Legacy of the Lynx by Clio Gray @cliogray @urbanepub

About the Legacy of the Lynx

Award winning writer Clio Gray has written a thrilling adventure story, steeped in historical fact and legend, that will keep readers gripped to the very last page.

1798. Three people, two brutal murders, and a single promise...

Golo Eck is searching for the fabled lost library of The Lynx, Europe’s first scientific society, founded in 1603. Fergus, his friend and fellow adventurer, is on the trail of the legend in Ireland when he becomes embroiled in the uprising of the United Irish against English rule. His only hope of escape is Greta, a courageous messenger for the United Irish cause. Following the bloody battles of New Ross and Vinegar Hill, Fergus is missing, and Greta is on the run.

Golo meanwhile suspects other forces are on the trail of the Lynx, and he heads to Holland in pursuit. When Golo’s ship founders and he disappears, his ward Ruan is left to fend for himself, a stranger in a strange land.

Can Ruan pursue the trail to the lost library? Will Golo and Fergus be found? Can Greta escape Ireland with her very life? And will the truth of the Legacy of the Lynx finally be revealed?

My review of Legacy of the Lynx

 

The Legacy of the Lynx is a beautiful, historical, adventure story that I absolutely loved. I'll admit and tell you that I was drawn to the book, firstly by its beautiful cover, but then, when I read what the book was about, I knew that I had to read it.

Clio Gray is an experienced writer with many books under her belt, but this is the first book that I have read by her. The story is about Golo Eck's quest for the lost library of The Lynx,  that was founded in the early 1600s, Finding this lost library is the key to a more peaceful, democratic and less violent world. Golo truly believes that the Lynx can save mankind. As he is advancing in years, he knows that time is running out, and that together with his fiends, Fergus and Ruan, they will be able to find the Lynx in time.

At the beginning of the book all three characters leave the highlands of Scotland to begin their journeys. Golo and Ruan head to Holland on a boat, while Fergus heads to Ireland. This is when the adventure truly begins.  Fergus finds himself in Ireland during the uprising of the United Irish against the English and has the fight of his life on his hands, to both keep alive and to find the part of the Lynx that is buried in Ireland. From the moment I was introduced to Fergus, I loved him. He is a man who cares for his frend Golo, who is a father figure to him, and who, although only tolerates Ruan, wants the absolute best for him. He is a man with honour and integrity, but also weaknesses, and I found that I wanted him to succeed and to be happy.

Ruan and Golo head to Holland but are quickly separated, leaving Ruan alone and having to search for the Lynx by himself. Although I did not like Ruan at the beginning of the book, I thought him to be spoilt and quite frankly nasty, he most definitely grew on me during the course of the book, and I think that this was the way it was meant to be. He grows into a young man during the book and we grow with him. His journey, I felt, was the most difficult of all, and just like with Fergus, I wanted him to succeed.

I must also quickly mention Greta, as the book is not entirely dominated by men, there are a few feisty women in this book, and Greta is one of them. She helps Fergus through the treacherous Irish streets as his guide. She is a strong, opinionated and likeable character, and I warned to her instantly. I can still hear her dulcet Irish tones in my head.

If you are anything like me, and feel slightly put off when the word 'history' is mentioned in a novel, then please don't be. My historical knowledge is awful, and I found this book to be hugely entertaining without knowing anything around the events that were unfurling during the late 1700s in Ireland. This book is all about the characters, what they learn during their journey. It is a story about adventure and discovery, but for me, I wanted to know what would happen to the characters and if they eventually found their beloved library of the Lynx.

Legacy of the Lynx is a delicious slow burner of a book. The dialogue is intricate and cannot be rushed. You really do need to sit and give yourself a few hours of undivided attention while you read this book. Having  said that, the author packs in an awful lot of action, with alternating scenes between Holland and Ireland, so that you do not become confused as to what journey you are following.

The Legacy of the Lynx is a hugely enjoyable read. If you love your historical novels (or even if you don't), love grand adventure stories, murder mysteries and intelligent writing, in a book that is different from the norm, then you will love this book.

With thanks to Urbane Publications and NetGalley for a review copy. Legacy of the Lynx was published on November 24th by Urbane Publications.

About the Author

Clio was born in Yorkshire, spent her later childhood in Devon before returning to Yorkshire to go to university. For the last twenty five years she has lived in the Scottish Highlands where she intends to remain. She eschewed the usual route of marriage, mortgage, children, and instead spent her working life in libraries, filling her home with books and sharing that home with dogs. She began writing for personal amusement in the late nineties, then began entering short story competitions, getting short listed and then winning, which led directly to a publication deal with Headline. Her latest book, The Anatomist's Dream, was nominated for the Man Booker 2015 and long listed for the Bailey's Prize in 2016. 'Surprisingly,' Gray says, 'The Anatomist's Dream - although my eighth published novel - was amongst the first few stabs I made at writing a book. Pretty appalling in its first incarnation (not that I thought it at the time!) it was only when I brushed the dust off it a few years ago that I realised there really was something interesting and unusual at its core that I could now, as a more experienced writer, work with. The moral being: don't give up. The more you write, the more self-critical you become and the better your writing will be because of it.' Clio has always been encouraging towards emergent writers, and founded HISSAC (The Highlands and Islands Short Story Association) in 2004 precisely to further that aim, providing feedback on short listed stories and mentoring first time novelists, not a few of whom have gone on to be published themselves. 'It's been a great privilege to work with aspiring writers, to see them develop and flourish,' Gray says. 'There can never be too many books in the world, and the better the books the better place the world will be.'

Breaking East by Bob E Summer

Book Description of Breaking East (taken from Amazon)

My dad used to love telling the story about how I kicked my way into the world ten weeks early. He swore I screamed so loud the midwife almost dropped me on my head. ‘Holy devil on a pushbike,’ she said. ‘Just listen to that attitude already.’

In a divided Britain, seventeen-year-old Atty accepts her first proper job as a freedom fighter—all she has to do is spy on two abandoned kids. It should be a doddle in the park, but things turn messy and she gets tangled in lies, trapped on the wrong side of the border and isolated from everything she knows. And if dealing with corrupt agents, missing children and dead bodies isn’t enough, she has two lads competing for her attention, tweaking at her hormones until she can’t think straight. But if she doesn’t figure out who she can trust soon, the future she's always dreamt of will be lost.

Breaking East is the first book in the Bone trilogy—a coming-of-age, British dystopian, packed with action and fraught with the trouble called boys.

My Review of Breaking East

Breaking East is a YA dystopian novel, but quite frankly I think that to pigeonhole this book into such tight genres does not do it justice. I really dislike the labelling of books for this very reason. Breaking East is a dystopian novel that blends the YA genre to create a totally different type of book. This makes the book very different to your average YA novel. It also has a complex narrative, tackles serious issues such as poverty and depression and features an incredibly strong first person narrator in the voice of Atty.

Let me begin by saying that I loved this book. Much of my love for this book is based upon the strong female lead that is Atty. A 17-year-old who surprisingly is not annoying like a lot of teenage narration can be. I warmed to her instantly. She is feisty, strong, funny and witty; but does not come across as being too harsh as to be unlikeable. She also has her faults, as we all do, and is not ashamed of telling it as it is. Bob E Summer has managed to create a likeable, female narrator who tells beautifully the teenage angst of growing up in a deprived community with no family and the need to survive as best you can. While reading the book I wanted to have a cosy chat with her while drinking a hot cup of Blue juice.

Another interesting character in the book is that of Stuart, who is the polar opposite of Atty and is one of the "two lads competing for her affections". He comes from a privileged background and lives in The Burrows, which is the complete opposite to where Atty lives, and has connections, unlike Atty. I loved his character because he was not your stereotypically rich, spoilt boy. He has an inner depth and a fragality about him that makes me like him even more. He is also a gentleman, so what's not to like? You cannot help but fall in love with him. I really enjoyed reading the banter between Atty and Stuart, and the way in which the two connected over the course of the book. What I would have loved even more though was to hear his thoughts and feelings about Atty. As a character he really intrigued me and I would have loved to have heard those inner thoughts of his. Another character who I would have liked to have known more about was Joe. As Atty's guardian, he came across as a kind man with a rough exterior, but I would have loved the chance to see what was underneath.

