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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i have sat half an hour staring at the screen trying to come up with a review for this but i cant !!!
this book made me feel just as insane and emotionally devastated as reading a realm of the elderlings book did and that's all i have to say tbh!!
it is not the saddest book ever written or the smartest or incredibly unique and it probably wont work with many people but it was everything i needed from a book and some more
this book made me feel just as insane and emotionally devastated as reading a realm of the elderlings book did and that's all i have to say tbh!!
it is not the saddest book ever written or the smartest or incredibly unique and it probably wont work with many people but it was everything i needed from a book and some more
I am sitting on the sofa with a mug of tea, book closed with many colourful tabs and highlighted bits to the side of me, silently, quietly mulling, letting the story in its entirety wash over me. I am simultaneously thinking back to this quote from somewhere:
“In my dreams, I am kissing your mouth and you’re whispering, ‘Where have you been?’ I say, ‘I’ve been lost but I’m here now. You’re the only person who has ever been able to find me.’” - Sue Zhao
This. This encapsulates the beautiful ending to The Kingdoms, a fantastically written alternative Age of Sail x Victorian England (finally!!) historical mystery, adventure that is really just one heartbreaking romance that spans across time. Time which is backward and forward, linear and nonlinear, sequential and non-sequential. Romance because the story is ultimately about two soulmates who overcome numerous timelines and disappearing events/people to be together. The very last part almost reduced me to tears; the prose being what Pulley does best: the heart exposed raw on the sleeve for all to see, the tightening of the chest, as if you forgot to take a breath and all of a sudden, all the air comes rushing back into your lungs.
I wouldn’t say this is everyone’s cup of tea, but it is mine. My own mug of tea is finished now, and I am happy to bask in what I call, a satisfying and utterly engrossing story.
“In my dreams, I am kissing your mouth and you’re whispering, ‘Where have you been?’ I say, ‘I’ve been lost but I’m here now. You’re the only person who has ever been able to find me.’” - Sue Zhao
This. This encapsulates the beautiful ending to The Kingdoms, a fantastically written alternative Age of Sail x Victorian England (finally!!) historical mystery, adventure that is really just one heartbreaking romance that spans across time. Time which is backward and forward, linear and nonlinear, sequential and non-sequential. Romance because the story is ultimately about two soulmates who overcome numerous timelines and disappearing events/people to be together. The very last part almost reduced me to tears; the prose being what Pulley does best: the heart exposed raw on the sleeve for all to see, the tightening of the chest, as if you forgot to take a breath and all of a sudden, all the air comes rushing back into your lungs.
I wouldn’t say this is everyone’s cup of tea, but it is mine. My own mug of tea is finished now, and I am happy to bask in what I call, a satisfying and utterly engrossing story.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When Joe Tournier steps off a train from in Londres in 1898, he can remember his name, the name Madeline, but very little else. The doctors tell him he is suffering from epilepsy, like many others who have sudden amnesia. In fact there are so many people with amnesia that there is a section in the paper for people who have lost their memories and need their loved ones to find them. Joe’s master retrieves him from the hospital and tells him that he—like most people of English descent under the reign of Napoleon IV, is enslaved. Once home Joe meets his wife, a woman who is not Madeline, and doesn't really seem to like him. When Joe receives a postcard of a old light house, delivered almost a century after it’s mailed, Joe knows he needs to follow it in order to make sense of his past. Once there, he passes through a time portal into the middle of the Napoleonic War at a point when victory hangs in the balance. Previous temporal crossings have already changed the future, can Joe recover his memories, find Madeline, fix history, and get back to his own time without losing his child he left behind?
I love time travel novels but they can be tricky and they do require carefully planning and attention. I started this novel and then became sick and couldn't follow the time changes. After recovering I returned to the book and found it much easier to follow! I do think I need to read this again in one sitting so I can full appreciate the story. The writing was beautiful and the ripples created from the time travelling were amazing. I loved the love story, that sense that love can transcend time, space, and memory. A fantastic read.
