Dandelions In The Garden

MY KIND OF READ

Refreshing! First book where I read every page since the Thornbirds. I am so tired of lazy writers that waste page after page giving worthless descriptions and I come away empty. Most books I skip over dozens of pages at a time and miss nothing. Not so with this book. It is a story within a story that doesn't waste my time. I had to read each page so I didn't miss anything. I could visualize each character and knew what every person should look like. It is a believable story being told by an aging woman in the 1600's and how things really were for her and the Countess she served, based on true historical events. I want the second book as I could have kept right on reading. The writer put me at that particular place in time and I want more. If you are into historical fiction this is a must read.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

'Dandelions in the Garden' by Charlie Courtland

For Mature Readers !!! You will love and hate the characters. Each chapter draws you in further waiting to see what happens. Wanting, wishing, hoping, can not wait to read on. Victorian young ladies caught in circumstances beyond their control until they choose to make their own destiny. A hard to put down book of love, lust, cruelty and revenge. Contains a few descriptions of a sexual nature, some violence and graphic overtones.
Still a must read for the Mature Adult. Great Writing.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Dandelions In The Garden by Charlie Courtland

Great Read !!!

Set back in 1600 Vienna. Amara Borbala in her own words tells of her adventures with the infamous Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

As the story unfolds, you are privy to the thoughts of Amara as an impressionable girl: traveling back and forth through time with Amara as an aging, lonely women.

Amara: knowing she is at the end of her life, has a personal need that the truth be told, so she sets about the task of penning her story.

Funny, exciting, mysterious. I could not put this book down. From start to finish a page turner.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Perfect Historical Novel

Combines real historical facts with a twist of fiction that keeps you reading page by page. Characters visioned so real that I was in awe and fear of them. Cover to cover you are immersed into the story.
Can not wait for the Sequel.
If you enjoy a read of danger, love, lust, intrigue with a touch of sexual overtones and graphic realism, you will appreciate Elizabeth, Amara and the men that move in and out of their lives.
Set in the 1600 where men are driven by power and authority and women must find their own devices to survive and conquer. Great storytelling.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Historical Fiction at Its Best - Wonderful New Writer -

I love Historical Fiction so I decided to read this book by a new Author. Charlie Courtland you have made your mark in the writing world. Bold, brazen, seductive, characters that come alive on each page. From the first chapter you are endeared to the elderly Amara and her quirky ways. Then transported back in time to Amara's childhood, where you meet the outgoing Elizabeth. The two females seem such an unlikely pair. Circumstances and restrictions of 1600 era society force them into a bond that last throughout their lifetime. Great reading and the Author leaves you wanting more. Good thing Charlie Courtland planned a sequel to 'Dandelions In The Garden'. Can't Wait to buy 'Will of the Hidden Dragon"..

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Exceptional Writing by a Talented Young Author !!!

I selected this book as the title intrigued me. I am prone to Historical fiction and this read did not disapoint. Exceptional writing by a talented new author. Very impressive. Refreshing to feature females as the main characters, especially in the 1600 era where authors tend to have the men dominate.
Story flowed from page to page. I was finished with the entire book in one night. Now I can't wait to read it again. Note: contains some explcit sexual content and graphic violence. Suggested for adult readers only.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Love it.

This book had me hating the wait between pages. Reading during breaks at work made me feel like real life was an interuption to the book.

YOU MUST READ IT

I LOVED THIS BOOK VERY WELL WRITTEN. I READ IT IN ONE DAY WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT

If anyone ever wants to read about Elizabeth Bathory, READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No text was provided for this review.

most excellent suspense filled read!

A fun and interesting read on the Hungerian Countess Elizabeth Bathory told from the perspective of her long time friend, companion, and Lady in Waiting Amara Landry. Countess Bathory has gone doen in history as the Blood Countess as she was found to have brutally murdered some odd 650 individuals and was, in part, a hisorical inspiration to the Count Dracula novel ( along with Vald Tepes aka Vald the Impaler) due to the belief that she bathed in theblood of young virgin peasants in an attempt to restore her youth. You eont be able to put this most interesting read down and cause you to seek the historical truth behind the tales of the Countess.

Great Fiction Based On Historical Facts

Elizabeth Bathory, otherwise known in our history books as The Blood Countess, was, by most accounts, a savage killer who took pleasure in torturing her victims. Courland's book takes a look at the real Elizabeth's early life through the fictional eyes of young Amara, her closest friend and lady in waiting.

Dandelions in the Garden starts out with Amara as an old woman. She decides to write what we would consider a memoir or biography and her writing then becomes the story. I am not normally a fan of books that shift back and forth in time but Courtland handled this well. She does a great job bringing her characters to life and showing what the world was like for women during the 16th century. The girls' behavior sometimes makes us laugh and other times makes us gasp. But, through it all, we can understand how circumstances could shape these young women.

This is the first book in the series and leaves Elizabeth and Amara as young married women. Book two - The Hidden Will of the Dragon - takes them through adulthood.

A Must Read for the Strong of Heart

I am a fan of stories about strong willed women. 'Dandelions in the Garden' fits the bill. I am also a fan of books written in the Victorian era where women have to be conniving, sneaky and sometimes brutal to survive in a time where men rule.

Elizabeth and Amara perfect characters, I enjoyed every page. Can not wait for the next book 'The Hidden Will of the Dragon'

This new author is fantastic. Hope to see many many more books by Charlie Courtland in the future. Well done.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.