Scan barcode
A review by vanessa_issa
Die Sanduhr unserer Liebe: Roman by Kate Riordan
5.0
"The Shadow Hour" is the first novel I read by Kate Riordan and I must say I'm very impressed with it.
Grace's parents died when she was very young. She was raised by her grandmother, Harriet Jenner, who worked as a governess at the Fenix House in 1878 (half a century earlier). She had great stories to tell from that time, which for some reason were fascinating to the child.
For many years, it was just the two of them living together. They had no one else. Grace loved to hear about the big family her grandma was once considered part of. Her life was so empty that she preferred Harriet’s past to her own present. She just wanted to know more about the Pembridges. She wanted to know as many details as possible, just so she could imagine it exactly like it was. After a few years, she felt as if she knew those people and places.
She thought they were just stories, but actually she needed to know that stuff, because she was being prepared. Harriet had always been very mysterious about her visions of the future, and she never explained her reasons, but she knew her granddaughter needed to follow her footsteps and apply to work for that family as well. There were still many secrets and unsolved issues between those two different generations.
When Grace arrives at the Fenix House, she realizes that many things weren't exactly like Harriet had told her and she couldn't understand why she had been lied to. It made her feel like the ground was shifting under her feet, as if she didn't know anyone anymore -- not even her own grandma.
What I love the most about this novel is the fact that we keep getting surprised until the very last pages. Just when you think you know who they are, something else comes in between and you wonder what else could happen next. The story is full of tension and mystery, but there's also a bit of romance and some drama. A few parts made me laugh as well, because the characters are very sarcastic.
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it this much. I can almost imagine what it would be like to see it getting a movie adaptation.
*Many thanks to Penguin UK for providing an ARC via NetGalley!*
Grace's parents died when she was very young. She was raised by her grandmother, Harriet Jenner, who worked as a governess at the Fenix House in 1878 (half a century earlier). She had great stories to tell from that time, which for some reason were fascinating to the child.
For many years, it was just the two of them living together. They had no one else. Grace loved to hear about the big family her grandma was once considered part of. Her life was so empty that she preferred Harriet’s past to her own present. She just wanted to know more about the Pembridges. She wanted to know as many details as possible, just so she could imagine it exactly like it was. After a few years, she felt as if she knew those people and places.
She thought they were just stories, but actually she needed to know that stuff, because she was being prepared. Harriet had always been very mysterious about her visions of the future, and she never explained her reasons, but she knew her granddaughter needed to follow her footsteps and apply to work for that family as well. There were still many secrets and unsolved issues between those two different generations.
When Grace arrives at the Fenix House, she realizes that many things weren't exactly like Harriet had told her and she couldn't understand why she had been lied to. It made her feel like the ground was shifting under her feet, as if she didn't know anyone anymore -- not even her own grandma.
What I love the most about this novel is the fact that we keep getting surprised until the very last pages. Just when you think you know who they are, something else comes in between and you wonder what else could happen next. The story is full of tension and mystery, but there's also a bit of romance and some drama. A few parts made me laugh as well, because the characters are very sarcastic.
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it this much. I can almost imagine what it would be like to see it getting a movie adaptation.
*Many thanks to Penguin UK for providing an ARC via NetGalley!*