Reading Fanatic Reviews

Historical Literary Fiction

Not from the Stars by Christina Britton Conroy

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Not From the Stars*

An Immersive Read into Two Worlds, Edwardian England and the Theatre

I read a lot of historical fiction, but I haven’t read a lot from the Edwardian era. So I enjoyed that this author was not only able to make the Edwardian world feel real but was also able to bring theater to life in an unexpected way. I loved all the references to Shakespeare! This book involves quite a cast of characters, and at times, it is a little tricky to follow the movement of the greater story. There are some surprisingly sexual and violent scenes. If you’re used to reading historical romances, not historical fiction, parts of this book will seem shocking to you. But all in all, it was an immersive read that I found fascinating.

Owen by Tony Riches

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Owen*

Fictionalized Story about the Start of the Tudor Dynasty

This fascinating historical fiction novel is told from the perspective of Owen Tudor, whom we learn about through the book as the unlikely Welsh progenitor of the Tudor dynasty of England. He is, in fact, Henry VIII’s great-grandfather. In this book, the author has worked with limited historical sources to form a plausible story about Owen Tudor, his wife, and their sons. The book can be a little dense at times, especially when detailing some history and relationships between characters, but I still found this book to be an intriguing look at a person who shaped much of late medieval English history because of the impact of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His life, as depicted here had incredible ups and downs, as did his children’s. This is very accessible even though it deals with weighty historical subjects, but it is not necessarily an easy or light read.

The Passing Tribute by Simon Marshall

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The Passing Tribute*

Fascinating Look at Post-WWI Europe

This is a tale of two brothers in the aftermath of World War I. One brother is in Vienna, which is struggling after the end of the Great War. The author’s vivid depiction definitely demonstrates how Hitler could have been formed in such a crucible as post-war Austria plagued by starvation, inflation, and other trials. The other brother is in London, and his task to help bring about the better Europe envisioned by his higher-ups bring him and his brother together in a way that neither could have foreseen.

The author has chosen an interesting time in Europe’s history to illuminate and show through the twin lenses of these brothers. This is not an easy read, for both the sometimes dense descriptions and what the story itself is actually about. Still, I found it a fascinating glimpse into the time between the two great wars of the last century.

Today Dauphine, Tomorrow Nothing by Sage Hillbom

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Today Dauphine, Tomorrow Nothing*

Unusual Look at the Court of the Sun King

This book takes place at the court of the Sun King of France at the turn of the 18th century (the late 1690s to early 1700s). We see it through the eyes of Adelaide, who is to be the king’s granddaughter-in-law. The book spans some 20 years. Life at court is a far more complicated than the Dauphine (as she was known) could have imagined. Her marriage isn’t what she thought it would be, and there are those who have ill intent for her. She does find a loving relationship that is forbidden in more ways than one.

While I found this look at France’s court to be a fascinating one, I felt that the author did too much telling rather than showing. Since so much time elapses during the novel, the author felt the need to summarize much of what happens. She might have been better off having a few scenes that showed what happened with smaller snippets of description of the elapsed time. The scenes that are written are well done, showing what Adelaide and Colette go through during their lives. Thankfully, the author does give a directory in the front of the book to the real historical characters that this book references. Adelaide was, in fact, the Dauphine; this is a fictionalized account of her story.

The Damascus Road by Jay Parini

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The Damascus Road*

Fictionalized Life of St. Paul and Times of the Early Christian Church

While this book is fiction, it reads true to both history and human nature. The book looks not only at the life of St. Paul but gives insight into the early days of Christianity. Since Christianity is so well entrenched in modern Western society, it is easy to forget that it was at first a movement within Judaism that had very rocky beginnings before it became established. This book looks at what perhaps some of those founders believed, wrestled with, and did. This book does not shy away from showing the growing pains of Christianity.

