My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Muse of Fire by Carol M. Cram
Publication Date: December 26, 2017
eBook; Kindle Press
Paperback; New Arcadia Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
"Meticulously researched and with an atmosphere so rich that one can almost smell the face powder, The Muse of Fire is another triumph for Carol M. Cram. The irresistible story at its heart is impeccably woven into the tapestry of British theatrical history with such precision that Grace and Ned might have stepped from the pages of the Georgian gossip sheets and straight into fiction. The Muse of Fire will linger long after reading. It’s not to be missed!" – Catherine Curzon, author of Queens of Georgian Britain, Life in the Georgian Court, and Kings of Georgian Britain
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound
Book Review
One of the great joys of reading historical fiction is learning more about historical events and characters. True, you're reading a historical work and not a non-fiction book. But, a well-researched book can make history come alive.
I knew nothing about Old Price riots of 1809 and it was interesting reading about how the people rose up against the rise of the ticket prices when the new theater was finished build after the old one was destroyed in a fire. And they thought the riots would end after a couple of days, but it didn't.
The book, however, starts off before the riots and we are introduced to Ned and Grace, the main characters. Ned finds Grace on the streets after she has run away after being attacked by her drunken father. He takes her home and she learns that he's at the theater, working backstage. This meeting will change her life, as her passion for theater grows and she finds a life away from her father.
There are several things about this book that I liked. Like for instance that the meeting of Ned and Grace isn't the start of a great romance between them. Instead, they become close friends. Grace instead form an attachment with another man. It's more of a way for her to be free from her father and I can understand her predicament. I was, however, a bit confused about why the man in question wanted to marry him since there wasn't much feeling between them in my opinion. Ned instead had his heart set on Olympia an actress that also becomes Grace's friend. I liked Olympia, she's one of those minor characters that swoops in and brightens the plot. Looking back do I wonder if I did not like Olympia better than Grace. Grace never really becomes a character that I rooted for. And, there is a turn in the story that just felt odd when it came to her and her love life. So, Ned and Olympia, those are the people that I felt most for.
I will end this review by saying that I quite enjoyed reading this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from Carol M. Cram.
About the Author
Carol M. Cram is the author of A Woman of Note (Lake Union Publishing, 2015) and The Towers of Tuscany (Lake Union Publishing 2014). In addition to writing fiction, Carol has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring forty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications for Cengage Learning. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carol is currently focusing as much of her attention as she can spare between walks in the woods on writing historical novels with an arts twist and sharing her Nia practice as a Nia teacher. She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada.For more information, please visit Carol M. Cram's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, February 26
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Excerpt at What Is That Book About
Tuesday, February 27
Interview at Donna's Book Blog
Feature at View from the Birdhouse
Thursday, March 1
Review at Teaser Addicts Book Blog
Friday, March 2
Review at A Bookaholic Swede
Feature at A Literary Vacation
Excerpt at Locks, Hooks and Books
Monday, March 5
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Thursday, March 8
Interview at Passages to the Past
Friday, March 9
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Wednesday, March 14
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective
Monday, March 19
Review at Books of a Shy Girl
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Tuesday, March 20
Review at Clarissa Reads it All
Thursday, March 22
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Giveaway
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US and UK.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. The Muse of Fire
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