The Red Thread (The Straits Quartet #1) by Dawn Farnham Blog Tour Review

Information about the Book

Title: The Red Thread (The Straits Quartet #1)

Author: Dawn Farnham

Genre: Asian Historical Fiction

Publisher: Monsoon Books

Format: Paperback

Published: 7^th April 2015

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21149887-the-red-thread

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Thread-Chinese-Singapore-Straits-ebook/dp/B005DIAOSM

Summary:

Set against the backdrop of 1830s Singapore where piracy, crime, triads, and tigers are commonplace, this historical romance follows the struggle of two lovers Zhen, a Chinese coolie and triad member, and Charlotte, an 18-year-old Scots woman and sister of Singapores Head of Police. Two cultures bound together by the invisible threads of fate yet separated by cultural diversity.

Review:

I love learning about new cultures and countries so when I was asked if I wanted to read The Red Thread and write an honest review for the upcoming blog tour I simply couldn't resist. The Synopsis excited me as I wanted to know how everything would play out but firstly how everything would come to be. As a genre that I don't read, I'm actually pretty sure this is my first Asian Historical Fiction book I've ever read and it was an enjoyable first experience.

Set in the Singapore of the 1830's, the story follows Charlotte and Zhen in their different, yet intertwined paths, the Red Thread of the title binding them together. Charlotte is young and now in a foreign land which is not like the Singapore we know of today and Zhen  who's portrayed as super sexy, both of them I cared for and sympathised with them but part of me didn't feel all that invested in them in the end. They were both great characters in a great story I just didn't fully connect with them but I loved them all I could. Alongside our two main characters Dawn mixes a number of real-life characters from 1830s Singapore into the pages,  George Coleman and his partner Takouhi most notably, Coleman was an Irish architect who was responsible for the infrastructure of Singapore 

As a whole I thought the story was very well written, with some good prose and some suggestive passages, so I did enjoy the book, its a great mix of love and culture which in the set period of time and place are conflicting things. There has clearly been a large amount of research into each aspect of the cultural and historic moments within the story. Dawn has done a great job and I can understand why she has gone on to write another 3 books under The Straits Quartet series title.

I love the whole belief in the red thread.'The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmate or a destined flame.'

Despite not fully connecting with the characters but loving the plot and the history of the book I can easily give this book a 4 out of 5. Although I have read a few reviews which pointed out many negatives I didn't feel as though they were negatives to me in the situations regarding the plot and the time frame. One day I hope I'll be able to pick up more of Dawns books and enjoy them as I did this one. I recommend this book to anybody who loves history and/or romance. 

About The Author

Dawn Farnham is the author of The Straits Quartet (The Red Thread, The Shallow Seas, The Hills of Singapore and The English Concubine), as well as numerous short stories, plays and children’s books. A former long-term resident of Singapore, Dawn now calls Perth, Australia, home. Her new book, Finding Maria is published in October 2017. Learn more about Dawn at www.dawnfarnham.com.

Website: www.dawnfarnham.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/farnhamauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnfarnhamauthor/

*PLEASE NOTE* The Red Thread is going to be FREE on Amazon from 17th - 25th September

Monday 18^th September

Little Hux Tales

Book Lover Worm Blog

Tuesday 19^th September

Fiction Fascination

Our First Year Here

Wednesday 20^th September

Bibliobeth

The Bookish Fairy Blog

Thursday 21^st September

The Writing Greyhound

A Books Eternal Glory

Friday 22^nd September

Big Book Little Book

Two Book Thieves

Saturday 23^rd September

Tales of Yesterday

Rambling Mads

Sunday 24^th September

Rachel Bustin

Kraftireader

The Academy Introductions (The Ghost Bird #1) - C.L.Stone

Synopsis:

With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone.

When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends.

Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they've sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she's forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she's traded one house of secrets for another?

Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy.

The Academy, ever vigilant.

Review:

So I actually read this book as the first book for the All We Know Book Club that I  created late last year.

Automatically I was drawn into Sang' world, I really fell for all of the characters, like I really felt like they were all genuine and kind and everything we all need in someone nowadays. (I'm jealous don't judge.) For some reason I automatically connected with Sang, she's been taught all of her life that strangers are out to harm you but as she soon discovers, that is wrong for the most part. She first meets Kota who I automatically fell in love with, he seemed like a real gentlemen, much like the rest of friends that Sang later meets.

I know quite a few people had a lot of bad things to say about this book. really it was just them saying the same thing over and over. C.L Stone wrote 'I usually write about cute boys and uncomfortable situations' EVERYONE IN THE MAJORITY OF THE BOOK WERE CUTE! people hated the amount of mushy love sort of things going on but for some really odd reason, I loved it nearly too much, it made me smile and laugh and internally cry. (is my jealousy still showing?)

Throughout the story, there are obvious signs of secrets between the boys that Sang cant know about and it really intrigued me because of how they were acting about it all. In the end we do get a little of information about it, just enough and in time to make you want, or more like need to read the next instalment. Stone definitely created an awing bunch of characters and atmosphere and everything else like as you can probably tell, I'm finding it extremely hard to explain everything. I loved how the story unravelled and how the boys basically cared for Sang, the way her parents should, showing how friendships should go.

