Upcoming Releases - December 2009

December 1

Maureen Ash - Murder for Christ's Mass
Richard W. Wise - The French Blue
Julianne Lee - Her Mother's Daughter
Bernard Cornwall and Susannah Kells - The Fallen Angels (paperback rerelease)
Georgette Heyer - The Masqueraders (paperback rerelease)
Margaret Frazer - A Play of Treachery
Michael Pearce - A Dead Man in Naples

December 3
Elizabeth Chadwick - The Running Vixen (UK rerelease)

December 8

Nora Lofts - The Lute Player (paperback re-release)

December 10
Audrey Howard - The Flight of Swallows

December 24
Jessica Stirling - A Kiss and a Promise

December 29

Megan Chance - Prima Donna: A Novel
Christine Trent - The Queen's Dollmaker (US)
T C Boyle - The Women (re-release)
Sheila Kohler - Becoming Jane Eyre: A Novel
Elissa Elliott - Eve: A Novel of the First Woman

December 31
Bernard Cornwell - Agincourt (paperback re-release)
Matthew Flaming - The Kingdom of Ohio

Dissolution by C. J. Sansom

It is 1537 and Thomas Cromwell has ordered that all monastries should be dissolved. Cromwell's Comissioner is found dead, his head severed from his body. Dr Shardlake is sent to uncover the truth behind what has happened. His investigation forces him to question everything that he himself believes.

I have to start the review by saying that I enjoyed it very much and I can't wait to continue with this series. Master Matthew Shardlake, hunchback and commissioner to Lord Thomas Cromwell, is a very interesting and complex character, and Sansom creates a very interesting mystery with plenty historical detail namely the turbulence that surrounded Henry VIII's closing of the monasteries, the political intrigues that were very much a part of his court and the corruption that was common to both places.

Master Shardlake is ordered by Cromwell to go to the Scarnsea monastery and investigate the murder of the commissioner previously sent there to organise the closing of the place. Shardlake goes with his assistant Mark Poer and finds that the previous comissioner had found some problem with the accounts when he was murdered. While the Abbot and the Prior would like to convince themselves and Shardlake that someone from the outside is the murderer, Shardlake is convinced that one of monks must be responsible. Corruption seems to run rampant and more than one of them is hiding a few secrets. Could it be the murder? While trying to understand their motivations, Shardlake also starts to reflect on his life, his choices and his blind faith in Thomas Cromwell...

Unexpectedly a young novice dies and the plot thickens when it discovered that he was poisoned. Shardlake also discovers that the previous helper at the infirmary, a girl named Orphan, disappeared eighteen months before and the mystery of her disappearance may well be related to everything else...

This is one of those books where the mystery is as interesting as the background story; one can't help like Shardlake, not because he is terribly sympathetic but because he is human. He starts very confident in his beliefs and actions and slowly starts to doubt his faith and the rectitude of the man he follows, all that reflex ion of what was going on in England at the time and the worries of the common people whose situation is not improved by the Reform made this a very engaging story and I can't wait to continue reading the series.

Grade: 4.5/5

HT News

Historicalnovels.info have created a gift giving guide just in time for the holiday season. Check it out here.

Scandalous Women's last book giveaway for November is Amanda McCabe's The Winter Queen.

Amy from Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of Tracy Chevalier's The Lady and the Unicorn.

You can win a copy of To Hold the Crown by Jean Plaidy over at Plaidy's Royal Intrigue.

HT Recommends: Coal Mining and Framework Knitters

Ann asks:

Please could you give me any suggestions of historical fiction set in Yorkshire's coal mining industry or Ilkeston's frame work knitters.



This was a very specific request and while we do have some suggestions they are few and in some cases a bit more generic than requested. Can anyone help out building a nice TBR pile for Ann?

Yorkshire Coal Mining Industry:
The Call of The Huntsman - Nina Whitehouse
Next of Kin - Stan Barstow

Derbyshire / Nottinghamshire Framework Knitters:
Tangled Threads - Margaret Dickinson
Pauper's Gold - Margaret Dickinson
Shirley - Charlotte Bronte (set against the backdrop of the Luddite riots)
Narrow Marsh - A. R. Dance

HT News

It's Teddy Rose's blogiversary, and she has some giveaways that might interest HF fans. Head on over to see what is on offer. There are three prizes for US/Canada and one for everyone else.

Elizabeth Chadwick has unveiled the cover for To Defy a King, which is due out in the middle of next year. I can't wait, and I know I am not the only one! It's a very different look to her previous books, but I do like it.

HT News

Anna Elliott, author of Twilight of Avalon has guest posted at Sarah Woodbury's blog about blending history and fantasy in historical fiction.

Lights, Camera...History have posted about the big screen adaptation of Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I will be looking forward to seeing that movie when it gets made.

