Archive for the ‘Historical Fiction’ Category

WORDS SPOKEN TRUE
Ann H. Gabhart
ISBN:  978-0800720452 (Paperback)
ASIN: B006G2YP9I (Kindle)
February 2012 (Paperback)
February 2012 (Kindle)
Revell Books / Revell
Historical Fiction

Adrian Darcy must have been born with newspaper blood in her veins, spending most of her childhood in her father’s newspaper offices.  The smell of the ink, the clatter of type was music to her ears. In 1855 her paper The Tribune was the leading paper in Louisville, Kentucky.   When Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a distinctly new style of reporting came on the scene to take over the failing competitor, The Herald, the battle lines were drawn between the two editors.

After meeting one another at a social event, Adriane and Blake both felt a mutual attraction that was hard to ignore.  After all, Blake was the enemy and it seemed a moot point considering Adriane had been coerced into accepting Stanley’s proposal of marriage.  Adriane felt trapped knowing Stanley’s father held the future of The Tribune in his hands.    Set against the backdrop of upheaval and civil unrest in 1850’s Louisville this story of love, loyalty and madness will hold the reader enthralled until the spine-tingling end.

***  While not a debut author, Ms. Gabhart is a new author for me and if WORDS SPOKEN TRUE is an example of this talented author’s work, I will be reading more by her in the near future.  The classification of this book is noted as Historical Fiction, but be aware that it does have passages from the bible as Adriane searches within herself to define answers to her dilemmas.

Ms. Gabhart details much of Adriane’s childhood giving background of the abuse she received from her disturbed step-mother. Spending time in the newspaper she bonded with Beck, the typesetter, who taught her to pray and read her bible for answers when faced with a crisis.

I truly enjoyed this book and the lovely prose from Ms. Gabhart’s pen even though I narrowed down the identity of the “River Slasher” pretty early on in the book.  Actually, it was a toss-up between two but I was very close!   Regardless, the mystery and suspense that was introduced into this story only made it more interesting and palatable to my tastes.

Bottom Line:  Ms. Gabhart has seemed to carve a nitch for herself in writing deeply moving and emotional stories that touch on faith and on your soul.  WORDS SPOKEN TRUE is a beautiful and enlightening read that I highly recommend.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

THE KING’S MISTRESS
Sandy Blair
ASIN: B0057WU6TQ (Kindle)
July 26, 2011 (Kindle)
Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Historical Romance / Medieval

Scotland’s King Alexander has sent Britt MacKinnon, his captain of the guard, to fetch Greer Armstrong, his sovereigns’  favorite mistress to continue to appease his insatiable sexual appetite, which by rights he should be participating in with his queen so that Scotland would soon have a legal heir to the throne. But being the stalwart soldier he was, Britt found himself galloping across country toward a woman he never liked during the time she spent at the castle.

At the same time, Geneen, Greer’s identical twin sister, has just learned that Greer is pregnant with the heir to the throne. Understanding that if it were known, Greer and her child would be in danger from the queen, Geneen devises a plan to whisk Greer out of the country to Ireland where both she and her babe would be safe.  However, a knock on the door was about to foul up Geneen’s entire plan.

***  First of all this was a wonderful read where the author gave you a little bit of everything, fiction woven around actual historical events which is exactly the way I like it, served up with humor and sensualness during a time period when betrayals and murders were the normal everyday occurrence in trying to wrest power from one side to the other.

I loved how Ms. Blair crafted Geneen who was not at all like her pampered sister. Hardly, Geneen bore calluses on her hands from hard work, walked with purpose rather than floating on air as Greer did; and most of all, most people liked her.  Trying to step into Greer’s life to prove she was not pregnant with the king’s child was the one thing she had to do and prove Greer was NOT pregnant.  Then Geneen could leave court immediately and join her sister.

However, Britt MacKinnon was no fool and was immediately aware that Geneen/Greer  was not the same woman he’d avoided at the king’s castle.  She looked the same, but Britt never liked Greer but there was something about this ‘Greer’  that was definitely likeable!  Britt soon figured out that Geneen was an imposter and agreed with her that her sister and babe would be in danger if the truth were known.   Ms. Blair went ahead and gave these two a purpose to do their best in keeping that secret, especially after the king’s fatal accident.  Britt wanted nothing more than to protect and love Geneen, but he bore a terrible secret himself and while he wished he and Geneen could be together, the truth would only tear them apart.  [However, if I told you what it was it would spoil the story and I don’t give away spoilers!]

