Home :: Books :: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Blood Remembers

The Blood Remembers

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $16.97
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stanfill is a storyteller to watch!
Review:

I rarely find a 'first book' to be all that a publisher says it is. In the case of THE BLOOD REMEMBERS, however, I must make an exception.

Terry Stanfill has written a story that rivals another great first work THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville. Stanfill has bridged the gap between past and present with a wonderful story line , very reminiscent of Neville's story of Charlemange's prized chess set.

Stanfill's heroine, Rose Kirkland, has lost herself in her husband, her work and her desire to have a child. She begins to hear a voice...to experience out of body moments and she is witness to lush interior scenes of richly decorated castles. She also experiences an almost overwhelming sadness.

To find herself and to silence the voice, Rose feels compelled to trace her family's roots through the better portion of Europe and re-visit their long and protracted histories.

To say anymore would be to give away too much.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ms. Stanfill. Her pedigree -- she has been honored for her work in saving the 'art and architecture of Venice' -- and her storytelling talents should provide her fans with many hours of interesting reading.

Enjoy!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stanfill is a storyteller to watch!
Review:

I rarely find a 'first book' to be all that a publisher says it is. In the case of THE BLOOD REMEMBERS, however, I must make an exception.

Terry Stanfill has written a story that rivals another great first work THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville. Stanfill has bridged the gap between past and present with a wonderful story line , very reminiscent of Neville's story of Charlemange's prized chess set.

Stanfill's heroine, Rose Kirkland, has lost herself in her husband, her work and her desire to have a child. She begins to hear a voice...to experience out of body moments and she is witness to lush interior scenes of richly decorated castles. She also experiences an almost overwhelming sadness.

To find herself and to silence the voice, Rose feels compelled to trace her family's roots through the better portion of Europe and re-visit their long and protracted histories.

To say anymore would be to give away too much.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ms. Stanfill. Her pedigree -- she has been honored for her work in saving the 'art and architecture of Venice' -- and her storytelling talents should provide her fans with many hours of interesting reading.

Enjoy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Captivating Journey of Self Discovery Across History
Review: An extrememly enjoyable reading experience! Followed the heroine through a journey of self discovery across a landscape of history. Interesting characters of depth and substance were brought to life through the author's pen. The imagery of the historical backdrop was superb and transported you to places and times never before imagined.

Anxiously awaiting the next book from this remarkable new author.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A facinating quest
Review: Anyone who loves history and romance (in the most sophisticated sense of the word) must read this book. I didn't know what to expect when I ordered it: I was attracted by the cover, first of all, and by the intriguing title; and I must admit I wanted a fantasy that would remove me from the turmoil of our post Sept. 11th world. I was not disappointed. The tapestry-like story that unfolds within the pages of THE BLOOD REMEMBERS is simply marvelous: a brilliant, at times even searing, evocation of a little known era of medieval history -- Sicily in the 13th century --- intertwined with a modern day quest. At times, I had the chilling feeling that the author had actually KNOWN the emperors and Norman knights whom she so powerfully evokes. This would be enough: but the author also manages to create an endearing heroine, Rose Kirkland, as well -- a woman who is most definitely of our time. I can't recommend this book enough.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Barbara Erskine fans will love this new author!
Review: As a fan of Barbara Erskine and Sharon Kay Penman, I found this book right up my alley. I enjoyed the protagonist and how the author was able to keep her at the forefront of the story. The historical elements were wonderful as was the description of the locations. As a big fan of books with reincarnation/genetic memory plot elements I was so impressed with the depth of this story. That it kept my interest to the final pages makes this one of this year's best finds for me. I look for more from this talented author in the future. Historical fans will love this one.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I don't recommend this book
Review: I debated between giving this book 3 stars or 2, but it held my interest until the end, so I gave it 3. The plot is good - a woman slowly remembers more and more of the life of another woman from medieval times (she does not go back in time herself, so this is not a time travel type novel).

There is not a lot of adventure - it's mostly about her relationships with the men in her life and her finding clues to solve the mystery of who the historical woman is. There's also a little bit of romance.

What I didn't like about it is that the descriptions are too lengthy and overdone in a flowery sort of way. She talks too much about non-important details. She introduces new characters and does not describe them right away so you're left to form your own image which might not match her description down the line.

