Title: Armored Hours
Author: Stephanie Hansen
Genre: Historical Mystery with Love & Magic
Book Blurb:
Cable Girls meets Peaky Blinders meets Titanic
The girls had forged a bond together like iron that could not be broken. Claudia, Kiersten, Lina, and Florian were on the brink of making history with their powerful feminist movement, but then they suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Alexander was a desperate bootlegger who was willing to risk it all to search for them. Not only were they in cahoots with him to help smuggle feminist contraband and forbidden booze, but Claudia had also unknowingly captivated his heart. He vowed to find them at any cost, but little did he know that their disappearance was part of a much bigger and sinister plot from the upper echelons of society.
Set in 1920s Paris of the Plains, Armored Hours is a thrilling tale of love and mystery interwoven with hints of magical realism.
My Review:
Four women disappear on the eve of making history and bootlegger Alexander will stop at nothing to find them. Armored Hours is a remarkable book I couldn’t put down. Part historical fiction, part fantasy, part mystery, part romance, part magical realism, Armored Hours takes readers on an unforgettable journey. The setting is 1920s Midwest America and Stephanie Hansen makes it come alive. The descriptive narration is immersive. The emotional tension is high as are the stakes. But it’s the characters which make Armored Hours unputdownable.
Let’s talk about these characters. We first meet Alexander and he’s one of the main narrators throughout the book. He’s a hero most readers will relate to. He’s not part of the upper class, but rather an everyday man who’s stunned by the disappearance. He’s a bootlegger and have helped these women attain what’s known as feminist contraband. I connected with Alexander right away. I rooted for him as he searches for what happened to the ship. He’s a hero among heroes.
The story of the four women and their drive to help other women in an era where women were seen and not heard, where it’s the eve of the suffragette movement, where independence was only an idea, captivated me. Their story is emotional while also historical accurate. Some may find their characters shocking but not me. I’ve read countless accounts of women like these four. Stephanie Hansen brings these historical trailblazers to life.
The setting and world-building work like secondary characters. Stephanie Hansen incorporates layer upon layer of world-building which make history come alive while injecting magical realism. The setting is so well-written and historically accurate, it was a pleasure to read.
An exquisite reading experience from start to finish. Pick up Armored Hours today. I can’t recommend it enough.
My Rating: 5++ stars
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Author Biography:
Stephanie Hansen is a PenCraft and Global Book Award Winning Author as well as an Imadjinn finalist. Her debut novella series, Altered Helix, released in 2020. It hit the #1 New Release, #1 Best Seller, and other top 100 lists on Amazon. It is now being adapted to an animated story for Tales. Her debut novel, Replaced Parts, released in 2021 through Fire & Ice YA and Tantor Audio. It has been in a Forbes article, hit Amazon bestseller lists, and made the Apple young adult coming soon bestsellers list. The second book in the Transformed Nexus series, Omitted Pieces, released in 2022. Her debut spicy paranormal romance, Ghostly Howls, released 2023. Her debut historical magical realism, Armored Hours, released 2024. She is a member of the deaf and hard of hearing community, so she tries to incorporate that into her fiction.
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Reviewed by: Nancy