The Skeleton Key: Tara Moss

I've been a big fan of Tara Moss's since I found a copy of Covey at my local library. Since then I have brought every book in both the Mak series and the new Pandora English one. Two days ago I picked up a copy of her latest book The Skeleton Key and read it pretty much that day. It's pretty easy to say that this book got my attention straight away, from the mysterious cover of Pandora peeking through a keyhole to the promise of more Spektor delight. Pandora juggles working at the fashion magazine, Pandora, while she tries to live a 'normal' life in a world that is anything but. As she learns to use her new found telekinetic abilities and of her role as the Seventh Lucasta women, she must also deal with a romantic life, trying to make the choice between Lieutenant Luke, a ghost from the Civil War and Jay, who has no memory of their brief dates back during the time of The Blood Countess. If that alone wasn't enough for Pandora to cope with, she also begins to explore her home as ghosts lead the way through the maze-like Gothic mansion she lives in. Pandora must also battle Sanguine enemies from her past who hold a grudge against her,while along with dealing with the repercussions of Sanguine leader, Deus, feeding her his blood to save her life in The Spider Goddess. Pandora's explorations of her mysterious home will lead her on a path that she never expected as she gets closer to discovering the house's biggest secret and the role that she will play. Fans of Moss's will love the way that she weaves her trademark fashion knowledge throughout this book. Even a novice of the fashion world will become familiar with labels and styles as they are recited from the mouth of Pandora's great-aunt, the eternally young Celia. Moss gives her readers enough of the eerie world of Spektor and it's inhabitants, just enough for them to want to read more. I cannot wait to see where Pandora's adventures lead her next Rating 4.5/5 Available from www.panmacmillan.com.au

Book Review: Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson

From their first meeting you know that the central characters in this book are going to become important to each other. Set during World War Two, Dom, a RAF pilot is in the hospital, recovering from burns after a plane accident. It is there that he meets singer Saba, whose passion for music and performance will take her across the world. After he recovers from his injuries, he has an insatiable need to return to fighting, despite his family’s objections. There is an instant attraction between these characters, and the reader will feel their desperate need-to-connect with each other as they struggle to find each other in war ravaged Europe. Saba is caught in a life going nowhere, feeling the pressure from her family to give up music and become a home-maker. Her dreams of becoming a renowned singer feed her as she reaches out to the world and takes on an opportunity to perform as a part of a travelling entertainment act, bringing music to those fighting the war. She is innocent to the world around her in a lot of ways, unawares of the depth of which her actions truly run. She soon becomes, unknowingly, caught up in the world of espionage, telling herself that she’s doing it to help her country. The reader is immersed into World War Two from the moment they begin reading. From rationed food, and air raid sirens screeching in the background to letter censorship. Populated with realistic supporting characters, the reader automatically wants to know more, to see these characters together. From an abduction attempt and being Missing In Action, there are a lot of barriers to stop these characters from coming together, and it is through their actions that the reader understands what really motivates these characters is their love for each other and for life. Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review: The Distant Hours by Kate Morgan

I’m a gothic fiction fan and The Distant Hours has now been included among my favourite titles of this genre. Set in the early 1990s, it begins with a mysterious letter sent to Edie’s mother from Milderhurst Castle. Lost in the postal service for over fifty years, it sets in motion revelations of Edie’s mother’s life as an evacuee during World War II in England, where she is sent to live with the Blythe sisters, Percy, Saffy and Juniper at their home, Milderhurst Castle. All Edie wants to do is understand her mother, and why a letter could provoke such as dramatic response from her. It was a desire that I too felt while reading, wanting to know more about the who’s and what’s involved in the story. While out of town for work, Edie gets lost and accidentally ends up on the road to Milderhurst Castle, which still stands high up on the hill, a shadow of it’s former glory. Within its walls, Edie meets the sisters, whom are growing older, caught in the unspoken regrets of their pasts. Like any book of the gothic genre, The Distant Hours utilises time shifts and multiple narrators to effectively explore the past of both Edie’s mother, the sisters Blythe and schoolteacher/ soldier Thomas Cavil who disappeared at the end of the war after promising to come to see Juniper at the castle. The reader isn’t left feeling lost at the changes as Morton utilises these traits in a manner which gives the reader more depth of each character. Edie becomes more entwined with the mysteries of Milderhurst Castle, which includes the origins of the Mud Man, a book from her childhood which was written by Raymond Blythe, father to the three sisters. As she explores, she begins to understand her mother, making their connection much stronger than it had been before. The reader understands that, right from the beginning, there is more to the story than the letter that starts it. Morton shows us families whose love for each other is what motivates them to act in certain ways, and that all they want to do is understand each other. Loved it, definitely worth a re-read Rating 4.5/5