Guys. Listen. When this book comes out on September 3rd, I plan on having it to hand to any patron I can. I LOVED this book. It took me a bit to read because my life, well, I have been crazy busy. However, unlike other books that I shove to the side when life gets crazy, THIS book never left my mind.

Jenn Bennett - you did an AMAZING job:

✔Character Development is AWESOME. Theo & Huck are fantastic.
✔Setting the scene. Listen, I have never been to Hungary - but I think I just visited in 1937.
✔Mystery - BAM! Did not see several things coming, great job with that suspense
✔Romance - this book may not be INYOURFACE with the Romance, but it is there people, it is there!
✔Story Development - DANG - one of the reasons it took me a bit to read was because I didn't skip over one single word because they were ALL important to this story!

One of my favorite series ever is Stalking Jack the Ripper and this definitely had that feel with a different twist. I love Indiana Jones and National Treasure and this felt like a that. A good wholesome adventure.

& Huck though... swoon!

Vlad the Impaler, creepy gothic towns, a romp of an adventure across Europe...this book sounded like it was written just for me, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Nay, exceeded them.

Thematically the book takes a bit of an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach, which can be problematic but worked perfectly well here. There is a LOT going on in this one...but somehow it still all makes sense.

Atmospherically, The Lady Rogue is a cut above most YA fantasy...far more evocative and seamlessly alternating between gothic creepiness and some charming segments to lighten the mood.

In all, I loved this. My only complaint? Please stop making books available for ARC only via Aldiko. It is an absolute nightmare of an app that never works and has no tech support from either NetGalley or Adobe. Because of all the time wasted dealing with this app to get this book, I will not be accepting any more ARCs via Aldiko, and I would hate to miss out on another as good as this one because it’s only available via an app that is essentially non functional.

This YA historical fiction novel is narrated entirely by the spunky and relatable teenaged Theodora Fox, granting us access to her thoughts and reactions as her adventure progresses. Though the narration is quite comical at times, and her witty banter with Huck is a joy to read, this is a treasure-hunting, action-adventure mystery novel through and through. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

I'm a big fan of both comp titles - A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was one of my favorite reads this year.  And when the description mentioned Vlad the Impaler and a cursed ring - I didn't care about the rest of the blurb.  I needed to read this book.

What a thrilling adventure this is!  Theo and Huck find themselves in one predicament after another while searching for her father across the Eastern European countryside.  They struggle to survive - and with people chasing them, wolves, the elements, and magic, it's not an easy task.  That, combined with Theo solving ciphers and puzzles and the teasing dialogue gives this the feel of an Indiana Jones movie.

Theo is headstrong, intelligent, and determined not to remain on the sidelines while her father goes treasure-hunting.  Huck is a good match for her, being equally stubborn and adventurous.  His way of misquoting common sayings makes him even more adorable and appealing.

Folklore, hidden family secrets, romance, adventure, mystery, castles, cursed artifacts - this book is a wild romp.  It's a little lighter on fantasy than I expected; instead, it ventures into historical fiction, and the setting descriptions are vividand rich.  I'm not sure if the author plans a series, but if she does, I'll be adding the next book to my list.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Pulse for this free copy.

Okay, first of all, thank you for reminding me to read this one because for some reason I spaced on this. Second of all, I absolutely loved this book and I honestly can’t wait to read more of Bennett’s fantasy and historical fiction novels.

-The Characters-

Theodora Fox is our main character, and she does refer to herself as a Lady Rogue at one point in the novel. Totally liked that. She is the daughter of an American “treasure hunter” – Richard Damn Fox – and her Romanian mother Elena who was killed by a cursed artifact years ago. Before Elena died, the Foxes would travel together all over the world to find ancient artifacts and gather history, but once Elena was killed, Richard refused to bring Theo on any more of his journeys. He would keep her in a hotel room until he found was he was looking for.

Theo is a feminist character that has no problem speaking up for herself and protecting those that she cares about. I was actually very proud of her for being headstrong, smarter than her father by realizing what was really going on with the Vlad Dracula ring and was able to save her and Hux during some troubling times. She was fluent in five languages and could swear in two more, and she came from old Romanian blood, and she was a strong character that wasn’t afraid to show weakness when she needed time to get her wits together again. But despite the obstacles that they faced, she never allowed them to hold her down for long. She may be one of my new favorite characters to date.