Bottom Line:  this is a phenomenal read that lovers of historical Scottish romances will love.  I highly recommend THE KING’S MISTRESS.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwisandkritiques.com

TO SERVE A KING
Donna Russo Morin
ISBN: 978-0758246813 (Trade Paperback)
ASIN: B0046ZRVM0 (Kindle eBook)
February 2011 (Trade Paperback)
February 2011 (Kindle eBook)
Kensington Books/Kensington
Historical Fiction

Orphaned as a very young child, Genevieve Gravois was raised by her ‘aunt’ under the auspices of King Henry VIII  and groomed to be the perfect 16^th century spy and assassin.  Her ultimate target was the French king, Francois I, led to believe Francois was the cause of her parents death.  After infiltrating Francois’ court her once crystal clear motivation became cloudy over the different impressions she was beginning to form over the clearly just and thoughtful nature of King Francois whom she was fast coming to love and admire.  Clearly, Genevieve was torn over her sworn oath of allegiance to Henry and the growing attachment she felt for Francois.

*** Once again author Morin (The Courtier’s Secret and The Secret of the Glass) has used her considerably gifted elegant prose to paint vivid pictures of the Renaissance court of Francois I with a heroine who is both graced with beauty, intelligence and a plethora of unusual fighting, spying and assassination talents.  Genevieve has been groomed well with language skills, and how to stay alive and below the radar amongst a court of sycophants intent on using each other to climb to the highest rungs of the royal court social system.

In TO SERVE A KING, Morin’s heroine was one of the most admirable of  heroines I’ve read about in a long time.  Genevieve was a highly accomplished equestrian and sharp shooting archer being able to take down a charging animal to save a man’s life with one perfectly aimed arrow.  Her accomplishments all came to fruition when Genevieve was taken into the service of Anne de Pisseleu d’Heilly, Duchess d’Etampes, King Francois’ mistress and advisor.  In this position Genevieve would be more likely to gain and pass along the most important and influentially damaging information to King Henry.

The author picked a setting of the somewhat obscure court of Francois I, weaving prime historical figures along with fictional characters to make this a well-conceived story where the reader can quite imagine that these events just may have happened.   To be perfectly honest I was truly surprised at the finale and applaud Ms. Morin for coming up with such a splendid solution.  [And, no, I doubt anyone will figure it out until the very end unless someone gives out spoilers, which I hope no one does.]

Bottom line: Ms. Russo is fast becoming one of the major players in writing historical fiction, in TO SERVE A KING – she could very well become the next ‘Queen’ of the genre!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

HEIRS OF KILRONAN BOOK #1: EARL OF DARKNESS
Alex Rickloff
ISBN:   978-1439170366 (Mass Market Paperback)
ASIN: B003VPWY9Q (Kindle)
December 2010 (Mass Market Paperback)
December 2010 (Kindle)
Pocket / Pocket
Paranormal Romance / Fantasy
Historical Fiction

Catriona O’Connell was hired to steal a mysterious diary from a Dublin townhouse, but Aidan Douglas, earl of Kilronan, catches her in the act. Aidan agrees to keep Cat out of prison because during the robbery he noticed she seemed  able to read the diary, something Aiden had not been able to to since it was written in a mysterious language by his father many years ago.  Convincing Cat was not easy but after several attempts on both their lives by mortals and non-mortals alike,  they came to a mutually advantageous agreement.  Needless to say, while Aidan’s intention had been honorable in planning to wed an heiress, having daily interaction with Cat was definitely heightening both their physical awareness of one another.

*** Ms. Rickloff has debuted with and initiated a new paranormal series in EARL OF DARKNESS, which pits human Others with hybrid Fey’s and a quasi-Frankenstein medieval warrior being that could be slowed down but – not killed!  Basically, Aidan’s father was one of The Nine when he began dabbling in a bit of dark and dangerous magic that ended up getting him killed.  The character development of Aidan and Cat was relatively sparse, other than the author showing the reader how Aidan’s attempts in trying to cast spells were somewhat lacking. This lack of skills had been a bone of contention between Aidan and his father whose disappointment in his eldest son’s inabilities had saddened him placing his younger brother Brendan ahead of him in his father’s affection.

