From that angle, Florentina accomplished what she wanted because on the surface of it all – she was exactly as she appeared and nothing more.

This is written within the background of 16th Century Italy – wherein Lane inserts some of the historical data behind where her characters are moving about their lives in the present timeline of her series. It was interesting in many regards, as whilst time travelling into the historic past, despite the lack of forensics and other investigative procedures, there were always rudimentary criminal processing of evidence and of investigative procedurals – however, this is the exception to that rule, where apparently in this part of Italy, nothing existed to excise a family’s right to know what happened to their loved ones who were either attacked or brutally taken prematurely from their lives. This is in effect what was launching Florentina’s mission and why she was taking great lengths to not just protect her interests but also her identity after she started to launch her plan(s).

When you get to see what Florentina has learnt from da Vinci – in regards of his flying apparatus it is truly a feast of wonder! I can tell why Florentina is happy whenever she is in flight – as it would be such a rush of joy just to take off and to feel the air beneath you but without the fear of simply dropping out of the sky! It was a true piece of craft, Lane has inserted into the story whilst at the same time, she treats you to a bit of back-history where da Vinci and Florentina shared a past and the revelations of what he was learning through his experiments. You quickly realise she was equally influenced by his curiosity of crafting new objects and new engineering marvels as much as she had been influenced by her father; both men were far ahead of themselves and it was what they had learnt through tinkering which had encouraged her own heart to chase after what inspired her own curiosity.

This first installment sets down the foundation of how Maddie and Florentina must join forces in order to seek the truth of what is happening in the shadows of Milan’s powerful houses. There is something untoward going on whilst the rest of the city is going about its business as usual. If the Night Flyer hadn’t started to make appearances and seek out truth from the shadows of night, they might not have learnt as much as they had now. It was only when they each started to question certain truths in their own lives did they start to discover the levels of deceit in their lives. The hardship of course is what to do with all the information once it is learnt? This became a bit of a battle of wills for the women as neither of them felt they would have anything to gain but vengeance and peace of mind for their actions.

The Night Flyer exists similar to Zorro – as a person for the people and the ones in their society without the voice to give light to the ills of the city. It is here where you start to see how the Night Flyer has taken on more than what they originally sought because it is too hard to bypass the needs of the people in pursuit of one man who wronged so many in his lifetime. It was a clever plotting how the Night Flyer could have a bit of duality – not only in their life when their unmasked but as a masked figure they had a certain layer of freedom and of movement that would not have been afforded to them if they hadn’t conceived of the masked identity. That in of itself spoke volumes about the greater purpose of the Night Flyer and also how hard it would be to find truer justice in this world that was severely unjust to the working class.

-quoted from my review of Merchants of Milan

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Converse on Twitter: #NightFlyerTrilogy, #SapphicFiction

as well as #HistoricalFantasy & #SpeculativeFiction 

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Posted Wednesday, 26 February, 2020 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Speculative Fiction, Tomorrow Comes Media, Video (vlog) Author Interview

#HistoricalMondays Book Review | “Merchant’s of Milan” (Book One: The Night Flyer Trilogy) by Edale Lane

Posted Monday, 24 February, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

#HistoricalMondays blog banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: When I first started book blogging in [2013] one of my first touring companies to work with was Tomorrow Comes Media who worked in conjunction with Seventh Star Press (an Indie publisher of Speculative Fiction) whilst featuring other Indie and/or Self Published authors. I am a regular blog tour hostess with Tomorrow Comes Media and enjoy getting to read a wide range of Speculative Fiction across Science Fiction, Fantasy and Cosy Horror genres of interest. Sometimes the stories are genre-benders and/or they’re embracing the beauty of #SpecLit to such a degree they are their own unique niche in the larger expanse of the genre itself. 2020 marks my seventh year hosting for Tomorrow Comes Media and Seventh Star Press respectively.

I received a complimentary copy of “Merchants of Milan” direct from the author Edale Lane in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Ahead of reading the novel – a note of acknowledgement:

I could definitely relate to the ode of gratitude and serendipity of being raised by a Mum would infused a love of stories, art, music, cultural history and agency into the life of a daughter. My family celebrated art and music instilling within me a wonderment of joy and a deep appreciation for remaining curious and engaged with the pursuit of self-learning the world round me. As a book blogger a lot of the years I lived outside this online space were similar to the ones I share a small window of insight about – drawing closer to topics & subjects which interest me, challenging myself to push through the cosier stories I read regularly to read outside my comfort zones and to remain firmly open to how stories have a way of finding us.