Huxley “Hux” Gallagher is an orphan who lost his parents in a terrible car accident when he was around 10 years old. Theo’s father took him in and they became family, until he was banished from Foxwood when Richard found Hux and Theo in a compromising position. He loves to butcher famous proverbs just to piss Theo off, and has been trying to gain the good graces of Richard again. He has seen Richard as his father since he took him in, and being exiled to Ireland with his remaining blood family has broken him to an extent. He does not like the supernatural like Theo does, and he tries to be the rational one of the duo. He and Theo work well together despite their banter, and he’s an excellent lock picker.

Throughout their journey, they have had various Romanian characters that have helped them learn more about what’s going on with Richard’s journey, and why Theo is involved. People like Mama Lovena, The Zuiss Brothers, and Valentin have proven to be friends of Theo and Hux, and teach her more about her Romanian heritage that her mother didn’t always have the chance to teach her. They were worthy allies, but allowed Theo to save the day on her own, only helping save Hux when he needed it.

Also, Richard Damn Fox is an asshole that has some serious issues. He and Theo will need to work these out if they plan on saving their already strained relationship. We don’t meet him until towards the end, but we get to read his thoughts through some journal entries of the last time he was in Romania.

-The Plot-

This story combines some magical realism into the historical fiction world as Theo finds out that her father is not able to make it back to her and her tutor in Istanbul as planned. Instead, she finds Hux – who tricked the hotel staff into thinking that they were siblings – who tells her that Fox sent him to fetch her and bring her back to New York. Although not only does he not know where Fox is, but he was tasked with protecting her, and giving her one of Fox’s travel journals. That should help them find some sort of clues as to what’s going on, right?

It revolves around the legend of Vlad Dracula – Vlad the Impaler – he goes by many names. The point is that apparently there was some sort of supernatural power surrounding Vlad and his bloodlust, and that source of power was in the hands of some infamous people of power after him. Why were these people so prone to violence, doing some unspeakable actions like butchering babies and impaling tens of thousands of people?

Theo and Hux have to find her father on a journey across Europe into Transylvania, while trying to stay one step ahead of those that have been following them since Hux and Fox split up. During this journey, Theo finds out more about her heritage, her lineage from her mother’s side of the family, and finds that there are so much more supernatural things in the world than she could have ever imagined.

-My Likes-

Theo was a strong woman. She didn’t want to stay behind while her father went on his many adventures, so she would make her own – to the dismay of her many tutors. Despite being left alone by her latest tutor, who leaves her alone in a foreign country without any funds at all, she does what she needs to in order to survive. There are times where she has an even cooler head than Hux, who likes to pretend that he’s a “big strong man” to allow Theo to stand up for herself. I liked that she remembered everything that her father taught her about ciphers, history, languages. She uses her intelligence, knowledge, and skill to get her out of these situations. I loved the history that we learn about Romania and some of the supernatural myths – like the Strigoi (Vampire Academy, anyone?) – and the white wolves that used to help the Darcians.

-My Dislikes-

This was another one that had step-sibling romance, although I understand looking back why I was so turned off by the one in the Night Tiger. Thanks to Sammie for spelling out my thoughts when I couldn’t articulate it myself. While in the Night Tiger, Shin was forceful on Ji Lin about his feelings for her, scaring away her suitors (and she had no idea until he revealed that to her) and was possessive her and claimed her as his before she even made that decision herself.

In this one, it was mutual. They grew up together as adolescents, and were the best of friends growing up. They had a connection, and they ended up having sex. At the time, yeah it was pretty much taboo because they were technically step-siblings. And they both knew that it was wrong but they couldn’t deny their feelings. I only put this in the dislike section because taboo relationships like this aren’t my cup of tea, but the execution of this one was done way better than in The Night Tiger.

I also hated Richard Damn Fox for hiding so much from Theo, but that’s part of the story.

There were some grammatical errors in here, but I think that will be fixed before the actual publication.

