IPhone 3G used's review (Great book, but series slow in America!) 『I love this series, the Countess and Alpiew are pure literary gems. I just wanted to let the readers know that this series is seriously slow in making it to the USA. The third and fourth installments "The Ambitious Stepmother" and "Fortune's Slave," have already been released in Britain! I loved the third book, which takes place mainly in France at the exiled court of King JamesII. Where the Countess and Alpiew have been hired to take a Lady's step-daughter to find a rich husband. It deals with the outbreak of poisionings and sexual intrigues at this deadly court. I am waiting on the arrival of the fourth book, and can not wait to read it. Fortune's Slave synopsis: "Unlikely as it seems, the Countess finds herself with cash to spare. Unlikelier still, she decides to do something sensible and invest it, caught up in London's new craze for stocks and shares. Overnight fortunes are being made, wealth amassed for nothing in a frenzy of speculation. With these new found riches, anything can be bought; commodities, monkeys....even people! But as the Countess and Alpiew learn, investments can go down as well as up. Helped along by bastions of repectability, bankers and brokers. Soon banking leads to begging, burglary and strange bedfellows!" So, take my advice and go to Amazon.co.uk if you like this series, and order these two books. So you can catch up on the ribald adventures of these two loveable, bumbling ladies!』
(Restoration Historical Fiction) 『"The Rival Queens", is the first work that I have read by Fidelis Morgan whose talents go beyond that of a novelist to being an actress and playwright as well. She also brings to her fiction her writing that documents the true lives of 17th and 18th Century women, and she has also edited the work of others as well. All these accomplishments bring to her writing a great authenticity as she chronicles the mysteries of 18th Century London, the stage, and the players upon it.
It is a fine line between presenting dialogue that is authentic from the 18th Century, and writing so faithfully to every bit of slang then in use so as to make reading a work frustrating to impossible. When I read historical fiction, one of the last burdens I want to have is the constant interruption of language that has become arcane, or footnotes that interrupt the narrative flow. Another failing of some writers is that they take great liberty with the historical figures they place within their fiction. Fidelis Morgan uses Samuel Pepys as a player in her tale, and nothing she portrayed was inconsistent with what I have read of the man.
Her two heroines who are the sleuths are both wonderful, and are a good team while often being the perfect odd couple. This piece has all the drama of hands drenched in blood, blood spouting from public fountains, and bodies that either appear or actually seem to have misplaced some of their parts. The book is fun and entertaining with the author adding enough levity to keep her work from becoming another bloodletting ripper tale. I definitely will be going back to her first work, and I look forward to reading many more.』
(a rollicking good read) 『If you're in the mood for a wildly entertaining historical mystery novel, Fidelis Morgan's latest Countess Ashby de la Zouche/Alpiew adventure should more than satisfy. The book possesses a really interesting and engrossing storyline, colourful characters, and is written with a great deal of wit, elegance, and humour.
While chasing down what they hope will be the latest society scandal involving the only daughter of a rich City alderman, the Countess and Alpiew, (the 'scandal' column reporters for the "London Trumpet"), make the acquittance of Colley Cibber (a playwright and actor currently working at Drury Lane). Always on the lookout for publicity for himself, Cibber invites the Countess and Alpiew to a lecture on the Passions. And because the Countess is (again) trying to evade the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate (and because Alpiew is truly interested in attending the lecture) the ladies accept Cribber's invitation with some alacrity. The lecture, however, turns out to be instructional in a manner in that neither the Countess nor Alpiew anticipated as they are treated to a very public and bitter squabble between two of Drury Lane's leading actresses: the even tempered and universally adored Anne Lucas and the fiery tempered Rebecca Montagu.
But it is the morning following the lecture that turns out to be the really momentous one for both the Countess and Alpiew. First, they are greeted with the grim news that Anne Lucas has been murdered. Secondly, the Countess gets arrested by the bailiffs for nonpayment of the Poor Rate. And finally, Rebecca Montagu turns up at the Countess's doorstep, intent on hiring both the Countess and Alpiew to discover who Anne Lucas's murderer is and to protect her from her more ardent fans (the 'phanatiques'). Desperate for the money so that she can spring the Countess, Alpiew accepts the case with some reluctance, for she cannot rid herself of the feeling that Rebecca Montagu is not to be trusted. Soon, with the Countess at her side, the duo begins what could be their most frustrating of cases as the most obvious suspect in Anne Lucas's murder seems to be their client (Rebecca Montagu), who seems to be playing a deep game of her own, and who seems intent on making a may game of them. The more they dig, the more evidence they come up with that seems to imply Rebecca's guilt. What are they to do? And more importantly, what will it say of their reputations as private inquiry agents if they come up with the evidence that will send their own client to jail for murder?