The book alternates between being told from Paul’s and Luke’s perspectives. The author did a good job making these two narrative voices distinct, and they even didn’t always agree about the same incident. I like how the book started right off with a scene that not only shows the devastation of the fire in Rome but shows how it is used as a political weapon against the Christians. This is the perfect beginning for this book as this is a recurring theme. The book wanders all over this part of the ancient world, and we meet other characters with whom we are familiar with from the Bible.

Whether you are a Christian or not, if you are interested in history, you might enjoy this fictionalized account about St. Paul’s life and the times of the early Christian church.

In Darkest Days May Blossom by Leila Snow

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In Darkest Days May Blossom*

Can Love Survive in the Face of Harsh Realities?

Jonathan first sees Charlotte as she’s being beaten nearly to death buy constables for a crime that she didn’t commit. As a young gentleman, he is appalled her treatment and steps in to help, ultimately saving her life. These unlikely people fall for each other, and the book details Charlotte’s treatment in the legal system of late 18th century England.

Will Jonathan continue to stand by Charlotte? How was she fare at the hands of this seemingly merciless system?

Oh, my goodness! What a book! The author was able to draw me into this harsh world right away. Both Jonathan and Charlotte have incredible self-awareness as they acted and reacted to forces and circumstances beyond their control. As Jonathan saw that first day, Charlotte does have an incredible depth of character and inherent dignity that seem at odds with her circumstances as a poor orphan child. Jonathan, too, is different from—as Charlotte might say—a lily-handed toff. My goodness, what Charlotte suffers in prison as well as at the mockery of a trial! It’s hard not to feel for her and the injustice of her circumstances, first out in the real world and in prison as well. The author has done a skilled job in writing with such emotional honesty for both characters. I couldn’t help but be sucked in nor did I want to put the book down until I was finished. The end indignity—after all that she had already suffered—nearly broke my heart, but I was so thrilled when she finally triumphed.

This is an engaging and sometimes difficult read. The words themselves are easy enough, but the harshness of Charlotte’s world that they convey make a difficult indeed. Still, this was so masterfully done that I wholeheartedly recommend this book

Phoebe’s Journey by Kathryn Collett

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Phoebe's Journey*

Well-Researched Fictionalized Account of Biblical Phoebe

In book one, we met Phoebe initially just after her powerful shipping magnate father had passed away. We saw her and her mother struggle with maintaining her father’s legacy and her growing relationship with Apostle Paul. In book two, Phoebe continues to struggle with the business. Paul moves to Ephesus.

In both these books, it is clear that the author has done a lot of historical research. Because Phoebe gets just about 50 words in the Bible itself, the author has created a fictionalized account of what one could imagine her story could be; what sort of woman would have undertaken a 1000-mile journey for the apostle? The is able to make first century Greece come alive. Life was so different back then.  Yet the author has given the characters struggles that we can relate to in the modern day. It is interesting to see how life is both in the smaller towns like Phoebe has grown up in and the growing cities of the area. The author also weaves in characters from the various social strata.

That said, from a writing standpoint, I found the book sometimes difficult to read. The way the characters spoke didn’t feel natural. There are lots of characters in both of the books, and even with a cheat sheet at the beginning of the book, it can be hard to keep track of everybody. At times, too, I felt like we were told rather than shown the events of the book.

However, if you enjoy other historical fiction or speculative fiction based on the Bible, you might find this intriguing look at the early days of Christianity an engaging read.

Song of Sacrifice by Janell Rhiannon

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Song of Sacrifice*

Stunning Look at Ancient Troy from Women’s Perspectives

The book opens with a scene of Queen Hecuba of Troy having a hard time sleeping as she ponders the child she carries and the disturbing visions she’s been having of coming conflict. She also reflects on her life as one of the wives of King Priam.

What a simply stunning book! It brought to life the myths and legends of ancient Greece in a most complexly detailed way. But, unlike the way we usually hear about them, the story is not told through the eyes of the heroes. Instead, it unfolds as seen by the heroines. I would venture to say that behind every hero stands a heroine or two. This is their story. It starts just before the Fall of Troy.

