Archive | February, 2024

Sisters on the Seas: Sisters of Fortune and The Titanic Sisters

28 Feb

Sisters of Fortune
by Anna Lee Huber
Anna Lee Huber’s new novel, Sisters of Fortune, is based on the true story of the upper class, Canadian, Fortune family who were amongst the passengers who boarded the Titanic for its tragic maiden voyage in 1912. I had recently visited Nova Scotia cemetery where many of the passengers were buried and it was a very moving experience so this story peaked my interest. Huber does a great job of merging interesting historical facts about the three sisters and other notable passengers such as one of the sister’s receiving a warning about going out to sea by an Egyptian fortuneteller, with a thrilling storyline including family drama. A fictional romance, based on the lives of two real tennis champ who were also on the Titanic, will have fans of the James Cameron Titanic movie hooked. The ship is discussed in such depth it felt as if it were a character in and of itself. If you enjoy Sisters of Fortune and historic fiction, you can also borrow other books by Huber including those in her Verity Kent historic mystery series, which is set in 1919 and 1920. 

The Titanic Sisters
by Patricia Falvey
Patricia Falvey’s The Titanic Sisters tells the fictional story of Delia and Nora Sweeny, two very different Irish sisters, one a statuesque, curvy brunette, the apple of her mother’s eye, and the other a petite pale pixie, who is a daddy’s girl. Nora hopes for a rich husband while her sister dreams of exploring foreign lands she reads about in books. When a relative provides them the means to travel to NY along with a position for Nora as a governess for the daughter of a wealthy widower, it seems both their wishes will be granted. But the ship they are on the Titanic, of course never makes it to their port of call and the two sisters separated in the chaos, wind up on very different paths from what was planned for each of them. I was surprised that unlike Huber’s novel, this story only took place for a very short time on the boat itself, but the twisty tale full of romance, deception, and drama still made for an enjoyable listen to the audio book version read by Esther Wane featuring a charming Irish brogue.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Fantastic Apprentices: Remedial Magic and Assistant to the Villain

21 Feb

Remedial Magic
by Melissa Marr
Remedial Magic is the new novel by Melissa Marr. In the creative world Marr shaped, people only find their magic when they are in the most dangerous of circumstances such as about to be in a fatal car accident or falling off a cliff while hiking. Their magic saves them and they are then brought to a magical realm, Crenshaw, where they are enrolled in the equivalent of magical community college. Hobs, manifestation of magic are there to assist them. Unfortunately all is not currently right in Crenshaw. Prospero, a long time resident hopes that amongst the recent arrivals Ellie, a small town librarian, may be the prophesied savior; sparks fly between the two women as well as between several of the other characters. If you are looking for a romantacy series more adult than Harry Potter, but more whimsical and fun than the Magicians than this novel will delight. The book ends on a cliffhanger so I’m interested to see what book two in The Course of Magic series has in store for its diverse cast of characters.

Assistant to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Assistant to the Villain begins with out of work Evie Sage happening upon a very unusual job opportunity to assist the empire’s most notorious villain. If you enjoyed John Scazi’s recent Starter Villain, you should also enjoy this more fantastical spin on the concept. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version read by Em Elridge. As with any story where the villain is in the protagonist role, often Evie is left looking more like the hero and less truly evil as is her boss and love interest, The Villain, whose perspective we are also given in the novel. Warning though, this one also ends on quite a cliffhanger. I’m glad to see that we are beginning to have more humor and less grimdark in Fantasy works that are coming out recently. While there is a place for serious speculative fiction, many of my favorite works manage to slip in a few laughs and smiles rather than keeping things bleak. 

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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