"The Rival Queens" proved to be a rollicking fun read. The action never let up, and the plot unfolded at a brisk and smooth pace that had me fairly devouring the bok until I reached the last page! The storyline was a totally engrossing one, and there were enough cunning plot twists and red herring suspects to keep most mystery buffs happy. Best of all was Fidelis Morgan's prose style, which turned out to be witty, hilarious (I esp liked the bits where the Countess would purposely misremember Cibber's name, and address him by a fishy name instead) and very graceful. I really enjoy mystery novels that allows me to appreciate the history and the culture of the period, and "The Rival Queens" fulfilled this requirement admirably. Here's to future Countess Ashby de la Zouch&Alpiew mystery novels!』
『
London 1700. The intrepid and impecunious heroines Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maidservant, Alpiew, are scavenging for scandal for that scurrilous rag, the London Trumpet. With the bailiffs, as ever, in hot pursuit, the Countess and Alpiew escape to a philosophical lecture at the York Building's concert hall. But their dull evening is confounded when one player staggers onto the stage, hands dripping with blood. A doyenne has been decapitated under their very noses!
The unlikely sleuths find an abundance of suspects: players, fanatics, a Punch-and-Judy man -- not to mention a painter with a silver proboscis. They pursue their quarry from the Tower of London to Bedlam, with a brief detour to the wilds of Wapping, uncovering a shocking web of intrigue and corruption extending to the highest echelons of society and the judiciary.
Kakaku：1295 saved$12.95
Mountain Rose Pub
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. IPhone 3G used's review (Great potential - average result) 『There are parts of this book that make for a great spiritual adventure....but as the other reviewer stated......you are just hit over the head one too many times with theories on big brother and their "implanted forehead chips". And really watch out of you don't fully believe in reincarnation 100% as the author does. All in all a good read if you can overlook the heavy handed treatment and the reincarnation push.』
(The great QUEEN OF THE SUN) 『This book is great. It was hard to put down. The many spiritual musings highly enlightened me! Would recommend to anyone!』
(Queen of the Sun: A Modern Revelation) 『This was one of the most exciting books that I have read. I enjoyed it so much, that I bought 13 copies, and gave as Christmas presents. This book has changed my life, along with all those friends that I shared it with, also. Truly a Map Maker for those of us Seeking and Desiring more TRUTH in our Lives! A must for anyone seeking a journey into the Unknown of who we really are...』
(An illuminating spiritual adventure novel) 『Queen of the Sun takes you on a modern-day vision quest. It's a search for truth--for the heavenly wisdom that's contained within our own spirit. Mysterious glyphs found on an ancient amulet reveal divine truths (the truths that are hidden within us). And there are not just keen spiritual insights but also an interesting perspective on world affairs. Think tanks and international banking are shown to be the ultimate socio-political control platforms. I found the information on "money" creation fascinating--and disturbing. Anyone who liked Celestine Prophecy would enjoy and benefit from reading/experiencing it. Also excellent visionary novels to consider: "PsyEarth Quest" and "The Touchstone."』
(Sequel to Celestine Prophecy) 『The philosphocial insights and revelations are the meat of this story and each revelation is looked forward to. For example learning about the The Goddess Isis, the deep secret of the Medallion, perspective of history in ancient Egypt etc. Unfornately, the so-called adventure story gets in the way. The characters that speak to Jason are poorly developed and redundant. However, on the whole, it is a clever way to mix fact and fiction. (Which is which?)』 『An exciting spiritual adventure story and romance that moves from the idyllic hills of Northern California to the heart of the Mexican rainforest. A young artist named Jason discovers an ancient medallion on a high Pacific cliff near the San Francisco Bay. To his dismay, he discovers that the relic is sought after by members of the international financial establisment as well as by representatives of the Church. Jason flees to Mexico in order to save himself and to discover more about the mysterious medallion.There he encounters enigmatic shaman guides who lead him on a journey of danger and discovery into the heart of the jungles of Yucatan. He undergoes a series of trials and harsdhips leading to his soul's awakeing. Jason's remarkable experiences result in a series of revelations that culminate in a miraculous, otherwordly encounter. In a final confronatation between the forces of good and evil, Jason is given a riveting vision of the earth's future and entrust! ed with a message of importance for the world. Queen of the Sun has been translated into nine foreign languages and is a best-seller in Italy.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Cute book) 『The illustrations are great. It's a cute, short-story about Queen Amidala, her lost amulet, and her best friend Sabe. It takes place the day Theed is invaded by the Trade Federation. The two friends retrace Amidala's footsteps from the day before and the amulet is found. Sabe must take the Queens place to ensure her safety. To show her gratitude, Padme has Sabe wear the necklace. True; it isn't an epic book. But it is a nice read. The Amulet that comes with the book isn't plastic, it's metal, and isn't nearly as horrid as earlier described. The box is also a nice little keepsake.
