rosetyper9's review against another edition
5.0
I have had this book for way longer than I should have, and I apologize for that. I read it all in one sitting, after I finally sat down with it. It is amazing! This book has everything you can want in a great paranormal! It has ghosts, outcasts, sexy professors, friends, and amazing writing.
The characters in this story are the some of the best I have ever read and truly make the story so beautiful. They jump off the page and beg you to keep reading about them. The story itself is unique and fresh, such a great ingenious premise, and so different from so many other paranormal stories I have read. To continue on my gushing spree, the writing is so beautiful, almost lyrical and poetic in nature. I enjoyed jumping into the writing just as much as I loved the story and the characters.
I love this book, it is so beautiful and I can't wait to read the next one.
The characters in this story are the some of the best I have ever read and truly make the story so beautiful. They jump off the page and beg you to keep reading about them. The story itself is unique and fresh, such a great ingenious premise, and so different from so many other paranormal stories I have read. To continue on my gushing spree, the writing is so beautiful, almost lyrical and poetic in nature. I enjoyed jumping into the writing just as much as I loved the story and the characters.
I love this book, it is so beautiful and I can't wait to read the next one.
thecozyreaderwbo's review against another edition
5.0
Plot: 5
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 5
Overall: 30/30 - 100% - A+!
Cover/Title Bonus: 4
Leanna Renee Hieber contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reviewing her upcoming release The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, a "Gothic Victorian Fantasy". I said sure after checking out her website.
Excerpt (author's website):
From the eternally dim shadows of the Whisper-world a voice resonated like a deep, angry bell tolling three o’clock: “Where. Is. She?”
“I’ve no idea, dear,” replied a softer, feminine voice. “Was I supposed to do something about her? I thought you’ve been looking all this time. While you’ve only just noticed, it’s been eighteen of their years. She could be anywhere. She’s not my responsibility, you know.”
The deep voice grunted. “Do. Something.”
The woman sighed, her fair skin glowing in the moonlight. Placing her hands to her coiled tresses atop her head, she found something sharp. With a hiss, she brought her thumbs back into view; their pricked pads sprouted thick, dark jewels, garnets that began to overflow and weep.
Lifting up her hands, she watched in fascination as the crimson trail spread from her thumbs onto her palms. She turned her hands one direction, then the other. “Hmm,” she said after a long moment.
“Well?” pressed the voice in the shadows.
“London,” she replied.
“Something wicked, then?” the voice gurgled.
The woman turned and smiled, nonchalant. “By all means, let the dog loose.”
There was a grinding of stone. A ferocious growl erupted from the deep, before a barking, snarling, ugly cloud leaped into the sky. It vanished into the shimmering portal opposite the shadows where the woman’s master stood brooding, a portal where now rose the Tower of London.
The voice tolled again from the shadows. “There will be hell to pay.”
I'm not a fan of this particular excerpt. It shows the darkest part of the book, which kinda scared me when I read it. I was afraid it was going to be too dark for my tastes but it's not nearly as dark as this passage makes it out to be. A lighter excerpt that I've chosen shows the true nature of this book, which is to show that true friends can be just as grand as a tight knit family.
Page 58 - 59 of the ARC:
"Something amusing?" he asked.
At the sound of his low, rich voice, the group looked up and shrieked, delighted. Elijah cried out the first notes of Beethoven's Fifth, unable to help himself. This did nothing for the others' composure. In fact, Michael, head thrown back in a wail of laughter, lost balance and fell from his chair. No on bothered to stand and greet their leader properly.
"You really should have your own personal orchestra, Alexi!" Elijah gasped for breath.
"'To be or not to be...!'" Michael wailed from the floor, waving an arm above him grandly.
"An appropriate theme for you, you must admit!" Elijah continued, offering Alexi a sharp-toothed grin.
Rebecca, flushed, stood with an uneven breath and handed Alexi the sherry bottle with its dusty ribbon tied lopsided around the neck. "Professor, your prize. I acquiesce to your eminence and superiority--sir," she stated with a curtsey. There was a hint of a smile as she did so, however, and Josephine masked a sputtering giggle with a cough.
That scene is one of the best of the book.
Here's the book trailer:
Plot:
Wow. This book's plot was perfect. It had a true beginning, middle and end. It was very well planned out with all elements of a story line being touched on perfectly. The story centers around a young women new to the Athens school who is unlike anyone else. She's ghostly pale and covers her eyes with shades and wraps her head and neck in scarves and wears long gloves. There's a group of six that are charged with keeping spirits at ease. They are on a mission to find their seventh member.