Historicalnovels.info is hosting it's first ever giveaway! You can win one of six books:

• Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart
• Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin
• The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
• Race for the Dying by Steven F. Havill
• Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson
• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

 
Full details of how to enter can be found here.

Virginie from Virginie Says is giving away a copy of Meet Me on the Paisley Roof by Murray Tillman.

Red Adam's Lady by Grace Ingram

I have a new book to add to my medieval keeper's shelf. Red Adam's Lady is a fun tale, it has a perfect medieval atmosphere and it has engaging characters telling an interesting story, what more can you ask for?

Julitta is an orphan young lady who leaves with her uncle. She likes to go about simply dress and one day is mistaken for a servant maid and almost attacked (seduced?) by an inebriated Red Adam. She manages to hit him in the head and avoid the worst but she spends the night in his chambers and the day after everyone believes she was ill used by him.

Red Adam, who is actually a nice man when he is not drunk and being a nuisance and a rake, decides to reform and make amends and that is how Julitta ends up married to her abuser. What follows is Julitta and Red Adam getting to know each other, dealing with some villains in the form of Julitta's uncle and his friends and the wife of their steward while at the same time trying to discover what really happened to the wife of Red Adam's uncle from whom he inherited his estate.

The books gives us a good feel of the medieval period and the hardships involved in daily wife and also presents an interesting picture of the divided loyalties of the time, between Young Henry and Henry II, and the horrors of the Scottish invasion.

Now, if only I could find her other books I would be really happy!

Grade: 4.5/5

HT News

We have had an Everything Austen challenge, and now, there is a Bronte's challenge as well.

You can win a copy of Alison Weir's Innocent Traitor at Historical-Fiction.com

Dolleygurl from The Maiden's Court is giving away a copy of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. The catch is that you will need to write a review of the book. Full details are here.

Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick

Rachel, a young prostitute enjoys the peace and beauty of the city garden in Arles. She falls asleep there and when she awakes, she finds a man sketching her. He turns out to be none other than Vincent Van Gogh. After their first encounter, Vincent visits Rachel at her brothel, 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles. He comes with a bouquet of wild flowers in hopes of convincing Rachel to let him paint her. This is the start of their romantic relationship.

As Rachel's love for Vincent deepens, her friend from 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles, Francois warns her not to get pulled in. She questions Vincent's love for Rachel and worries that Rachel is being set up for disappointment and possible ruin. Yes ruin, Rachel could be thrown out of the brothel and it's protection and be out on the street.

Vincent does seem to love Rachel however , he is supported financially by his brother Theo and does not think that he or his family would approve of the relationship. As Rachel and Vincent's love deepens Vincent all of a sudden goes mad. He comes to the brothel to give Rachel "a gift", part of his ear that he cut off. Vincent ends up going into a hospital, where Rachel isn't able to see him very often. From then on he gets better for awhile and then relapse often. Eventually the mental illness Vincent suffers forces him to leave town to get better treatment. Will Rachel and Vincent's love endure this separation? Read the book and find out.

Sheramy Bundrick writes in first person narrative with Rachel being the narrator. I loved how Bundrick takes Rachel, a little known person and writes an entire book about her. Her beautiful prose describes Van Gogh's paintings so well that I could picture them in my head.

Bundrick weaves a good tale of romance between Rachel and Vincent but after awhile I found the relationship monotonous. Rachel seemed to have a lot of freedom to come and go from the brothel. She went where and when she wanted to go and I question how realistic this is. Some of the women in the brothel are written as either really good or really bad, hardly any in-between which, also seems unrealistic to me. I also would have liked to have had more of 1889 Aries to bring more of the historical into it.

Once Vincent's first bought with illness comes, I found that the book picked up and I especially enjoyed the last few chapters. If you love historical romance, you will probably enjoy this book.

3.5/5

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her prosperous merchant father brings a young painter back with him from Holland to adorn the walls of the new family chapel. She is fascinated by his talents and envious of his abilities and opportunities to paint to the glory of God. Soon her love of art and her lively independence are luring her into closer involvement with all sorts of taboo areas of life. On excursions into the streets of night-time Florence she observes a terrible evil stalking the city and witnesses the rise of the fiery young priest, Savanarola, who has set out to rid the city of vice, richness, even art itself. Alessandra must make crucial decisions about the shape of her adult life, as Florence itself must choose between the old ways of the luxury-loving Medicis and the asceticism of Savanorola. And through it all, there is the painter, whose love will change everything.

I am starting to feel that maybe I have a problem with art related books, I always feel like I should like them more than I actually do. This has happened in the past and it happened again with this The Birth of Venus.