I must declare that the book is called introductions and it really is just that! each character is bought in and explored, then just as the end of the book comes, they're all shovelled into the beginning of what I hope to be an good plot that is yet for me to read about? In all honestly I'm not even sure what to expect from any of the next books but I really need them in my life. Trust me this review makes zero sense and I'm sorry for that, but I cant explain the book without ruining the book and I don't want to do that and secondly I'm so addicted that I could actually bounce off every wall right now and third of all I'm in need of a very large chill pill to calm down the tingling of jealousy.

Its a 5 out of 5 for what it was but I crave more, like really, I do. I loved the integrations between characters and see I'm babbling again. but yes 5/5 from me and I cant wait to read more and

City of Good Death (Elisenda Domènech series) - Chris Lloyd

Synopsis:

An intense and brilliantly realised crime thriller set in the myth-soaked streets of Girona

A killer is targeting hate figures in the Catalan city of Girona – a loan shark, a corrupt priest, four thugs who have blighted the streets of the old quarter – leaving clues about his next victim through mysterious effigies left hung on a statue. Each corpse is posed in a way whose meaning no one can fathom. Which is precisely the point the murderer is trying to make.

Elisenda Domènech, the solitary and haunted head of the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit, is determined to do all she can to stop the attacks. She believes the attacker is drawing on the city’s legends to choose his targets, but her colleagues aren’t convinced and her investigation is blocked at every turn.

Battling against the increasing sympathy towards the killer displayed by the press, the public and even some of the police, she finds herself forced to question her own values. But when the attacks start to include less deserving victims, the pressure is suddenly on Elisenda to stop him. The question is: how?

Review:

City of Good Death( Elisenda Domènech series) is the first in the series. We are introduced to Elisenda Domènech herself and those who work by her side at the city’s newly-formed Serious Crime Unit composed of Alex and Elisenda' small team. We get introduced to many more characters who we do see a few more times in the book and we're all set for the whole book once all of the characters have been introduced and there's no one else hiding anywhere.

We get to see Elisenda in action and we also get to know her sad personal experiences just as the time is right. Elisenda herself is a very strong woman, she stands up for her team and always sticks to what she knows is right and pushes what she believes is right, right to the edge to see if it really is right.

Girona is a beautiful place,located in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region. In this book though, Girona becomes plagued with acts of violence and murder and it is up to Elisenda and her crime unit to catch whoever is plaguing the city.

I don't really want to give too much detail on the story because this story is one of those that can lose its touch if one thing is spoilt. This novel is so heavy. I mean heavy in the sense of when you're absorbed into this world, where acts of murders and violence are suddenlv spiking and morals are being turned on their heads you seem to feel the weight of it all on your shoulders because although immersed in the book, your real life morals are fighting head to head with the morals of the city characters and it becomes difficult to not end up on the same wavelength of Elisenda.

It is a great read from start to end, it took me a while to get into it properly just because I was finding it hard to stay immersed when it came to the short language changes that come up. That was really the only downside to me and even then it really is just a small one. There's enough detail to make you believe you're there and the characters seem to feel like you live next door to them. Deffinetly a 4.8 out of 5. I can't wait to see what's next in City of Buried Ghosts and City of Drowned Souls

Risen: First Book Of The Nameless Chronicle - M.T.Miller

Title: Risen: First Book Of The Nameless Chronicle
Author: M.T.Miller
Publication Date: January 13th 2016




Synopsis:

In the middle of nowhere a nameless individual rises from the dark. With barely any knowledge of apart from how to speak and how to kill, he finds himself in a world gone mad, Worse off, nearly everything that moves is out for his blood.

Not knowing where to turn, the wanderer traverses the desolate landscape of a ruined continent. Along his travels, his mind and body are pushed to their limits as he desperately tries to make sense of what had happened to the world, what he is, and why he exists.

For after foe meet their end and his hands, yet each kill only serves raise more questions. Is he even human? what has happened to the world? where does his path lead? The answer lies behind the blood stained horizon.

Review:

The book itself only took me around 3 hours to read in full and I can openly admit that it was 3 hours that I was truly never going to regret spending. Right from the outset the book had me griped. Full of action and detailed to perfection I quickly fell in love with Risen.

A nameless man who indeed rises from the dark with only two pieces of knowledge to his name is forced to protect himself from those who are after his blood by any means necessary. Killing his way into a danger free few hours never seems to last too long in this book. There is never a moment where what this man is doing becomes irrelevant.

On his journey to find answers, the man meets a homeless man and after gaining some information about where he is, befriends him and they spend the remaining story together, taking this journey for answers together.

Throughout the book we see them gain trust in each other, the homeless man speaking of his past life whilst the nameless wanderer speaks what little truth he knows.

Overall the book was gripping and perfectly written. Full of action and a perfect amount of gore and swearing for me. I can not wait to what M.T.Miller has in store next. I do recommend this book to anyone who likes a little blood and loves post apocalyptic action/ adventure with a few supernatural elements and pinches of black humour. This book is gory yet funny and has a rating of 5/5 from me.