Currently reading
The Firebird
My third Susanna Kearsley book of the year--I think I need to space her novels out, as they're all very similar and I might have enjoyed this one more if I hadn't read some of her other books a few weeks ago.
The Firebird tells the story of a modern pair of psychics, Nicola and Rob, who work together to uncover the story of a Jacobite woman named Anna and her connection to a rare Russian artifact. Kearsley always ties her historical novels in with something modern and paranormal. In this instance, I really wish she'd left out Nicola and Rob altogether. They seem like lovely people, but their chapters weren't particularly compelling. We're talking two people who take something as exciting as a trip to Russia and turn it into a tedious round of eating at the same restaurant, talking about Anna, and wandering around in a daze as they psychically watch her story unfold.
Anna's story, while bogged down with more than a few boring chapters, was more compelling. Still, she's a typical Kearsley version of the Mary Sue: lovely to look at, kind, spunky, and, somehow--although ostensibly a poor orphan--the beloved center of everyone's lives. She dances well, she sews beautifully, and she speaks Russian like a dream. Every single person she encounters is impressed with her except for the villain.
I added half a star to my rating because I did like the ending of this book quite a bit, but overall I thought it was quite boring and I'm glad it's over.