-Final Thoughts-

Wow, I just really liked this one. Sure, I think the romance didn’t have to be in there, but it really didn’t take away from the story. Sure, I wish that there could have been another book, but it ended very nicely as a standalone, and worked well. I absolutely loved the magical realism in this novel, and how taking an old legend and putting a new spin on it was executed. There were no vampires in this novel, despite what everyone associates with “Dracula” and I absolutely loved that. I think Theo was a great character, and Hux was a great male supportive character. He may have pretended to be a macho man, but he respected all of Theo’s wishes, and understood her even when she didn’t want to voice her thoughts out loud. He believed in her when she was doubting herself. He was a good friend to her, and I liked that.

This was my first time reading a book from Bennett, and I was blown away. I hope that there are more historical fiction/fantasy novels from her.

Additional Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for this eARC!

Is there anything Jenn Bennett can't do? She's already the queen of teen contemporary, but with this book, she's firmly established herself in fantasy/adventure too!

Theodora (Theo) and her father have traveled the world, but while he's off digging for treasure (sometimes literally), she's often relegated to a hotel room. Adventure ensues when Theo's father sends a message that he's in trouble, in Dracula country, care of Huck, a very cute boy and Theo's former sweetheart.

This book was exciting and had an unexpected twist on a Romanian story. Jenn Bennet's characters are always lively and smart. Theo and Huck are no exception. If you like Leigh Bardugo, this is a lighter read-alike! Added bonus - I wouldn't be mad if there were a series of these, but this story wraps up without a cliffhanger.

I have always wanted to read Jenn Bennett’s contemporaries because many of my fellow bloggers seem to love them but it just never happened. So, when I realized that she is writing a historical fantasy, I found it way more interesting and immediately requested for this advance copy. And that turned out to be a great decision because this was a very fun reading experience.

I’m a huge fan of adventure novels, especially where the protagonists are searching for historical relics or artifacts while being chased by unsavory villains. That’s one reason I religiously read every new Steve Berry release each year and I was so glad that the author gave me a similar experience with this book, albeit with a younger heroine and a good amount of focus on the romance. The story is very fast paced and we are thrown smack dab in the middle of it all right on the first page and I loved that. The author also does a wonderful job making us clearly picture every single scenery and location that the characters travel, making us feel like we ourselves are on a journey through the Romania of the 1930s. Amidst all the mayhem, we get some very interesting history (both real and fictional) about Vlad the Impaler and also general history about Wallachia and Transylvania and the Ottoman Empire, alongwith a good dose of supernatural folklore of the Romani people. All of this made for a very fascinating and riveting read. There are also secret societies and cursed rings which are some of my favorite tropes and I had so much fun getting to read about it all. Events also keep happening in very quick succession and we as a reader are kept our toes, worrying about what would happen next. I thought the overall writing was very good and it’s surprising that this is the author’s first fantasy novel.

We only get to read Theo’s POV in the book but she is a fun protagonist to follow. Born to two historian/adventurer parents, she has the same curious heart but is frustrated because her father is very protective. But she is strong, determined, resourceful, has a great knowledge of all things occult and mysterious, and will never stop once she makes up her mind. But she is also a privileged teenager and we get to see her petulant, sulky side. The author lets us see all the quirks of her personality which felt nice. Huck on the other hand didn’t feel very developed, because we only see him through her heartbroken eyes. He makes for a good companion, each of them trying to control the other’s impulsive decisions and trying to decide a more reasonable course for their adventure. They also meet some delightful characters on their journey, who mostly turn up just when they need them and provide them some relevant information, but I still loved all the tales they told.

This is almost like a second chance romance, so there is a lot of angst. Theo especially struggles a lot to come to terms with her feelings and what she sees as a betrayal, but she also can’t forget that she fell in love. There is a lot of banter too, the familiarity between the two of them really reflecting off the page, making for some very entertaining conversations. While their relationship is one of the main focus of the book, it’s almost a given right from the beginning that they love each other and we just wait till they are finally able to tell each other the same. That’s what I found a bit ironical about the story here - it focuses on the relationship but it’s not exactly a romance that develops on page - but it was still very enjoyable to read.

