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Castaway on the Isle of Devils by Elizabeth Carson-Williams is a young adult historical fiction filled to the brim with travel and adventure. We meet Alice Drinkard as she and her family are about to board a ship, Sea Venture, which is setting sail from England to Jamestown.

Alice starts off the trip rather high and mighty. She is disdainful of her mother whom she calls Your Highness, she rarely takes advice. and she often finds herself in trouble because she chose to do things her own way with no regard to others.

While on the ship, she starts to discover that their trip, one she felt was simply an adventure, and one they were going on because she wanted it, is a whole lot more. However, it isn't until the Sea Venture is nearly destroyed in a hurricane and is shipwrecked on the Isle of Devils, that she begins to understand the entire story - as well as a lot about herself and what she is made of. She also begins to understand human nature and what happens when people who seek power end up in charge.

Elizabeth created her tale based on the true story of the Sea Venture, the shipwreck which was the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest. Though William is barely a character in the book, Elizabeth did a wonderful job creating an exciting backstory to explain where Shakespeare got his idea for the play.

Although touted as a young adult novel, I believe it is a story for all ages. I highly recommend this book!

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The Nomad Detective by Amy Suto is the first in a mystery detective series. Violet Chase became a detective after her twin disappeared in Guatemala. Her ultimate goal is to take cases that might lead her to her sister.

Violet isn't just any detective. After her sister's disappearance, she developed synesthesia - mixed up senses. She sees people's aura's as colors - and these colors have specific smells. She uses her synesthesia, a condition she hasn't shared with anyone, to capture the bad guys.

This first volume is a collection of four stories that take us into various exotic locations where Violet works to find the killer. Readers learn more and more of Violet's history and discover, though the hero of the series, that Violet has many flaws and a not-so-pretty past. The more I learned, that more I routed for Violet to solve the current mystery - and to find her sister.

Amy did a wonderful job with character development. She also left me wanting more. Without a doubt, I'll be ready when Volume 2 of the Nomad Detective is ready for readers!

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Kindle: https://amzn.to/4m9PlRw

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Review by Carole O'Neill

The Candlemaker’s Woman by Marj Charlier takes place during the period of the barbarian migrations into the late Roman Empire. Not a period I read a lot about. My history lesson kept interfering with the memoir of a young girl sold into slavery by her mother for safe passage into Gaul. She promises to find her daughter as soon as they are able to cross the Rhine.

As Melia waits for her mother’s return, life with her new family consists of near starvation as she learns how to stretch scraps of food to avoid starvation. She even finds ways to live through the brutal sexual assaults during the nightly visits by her new master. Her only relief seems to come in learning how to make candles. She becomes an expert at the craft and uses her knowledge to her advantage when the soldiers come looking for slaves.

Throughout the book Melia shows the character of a much older woman, learning to become strong while enduring the life of a slave. I found myself rooting for her as she ran through town searching for help in delivering her friend’s baby.

Marj’s character descriptions are vivid and real. Her research is notable. Putting it down was harder than I thought. Waiting for a sequel might be asking too much.

Purchase The Candlemaker's Woman:
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Kindle: https://amzn.to/3FZ3aSr

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