Lady Catriona “Cat” O’Connell had struggled to survive after an ill-fated love affair which resulted in an illegitimate child causing Cat to be tossed out of her home and left to eke out a living for herself. Unfortunately her child had not survived leaving Cat little option other than to become a thief in order to eat.  Had it not been for Cat being Fey and her ability to read Aidan’s father’s diary Aidan would have sent her to jail, but they came to an uneasy truce and both would honor their business agreement, which ended up including Cat’s soft heart in attempting to heal Aidan each time he was hurt in battle against the demon sent to retrieve the diary.

This probably would have earned a higher rating from me but while the pace was fast, the lack of deeper character development kept me from being invested in what happened to Aidan and Cat.  Unfortunately, this was just an okay read for me.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

 

 

TUDOR VAMPIRE CHRONICLES BOOK 2: BLOOD OF THE ROSE
Kate Pearce
ISBN:  978-0451232489 (Mass Market Paperback)
ASIN: B004FPYZMA (Kindle)
February 2011 (Mass Market Paperback)
February 2011 (Kindle)
Penguin Putnam/Signet
Paranormal Romance/Vampire
Historical Romance
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Rosalind Llewellyn, a Druid vampire slayer,  has been summoned back to the court of Henry VIII at the request of her cousin Jasper.  The year before she had almost been killed in helping to bring down an ancient Vampire who was trying to assassinate the king.  Rosalind and Mithras (sworn to protect the Vampires) cult member Sir Christopher Ellis had been betrothed by the king.  Their two families had been enemies for centuries – Rosalind’s to kill vampires and protect the monarchy – Christopher’s to slay the Druid’s and protect the vampires.  Yet their attraction and passion for one another was undeniable and they must band together to defeat a treacherous and lethal vampire who could very well ruin any chance they might ever have for true love and happiness.

***  As a student of and lover of history, it took some time for me to get over the concept of having vampires woven into and interacting with factual persons of history.  KISS OF THE ROSE was the first book of this series and BLOOD OF THE ROSE continues the saga of how the Llewellyn family became permanently employed by the monarchy.  After having watched the TV series of The Tudors it was a bit unsettling to read who was and wasn’t under the sway of the vampires. Oddly it all made sense, and in BLOOD OF THE ROSE which encompasses King Henry’s unholy obsession of Anne Boleyn, the author’s take on what was going on made this bit of fiction sound perfectly plausible!

BLOOD OF THE ROSE is certainly original and creative and Ms. Pearce’s prose is elegant with an alluring style.  Her descriptions of court life are lush and give the reader an innate feeling of how dangerous life could be while trying to stay one step ahead of the intrigues and betrayals that ran rife in trying to stay on the winning side of court politics.

Rosalind and Christopher were both divine in KISS OF THE ROSE and BLOOD OF THE ROSE was even more dynamic and sensually passionate as both stopped fighting their inevitable destinies.  The sensualness was great and while introducing new characters and giving old characters more depth Ms. Pearce simply whets my appetite for the next book of this series – which in my opinion ROCKS and is highly recommended.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE
Karen Harper
ISBN: 978-0451229007
Kindle ASIN: B001PYO3GW
January 2010
Penguin Putnam/NAL
Historical Fiction
Trade Paperback

Historical records indicate that William Shakespeare may have had two wives, Anne Hathaway and Anne Whateley. Karen Harper tells us what might have happened from the viewpoint of Anne Whateley….

Anne Whateley has always stood out as different in the town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Her Italian heritage is quite exotic in this small town and draws stares and comments- except for three friends, one of whom is Will Shakespeare. Over time, their friendship solidifies and turns to love. They secretly marry… and then the unthinkable happens. Will is forced to marry another woman, Anne Hathaway. Can Anne Whateley forge her own way, even as she heads to London? And what of Will Shakespeare? How will their lives intersect to produce the everlasting legacy of The Bard, William Shakespeare?

Karen Harper brings William Shakespeare’s world to vivid life in MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE! Ms. Harper incorporates the politics of the time in with the various writings of Shakespeare to produce a masterful tale. I’ve always loved some of Shakespeare’s plays but MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE shed new light on some of the stories, perhaps showing where the inspiration might have come from. I was initially a bit skeptical about this particular approach as an affair with a married man isn’t what I envision for a tale of star-crossed lovers, but the set up is perfect and provides a believable foundation.