To conclude, this was a romp of a novel which I felt thoroughly entertained while reading, and felt that I was on an adventure myself traveling through Romania. If you enjoy reading books by Dan Brown or Steve Berry and wouldn’t mind a similar themed book but with younger characters, you should definitely check this out. Just keep in mind that you will also be getting a romance alongside the adventure.

The Lady Rogue was a fun romp through lands not often visited in YA lit. While it was lighthearted with a lot of humor thrown in, the adventure aspect was well done and I ended up reading it straight through. I loved the atmospheric renderings of Romania. I'd travel there with Theodora any day.

The Lady Rogue is a clever, exciting bit of historical fun. I worry that it will fly under the radar, but pick it up if you’re in the mood for a treat.

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Nerdy teenage Theodora has found herself alone in Istanbul circa 1937. Her adventurer father dumped her at a hotel to finish a dangerous treasure-hunting expedition… and hasn’t returned. Thanks to her ability to effortlessly attract petty chaos, Theodora has lost her tutor, her money, and any idea what to do.

But she’s only alone for a few minutes–before long, Huck (her ex…something) has shown up in her hotel room in a towel with news of her father. Within pages, they’re off, running from bad guys and racing to unravel the mystery of Vlad the Impaler’s legendary ring.

The Lady Rogue is fast-paced and clever, a YA adventure that actually feels YA. As real history slowly morphed into a magical adventure, I started to get wonderful Indiana Jones and Gilded Wolves vibes.

Unfortunately, I don’t see this title getting much traction. This is partly due to the cover and title, which wouldn’t catch my eye on a bookstore shelf. I’m so glad I requested the galley on a whim, because The Lady Rogue was an enormously fun read that I gobbled up in two sittings. If I hadn’t already had it waiting, though, I’m not sure if anything about the cover copy would have hooked me.

More than that, though, I don’t see this title getting a lot of buzz because it’s a pretty old-fashioned book in some ways. I don’t think that’s a completely bad thing–there’s a reason that this kind of story has been told over and over. And when you’re reading historical fiction, don’t usually want to detect modern sensibilities. At times, though, the “exploration adventure by Europeans in Eastern Europe” veered into Orientalist territory. It’d be almost impossible not to, since that’s the basic perspective of the characters.

With so many YA titles dropping this month, many of which are boundary-pushing, innovative stories with underrepresented perspectives, it’s hard to get too excited about a storyline and structure that could plausibly have been published 50 years ago.

But don’t get me wrong; while the basics of the plot seem plucked out of the sixties, this isn’t a book that could have been written decades ago. Bennett’s writing style here feels wonderfully fresh and modern. She does a remarkable job of injecting contemporary rhythm and humor into Theodora’s voice, even when staying true to a 1937 vocabulary. Theodora completely stacks up against any other 2019 YA protagonist. I adored her geekiness, her temper, and her occasional obliviousness.

And the romance? Sweet, messy, and just a little bit sexy, the central couple can bicker and banter with the best of them. Huck and Theodora’s relationship, the very definition of “it’s complicated,” infuses the whole book with delicious romantic tension.

One final note: I won’t be listing this in the content warnings, but I want to make sure I mention this. The Lady Rogue isn’t a good choice for readers who are very sensitive to or uncomfortable with incest-adjacent romance. Huck and Theodora are not siblings biologically or legally, but they were raised together from about the age of 11. Much is made of their family-like relationship, so if the blending of a sibling-like relationship into a romantic relationship is icky to you (totally understandable), you probably won’t like this one.

The publisher provided me with an eARC of this title at no charge in expectation of an honest review. No money changed hands for this review and all opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars for this Indiana Jones meets Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) story.

The Lady Rogue's premise intrigued me from the start. Theodora Fox's father is a notorious treasure hunter and she travels with him often but there is one problem...he never allows her to accompany him on his expeditions. Even though she is extremely well versed in multiple languages and folklore knowledge. But after her father goes missing whilst hunting down Vlad the Impaler's ring, Theodora finally gets her shot at treasure hunting in a race to find her father. But there is one catch, she must do it with the boy who broke her heart and thought she would never see again.