If you like Queen Amidala, you'll love this little set.』
(The Queen's Amulet) 『This book features an uninteresting Star Wars character that was portrayed by an even duller actress, one Natalie Portman. The book was pretty good. I only wish the creative spirit was directed towards a better Star Wars character.』
(a rare jewel of a book) 『A sweetheart of a book, written along the lines of a classic fairy tale. My kid really got a kick out of it. And he isn't even that big of a Star Wars fan, thank god. But this book beats the tar out of Barney or Elmo anyday of the week.』
(Extremely disappointing) 『This book has many problems. I will be sending mine back to Amazon as soon as I find my packing tape.
1: The "amulet" itself. From the cover illustration, I figured it would be the forehead-ornament on the black feathered costume which is featured prominently. Not so: the amulet is a lump of black, with bronzey ropes across it. The amulet opens like a locket. It is the ugliest piece of plastic jewelry I've seen in a long time.
2: The plot. I'd hoped that the story would be worthwhile. It is not. Amidala realizes her amulet is missing, she and a handmaiden go to look for it, they find it and return. No adventures. No uplifting tale. No additional background to the movie.
The only thing worthy about this "book" is the box that it comes in, which is pretty and would make a fairly decent 'secret box' for a child. But those are easy to come by or to make yourself.』
『The planet of Naboo is surrounded but dark and powerful forces, and it is up to the young, strong, and beautiful Queen Amidala to save it. Readers will thrill to this epic tale of adventure set in the faraway, long-ago galaxy of Star Wars: Episode I. Colorfully illuminated with detailed illustrations and featuring a replica of Amidala's treasured amulet, this keepsake jewelry box, hardcover book, and necklace is a fun gift for Star Wars fans of all ages.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Excellent sourcebook, get it quick!) 『Given Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay's long history of bouncing from publisher to publisher, this might be one of the last few supplements that are worth picking up. Realm of the Ice Queen is a sourcebook for Kislev, which in the WFRP Old World is something like Czechloslovakia and something like historical Russia. Standing to the north and east of the Empire proper, Kislev stands directly in the way of the raving hordes of Chaos, and as you might expect this makes the people of that region a little different. Packed with cultural details including politics, military factions, ethnic and regional groups, new Kislev-specific careers and even a new form of magic for spellcasters, ROTIQ is an excellent sourcebook and if you're a WFRP player or collector, you won't be disappointed. Better than "Night's Dark Masters" and just as interesting as the "Tome of Corruption" or "Children of the Horned Rat". And since Black Industries isn't doing WFRP any more, this may be one of the last really decent supplements to come out for the game-- it remains to be seen whether the new publisher will continue to put out books of the same quality and excellence. So go get this one, and the "Tome of Salvation" and keep your fingers crossed for proper support from the new publisher, FFG.』
(One of the best realm guides) 『This one of their best guides for outside the Empire. It covers everything a GM need to run a game up north, or just visit. It also has everything a player needs for backgrounds. Includes rules for ice witches, hags, and a number of additional careers. Nothing you need to run a game, but a good resource, and good read.』
(Another Region Guide lacking detail) 『Realm of the Ice Queen is wfrp supplement that is aimed at covering the Land of Kislev, the Empires closest neighbour.
After a run of excellent WFRP supplements, notable Tomb of Salvation and Nights Dark Masters, I had really high hopes for this book. Unfortunately they where is several area's dashed.
The book starts well, Chapter one presents a workman like brief overview containing the usual mixture of useful details and quotes, and Chapter Two is the section on history. There's nothing wrong here that I can see, and the two chapters provide a good introduction to the region.
Chapter Three leads into Kislev politics and its here in my opinion that cracks first begin to show. Obviously dealing with such a large topic in seven pages is a heroic effort, but due to the low page count this is not treated with wfrp's traditional depth of topic, and is essentially a list of factions and how they deal with the Tsarina.
This is followed closely by a chapter on Law, which is probably one of the highlights of the book. It's overview of the states twin legal system is pretty comprehensive. This includes crimes, punishments, politics and a section of the Chekist secret police.
Religion and Custom really more covers the Cults and Arcane Orders, and you get the feeing the small section on Birth's marriages and Funerals really belongs back in chapter 1. I think here it is worth pointing out the *Huge* improvement upon Knights of the Grail. Unlike Grail Damsels, Ice Witch's and various other orders are fully detailed. There is an issue here with the Cult of Morr, which this section says the people of Kislev never understand how the Empire can worship. Kislev city itself has a Temple of Morr and says that unlike the rest of Kislev Morr is well respected within the city. Erengrad has a Temple of Morr with no notes of it being unusual, and the stanista of Bolgasgrad is said to be dominated by its large Temple of Morr...
Chapter 6 is what should be the Meat and Potatoes of the book, the actual Guide to Kislev. Ironically, as with Knights of the Grail, it's this core purpose that it doesn't fulfil. It starts badly, choosing to depart fro the topic in hand by introducing a plethora of new exposure style rules which really should have been relegated to unobtrusive sidebars. It then compounds this by splitting the entirety of the country into five areas, often with les than half a page said on each. There's no gazetteer, no examples of population sizes, army sizes or any other information at all on any of the settlements, even the ones that are briefly detailed. Clearly this is a layout issue, with the most important segment of the book being crammed into less than six and a half pages. On the other hand, the Region Map, (as with all the Art work,) is excellent. It is only on A4 but as you can download a massive version for free, I feel that is scant grounds to criticise.
Chapter seven provides information upon Kislev's three principle cities. The contrast between this chapter and the former is dramatic, with each city well detailed. Indeed each is more detailed than Altdorf, which gets its own book. There is very little to criticize here, although the number of structures made of solid magical ice did strike me as a little off tone for wfrp, its nothing that cannot be easily ignored. Out of the three Praag is probably the best, rife with references to things such as Ariaka and even bloody Tzarina Katharina. Again sadly there are no population details, or indeed any stated out NPCs.
Chapter eight is the rules, which is sadly full of what I found to be several minor annoyances. Focusing on the positive, this does have all the required stuff for character generation, including a Kislev name tables which is fiendishly complete in detail. The first annoyance s the introduction of a New Feat called "Provincial Expertise" which codifies the +10 region rule in Sigmar's heirs. The problems with this is one, its not a rule that I think needs codifying as its an obvious bonus and secondly there are no guidelines to how to apply it to other characters not from Kislev, essentially meaning there's now two systems. The next section is equipment, which is pretty solid and contains a few nice new additions, New Arrows of use to any archer, the Berdysh (Not sure this needed special rules tbh,) and a couple of bows. Theres also info on coinage and a set of stereotypical Kislev items, horses, dogs, booze, tents clothing and a Trained bear. Prices all seem in line with OWA at least, so there's no uber inflation or bargain weapons here.
This section is however brings my second minor annoyance, as it is the first one where you come across the new "Dark Heresy" which came as a bit of a shock. Essentially the secondary stat line is removed and you get a line below listing Attacks, Movement and Wounds. This undeniably saves a bit of space, but the loss of clarity and familiarity makes me doubt that it is worth it.
New Careers also suffers from a change of template, first the "Career Entry" section has been moved above the profile, which I find quite annoying when trying to ascertain Career paths at a glance. But by far the second most annoying thing about this book is they have decided to replace the nice easy to comprehend list of Trappings with a piece of fluff text telling you more about the Career. This is to me a disastrous choice of layout, not only taking up more space but actually managing to provide less information. Terms such as "some" and "most" dominate these descriptions, leaving the poor GM and Player actually at a loss for what the exact trappings are supposed to be.