Breaking East is an incredibly well written and fast paced novel that kept me guessing right up to the very end. The novel is very much a narrative for today's Broken Britain. This is a superb debut novel and I cannot wait to read Book 2 in the series.

With thanks to the author for a review copy in exchange for an honest review

About Bob E Summer

Bob writes young adult fiction from a secret room in an ordinary house. She eats a lot of crisps and naps a lot.

Breaking East is available to buy from Amazon here

Beetlebrow by Ben Parker

 

 

Beetlebrow (taken from Amazon)

 

Beetlebrow, the first book in The Beetlebrow Trilogy, is an intricately plotted, emotional and intensely engaging story about two teenage girls, Beetlebrow and Pook, thrown together in a life or death adventure taking place in a sinister, hostile and threatening world. The two will need all their resourcefulness to succeed in a daunting quest: to deliver a cryptic, vital message to the distant eastern city of Dalcratty. The growing love Beetlebrow and Pook feel for each other brings them closer together as they confront challenge after challenge, not the least of which is an encounter with the citizens of Essum, whose morality and culture is founded upon interpreting a half-finished painting. After you read Beetlebrow, your life will never be quite the same.

 

 

My Review of Beetlebrow

 

I gave to be honest and say that when Ben first approached me about reading his book, I had my reservations. This book is completely out of my comfort zone, as it is a YA/LGBT/adventure novel But I like to challenge my reading habits and, so I told Ben that I would give it a go. And I am so very glad that I did. Beetlebrow is an epic romp of a story that is fast paced and beautifully written.

 

What really struck me with this book was the way in which Ben had managed to create an entirely new world that I could, see, taste and smell. The absolute poverty and base desire to simply survive on a daily basis was told with such humility and compassion that I instantly befriended Beetlebrow and happily went with her on her journey throughout the pages of the book. As a mother, I also wanted to reach out and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

 

Beetlebrow is the central character in the book, who together with Pook, begin an adventure to deliver a cryptic message to the city of Dalcratty. What I enjoyed most about this book was their story, which was one of friendship brought about by necessity, the necessity to survive. Although this book is about a lesbian relationship, the focus is very much upon young love, teenage love, those feelings that we all have when we meet someone for the first time and do not know what to say, do or how to act, and this is what Ben beautifully portrays through his writing, that of the unknown. The way in which Ben writes about their feelings towards each other, and in particular Beetlebrow's difficulties in articulating those feelings, is very raw and poignant.

 

Their relationship, and in fact the role of women, is portrayed very strongly within the book. They are living in male dominated times, with women forced into prostitution and begging just to be able to eat. Both Pook and Beetlebrow are strong female leads, who, together, will not allow men to dominate them. They are strong willed and opinionated and ultimately survivors. I loved them.

 

The only slight downside for me with this book, was that I would have loved to have known more about Pook, about her story, but perhaps this will be revealed within the second book in the trilogy.

 

Beetlebrow is a wonderful debut novel about the strength of women and survival within the bleakest of circumstances. I very much look forward to reading more by Ben Parker. 

With thanks to the author and Conrad Press for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.



 

About Ben Parker

 

Ben Parker was born in Ealing, London, in 1983. He studied English literature at Southampton University, achieving a BA and MA, before moving to Kent in 2007. He suffers from clinical depression and anxiety problems, which is probably a little obvious from the tone of "Beetlebrow", but he thinks that from this debilitating illness, the desire to struggle onwards is made more palpable, as he strives to write with originality and verve.

"Beetlebrow" is Ben's first novel. After ten years of trying to get publishers interested in what he'd written, he finally found James Essinger, who was willing to take the challenge of representing his latest book, "Beetlebrow". Around the same time, James was starting The "Conrad Press", a small publishing firm based in Canterbury, and since Ben always preferred the local to the national, he was very pleased that they wanted to publish "Beetlebrow" as part of "The Conrad Press"'s first releases.

Ben enjoys jazz, dub reggae and ambient music. Being a vinyl nut, he's very pleased to be aged 33 and a third :)

You can follow Ben on twitter at @bjcparker

Beetlebrow is available to buy from Amazon here