I absolutely adore history and I am very intrigued by Vlad the Impaler. I learned so much while reading this novel about what Europe was like during this time period (I believe it was 1937). I was always interested in this book but only because of the historical aspect. The descriptions were so vivid that I could actually picture the Romanian countryside. I don't know how much of the Vlad the Impaler stuff was actual fact but I enjoyed it all none the less.

This book was very well written (except for the often use of "ugh" as a start to a sentence) and I was very impressed by that. I had never read a book by Jenn Bennett before this one and I was very pleased with her writing style. It was very easy to read and quick to get through.

Now onto my issues with the book: the characters, needing more, and dragging points.

Characters first, I was not the biggest fan of Theo and Huck. I really did not feel a connection between them and they were not relatable at all. I found that I could not connect with them. They also tried way too hard to be funny and it showed. Another problem is that Huck and Theo are really your only characters, there are not really side characters that are present throughout the entire book. Most characters would come and go and then you would never see them again. I needed more.

Speaking of needing more. I just needed more from this book. I just felt like not enough happened when there could have been more. If there was ever a sequel to this I would 100% read it because I know it would give me what I wanted (more). The Lady Rogue really reminds me of how I felt about Stalking Jack the Ripper. It was good but I needed more to really love it. Others might not feel the same way, they may be perfectly satisfied with what they get. I just was not.

There were definitely portions of this book that dragged, especially the traveling scenes. The majority of this book is traveling and that was my big issue. I felt a lot of those scenes were kind of unnecessary and could be skipped but that is just personal opinion. I have read books before where traveling was a big part of the narrative and enjoyed them. I think the issue here was that there was not enough dialogue during the traveling scenes and that caused it to feel like the scene was dragging on.

All in all I do recommend giving this book a shot but I strongly recommend that you have some interest in history and folklore or else you might not enjoy this. For those who do have an interest in those things I think many will find it enjoyable.

I really wanted to be able to review this book, but sadly I was not able to read it on my device. This is not anything against the book itself, but I was disappointed when I tried to read it on my Kindle and wasn't able to. I may see if I can edit my review at a later date if I am able to read the book, but for now I will just leave it at 3 stars.

I found it hard to connect with the characters and I wish the story had not dragged for me. At times I found it hard to read and lost my attention. I loved the premise but the book was just not for me.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I absolutely adored Huck and Theo who are our two main characters in this mystery adventure that gave me serious sherlock feels myself. We get to see them figure out the clues together while also being chase down by the bad guys. I like that things didn’t go perfectly as well and that Theo didn’t give right into Huck as they were previously friends, but something drove them apart. Sometimes authors make the reunion too easy if that makes sense. The mystery was interesting enough to keep us going while also not being to over the top so you lose interest!

All in all this was a great, fast standalone. It had a bit of it all really and if you are looking for something fun and not so heavy definitely pick this one up.

Review will be posted on my Goodreads & Blog: August 7th, 2019. I will update the links then!

OVERALL ENJOYED.

I feel really conflicted about this book. It took me longer than usual to get through and I really did enjoy it, but I didn’t love how the ending went down which kinda bummed the book overall.

The world building was really cool. I love that it was set in Romania! That is unique and vastly different than a lot of YA books and thought it was great. The world building was well done and I felt like I was running all over the countryside with Theo and Huck. They really went on an adventure and that wasn’t stagnant in the slightest.

What I did realize after finishing this book was that I am not [as big of a] fan of second chance romances where they grew up together. I didn’t get all the feels for them that I was hoping. Their banter and interactions were sweet and funny so I still shipped them overall. I was happy things worked out enough in the end. They had decent chemistry but I hated the nickname Banshee (and he would not stop calling her that).

What annoyed me with the ending was the transition to caring more about her Father than Huck. I get that the premise was about family, BUT Y’ALL, we spent the entire book reconnecting with Huck and looking for her Dad (where Theo continually talked about how annoyed and upset she was with him). Then, she leaves Huck in his moment of need to find her Dad, and I don’t know. Since she talked up not liking him, I frankly didn’t care that much what happened to him. There was an interesting twist involving Theo that was creepy and accurate for a novel set around Vlad the Impaler.

I did like the dialogue and writing style. The addition of the history from the region was very interesting. Bennett must have done a lot of research to make it as accurate as possible (with creative choices for the book). I do enjoy her style and look forward to reading more books from her.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult historical fiction + fantasy
Language: some strong language
Romance: a few kisses
Violence: poison, dark magic, scythes, losing a finger

Jenn Bennett is a badass. Her books have this way is slipping their fingers around my heart and squeezing to give me all the feels. The visuals and the worldbuilding? Also stellar. She dances around genres and tropes, and basically she’s always a delight to read. (If you need an urban fantasy rec, try to her Arcadia Bell series. Start with Kindling the Moon.)

It’s her new novel The Lady Rogue that has me making all the heart eyes right now. This book is essentially Lara Croft with occult magic, a hunt for Dracula’s ring, exploring castles, and some of those moments where you’ll be SO glad you’re sitting down. 😉

3.5 stars

This seems to be another book that highlights the history of Romania, specifically of Vlad the Impaler. This seems to be an emerging trend in YA literature since I definitely read And I Darken by Kiersten White and Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George which featured Romanian history as a central theme to the story. Now, I need to find a biography of Vlad (both of them) so I can truly understand the history of this region (which would be awesome since part of my family also hails from Romania)

I definitely enjoyed the travel adventure part of the book - Indiana Jones anyone? - and the banter between Huck and Theo. I would definitely read another book featuring this whole family (especially since I do share their last name) but I felt a bit sad at the end, knowing what is in store for this region only two years after the events of the book and worried that they wouldn't survive the inevitable world war that is about to unfold (especially Huck, the Irish pilot).

Three Rings. Two Fakes. One Real.

Theodora Fox hates sitting on the sidelines of her father's treasure hunting adventures. She's smart, brave, and quick thinking. All that gets her is rooms in the cushiest hotels and a string of tutors while her father travels across countries looking for treasure. That is, until the day she returns to her hotel in Turkey to find her father's protege (and the boy who broke her heart) in her room, sans her father and saying that he might be in trouble. The treasure he had been looking for? The ring of Vlad Dracula, made of bone and rumored to be a source of power. So begins a whirlwind adventure across Eastern Europe, full of ciphers, magic, and being on the run from dangerous men. But where is Theo's father? And which ring is the real ring? And will they live to adventure again? And, more importantly, can Theo and Huck mend bridges?

A fantastic (in every sense of the word) adventure novel, full of twists and turns, shocks and surprises, "The Lady Rogue" is sure to capture reader's attention with every page, desperate to see what comes next.

My only complaint is the language; this book is set in 1937, but there were many times that I thought speech patterns (and, being a first person story, Theo's thoughts) weren't necessarily historically accurate. Perhaps a bit nit-picky on my end, but not even a blip in the radar for other readers.

Who doesn't love a great historical adventure with Eastern Europe as the backdrop? Add in some fantasy and a sprinkle of everyone's favorite Royal Impaler, and you have The Lady Rogue. Thoedora Fox is tired of being left behind in hotel rooms while her world famous father searches the world for hidden treasures.

When her tutor leaves her alone in Istanbul, and she comes back to the hotel to find an old friend, Huck Gallagher. Theodora knows something's wrong. Her father has disappeared, leaving behind his journal, and in it coded clues that detail his journey through Eastern Europe. Theodora's father was on the trail of a ring rumored to have given Vlad the Impaler immense power.

With dark powers on Theodora's heels, she's determined to join the adventure this time, and she will find her father.

This book kept me reading and turning the pages. Jenn Bennett spins a clever tale and makes the characters leap off the pages. I find that the book’s pacing was better than Serious Moonlight which I struggled to get through, but not nearly as attention grabbing as Alex Approximately. All that said, it’s still a very good book and jumped to the top of my Booktalking list for the new school year.

I’m a huge fan of Jenn Bennett and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Lady Rogue!

As I suspected, this book didn’t disappoint! It was so good! I was hooked from the very first chapter. Definitely give this one a go if you’re a Jenn Bennett fan, or even if you haven’t read any of her books before, you won’t be disappointed!

I'm a huge fan of the author's contemporary romances, so was curious about this genre change. The romance was decent, of course, but I just don't think this kind of fantasy is right for me. I was very interested in the historical piece and the geography - seems well researched.