I love time travel novels but they can be tricky and they do require carefully planning and attention. I started this novel and then became sick and couldn't follow the time changes. After recovering I returned to the book and found it much easier to follow! I do think I need to read this again in one sitting so I can full appreciate the story. The writing was beautiful and the ripples created from the time travelling were amazing. I loved the love story, that sense that love can transcend time, space, and memory. A fantastic read.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dearest Joe,
Come home, if you remember.
M.
I can't quote anything else without making a spoiler, but trust me when I tell you I am simply unwell.
This is a time-travel novel with a historical setting, a very well written one, no less. The plot twist are foreshadowed and well-thought-out and the prose is beautiful. But more important than that? At its core, this is a love story.
The yearning of the book was unparalleled and the ending made me cry. I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished it. I know that this is one of those books that improve on the second reading, so I don't think I'll wait too much before reading it again.
Easily one of my favourite books I've read so far this year.
Come home, if you remember.
M.
I can't quote anything else without making a spoiler, but trust me when I tell you I am simply unwell.
This is a time-travel novel with a historical setting, a very well written one, no less. The plot twist are foreshadowed and well-thought-out and the prose is beautiful. But more important than that? At its core, this is a love story.
The yearning of the book was unparalleled and the ending made me cry. I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished it. I know that this is one of those books that improve on the second reading, so I don't think I'll wait too much before reading it again.
Easily one of my favourite books I've read so far this year.
𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑱𝒐𝒆, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓.
I've been drawn to this book like a moth to a flame by the line "come home, if you remember" that appears on the cover. It gave me goosebumps, I wanted to know why.
What is home? A place or person? A moment in time? A memory?
It was my first time reading a Pulley's book so I didn't know what to expect. I loved her way of wrapping history around her plot and characters. It made perfect sense and even the magical aspects of it felt real. Because, why not? Have you ever had a déjà vu? Have you ever felt a pull towards something or someone that you couldn't really explain?
What if all we are, are souls trying to find their way home through sorrow and time?
Come home, if you remember.
I loved the characters and their complexities, the beauty and ugliness of them. The way kindness always tries to survive even in the face of the horrors that make us monsters by necessity. I think Missouri will stay with me forever, I've loved him even before knowing who he was.
In line with the duality of characters and storylines, I found this novel both refreshing in its depiction of non-toxic masculinity (and the struggles it entails), and devastating in its depiction of violence and war. It was not an easy read.
However, I'm going to reread this book now, because it's one of those stories you'll enjoy more if you read them more than once. I read it quickly because of curiosity. I wanted to see if my theories were right (most of them were) but I want to bask in its poetry now.
𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒌.
I've been drawn to this book like a moth to a flame by the line "come home, if you remember" that appears on the cover. It gave me goosebumps, I wanted to know why.
What is home? A place or person? A moment in time? A memory?
It was my first time reading a Pulley's book so I didn't know what to expect. I loved her way of wrapping history around her plot and characters. It made perfect sense and even the magical aspects of it felt real. Because, why not? Have you ever had a déjà vu? Have you ever felt a pull towards something or someone that you couldn't really explain?
What if all we are, are souls trying to find their way home through sorrow and time?
Come home, if you remember.
I loved the characters and their complexities, the beauty and ugliness of them. The way kindness always tries to survive even in the face of the horrors that make us monsters by necessity. I think Missouri will stay with me forever, I've loved him even before knowing who he was.
In line with the duality of characters and storylines, I found this novel both refreshing in its depiction of non-toxic masculinity (and the struggles it entails), and devastating in its depiction of violence and war. It was not an easy read.
However, I'm going to reread this book now, because it's one of those stories you'll enjoy more if you read them more than once. I read it quickly because of curiosity. I wanted to see if my theories were right (most of them were) but I want to bask in its poetry now.
𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒌.