Review: The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”

My thoughts:

Edgar Allan Poe longed for the freedom to follow his muse wherever she leads him in terms of writing. His foster father most definitely was opposed to this and at every turn discouraged Poe's writing and encouraged him to adapt to a sensible life of working for him.

This book covers a little more than a year in the life of Poe -from just before he enters university up to the publication of his first pamphlet of poems. It covers the arrival of his gothic muse and how she affects him. And his struggles are documented at university, home, and in between. I found myself frustrated with how his adopted father treats him. You'd like to say he meant well, but he might not have had Poe's best interests at heart at all times.

Lenore fights to inspire Poe and to be seen. The other muses have cautioned her against the latter, but still, she persists. And it is, at times, almost her undoing.

I was impressed by the amount of research that Cat Winters put into the book. The author's note and resources listed at the end give some idea to what all she looked into in preparation for this book. Also, I was impressed that she penned lines in Poe's style to give some idea as to how he responds to his muse.

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well-written, creative, and interesting. It gives a window into what Poe may have been like at that tender age of 17. I recommend it particularly for fans of Poe, but it is also a good book to read as a historical, gothic piece. It's definitely worth the read.

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters was published April 16th, 2019 from Amulet Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #267: The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters is due out April 16th, 2019 from Amulet Books. 

Why am I waiting on this one? I have enjoyed both Cat Winter's writing and books about Poe in the past. The two together seems like a winning combination. And, I liked the advance praise blurb by A.G. Howard: “A captivating and intensively researched tribute to the famous poet and his gothic muse. Against the tapestry of young Poe’s real-world struggles and tortured relationships, Winters weaves a macabre thread of surrealism through meter and rhyme—at times so dreamy in its rhythms and imagery it teeters between hypnotic and horrifying. I will never look at my own muse the same again, nor will I dare deny it.”

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #190: Odd and True by Cat Winters

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all. 

Odd and True by Cat Winters is due out September 12, 2017 from Amulet Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? A YA story about a monster fighting mother and sisters sound like it would make for an interesting story. Love reading about good strong female characters in interesting situations.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

"Smoke stung my nose. I braced myself for fire. But, no- instead, a young man stepped out of the clouds onto the apron, and the audience gave a collective gasp."

"Good evening mesdames and messieurs," said the boy in an accent that sounded French and dangerous and deliciously sophisticated. "I am Monsieur Reverie." (p.6)

Thus begins the hypnotism show that Olivia Mead and her friends are attending on her birthday. Olivia proves to be a good subject for  hypnosis. Her father sees it as quite a boon. Now he can have the rebelliousness hypnotized out of her. But as so often happens with these sorts of things, the results are different from the intentions. With Henri's careful wording, now Livie can see a person's true nature, good or bad, rather than coming to accept what role women should play in the world as men like her father would dictate to them.

The setting is turn of the century Oregon. Suffragists are trying to get women the vote. Olivia is a sort of suffragist herself. This is one of those things her father wants hypnotized out of her. When she realizes what has happened, she seeks help from the only person who can aid her, Henri. They are drawn together to solve her mesmerized problems and more.

This is a really well written book. The setting is perfect for the plot device of hypnotizing the rebellion out of Olivia. Details bring it further to life. It's easy to picture what's going on in your mind's eye. The main characters of Henri and Olivia are well drawn and sympathetic. The book really does a good job of providing a snapshot of what life was like at this particular time in history in Oregon. The plot slowly escalates as do Olivia's father's demands on Henri. The climax of the book provides quite a feat of mesmerization. It is easy enough to suspend disbelief to follow the plot and allow it to flow.

I would recommend this book especially to YA readers who like historical novels with a touch of adventure, romance, and the paranormal. I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. And all quotes come from the ARC and may appear slightly differently in the finished book.

Teaser Tuesday: The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of  Should Be Reading.

Anyone can participate. just do the following.

Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t  give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Published October 14th 2014 by Amulet Books

My teaser comes from The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters which is being released today.

The scene is near the beginning of the book at the hypnotist's, Henri Reverie's, show. Olivia is attending with some friends on her birthday. Genevieve Reverie is playing a pipe organ.

Silence swallowed up the theater again, but before we could all lean back into the comfort of the calm, Genevieve lunged towards the keys and played a series of eerie notes that swelled into a passionate rendition of Camille Saint-Saens's "Danse Macabre." She hunched her shoulders and plowed her feet into the instrument's pedals, as if she were racing through the streets of the underworld on a tandem bicycle, on which we were all unwitting passengers. (p.7)

So far I am enjoying the book. I am about 25 pages in. 

So, what's your teaser this week? Give us a taste or a link in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.

Waiting on Wednesday #46 - The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am anticipating the fall release of Cat Winters book The Cure for Dreaming due out October 14, 2014 by Amulet Books. 

From Goodreads: 

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Why am I waiting on this book? It's an interesting time period. And it sounds a bit like a fairy tale. Father wants the rebellion taken out of her, but instead she is given these terrible gifts. I look forward to seeing how she manages to work the gifts she is given to her advantage and the problems along the way.

So, What book are you waiting on this week?