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The Queen’s Maid: Anne Boleyn in France (The Anne Boleyn Chronicles, #2)
Book
The Tudor series continues! For fans of Philippa Gregory, Elizabeth Chadwick, Carol McGrath and Anne...
Renaissance Historical Fiction Tudor Fiction Anne Boleyn
Mongrel
Book
Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until...
Paranormal Historical MM
The Skriker (Pitch & Sickle #3)
Book
Book Title: The Skriker - Pitch & Sickle Book Three Length: 369 pages Release Date: October 20,...
MM Historical Gaslamp Fantasy
Hammer (The Iron Between #1)
Book
Genonn’s tired and dreams of a remote roundhouse in the Cuala Mountains. However, sudden...
Epic Historical Fantasy
Merissa (14039 KP) rated Landscape of a Marriage in Books
Aug 2, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
LANDSCAPE OF A MARRIAGE is a historical fiction story based on true events and people. In fact, the author is distantly related to one of the main characters by marriage.
Instead of focusing on the man himself, we follow his wife, Mary, and see their life through her eyes. They had good times and, undeniably, bad times too. Mary fell in love with her husband of convenience, and he, with her. That led them to a life of adventure and hardship, love and loss.
This was a great read, full of freeze-frame moments, stuck in time. The emotions come across clearly and help move this character-driven story forward. Some of the real-life events were glossed over slightly and I would have liked to have known more, but then, was Mary involved in them anyway?
I will admit to getting lost in the times given. I relied on Mary to tell me that Marion had grown, or that John was now forty-one, as there was no way I would remember from just seeing dates at the beginning of each chapter.
This was a historical fiction novel that I enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 2, 2021
Instead of focusing on the man himself, we follow his wife, Mary, and see their life through her eyes. They had good times and, undeniably, bad times too. Mary fell in love with her husband of convenience, and he, with her. That led them to a life of adventure and hardship, love and loss.
This was a great read, full of freeze-frame moments, stuck in time. The emotions come across clearly and help move this character-driven story forward. Some of the real-life events were glossed over slightly and I would have liked to have known more, but then, was Mary involved in them anyway?
I will admit to getting lost in the times given. I relied on Mary to tell me that Marion had grown, or that John was now forty-one, as there was no way I would remember from just seeing dates at the beginning of each chapter.
This was a historical fiction novel that I enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 2, 2021
LissaBeth21 (6 KP) rated The Years of Rice and Salt in Books
Jan 8, 2018
What a stunning, epic tale. A collection of lives, a group of souls described as a jati, wending their way across the centuries of an alternate history.
What if the western / European world was wiped out completely in the 14th century instead of only 1/3rd of the population? Kim Stanley Robinson vividly imagines the stages of life and consequences to the world. The rise and spread of Islam instead of Christianity. The different minds who would awaken to the natural sciences. The empire building of China into the New World. The continuation of Native American cultures through their cooperation and shared values.
Dystopian historical science fiction with serious questions of religion, philosophy, and sociopolitical theories expertly woven together.
What if the western / European world was wiped out completely in the 14th century instead of only 1/3rd of the population? Kim Stanley Robinson vividly imagines the stages of life and consequences to the world. The rise and spread of Islam instead of Christianity. The different minds who would awaken to the natural sciences. The empire building of China into the New World. The continuation of Native American cultures through their cooperation and shared values.
Dystopian historical science fiction with serious questions of religion, philosophy, and sociopolitical theories expertly woven together.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Big Burn in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[The Big Burn] by [Jeanette Ingold] is an excellently written historical fiction that deals with an interesting topic. The plot is focused around three young people: Elizabeth, a homesteader with her sister, Jarret, a fire fighter, and Seth, and African American soldier. The even that brings them all together is the forest fires of 1910 in Idaho and Montana know as the Big Burn.
[Ingold] tells a fast moving tale through the various perspectives of those involved. The fact that she chose very different characters but remained historically accurate says a lot about the skill of the author. This book is a welcome addition to any classroom library, especially for those reluctant readers.
[Ingold] tells a fast moving tale through the various perspectives of those involved. The fact that she chose very different characters but remained historically accurate says a lot about the skill of the author. This book is a welcome addition to any classroom library, especially for those reluctant readers.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 KP) rated A Watery Grave (Wiki Coffin Mysteries #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The first in a historical mystery series set during the US Exploration Expedition of the early 1800's. Wiki Coffin, half New Zealander half American, is hired to be a linguist. But the night before they sail, Wiki finds a boat with a dead body inside. The woman was murdered, and there is reason to believe that the killer is with the expedition, especially when another body turns up. The historic details slowed the book down at times, but on the whole I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the trip back in time.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-watery-grave-by-joan-druett.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-watery-grave-by-joan-druett.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 KP) rated Traitor's Chase (The Last Musketeer, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Greg Rich and his parents are still stuck in 17th century France, and Spanish assassins have just targeted Greg and his friends, the Musketeers. This leads them to think that their old nemesis is plotting to overthrow the French government, so they take off to learn what kind of army is on the way. However, dissention in the group is making the trip hard. Can they keep it together to save the day? This is a fun mix of fantasy and historical fiction for kids. And adults. I certainly enjoyed it. It was another can't put down for me.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-musketeer-traitors.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-musketeer-traitors.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Last Samurai (2003) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Troubled Civil War veteran Tom Cruise goes off to Japan to train their new modern-style army just after the Meiji restoration; winds up being allowed to become a samurai despite not quite meeting the minimum height requirement.
Clearly wants to be a lavish Dances With Wolves-style epic drama; works well enough as a historical adventure with some well-staged action sequences, but not quite as moving or powerful as it would really like. Every Japanese person I know who's seen this movie seems to think it's supposed to be a hilarious deadpan comedy. Someone should tell Cruise it's bad manners to organise a kamikaze charge and not die alongside everyone else.
Clearly wants to be a lavish Dances With Wolves-style epic drama; works well enough as a historical adventure with some well-staged action sequences, but not quite as moving or powerful as it would really like. Every Japanese person I know who's seen this movie seems to think it's supposed to be a hilarious deadpan comedy. Someone should tell Cruise it's bad manners to organise a kamikaze charge and not die alongside everyone else.