Anne Whateley is a likable, albeit somewhat temperamental character. Her strength and courage to face hardships, such as The Plague, is remarkable and Karen Harper does a beautiful job at showing the parallels to the character of Queen Elizabeth I. Anne’s relationship with Will is a stormy one and Karen Harper takes great care to ensure that the motivations of both characters are understandable, perhaps even a bit similar to the tales of The Bard himself.

Fans of the Tudor novels will appreciate MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE for the insights into the political maneuverings of the time period, especially in relation to the theater and its impact on the culture of the time. The references to the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare add an air of authenticity to the story and will have readers such as myself longing to reread these classic works. Highly recommended!

HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER: A NOVEL OF QUEEN MARY TUDOR
Julianne Lee
ISBN: 978-0-425-23008-4
December 2009
Penguin Putnam/Berkley Trade
Historical Fiction
Trade Paperback

Bloody Mary… just the name of Queen Mary Tudor evokes images of a past soaked in death. Set aside and declared illegitimate by her father, King Henry VIII, Mary Tudor led a lonely life. Her religion was the only mainstay in her life. What events shaped her and led to her rather brutal reign as the Queen of England?

HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER is an intriguing, albeit somewhat oddly structured tale. The framework of the story’s opening and closing focuses on a group of girls playing the “Bloody Mary” game, reminding the reader of the legacy of Queen Mary Tudor that still lingers today. The tale then proceeds with journal-like entries from Mary’s outlook and various scenes portrayed through the eyes of characters such as musicians and local townspeople. It is a unique approach and quite clever, although some of the transitions are a bit awkward. Once the reader becomes immersed in the general flow of the writing, however, the tale breezes along and it’s hard to put the book down!

As a piece of historical fiction, HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER succeeds admirably in whetting the reader’s taste for more insight into the character of Mary Tudor. HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER focuses on Mary’s fight to remain true to her religion even as her country is split between Catholics and Protestants. Julianne Lee humanizes this often maligned character, showing how the events of her time period shaped and molded her into a queen determined to wipe out heresy as she perceived it. It is somewhat simplistic in the coverage of historical events and yet the insight into the various characters, including the common man, is a uniquely fascinating one and one often ignored by the textbooks. Well worth reading for any Tudor fan!

THE BAD QUEEN: RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR MARIE-ANTOINETTE
Carolyn Meyer
ISBN: 978-0-15-206376-4
April 2010
Harcourt Children’s Books
Young Adult/Historical
Historical Fiction
Hardcover

It should have been a dream come true… betrothed to the future king of France, the dauphin. The marriage is meant to unite the Austrian Hapsburgs with the French Bourbons. Instead, Marie-Antoinette finds that nothing she does satisfies her mother. From her crooked teeth to her poor handwriting, Marie-Antoinette is forced to change who she is to satisfy others. Her arrival in France doesn’t change that as she is handed a whole new set of etiquette rules. What happens when Marie-Antoinette tires of satisfying others and decides to live for the moment?

Carolyn Meyer paints an interesting portrait of an often vilified Queen of France. The reader can’t help but be drawn into the almost sad story of a young girl who grows up never managing to please the ones she loves. She’s trained incessantly on the various rules of etiquette, but not a moment’s thought is given to how she should actually govern. The details provided by Carolyn Meyer on the endless rules and constant focus on propriety versus common sense give the reader insight into the latter years of Marie-Antoinette’s lavish lifestyle.

Structurally, the novel has short chapters with each one focusing on a particular element of etiquette or rule given to Marie-Antoinette. The story is primarily told from the perspective of Marie-Antoinette, although the last segment switches to that of her daughter. While the shift in perspective seems a bit odd initially, it is necessary in order to provide details on the last moments of Marie-Antoinette’s life, as well as the aftermath. Marie-Antoinette’s last days were so wracked with grief that it would not have been believable for her to continue telling the story.

