Hello, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Marion Grace Woolley's Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran. Thanks to the publisher I'm able to offer up a giveaway copy of this one, and it's open internationally! Be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter to win.As the eldest daughter of the Shah, Asfar enjoys a life of privilege and luxury. But Asfar longs for more. On her twelfth birthday, her father presents her with a circus. One of its members, a masked man whose magical feats are both breathtaking and baffling, becomes Asfar's closest friend. Together they find pleasure in cruelty and torture, but their friendship will be their undoing.
There are some books that in spite of reading synopses and promotional materials seem to defy all expectation. Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is one of those books. I honestly had no idea, even after reading up on the book, what to expect out of this one. I was intrigued, though, by the premise and the more I read about it further convinced me that I needed to see for myself what it was all about. (In finishing the book, I find I am having a bit of trouble summing it up myself, so I want to share a couple of those links with you. This first one is a piece by Salomé Jones on marketing Rosy Hours, and this second link is a Q&A with the author herself.)
Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, the tale imagines Erik Vachon's life in Persia in the years before Leroux's tale takes place. Amazingly, though Vachon is a mean spirited man who makes a living as an assassin for the Shah, young Asfar is a much more cruel character in my opinion. One could argue that Vachon's appearance is the cause of his disposition and proclivities; Asfar has no such excuse. Even when she becomes a pawn and a plaything in the hands of her grandmother and her father's favorite wife, her vengeful nature is, for the most part, drawn simply from a desire to kill rather than a need for retribution.
Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is a dark and brutal book and there really are no redeeming qualities in its heroine. Nothing that makes you sympathize with her or like her in the least bit anyway. But there's something undeniably engaging about the story and the author's talent in putting to page her own prequel of a sorts to such a well-known story is quite admirable.
Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is officially out February 14 from Ghostwoods Books.
Rating: 4.5/5
And now for the giveaway! As mentioned above, To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, February 16. And again, this one is open internationally!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. For more on Marion Grace Woolley and her work you can follow her on Twitter.
6 comments:
Thank you so much for reviewing the book. Really glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing such a fantastic review: Buy Online Books
Great review, Becky. I was holding my breath all day. It's a great book, but some people don't get on with dark characters.
I might compare it to Lolita, in a way. Humbert Humbert is a monster, but the book is amazing.
Thanks for this great review, wonderful giveaway and interesting feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I loved your review. This book sounds interesting, and I don't really mind reading about dark characters. Thanks for having the giveaway.
I don't think I've heard such negative things about a main character from so many reviewers ... this is one creepy little girl! And I CANNOT wait to read about her.
Thanks for being a part of the tour.
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