Setting:
The setting is grand! Most of the story takes place in Athens Academy located in 1888 London, England. The school is massive with wings named after the different Greek Gods and Goddesses. It's also set around the time when the Ripper murders were going on.
Writing:
Leanna wrote Miss Percy's Tale beautifully, hence the title of the book! I love that it was written in third person point of view. The reader is able to get a much clearer picture of what's going on and that's important with this book because so much is going on. If this were written solely from Percy's POV a lot of this story would have been lost and completely misunderstood. Everything flowed very well in this story and the writing. I did not have any hick ups at all.
Originality:
This story is completely original. Of course I've read stories of people seeing ghosts, a girl in a new school but not anything like this one was written. Percy's story is truly remarkable. It's about finding one's self, over coming obstacles both physically and mentally and of course over coming fear and accepting love.
Characters:
Percy Parker is the main character. She's truly unique seeing as she sees ghosts, has the fairest skin, hair, and eyes ever imagined yet holds remarkable beauty. She's skilled in many languages but horrible in mathematics, which has her in one on one tutoring sessions with none other than the remarkably handsome Professor Alexi Rychmond.
Alexi is the leader of The Guard (I think that's what it was called!), a group of 6 individuals with special powers to police unruly spirits. Their life mission is to find their seventh member to forever rid the world of the war between heaven and hell? Or at least the "Darkness" and the The Guard. The group include: Alexi, Rebecca (Headmisstress of Athen's Academy), Michael, Josephine, Elijah and Jane.
Percy makes friends with a German student named Marianna. There's also another character in the loop and her name is Lucille Linden.
Passion:
Percy is intoxicated by Professor Alexi Rychmond. Percy suffers from visions, basically daydreams, much more often when she's around him and he of course notices in his class. When the tutoring sessions start Percy is overcome with emotions and gratitude that the Professor is willing to help her, one of such fair skin. She thinks she's ghastly and that no one would willingly subject themselves to her any longer than necessary. However, Alexi is drawn to her but he just doesn't realize it! The passion with this couple is remarkable. It's written so gently that towards the end of the book the scenes are so tangible with the passion it's nearly maddening!
I was pleasantly surprised by the love story within this book. It's one of the best aspects of the book and it was handled with great care and detail. Very well done.
Overall:
I loved this book. I've had a very busy week this week but I didn't want to put this book down! I stayed up late last night trying to finish it but alas my eyes did not cooperate and I had to finish it tonight when I got home from my externship. Towards the middle of the book it's nearly nonstop action packed, which is an element of a book that I really enjoy.
Cover/Title:
Eh, I like the title but it is very lengthy, which isn't a huge deal but it's a mouthful! The title fits because I honestly don't know what else to call it! Maybe "The Guard of Miss Percy Parker" or "The Guard of Percy Parker".
The cover is pretty vague though. You can tell it's London and the glowing blue orb is cool, but it's a little mute. I would have loved to have seen the glowing blue feather with the seal of Athen's Academy. And even a ghostly female face somewhere on it would have helped. But with a title as long as this one, the cover is bound to be all font.
Connect with Leanna Renee Hieber:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
Blog
Mailing List
Pre-order this book from Amazon.com.
This book is recommended to anyone who loves fantasy. Historical fantasy especially.
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 5
Overall: 30/30 - 100% - A+!
Cover/Title Bonus: 4
Leanna Renee Hieber contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reviewing her upcoming release The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, a "Gothic Victorian Fantasy". I said sure after checking out her website.
Excerpt (author's website):
From the eternally dim shadows of the Whisper-world a voice resonated like a deep, angry bell tolling three o’clock: “Where. Is. She?”
“I’ve no idea, dear,” replied a softer, feminine voice. “Was I supposed to do something about her? I thought you’ve been looking all this time. While you’ve only just noticed, it’s been eighteen of their years. She could be anywhere. She’s not my responsibility, you know.”
The deep voice grunted. “Do. Something.”
The woman sighed, her fair skin glowing in the moonlight. Placing her hands to her coiled tresses atop her head, she found something sharp. With a hiss, she brought her thumbs back into view; their pricked pads sprouted thick, dark jewels, garnets that began to overflow and weep.