Apart from that the Careers are pretty well done. I question the hard requirement in the special conditions to go through Noble to be an Ambassador, due to some Tilean Republics not having any, and on top of that how exactly are the people of a far off land supposed to magically know who is a noble and who is a charlatan? The Ice Witch Career gets to go from +2 magic straight to +4 which, after my own playing about with the concept, strikes me as a big mistake. Oh and two careers have as entry routes "any" which I rather feel should have read "none"
On the plus side, all the careers do fill a new niche, and I especially like that fact that Horse Coper is now official. (Also a Career for Bears!) The only other major addition here is a new Academic Knowledge (Spirits), which tbh probably will not see much play outside of Kislev.
Chapter Nine is magic, and again its worth noting that this chapter is a Huge Huge improvement upon Knights of the Grail just by existing. It introduces a new type of magic called witch lores, which get 8 spells and there own table to roll on when you get a casting double. This seems to be the basis for a start of the much awaited third way of magic, and is to be commended. Petty Magic (Ice) and Petty magic (Hag) combine there own spells with those from Petty Magic (Arcane and Hedge)
There's some nice Lesser Magic spells, including Ghost Shield which operates very much as an old style Zone spell and Glamour which is probably going to make the compulsory list of spells to buy for every evil NPC. The two witch laws seem pretty balanced and it's nice to see some old Ice Magic favourites. The Three major Kislev gods also get Divine Lores with six spells each, more than enough I would have thought.
Chapter Ten is a scenario, which looks OK. As I am not a fan of scenarios I will skip over it apart from to note that this is the only source of Stated NPCs in the whole book. After seeing Manfred detailed in Night's Dark Masters I really did hope to see the Ice Queen detailed in this book, and I think it's a shame she is not.
Finally there's a Bestiary at the back. Some of these, (Elk, Bear, Troll,) seem mainly redundancy for people without the Old World Bestiary. Of the rest, Eyeless ones are blind undead, Frost Fiends are Bat winged, White furred and otherwise un described, Glimmers are a new type of Ghost, Indrinka are a type of horse that deliberately cause avalanches and Nippers are small imp things that lay eggs in your flesh. None of these massively grabbed me tbh and all seemed a bit D&D. The last on the list though, the Firebird is utterly inspired. And is a prime example of how to take something and warhammerfy it correctly. It will certainly see play in my campaign... somehow.
In summery, the book has a nice collection of misc stuff with a kislev theme, but as with the dire Knights of the Grail before it, it actually fails in its prime job, which is to cover the region in enough depth to actually easily base a campaign there. Too much of this book is dedicated to providing bells and whistles and next to none is spent actually doing the hard work so the GM wont have too.
A good effort and a marked improvement, but still no where near to claiming Sigmar's Heirs crown.
** Usability *** Liked 』 『Detailing the land of Kislev in lavish detail, this book presents both the people and the places of the Ice Queen's realm. Inside you will find Kislev careers and creatures as well the secrets of Ice Magic revealed for the first time.』
Kakaku：999 saved$9.99
TokyoPop
Usually ships in 24 hours 『June tries to convince Sejuru to stay, but instead he goes to the Demon Castle where he hears the story of the Demon King. He learns that the Queen of Light contained the Demon King's powers by cutting him up and sealing his energy. And as if that wasn't enough, it's revealed that June's grandmother ran away with June because of Yuri's prophecy that if June becomes queen, she will have the shortest term in history!』
『"The Queen's Park Affair is the second supplement in the continuing adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective. This supplement takes you to the suburbs of London in the search for a missing sports reporter. Why was a bomb thrown at the cricket match? What happened to the escaped prisoner? And what secrets does the discovery of a decapitated corpse portend?These are only a few of the mysteries that will challenge you as you spend five days investigating the mysteries of the Queen's Park Affair.
Clue Book
Clue Packet
Newspaper Clippings
Map of Queen's Park
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is needed to play this supplement."』 fetish『 The Dragon's Teeth Ellery Queen's New Mystery 』
『 The Tragedy of Errors and Others 』
『 The Hollywood Murders 』
Ellery Queen
Kakaku：392 saved$3.92
Triangle Books
IPhone 3G used's review (Kept me guessing, right up to the end of the book!) 『In a sudden surprise, Ellery Queen acquires a partner, Mr. Beau Rummell (don't make fun of his name, he is very sensitive about it!). On one of their first cases, they undertake to find the heirs of a recently deceased millionaire. But, there is something very strange going on here, and Ellery suspects that not everyone is who they claim to be.
