Kim Wilkins

Kim Wilkins is a brilliant author and this book in particular touched my soul. Its moody and sensual and harsh and also vulnerable, as are the three young women who step into a world of angels and demons with the naivety of children. The story weaves around a contemporary journalist with not enough luck and a bit too much curiosity. As stories are told withing stories, the origins of one of the most famous poems ever written, John Milton's Paradise Lost, is re-visioned. What a fabulous show more book!

Kim Wilkins has contrasted a 17th Century paranormal coming of age journey with modern day notions of right and wrong, good and bad, love and loss and finally, compassion. She paints vividly across a landscape that reaches from heaven to hell and back. It's wonderful, and horrible, a gripping tale beautifully told. Bravo! show less

I enjoyed this book like a summer film. That is, I wouldn't recommend it to my book-nerd friends, but I was more-or-less pasted to the pages.

This contemporary fantasy taps in to Russian folklore to bring new life to an tired concept (magical and human worlds separated by a veil), and tell a fairly unique and fast-paced story about the repatriation of a sinister golden bear. There are no ambrosia-drinking elves to shelter with on this hero's quest, however; the non-human characters are show more generally untrustworthy and violent. A trio of likable protagonists elevates this story above the "pulp adventure" mark, and provides an excuse for critical readers to continue enjoying themselves.

For those who enjoyed this book, I would recommend [b:mythago wood|126192|Mythago Wood (Mythago Wood Cycle, Book 1)|Robert Holdstock|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171910263s/126192.jpg|121534] by Robert Holdstock. show less

* My 2011 Favorite Book of the Year *

Wildflower Hill is a poignant tale of two women living in different decades but whose lives are strongly intertwined. I dearly loved this book! The story of Beattie and her granddaughter Emma was completely absorbing. Beattie was a Scottish immigrant who moved to Tasmania, Australia, at the start of the Great Depression. Someone had told her once that "there are two types of women in the world...those who do things, and those who have things done to show more them." As a poor, unwed mother, she kept that thought in the forefront of her mind as she struggled against poverty and prejudice. Against insurmountable odds, she became the owner of a prosperous sheep farm in rural Tasmania, though it was not without great hardship and heartache.

Set in 2009, Emma's story is effortlessly woven in with Beattie's. Emma is a prima ballerina in London. Proud of her success as a dancer, she didn't realize how it had totally consumed her life until a knee injury put an end to her career. Left with no other options, she returns home to Sydney. Emma is told that she has inherited a farm in Tasmania that her grandmother ran in the 1930s. Beattie had not been there for many years and used the place for storage, so Emma decides to head south to clean out the place in order to sell it. Upon arrival Emma finds boxes and boxes full of Beattie's old possessions, including letters, photos and business records. As Emma sorts through everything, she slowly uncovers family secrets buried for decades.

I have not been moved by a book quite so much in a very long time. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, including the rich descriptions of the settings. It was easy to picture myself there too. Wildflower Hill stirred up many emotions for me - heartache, joy, anger, and frustration. Ultimately it is a very inspirational story about the power of perseverance and realizing what is truly important in life. Both Beattie and Emma were strong female characters written in a way that I felt like I was sharing their experiences with them. I loved how important parts of the story were told through old-fashioned letters. The last letter written by Beattie that Emma finds had me sobbing. The ending was bittersweet and very satisfying. I would highly recommend Wildflower Hill to fans of women's fiction. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher. show less

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

This is a complicated book full of manipulators both working toward what they believe to be good and for their own selfish purposes. There is a large cast, most of whom I’d consider unlikeable, but there is no question that they’re well-rounded and complex. With the exception of Ash, and even she sometimes slips into this pattern of selfishness, the sisters and step-brother of the elf-shot king are happy to use guile, strength, or any other show more aspect they have to force others to conform to their will.

In the beginning, I wondered whether I could read the whole because I don’t like spending time with nasty people. It’s hard to tell hero from villain because neither descriptions from others nor their own actions show them in a good light. This soon fell away because none of the characters stayed wholly nasty, and when I had glimpses of their better natures, it informed the whole. The characters are very much a product of their circumstances and upbringing, so I can see why they behave as they do even if their choices are not the ones I would have preferred. One of the strengths in the book is how there were moments when I’d see a situation described in detail only to later get the other person’s point of view and have the assumptions of the first turned on their head. This made the story feel solid and grounded in reality.

As far as the politics, infighting, and circumstances, the book does an excellent job of laying out the costs of power. Whether for the heir who cannot see beyond her duty, the younger sister married off to secure a border, or the step-son who could have been a decent person if not for the aspirations coming about when his mother married a king, each are puppets to the demands of power. This is not a story with clear lines between right and wrong. Everything is murky with uneasy diplomacy, religious clashes, personal failings, and unkind demands resulting from the characters’ birthrights.

While most of the book occurs during one journey or another, the characters face very real risks and challenges. Physical and mystical battles complicate their journeys while lighter moments of love, humor, and sex are rarely without a darker shadow looming over them. In a world where watching both word and step would be wise, the sisters are rarely as wise as they need to be, nor are they committed to the same paths. This leads trouble to their doors more often than not, even for Ash, whose every step seems to take her closer to the foretelling she’s trying to escape.

A lot happens, and a lot is resolved, but there’s clearly more to come. I felt the book came to a solid ending, though with fingers reaching into a larger story. There are at least three story threads stretching onward into the series, and I’m especially interested in seeing how Ash’s plays out because I connected with her from the beginning, and her path is fraught with complications.

This is not an easy, quick, or light read, but I do not regret having spent the time in this world one bit. The complexity appealed, the twisted logics and manipulations compelled, and ultimately, the characters won my respect and appreciation, if not always my preference.

P.S. I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less