I loved the note Lane shared with us, her readers, because it was one which matches my own appreciation for my family and for my Mum, who as she lamented herself about hers – was my first teacher as well. Mum had a way of teaching me my school teachers never could; mostly as she had a healthy interest herself in the process of learning and in understanding how to each each child in a way that allows what is being taught to capture their interest; rather than letting education fall flat and remain droll. I was also raised in a healthy environment of dissecting topics, subjects and interests – to root round a conversation and re-examine it from different perspectives & angles; openly discussing everything and remaining curious about the things I hadn’t yet had the joy of learning.

In essence, those of us who are taught how to be seekers of knowledge at a young age never fully ‘let go’ of that curious itch to know more – to see further and to explore what captures our imaginations. For that, I could relate most readily. Secondly, I had a healthy appreciation and respect for da Vinci as a teenager who was studying art and art history for the first time. I took those concentrations further than my classmates – they only tipped the scale of his legacy on the superficial surface of his life whereas I wanted to see further and contemplated the Mona Lisa for my mid-term essay project. I apparently surprised my art teacher of whom for reasons I cannot acknowledge wasn’t even sure how to grade the paper as I presented a theory she hadn’t heard of previously.

Which brings me back round to my joy of reading this Author’s Note – sometimes the people who encourage us the most are the people who know us best. They understand how our mind works and how we like to noodle out theories of insight as they are the best at knowing exactly how to challenge us to step away from the status quo and to live with a passion for learning. To question everything and to pursue our own understandings of the routes our curiosity takes us to explore. It was such a wonderful note to read and I was thankful it was included at the start of the novel.

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#HistoricalMondays Book Review | “Merchant’s of Milan” (Book One: The Night Flyer Trilogy) by Edale LaneMerchants of Milan
Subtitle: Book 1 of The Night Flyer Trilogy
by Edale Lane
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Enggar Adirasa
Source: Author via Tomorrow Comes Media

Three powerful merchants, two independent women in love, one masked vigilante.

Florentina, set on revenge for her father’s murder, creates an alter-ego known as the Night Flyer. Madelena, whose husband was also murdered, hires Florentina as a tutor for her children and love blossoms between them. However, Florentina’s vendetta is fraught with danger, and surprising developments threaten both women’s lives.

Merchants of Milan is the first book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy. If you like gadgets and gismos, rich historical background, three-dimensional characters, and fast-paced action with a slow-boil lesbian romance, then you are sure to love this series. Buy this one of a kind novel today and let the adventure begin!

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Feminist Historical Fiction, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, Historical-Fantasy, LGBTQIA Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1654780197

Also by this author: (Video) Interview feat. Edale Lane (Merchants of Milan), Secrets of Milan (Guest Post by Author), Secrets of Milan, Secrets of Milan (Interview)

Also in this series: Secrets of Milan, Chaos in Milan


Published by Past & Prologue Press

on 5th January, 2020

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 237

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Published by: Past & Prologue Press

Available Formats: Softcover and Ebook

This is the first novel of The Night Flyer Trilogy!

Converse on Twitter: #NightFlyerTrilogy, #SapphicFiction

as well as #HistoricalFantasy & #SpeculativeFiction

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7th Annual Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

This story received my award for BEST Historical Fantasy
: sub-focus Feminist Histfic with an LGBTQ+ character lead.

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About Edale Lane

Edale Lane

Edale Lane is the author of an award winning 2019 debut novel, Heart of Sherwood. She is the alter-ego of author Melodie Romeo, (Vlad a Novel, Terror in Time, and others) who founded Past and Prologue Press. Both identities are qualified to write historical fiction by virtue of an MA in History and 24 years spent as a teacher, along with skill and dedication in regard to research. She is a successful author who also currently drives a tractor-trailer across the United States. A native of Vicksburg, MS, Edale (or Melodie as the case may be) is also a musician who loves animals, gardening, and nature.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Monday, 24 February, 2020 by jorielov in 16th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Clockmakers & Watchmakers, Clockwork & Mechanisations, Content Note, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Tomorrow Comes Media, Vulgarity in Literature