The author is able to convey the thoughts, fears, and emotions of these women as they see history unfold around them a compelling way. Though we are separated from these ancient heroines by millennia, the issues they confront are universal and timeless. The author’s ability to get inside these women’s heads was amazing in its depth; it made their emotions real and their plights understandable on a deep level. This book is immersive; I felt like I was there with them, seeing what they were seeing and feeling what they were feeling. It’s rare to find an author who writes in this fashion, and it was amazing to be a part of this world. For me, this was even more powerful as this era is not one I’ve gone to often in my historical fiction reading.

There were a few issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, but that did not detract from the story.

Salem’s Trial by Township by Amanda Kimberley

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Salem's Trial by Township*

Strange Novel About Salem in the Time of the Witch Trials

I found this novella to be peculiar. It features a newly-arrived Irish couple, the Gilchrists, in Salem, Massachusetts, around the time of the witch trials. They’ve come to take over property owned by a cousin who has passed. A busybody neighbor, Edith, harasses them about several things–their religion, their dress, and their tithing to the local church; apparently, as one character said, she is generous with other people’s money. She demands that the couple give 75% their apple crop to the church to help feed the community. For some reason, everybody seems to take this woman seriously–including the Gilchrists–which seems a little crazy to me. She even gets a judge to come along with her and harass them at one point. She wants to accuse the man of witchcraft unless she gets her way.

The writing itself was very stiff. Characters spoke in ways that nobody talks. The backstory was given in large, data-dump chunks in dialogue. As I was reading along, I couldn’t quite believe that this one woman would have such an impact on the people of her community, especially when it eventually became clear that she often stood to gain from her shenanigans. On a completely different note, the cover doesn’t seem to fit the book at all. While I’m not from Massachusetts, I have visited, and the area around Salem looks nothing like this. The woman in the cover painting seems to be standing in a place like Scotland rather than in Massachusetts.

I cannot recommend this book.

Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes

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Mistress Suffragette*

Unbelievable Heroine Mixed Up with a Bad Man — and History

The stage is set in the first chapter at a party in one of the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island in the late 1890s just before the Great Panic. On this night, the heroine’s family, history, and circumstances are revealed. Her family is teetering on the brink of ruin, and her mother is hoping a good marriage or two for her daughters will help save the family. Penelope’s distant cousin had broken off his courtship with her the family’s new precarious circumstances; he’s definitely not kind to her about it, thinking this is no big deal.

Penelope’s meets married Mr. Daggers on this night, setting her life on a different course. Mr. Daggers, after briefly meeting her, has determined he will make her his mistress, inviting her to visit him clandestinely the next time she is in New York.

Instead, Penelope escapes to Boston, telling her parents she is going to visit the Daggers couple in New York. She gets caught up in the suffragette movement. And, yes, she does get involved with Mr. Daggers in a cat-and-mouse, on-again-off-again psychological affair.

I didn’t like this book. The heroine was unsympathetic and unbelievable at times. Would a Victorian maiden be thinking of innuendo and seduction during her first dance with a married man, or imagine that man being intimate with his wife? It just didn’t jibe with other Victorian novels I’ve read. When she later goes on to have an affair with him, the way she thinks about him and them just left me cold. She knows she shouldn’t keep meeting him, but she can’t stop herself! Oh, ick; not a fan of those kinds of heroines. Mr. Daggers himself I found rather creepy from the outset, the way he was physically and verbally manipulative. His evils end up going far beyond this, as you might imagine. The point at which he almost seduces her has a double-ick factor that I won’t detail here. But…icky, icky!

The book to be overwritten in the extreme. Nearly every sentence in the long party scene seemed to be stuffed with metaphor, simile, detailed descriptions, and the like; I found myself just wanting to read some straightforward prose. One odd quirk: Penelope describes herself as having fiery hair during the party scene, but the cover shows a dark-haired heroine.

The look into the nascent suffragette movement was interesting, but its impact was decreased by the fact that the heroine herself did not embody the ideals of the movement.

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One star = I received it as a free advance/review copy or directly from the author.

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Three stars = I purchased the book outright (sometimes for free).

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