Historical Fiction
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Review: The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings by Dan Jones
The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings is a medieval ghost story that was immortalised in the early fifteenth century. Dan Jones has based his retelling upon the original Latin scripture of the story. You can feel the authentic, old-time feel to the storytelling. The dialogue, the mannerisms, and the interpretations were at one with the story being told. The introduction sets up the story nicely and pushes you to think more deeply about the time in which the tale Is told. The story flowed beautifully even if it was super short.
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The Fort (City of Victory #1) by Adrian Goldsworthy
Sometimes you just pick up a book and fall into another time. The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy is one such book. The time, the characters, the narrative. Everything just seems to slot into place. The characterization skills are terrifically utilized and the plot was swift-moving and often balancing on a knife-edge. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I genuinely believe that I would be hard placed to see a better example of it than, The Fort. Flavius Ferox is a character that instantly called to me. He’s vivid, he’s alive and passionate. His character arc and internal monologue cast me into a time where brutality is the…
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A Song of Steel by J.C. Duncan | Book Review
A song of Steel is a debut novel that heralds epic fantasy in its rawest form. The story can envelop you like a long lost relative after spending months apart. Every interconnecting aspect of it just feels right. From its brutally accurate characterization and its dramatic historic landscape, it’s the kind of story that leaves you grappling for cognitive cohesion. The immersion and the compulsiveness has you addicted within a few pages. Duncan’s spellbinding narrative took me hostage and posted my ransom…although, truth be told, I didn’t want anyone to pay it! A Song of Steel is just another book that shows that Indie Fantasy is where its at right…
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The Echoes of Germania by H.B. Ashman | Review
Some things just damn well intrigue me. History being one of them. The Roman Empire was always a dynasty that just got those creative juices flowing. The riches, the military prowess and the fantastical world of Ancient Rome. Echoes of Germania is that perfect blend of fiction and history. This book blew every expectation or preconceived idea I had clean out the water. The prose and the dialogue were swift and laser precise, it didn’t take any time at all to fall hard for this superbly ambitious tale of love and mythology. The novel has the beating heart of a warrior. Picking up Echoes of Germania was a gamble as…
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Review: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson
The Lady Of Ravens was a great introduction into historical fiction. The Tudor years seemed to be filled with the brutal way that life was and also the romantic way of living with the dress, the relationships and the dreams and aspirations. I enjoyed the experience of being transported back in time to a land where you could truly count your enemies and friends on the same hand, and not really distinguishing between the two. I did struggle with the speed at which the story pushed forward and would have benefitted from a faster pace. Our protagonist, Joan Guildford was an honourable friend and a lady in waiting for Queen…
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Review: White Rose by Kip Wilson
I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction. This refreshing take on Young Adult Historical Fiction was just sublime. It was such a beautiful take on prose and I enjoyed it immensely. It is a novel written in verse and let me be honest I haven’t ever really connected with a novel being written in this format. Kip Wilson however, nails the craft and had me hungering for more…I inhaled this book in a mere afternoon. The writing style just blew my mind. This author now has a firm fan in me and I just hope that their other books have a similar effect because they are getting added to…