Lifting up her hands, she watched in fascination as the crimson trail spread from her thumbs onto her palms. She turned her hands one direction, then the other. “Hmm,” she said after a long moment.
“Well?” pressed the voice in the shadows.
“London,” she replied.
“Something wicked, then?” the voice gurgled.
The woman turned and smiled, nonchalant. “By all means, let the dog loose.”
There was a grinding of stone. A ferocious growl erupted from the deep, before a barking, snarling, ugly cloud leaped into the sky. It vanished into the shimmering portal opposite the shadows where the woman’s master stood brooding, a portal where now rose the Tower of London.
The voice tolled again from the shadows. “There will be hell to pay.”
I'm not a fan of this particular excerpt. It shows the darkest part of the book, which kinda scared me when I read it. I was afraid it was going to be too dark for my tastes but it's not nearly as dark as this passage makes it out to be. A lighter excerpt that I've chosen shows the true nature of this book, which is to show that true friends can be just as grand as a tight knit family.
Page 58 - 59 of the ARC:
"Something amusing?" he asked.
At the sound of his low, rich voice, the group looked up and shrieked, delighted. Elijah cried out the first notes of Beethoven's Fifth, unable to help himself. This did nothing for the others' composure. In fact, Michael, head thrown back in a wail of laughter, lost balance and fell from his chair. No on bothered to stand and greet their leader properly.
"You really should have your own personal orchestra, Alexi!" Elijah gasped for breath.
"'To be or not to be...!'" Michael wailed from the floor, waving an arm above him grandly.
"An appropriate theme for you, you must admit!" Elijah continued, offering Alexi a sharp-toothed grin.
Rebecca, flushed, stood with an uneven breath and handed Alexi the sherry bottle with its dusty ribbon tied lopsided around the neck. "Professor, your prize. I acquiesce to your eminence and superiority--sir," she stated with a curtsey. There was a hint of a smile as she did so, however, and Josephine masked a sputtering giggle with a cough.
That scene is one of the best of the book.
Here's the book trailer:
Plot:
Wow. This book's plot was perfect. It had a true beginning, middle and end. It was very well planned out with all elements of a story line being touched on perfectly. The story centers around a young women new to the Athens school who is unlike anyone else. She's ghostly pale and covers her eyes with shades and wraps her head and neck in scarves and wears long gloves. There's a group of six that are charged with keeping spirits at ease. They are on a mission to find their seventh member.
Setting:
The setting is grand! Most of the story takes place in Athens Academy located in 1888 London, England. The school is massive with wings named after the different Greek Gods and Goddesses. It's also set around the time when the Ripper murders were going on.
Writing:
Leanna wrote Miss Percy's Tale beautifully, hence the title of the book! I love that it was written in third person point of view. The reader is able to get a much clearer picture of what's going on and that's important with this book because so much is going on. If this were written solely from Percy's POV a lot of this story would have been lost and completely misunderstood. Everything flowed very well in this story and the writing. I did not have any hick ups at all.
Originality:
This story is completely original. Of course I've read stories of people seeing ghosts, a girl in a new school but not anything like this one was written. Percy's story is truly remarkable. It's about finding one's self, over coming obstacles both physically and mentally and of course over coming fear and accepting love.
Characters:
Percy Parker is the main character. She's truly unique seeing as she sees ghosts, has the fairest skin, hair, and eyes ever imagined yet holds remarkable beauty. She's skilled in many languages but horrible in mathematics, which has her in one on one tutoring sessions with none other than the remarkably handsome Professor Alexi Rychmond.
Alexi is the leader of The Guard (I think that's what it was called!), a group of 6 individuals with special powers to police unruly spirits. Their life mission is to find their seventh member to forever rid the world of the war between heaven and hell? Or at least the "Darkness" and the The Guard. The group include: Alexi, Rebecca (Headmisstress of Athen's Academy), Michael, Josephine, Elijah and Jane.
Percy makes friends with a German student named Marianna. There's also another character in the loop and her name is Lucille Linden.
Passion:
Percy is intoxicated by Professor Alexi Rychmond. Percy suffers from visions, basically daydreams, much more often when she's around him and he of course notices in his class. When the tutoring sessions start Percy is overcome with emotions and gratitude that the Professor is willing to help her, one of such fair skin. She thinks she's ghastly and that no one would willingly subject themselves to her any longer than necessary. However, Alexi is drawn to her but he just doesn't realize it! The passion with this couple is remarkable. It's written so gently that towards the end of the book the scenes are so tangible with the passion it's nearly maddening!
I was pleasantly surprised by the love story within this book. It's one of the best aspects of the book and it was handled with great care and detail. Very well done.
Overall:
I loved this book. I've had a very busy week this week but I didn't want to put this book down! I stayed up late last night trying to finish it but alas my eyes did not cooperate and I had to finish it tonight when I got home from my externship. Towards the middle of the book it's nearly nonstop action packed, which is an element of a book that I really enjoy.
Cover/Title:
Eh, I like the title but it is very lengthy, which isn't a huge deal but it's a mouthful! The title fits because I honestly don't know what else to call it! Maybe "The Guard of Miss Percy Parker" or "The Guard of Percy Parker".
The cover is pretty vague though. You can tell it's London and the glowing blue orb is cool, but it's a little mute. I would have loved to have seen the glowing blue feather with the seal of Athen's Academy. And even a ghostly female face somewhere on it would have helped. But with a title as long as this one, the cover is bound to be all font.
Connect with Leanna Renee Hieber:
Website
MySpace
Blog
Mailing List
Pre-order this book from Amazon.com.
This book is recommended to anyone who loves fantasy. Historical fantasy especially.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
What an absolutely delightful read this turned out to be! I can't wait to get my hands on book two!
hazel17's review against another edition
I really loathe a vague prophecy prologue and arriving at a new school dialogue for exposition. Get me a cold open and catch me up as we go, I don’t have time for regurgitating the life story of a character I don’t care about yet.
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
This one is a bit of a niche taste, I believe. Like sometimes people LOVE bergamot in their earl grey tea and others think it tastes like soap.
I enjoyed the slightly florid, repressed-melodramatic, lofty and vague dialogue like feel to this one-- almost Victorian itself in the way words are put together.
Sometimes there was just a tad bit too much smirking and bosom-heaving and hero Alexi Rychman sweeping in like a dark angel with his billowing scholar's robes, but you can just ride with that and enjoy the flavor or if that turns you off, this may not be your cup of tea.
Percy Parker is an albino convent-raised girl going to an upper school for the first time. Only this school's headmistress and math professor are part of a small group of Guardians whose rituals and powers help keep the seal between worlds of living and dead safely in balance.
Is Percy the fabled seventh Prophecy to their group? Or is it the beautiful, confident Miss Linden. And what of the forbidden attraction between professor and student? And can anyone ever look upon Percy and not see a freak?
Angsty, melodramatic tale sure to appeal to steampunk (without the steam) and gothic romance readers.
I enjoyed the slightly florid, repressed-melodramatic, lofty and vague dialogue like feel to this one-- almost Victorian itself in the way words are put together.
Sometimes there was just a tad bit too much smirking and bosom-heaving and hero Alexi Rychman sweeping in like a dark angel with his billowing scholar's robes, but you can just ride with that and enjoy the flavor or if that turns you off, this may not be your cup of tea.
Percy Parker is an albino convent-raised girl going to an upper school for the first time. Only this school's headmistress and math professor are part of a small group of Guardians whose rituals and powers help keep the seal between worlds of living and dead safely in balance.
Is Percy the fabled seventh Prophecy to their group? Or is it the beautiful, confident Miss Linden. And what of the forbidden attraction between professor and student? And can anyone ever look upon Percy and not see a freak?
Angsty, melodramatic tale sure to appeal to steampunk (without the steam) and gothic romance readers.
merdyannie's review against another edition
The narrator of the audiobook made many, many pronunciation errors making the listening frustrating.
ladyofbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Argh. Another DNF book. I wanted to like this one too but I just couldn't care less about the characters. The story also seemed 'meh' to me. Or perhaps I'm just not in the mood for this? I don't know. 3/5 stars and DNF'D at 45%.
kittthecat's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute read and something that was really outside of my comfort zone.
The plot was a bit haphazard and not ideal (at least for me personally), but I feel like where this book stands out is with its character’s interactions and relationships.
Didn’t feel compelled to continue the series, but I didn’t regret the read.
The plot was a bit haphazard and not ideal (at least for me personally), but I feel like where this book stands out is with its character’s interactions and relationships.
Didn’t feel compelled to continue the series, but I didn’t regret the read.
bythepen's review against another edition
4.0
A little bit slow at first but when it picked up it sucked me right in.