The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

I actually started this book a long time ago and never got around to finishing it. Seeing it again as I was browsing my many books, I figured it was time to give this another chance. Thank goodness I did because I've been missing out. This well-written little beauty has gotten a lot of acclaim that seems pretty well deserved. Let's dive right in.

In a tiny, Bavarian village in the year 1659, hangman Jakob Kuisl manages his job with an unusual amount of wisdom and empathy, earning him fear and respect among the people. But a day comes when a series of mysterious deaths befall young orphans littered about the city and the hysterical villagers are blaming witchcraft. While Jakob is convinced that the case's only suspect is innocent, his only ally is the young town physician and his own daughter, Magdalena, who happen to be smitten with each other. The trio must find the true killer and save an innocent life, but the town officials, the terrified villagers, and time itself are against them, as is a mysterious devil with a hand of bones.

This book does a marvelous job of balancing the realistic elements with those of the supernatural, bringing to life the feeling of living in a time when reality and the unknown often collide. You feel both the gritty realism of a time period where life is hard, plague is a very real and scary thing, and the unexplained is plausible. It's this wonderfully macabre style that the book has, feeling both historically accurate and fantastical at the same time. It's a very difficult balance to pull off and it was expertly pulled off.

The character of Jakob Kuisl is probably going onto my list of new heroes because this guy is awesome! Living the life of a man who kills for a living is no easy task and you feel for him as he finds the balance of being both an executioner and a good man. The passion with which he fights for what he knows is right is highly commendable. You want him to win, even when the odds are stacked firmly against him. The characters of Simon, the physician, and Magdalena are also really well done. Simon is one of those bright, ahead-of-his-time types of guys. He believes in science and the powers of deduction and so, when faced with a village screaming "witchcraft", he goes where no-one else is willing to and fight the truth of the situation. Ironically, the one with the least amount of time dedicated to her is the title character, Magdalena. Not that she doesn't have much to do in the book or isn't helpful because she is, it's just that she comes into the story a bit later and doesn't have as many opportunities as you'd think she would. Still, the three working together make for a great team.

I always enjoy a good mystery and I love it when I can't figure out exactly what's going on. And, once again, I was surprised with the outcome...even if it was pretty complex. You've got a scheme involving a leper sanctuary being built, you have corrupt politicians, a conspiracy involving the local orphans...there's a ton of stuff going on in here. Also, this is a long book. I'd felt I had reached the halfway point three times before realizing I wasn't even close. Not that long books are a problem or that I don't like them (I have the Everests including Battle Royale and Dune to look forward to in the future) but there aren't many times I feel the length of a book as much as I did in this one. The pace reads pretty quickly, so it's a bit alarming when you realize you haven't made much actual progress. But that's mostly just a personal problem and not necessarily a flaw.

Final Verdict
A great mystery, interesting characters, well-written plot, overall just a great book and a darkly, mysterious read. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then I'd say it's well worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: The Scythes return....

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

Ah, King Henry VIII. When I was a much younger nerd in history class, I did a report on this infamous king and his legacy for a report and since then the king and his six wives have always been a source of fascination for me. So when I found this recent treasure, a book written by seven different authors in the voices of Henry and the wives, I just had to dive in. Let's see what we found.

This is a collection of stories told from the points of view of the six wives of King Henry VIII. Hear their sides of the stories and understand where they're coming from as they're passed over and as they fight to keep their throne...and their lives. From the devout Catherine of Aragon, scheming Anne Boleyn, meek Jane Seymour, neglected Anne of Cleves, lusty Catherine Howard, and learned Catherine Parr tell their tales with interludes from the great King himself as he recalls his life and goals.

Having a different author as the voice of each character in this book is pretty clever and works greatly to this books advantage. Each one shares their own views and uses their own unique voices to really capture the character they are writing for. Even the set ups of each section are different from each other. Parr's story is the only one that uses chapter headings, Boleyn's uses poetry, Aragon and Cleves's stories is mostly told in flashback, and so on and so forth. The parts from the perspectives of Henry VIII himself are also very well done, making a misogynistic, philandering, pompous jerk seems almost (almost) sympathetic but at the very least understandable. The guy reads like the arrogant douche he really was, but you see how he was raised to be and how each wife, each death, and each divorce had an effect on him. You see just how miserable a life he lived alongside those of his wives and you do feel for him...kinda...sorta...just a bit...just barely. Kudos the the writer for that one.

Going into nitpick mode, the only thing that really bothered me was that changed the spelling on the names of some of the Queens to avoid there being confusion. Now, I understand why they did, it makes sense to me with three Catherines, two Annes and one Jane to work with. Still the grammar nazi in me just couldn't really get over seeing the changes to the names. The biggest grievance was probably the spelling of Catherine Parr's name as Kateryn. What kind of crazy, millenial spelling is that? Still, it served its purpose in trying to avoid confusion, but I just wish there was another way.

It's clear a lot of time and energy went into making these as nice and accurate as they could. Slipping in creative license from time to time but also keeping the timelines right and the events as they were. This is historical fiction done right. Keeping the real events as they are while expanding on the exciting details and using time gaps to come up with interesting filler. It keeps the book entertaining and educational, and difficult combo but perfectly possible if handled with care, and this book was handed with such care.

Final Verdict
I really liked this one and anyone with an interest in the life and loves of this most well known monarch will probably like it too. If this sound like something up your alley, then it's got my approval  as being worth your money at your local bookstore!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

If you would like to read my book, Powerless, you can find it at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller

Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242

Next Time: An executioner preventing an execution...sold!