Rebecca Hill

The skaa have been beaten into submission. They keep their heads down, work hard, and do their best to survive. Some dare to dream of something more in the Final Empire. Kelsier has begun to plan something larger than the Final Empire has seen in centuries - an uprising that will destroy the Lord Ruler and free the skaa from the meager existence that they are eking out. 

While he begins to build his team, he has once again recruited several men that have worked with him before, but he is also looking to bring on another member - one that has hidden powers, that they do not fully understand themselves. As he brings Vin into the crew, her demeanor is one of distrusting and wariness. She does not trust these men, even though they appear to be a lot closer than most of the crews that she has dealt with in the past. Her last crew was one of pain, hunger and humiliation. Members would sell you out for the smallest offense. Vin learned early on to keep her head down and keep to herself as much as she could. 

Kelsier has started a small rebellion, one that started with the killing of a nobleman on a plantation - while the skaa hid in their homes. He has built a name for himself. He is a survivor of the Pits. The pits of Hathsin are a desolate place, one where people are sent to die. The atium that the Lord Ruler hoards so closely is mined there, and it is worth a fortune. No one has ever returned from the pits before, so Kelsier has become a celebrity in the underground networks, a person who should not be alive but has defied all the odds so far. As talk of rebellion begins - Kelsier lays out a plan so daring, most think he has finally lost his mind and is wandering around insane. Death does not scare him, and yet he is willing to lead others into danger to accomplish the task that they have been asked to fulfill. 

As Vin and Kelsier begin working on the powers that lay hidden within Vin, she learns that she can do so much more than soothe the people around her. While it is a good power to fall back on, there are so many other areas that she did not know she could access. She is a Mistborn, an allomancer. Allomancy is the mystical power held by the nobility, granted to them by the Lord Ruler some thousand years before as a reward for their loyalty. Skaa are not supposed to have these powers, and anyone who shows knowledge of them without being of noble birth is slated for execution. While there are some skaa who have these powers, they are few and far in between, and they have to be extremely careful, as they are hunted by the Obligators and the Inquisitors, who stifle any form of rebellion or security risk to the Lord Ruler quickly. 

The plan? Draw the armies out of the city, put the major houses in a power struggle and war against each other, and then hopefully be able to defeat the Lord Ruler. The odds are definitely stacked against them, and the chance of actual success is slim. Vin is going to act the part of a noblewoman, and begin to infiltrate the noble houses, and begin to glean some information on the members within each household. Sazed, who is a keeper, begins to give her some pointers and tips on passing as a noblewoman from the countryside, the niece of a minor nobleman. As she debuts into society, she meets the heir of the highest house, but this young man is much different from much of the nobles in the city. He thinks differently, and prefers to spend his time with books instead of people. While she is not impressed with their first meeting, feelings quickly change and a small friendship begins to open between the two.  But the tensions between the houses are rising, and nobleman are beginning to turn up dead. It is only a matter of time before the entire city erupts, and the plans that have been laid so carefully by Kelsier, Breeze, Clubs, Dockson, Ham, and Vin are about to be swept away like the ashes that rain down on the city....



Oh my! My friends over at Gamerati have been after me to read these books for a couple of years. I cannot believe I let these go as long as I did!!! THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! If you have not read this book before, you need to do so! I was immediately transported into the book, and hours would slip by before I realized, I should probably be sleeping or working. In my head I kept singing “Radioactive” by the Imagine Dragons as I was adventuring through this book. Brandon Sanderson draws you completely into the pages of his novel, and does not release the hold he has over you at all. This is the first book in a series of three - so be prepared for an epic journey! Pack your favorite treats and drinks and settle back on your couch for a vacation that will leave you breathless. 

This is one book that honestly will make you sit on the edge of your seat and wonder what is going to happen next - the twists, the turns, the secrets.... they are all there waiting for you to discover them!!

Grab your copy today - and remember - There is always another secret....

The Grand Duchess Anastasia, has easily become the most famous of the Romanov royal family. Pampered, loved, princess, prisoner, missing person. She and her entire family were held in different locations, until one night, they disappeared entirely. Rumors began to surface that they had all been shot, and their bodies disposed of, but Russia was in war, and there was not enough man power, or willingness to look for them at the time.
A few years later, a young woman appeared who claimed to be the lost Anastasia, and the world exploded. Many believed her, many more did not. Court cases, interviews, movies, family members coming forward claiming she was someone else, but through it all the woman we called Anna Anderson stuck to her story that she was the lost princess Anastasia. True, she knew things that most people outside the royal circle would not know but that was not proof enough.
Until her death, she clung to the claim that she was Anastasia. She would not budge from her story, and she refused all offers of buy-outs from the existing Romanov family in Europe.

The story of Anastasia has long captured imagination, brought to life in numerous books and movies. But the true story behind the heartbreaking loss of the entire royal family was not put to rest until the 1990, and the early 2000's. While questions still remain, we know that none of the family made it out of the Ekaterinburg prison alive. The stunning performance by Anna Anderson, which lasted almost 50 years was not put to rest until several years after she herself had passed away.
While I enjoyed this read, I found it somewhat difficult at times to follow the extremely wonky timeline laid out by the author in the book. We were forwards, backwards, backwards some more, and then jumping forward, to fall backwards again. I found myself re-reading bits, to make sure that I had not missed anything, trying to piece all the information together. I have read on Anastasia before, but this almost felt more like a mish-mash of information, not as well laid out as it could have been. Still an enjoyable read, just be prepared for tangled webs, and the feeling of confusion as you read through.