The dialogue also seemed forced and unrealistic. The characters would be having a normal, pleasant conversation, then suddenly get angry, then suddenly be laughing and at ease. It was weird and not very believable.

I think the true test of whether a book is good or not is if you would seek out more books by the same author. I was glad when I was finally finished, and I will not be reading any more of this author's books, so I would not recommend "The Blood Remembers."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Captivating Journey of Self Discovery Across History
Review: I surrendered to this seductive novel with its compelling cast of characters. My favorites are the dual heroines, the young Rosamonde (of the twelfth century) and the adult Rose (of the twentieth), both with their losses, their loves, their passionate secrets. Near the beginning of the novel, lovely Rose appears to have everything under control, but she is slowly going out of control, as a strange voice begins to intrude on her consciousness. She realizes that she's willing to do whatever it will take to save herself and define herself, and thus her journey begins. I certainly won't reveal the outcome or tell the answer to the riddle of the double Roses, but I will say that whether describing events in the past or the present (and the fascinating connections between), the author maintains a riveting tension. I was thoroughly immersed in the layered plot and rich-in-detail settings.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Roses of Time
Review: I surrendered to this seductive novel with its compelling cast of characters. My favorites are the dual heroines, the young Rosamonde (of the twelfth century) and the adult Rose (of the twentieth), both with their losses, their loves, their passionate secrets. Near the beginning of the novel, lovely Rose appears to have everything under control, but she is slowly going out of control, as a strange voice begins to intrude on her consciousness. She realizes that she's willing to do whatever it will take to save herself and define herself, and thus her journey begins. I certainly won't reveal the outcome or tell the answer to the riddle of the double Roses, but I will say that whether describing events in the past or the present (and the fascinating connections between), the author maintains a riveting tension. I was thoroughly immersed in the layered plot and rich-in-detail settings.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I don't recommend this book
Review: In Santa Monica, California, Rose Kirkland feels she has lost the essence of being herself. Instead life is fulfilled through her relationship with others such as being the wife of Matthew or through her work as a jewelry designer. Even her greatest desire of having a child adds to her lost identity, as she knows she would become the mother of that infant. Alas, a saddened Rose cannot claim that identity as she fails to become pregnant. In her even deeper melancholy, Rose hears a medieval voice and begins having out of body experiences that display to her the posh inside of castles.

Rose obsesses over what is happening to her and travels to Europe on a quest to silence the inner voice haunting her. From Oxford to Italy and finally to Normandy where in Pirou Castle, Rose recognizes the place but not in a Déjà vu sense, but as if she once lived there. For here the past and present converge, but only time will tell whether this proves the salvation or damnation for the "visiting" American.

THE BLOOD REMEMBERS is a haunting time travel tale that is so rich with interwoven historical tidbits, readers will believe the author is writing an autobiographical fiction novel. The story line is loaded with action yet the key player Rose is a multifaceted individual struggling with her life and the intrusion of the voice. Readers will remember Terry Stanfill's deep tale because Rose haunts the audience by getting into your blood.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: haunting time travel tale
Review: In Santa Monica, California, Rose Kirkland feels she has lost the essence of being herself. Instead life is fulfilled through her relationship with others such as being the wife of Matthew or through her work as a jewelry designer. Even her greatest desire of having a child adds to her lost identity, as she knows she would become the mother of that infant. Alas, a saddened Rose cannot claim that identity as she fails to become pregnant. In her even deeper melancholy, Rose hears a medieval voice and begins having out of body experiences that display to her the posh inside of castles.

Rose obsesses over what is happening to her and travels to Europe on a quest to silence the inner voice haunting her. From Oxford to Italy and finally to Normandy where in Pirou Castle, Rose recognizes the place but not in a Déjà vu sense, but as if she once lived there. For here the past and present converge, but only time will tell whether this proves the salvation or damnation for the "visiting" American.

THE BLOOD REMEMBERS is a haunting time travel tale that is so rich with interwoven historical tidbits, readers will believe the author is writing an autobiographical fiction novel. The story line is loaded with action yet the key player Rose is a multifaceted individual struggling with her life and the intrusion of the voice. Readers will remember Terry Stanfill's deep tale because Rose haunts the audience by getting into your blood.

Harriet Klausner


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates