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DK Marley

Author of Blood and Ink

6 Works 15 Members 4 Reviews

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Works by DK Marley

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The author successfully wields her very first sentence to create a special place for Gruah right in our hearts. She not only brings the Shakespearean Lady Macbeth to life, but also informs us about the circumstances that left her with as good as zero options.

Many of us have always wondered about Lady Macbeth’s side of the story. Thanks Ms. Marley for giving the much needed answers – about Lady Macbeth’s behaviour and her subsequent demonisation.

Gruah’s love for her motherland propels her to a pedestal amongst men who fought either for the fortunes or for their personal honour.

The plot is strong, characters stronger and dialogues powerful. The is pace perfect, but the long sermons drag the book down by half a point.
Apart from other historical elements, the author uses the witch-burning metaphor brilliantly to illustrate Christianity’s impact on womenfolk: common and noble. Also, the map of Scotland as well as the Clann Alpin family are very useful.

This is a MUST READ!!!

Thanks NetGalley and Ms Marley for the book. This is an honest review.
P.S.: This book contains child abuse, explicit language and violence.
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celejewels | 2 other reviews | Jul 21, 2021 |
“The Fire of Winter” by D.K. Marley is a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” told from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. It is also told in a more modern way (without all of the flowery, Old English words and speeches), making it accessible to today’s readers. I am only somewhat familiar with Shakespeare’s original “Macbeth” from reading it in high school. From what I remember, it seems like Ms. Marley stays true to the basic plot, characters and storyline of Shakespeare’s work.

Our main character in “The Fire of Winter” is Gruah (who becomes Lady Macbeth). I love the idea of seeing the story from her perspective and finding out what leads her to commit the awful deeds that she does. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, Gruah can be described as a Slytherin through-and-through. She is power hungry and ambitious, to the point where it becomes an all-consuming obsession and seems to drive her to madness. I find it fascinating that Shakespeare wrote a woman to machinate these elaborate schemes that killed kings and who worked the political system, in a time when women were meant to just provide heirs and stay at home embroidering. Gruah is certainly ahead of her time. She would definitely be a feminist if she were alive today.

I grew anxious as the events unfurled, especially during the nail biting climax (“double, double toil and trouble”)! I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of history and Shakespeare!

Content: This is a general market book. I would rate it PG-13. Some examples of the content are: mention of ale and a man’s loins; a lady says she will be naked in bed; a man talks about bedding a woman; a woman is called a “b****”; “d***” and “hell” are used; “bastard” is used of a child born out of wedlock; a girl was raped in her past: mention of a woman’s breasts; a fade to black sex scene; a woman is raped, not much detail and it’s fade to black.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

I want to thank D.K. Marley and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
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Meganleigh844 | 2 other reviews | Aug 7, 2019 |
Gruah knew she was destined for greatness from a young age from seeing her destiny after touching the Stone of Scone. However, Scotland is treacherous and after watching her mother murdered, Gruah escapes to the forest and is taken care of by outcasts, Hecate and her daughters. Gruah and Hecate practice the old ways of Cailleach. The Goddess keeps a flame burning in Gruah. When Gruah is married off by her father to Gille Comgain, Gruah knows that she must find a way to be with her true love, Macbeth in order to fulfill her destiny. Through brute force, manipulation and violence, Gruah claims what is hers, but at a price.

History and literature combine to tell the tale of a woman who helped to shape Scotland's history and later become immortalized through Shakespeare's work. Through DK Marley's writing, the life of 11th century Gruah comes to life. Gruah's character is strong and unbending, stopping at nothing to fulfill her destiny that will end with her enemies dead and her and her true love as King and Queen of Scotland. However, Gruah is so filled with vengeance that her destiny will come with a high cost. Gruah's path seemed like such a slippery slope where one death only causes more death. In this sense, the realities of 11th century Scotland are brought to life. With every decision Gruah made, I kept waiting for her to learn her lesson and finally reach contentment and peacefulness, this is a long journey for Gruah. I enjoyed the continued theme of a woman's will guiding the men of Scotland who believed that they held control. From Gruah to her unassuming cousin Donella to the 'witches' Hecate and her daughters, it was their will that drove the actions of others.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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Mishker | 2 other reviews | Jul 29, 2019 |
Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare were both young men who grew up under the reign of Elizabeth I. Christopher or Kit was guided by the muse Calliope to have an ingenious wit and create wonderful works of written word. When still very young, Kit's talent was noticed by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster. Kit was whisked away from his family in return for schooling. However, Kit was really being groomed as a spy for Elizabeth herself. Kit's dream is to be a famous playwright and have his name immortalized. For this, Kit is willing to do Walsingham's bidding as he works his way into the Queen's favor. Meanwhile, Will Shakespeare dreams of being an actor on stage. Will's family still practices the old religion, placing them in danger time and time again. This also unknowingly places Will within Kit's path as a spy for Walsingham. As the men age, their paths cross again. When Kit needs to escape for a time, Elizabeth hatches a plan so Kit may continue living, and his words may continue to grace the stage, but at what price?

Everyone knows the writings of William Shakespeare, but how many know the name and works of Christopher Marlowe? I myself was not very familiar with Marlowe other than recognizing his name as a contemporary of Shakespeare. Many believe that Marlowe did not truly die at such a young age and the William Shakespeare was simply passing along his works. DK Marley presents the mystery of the two men from their youth through their deaths in an intriguing alternate narration between the two. Writing in the voices of two acclaimed writers is no easy task, however the dialogue and narration seemed effortless and accurate for William and Kit at the time. I loved the device of Calliope as a muse for Kit and a guiding voice; it seems that she might have even more to say. I also enjoyed learning about Walsingham's spy ring and Elizabeth's relationships with Marlowe and Shakespeare. Overall, a wonderful and atmospheric historical intrigue for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare, Marlowe or Tudor history.

​This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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½
 
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Mishker | Jul 22, 2018 |

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Works
6
Members
15
Popularity
#708,120
Rating
4.1
Reviews
4
ISBNs
5