This was an amazing read! I enjoyed learning about the history of books, and the stories of those who were woven throughout the pages.

Exciting and a fun read!

Death in Yellowstone was an amazing book! I am so excited to share this review with you - and some of my thoughts!

Throughout the history of the National Park, there have been countless accidents, deaths, a few murders, suicides, and so much more. When we view Yellowstone, we have a more romantic view of the park - one of wonder and raw beauty. Yellowstone contains all of that - and more. Now, I am going to begin with a warning - if you have a weak stomach, there are a few places in this book that can cause it to turn.

Now, onto the book!

Death in Yellowstone documents and discusses the many accidents and deaths that have occurred in the park. It also notes some that occurred just right outside the boundaries as well. Weather, fortunes, and so many other areas have affected incidents, and some just stop you cold. The cases that involve children are always the hardest for me. As a mother, those are hard to read. But there are many other cases, many other circumstances that are also discussed.

The author takes you on a journey, throughout the history of the park, showcasing and noting the different types of occurrences. The book breakdown also has the cases grouped together by type as much as possible.

Death in Yellowstone Book Blurb:

The chilling tome that launched an entire genre of books about the often gruesome but always tragic ways people have died in our national parks, this updated edition of the classic includes calamities in Yellowstone from the past sixteen years, including the infamous grizzly bear attacks in the summer of 2011 as well as a fatal hot springs accident in 2000. Written with sensitivity as cautionary tales about what and what not to do in one of our wildest national parks, these accounts range from tragedy to folly as Whittlesey recounts deaths from freak avalanches to the goring of a photographer who got just a little too close to a bison. Armchair travelers and park visitors alike will be fascinated by this important book detailing the dangers awaiting in our first national park.

My Review of Death in Yellowstone:

This is a huge 5 star read for me! I think that it has been my favorite book so far to date. There were so many cases, and some heartbreaking stories contained within this book, but there are also some “here is what to do” sections, if you decide to visit the park. I found this one hard to put down, wanting to read more, pushing the book hangover to the next morning. There are some books that draw you in, and this is one. You almost feel as though you are in the park. You can feel the heat from the springs. The cold from the waters seep into your bones. The despair. The anger. The hurt. All the emotions are felt, and witnessed through the pages and stories recounted.

This is going to remain high on my favorites for a long time. If you decide to read this book and enjoy it, there are many others that are similar in nature. Yes, they did all go into my “want to read” mountain!

England was far from settled, and the early days of the country are beset by death, turmoil, and of course, a few great men who would rise from the ashes...

Dunstan came from humble beginnings. While his father was a well known lord, Dunstan was a lesser son. He and his brother would have to work for whatever they wanted to achieve in life, while their older brother would inherit the bulk of their fathers estate.

Dunstan and his brother Wulfric are taken to the abbey at Glastonbury, to work and to eventually take holy orders. They are to be taught, and guided. Life for the boys was not easy, and Wulfric suffered much more than Dunstan. Dunstan is a quick learner, and he picks up everything that is brought his way. From the forge, to herbs, to devouring the languages presented, he grows and yearns to learn more. He wants to build, design and bring the abbey into a new life. As the time at the abbey goes forward, Dunstan pulls a stunt that he says had him “carried by angels.” This of course makes the abbey more popular, as everyone wants to see the boy who has been touched - but it also marks a turning point in his life. While he does his best to get rid of the bullies and those who have wronged him - it turns against him, and they accuse him of murder. He begs his teacher for confession, and then pulls him over the cliff with him. As Dunstan struggles to get to the kind lady Elflaed, he hopes that they have not left him behind. Yet, she is there waiting for him when he stumbles out of the woods, broken, dirty, and exhausted.

After that, life takes Dunstan on a new road. He is eventually confirmed in his holy orders, although the king at the time does not take kindly to Dunstan. He is sent away to be the Abbot for the Glastonbury abbey, and to fulfill the vision of rebuilding and growing the community. He is met with some dissention at first, but as time goes on, the priests settle back into a routine. Dunstan however, is not done. He becomes treasurer for the next king, and serves him faithfully, as he does the next several kings.

Dunstan is a figure that is enigmatic. He could have been killed any number of times, but he always managed to survive. He worked for what he wanted, but as a priest - he still suffered from the fall of pride. Any injustice to him had to be answered, and that included kidnapping a queen and selling her into slavery for the pain and embarrassment she caused him. He plotted and carried out his plans carefully, selecting those who were indebted to him (and not letting them forget it either). In his own way, he was exactly what many of the upper clergy of the time had become. They had their wealth squirreled away, and were their own tiny kingdoms in a larger kingdom. He served those faithfully who supported him, and did his best to raise them up when he could, but his temper would always get the best of him.

I did enjoy this book, although there were several times that Dunstan really got on my nerves! He was that character that you really want to hate, but at the same time, you want to see what happens to them. He is someone that has not been written about extensively, and Conn Iggulden did a great job in bringing this forgotten life back to the world of the living.

This book is due out May 1, 2018. Put it on your pre-order list now! Thanks to Edelweiss for an advanced copy for a unbiased review!