Carolyn Meyer provides young adult and adult readers with a thought provoking story. Was Marie-Antoinette a queen living in luxury with little care for the starving people of France or was she merely an ill-prepared, immature girl forced into a role she didn’t comprehend? THE BAD QUEEN is a great book to introduce younger readers to the French Revolution as Carolyn Meyer makes history entertaining.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL
Mary Sharratt
978-0547069678
April 2010
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Historical Fiction
Hardcover

Poverty is rampant in Lancaster in the early 1600s but Bess Southerns has discovered a talent to keep her family fed. As a cunning woman, she is able to perform healings and provide simple charms to the local people. The church heavily frowns on such behavior, and Bess is aware that she is just one whisper away from being condemned for witchcraft. Will the changing political and cultural climate of the times cost Bess, her family and her friends everything because of the superstition surrounding the cunning craft?

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is fictional but is based on the real-life historical accounts of Pendle Forest. Mary Sharratt depicts the voice of her characters quite realistically, almost too realistically as it takes a bit of time for the modern reader to adjust to the cadences and flow of the language. The storyline switches viewpoints later in the tale, and Mary Sharratt appropriately changes the “voice” of the characters so that it is easy to see the various characters portrayed.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is a tale of superstition, prejudice, and ultimately the perseverance of spirit in even the most horrific of circumstances. I was already somewhat familiar with the historical background of the tale and so was surprised at how Mary Sharratt made such a tragic tale uplifting. Through Bess and her family, we see strength and a sense of determination to survive that is admirable. The plight of James is especially troubling as his differences are scorned and condemned, making me appreciate the modern social work services we have even more so than I already do.

One aspect that I particularly like about DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is how Mary Sharratt puts the story within the context of the times. We are able to see how the older religious rituals were prohibited as even using certain prayers and blessings was considered heresy. This gave a very “common man (or woman!)” perspective on the real impact of the king or queen changing the religion from Catholic to Protestant.

DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is a stunning tale, as intense as it is descriptive. The vivid descriptions make the reader feel immersed in the time period and it was with great sadness that I finished this book. Highly recommended!

THE DARCY COUSINS
Monica Fairview
ISBN:  978-1402237003
April 1, 2010
Sourcebooks Landmark
Historical Fiction
Trade Size Paperback

Mr. Darcy’s lively cousin, is sent from America after creating a bit of scandal in hometown of Boston.  Upon arriving at Rosings Park,  Clarissa Darcy, manages to provoke Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Collins, and the parishioners of Hunsford in one fell swoop!  Given time there would be more surprises in store for that bastion of tradition that Lady Catherine rules over during the families gathering for their annual Easter visit.

Georgiana Darcy, generally a shy model of propriety, decides to emulate her unconventional cousin, to the delight of a neighboring gentleman. Anne de Bourgh, is encouraged by her cousins to escape her “keeper” Mrs. Jenkinson, and simply…vanishes. But the trouble and fun really starts when Clarissa and Georgiana both set out to win the heart of the same young man…

 *** Anytime I have cause to revisit the people from Austen’s epic novel Pride and Prejudice it is time to rejoice. After having read several authors who have tried to accomplish and /or copy the style of Austen, it is a joy to report that Ms. Fairview’s elegant prose is pretty darn close to the real deal, and quite as entertaining. 

In the original P&P, we never really got to see much of Georgiana from the original tome.  Fast forward a  few years and the frightened fifteen year old has come of age and ready to make her debut.  Still a bit reticent from the rather traumatic event that involved Mr. Wickham, Georgiana is fascinated by her outspoken cousin Clarissa, her sense of style and how easily Clarissa stands out amongst her peers.

As Georgiana and Clarissa become boon companions, they decide to help their cousin Lady Anne escape some of the overprotective control exerted over her by her mother Lady Catherine.  In the meantime both cousins are the recipients of several gentlemen’s attention, in which Georgiana becomes quite smitten with one whose true character she neglects to see through her rose colored glasses; a gentlemen (loose translation)  whose attention lay in her cousin Clarissa’s direction.   It was truly enlightening to have Ms. Fairview showing  all of the young ladies, coming of age through their trials and tribulations of discovering themselves, and through the entertainments the era. 

The pace of this book is lively with numerous twists and turns and the writing is exceptional; at times you might even think that you are reading Austen all over again. Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Collins are still a hoot, and the courting rituals exhibited by the rakish Mr. Percy Channing and the staid and sensible  Mr. Gately (who made me think of Mr. Knightly from Emma) are a real treat.    This is highly recommended reading for all Jane Austen fans who will come to admire and applaud Ms Fairview’s well written prose!  Bravo!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com