To make matters worse, Beau has fallen for one of the heiresses, and it is clouding his thinking. Someone is out to kill the young girl, and there is only one man who can possibly untangle the situation, Ellery Queen!
This is my third Ellery Queen book, and I must confess that I find the stories quite stimulating. The characters are wholly believable, and the mystery is gripping, keeping me guessing, right up to the end of the book! I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to all mystery fans!』
Kakaku：5750 saved$57.50
Duke University Press
In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. 『Princess Sophie Frederika Mathilde of Wurttemberg (1818-1877) married William, Prince of Orange (and her first cousin) in 1839. Sophie (as she was known) was alert, well-educated, and ambitious, far the intellectual superior of her husband; as the great-granddaughter of Catherine the Great of Russia, she may have aspired to play an important role in guiding the affairs of the House of Orange. This was not to be. After the birth of two sons, her relations with her husband cooled, and with a few important exceptions she became isolated from the other members of the family at the Hague. Partly to overcome the resulting personal and intellectual isolation she turned to an extensive correspondence with heads of state, royal relatives, aristocratic acquaintances, political leaders, and intellectual figures. Family difficulties continued and even increased after William ascended the throne in 1849. Sophie met her friend and confidant Marina Dora Spading, Lady Malt, when the latter was at the Hague with her diplomat husband in 1842. A lifelong friendship ensued, although they saw each other only infrequently thereafter. Sophie’s letters to Lady Malt are an extraordinary combination of comments on her personal situation and shrewd analyses of the European political arena. This selection of her surviving correspondence is opinionated, frank, and perceptive, and her letters are a unique commentary on the affairs of the Europe of the mid-nineteenth century.』 fetish『 Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria 』
『 Victoria's Daughters 』
『 Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III 』
『 The Titled Americans: Three American Sisters and the British Aristocratic World into Which They Married 』
『 An Uncommon Woman - The Empress Frederick: Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia, Mother of Kaiser Wilhelm 』
『 Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr 』
Julia P. Gelardi
Kakaku：606 saved$6.06
St. Martin's Griffin
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Born to Rule, Five Reigning Consorts...........) 『I learned alot of new facts about the Spanish,Greek and Romamian monarchies. Alot of repeat facts on Nicholas and Alexandra.』
(Five Stars) 『A very good biography on five granddaughters of Queen Victoria who became queens. One of course the well known Alexandra of Russia, the others Maud of Norway, Sophie of Greece, Ena of Spain and Marie of Romania. Its the latter four queens that I bought this book. I knew very little about any of them. Each of them were very interesting in their own rights and events in their lives the author goes in great detail about each one of them from childhood to death. A wonderful read.』
(Well-researched, poorly written) 『While her sources are impeccable, Gerlardi would have benefited from some serious editing. At times, this reads like a poorly written high school history report-choppy sentences, vague pronouns, and incomplete, abruptly transitioning paragraphs. There is a disconnect between the granddaughters' stories as she has written them, and I agree with other reviewers that a different format-a section for each, with timelines or other graphics to show their overlapping lives-would have been a much better way to tell their stories. I read this immediately after reading FOUR QUEENS by Nancy Goldstone. That book, which has its flaws, is superior to BORN TO RULE.』
(Born to Rule!) 『This was an easy and quick read. In addition it gives glimpses into the lives of 5 extraordinary women that are often overlooked by history teachers and professors. Read it! You will not be disappointed!』
(Could Have been Really Good) 『Fascinating topic but I agree with other reviewers who found the writing poor. It distracted from a what could have been a very powerful look at a pivotal time in the history of the western world.』 『
Julia Gelardi’sBorn to Ruleis the powerful epic story of five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria, who reigned over the end of their empires, the destruction of their families, and the tumult of the twentieth century
Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose faith in Rasputin and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain’s very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband’s family---with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII’s daughter, who was independent Norway’s reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II’s much maligned sister, daughter of anemperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile.
Using never before published letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, secondary sources, and interviews with descendents of the subjects, Julia Gelardi’sBorn to Ruleis an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