The book opens with the death of a nun and the sisters discovering that she had a shocking tattoo. The story then moves back to the late 15th century where Alessandra Cecchi is a young girl from a wealthy family in Florence. She is interested in art and resents the lack of freedom women have. While part of the story is her fascination with painting and her relationship with a painter her parents hired, most of it is her desire for more freedom which she believes she will find in her marriage to an older man, her relationship with her husband which is not as she believed him to be and the historical turmoil surrounding Savonarola and the invasion of Florence by the French.

I'm afraid I found myself more interested in those political aspects than in Alessandra, who didn't really appeal to me as character, or her artistic worries. In fact most of the characters didn't seem to be fully explored. I do understand that art was Alessandra's way to freedom, her revolt against the world who did not let her be who she wanted to be and who did not let women be more than inferior beings. However I'm afraid she failed to hold my interest enough to make me explore all the undercurrents and symbolism of the novel.

But it might be just me, if you like your historical fiction with a feminist perspective and lots of symbolic images this might be for you.

Grade: 3.5/5

HT News

The December book of the month over at WordShakers online book club is going to be The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. If you have read the book, or want to, and would like to join in on a discussion, then please add your details on this post.

There's a new Outlander Reading Challenge for those of you who want to read Diana Gabaldon's series.

Nan Hawthorne is giving people outside the US the chance to get hold of her new book, An Involuntary King. You can get the details here.

You can win a copy of Willoughby Returns by Jane Odiwe over at Love Romance Passion.

Would you like the chance to win a signed copy of Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One. You can, by visiting Addicted to Books.

HT Recommends - Historical Mysteries & Historical Fiction- Regency/Victorian

Cathie says:

Hi, I loved the few Historical Mysteries I read of the Regency/Victorian and the 1800's like NYC and SF ( I love reading Historical Romances!!)

I'm not totally sure on time periods like Victorian and Regency. So I have to learn that yet so I'm not too good at that part I just know from those I read what it ends up being set in. But I love to read it! And some day would love to read Historical Fiction set in Regency too, I think I'd learn more than. So I know I want to read more! Do you know of any recommendations for me??

Cathie has already read  Ashley Gardner  (Regency), Anne Perry's Thomas And Charlotte Pitts series, Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series, Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series,  The Sarah Woolson Mysteries by Shirley Tallman  and she has Deanna Raybourn to read. 

Since some of us are very fond of historical mysteries we put our thinking hats and came up with the following suggestions:

• Tasha Alexander's Emily Ashton series
• Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series
• CS Harris' Sebastian St Cyr series
• Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries
• Kate Ross's  Julian Kestrel Mysteries
• Hannah March's Robert Fairfax series
• Rose Melikan's Mary Finch series
• Margaret Lawrence's Hanna Trevor series
• and some of Sarah Waters titles

Would anyone have more titles to suggest and add to Cathie's TBR pile?

Challenge: The Alphabet in Historical Fiction

HT is going to host its first challenge! Based in Mysteries in Paradise's community challenge we now present you The Alphabet in Historical Fiction. To participate, just follow the rules:

Each fortnight you have to write a blog post about an historical fiction book of your choice (it might even be something you already read before), but it MUST be related to the letter of the fortnight.

You have several possibilities:

- the first letter of the title
- the first letter of the author's first name or surname
- the first letter of a character's first name or surname
- the first letter of a place where an historical event took place

You just have to choose one of them and participate.

Please check our blog each 1st and 15th of the month to find out our new letter, and then link your post back to our page through Mr Linky (see below). Then come and check to see who else has posted and visit their blog to find out all the details of the book they were reading.

You have until the end of each fortnight to complete your mission.

Now presenting the first letter of this challenge:

HT News

We are going to host our first challenge here at HT. Look out for the details of the Alphabet in Historical Fiction on Nov 15th.We hope that lots of you HF bloggers will join in!

Suzanne Crowley has been interviewed by Dallas News.

Helen Hollick has confirmed (via Facebook and Twitter) that her novels The Hollow Crown and Harold the King have been picked up by Sourcebooks, and will be published in the US in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Robin from Lady Gwyn's Kingdom has interviewed author Brandy Purdy, author of The Boleyn Wife which will be released in January 2010.

Over at HistoricalNovels.info you can read a short interview with Barbara Corrado Pope, author of Cezanne's Quarry.

In giveaway news, you can win a copy of Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter over at Enchanted by Josephine.

Why We Love Jane Austen by Jane Rubino & Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

“Why we love Jane Austen” is a book, not a blog. Chapters can, and have been, written about her prose style, her humor, her perceptiveness, her memorable characters, and her scintillating dialogue. We admire her ability to create a world that rarely touches upon her contemporary world, but is nonetheless “real”, to produce romantic matches formed at a time when few men and women “can afford to marry without some attention to money,” and to conclude each work with irony, affection and reconciliation. But we especially love Austen as the foremost writer of the novel of manners.

When we were planning our recently-launched web site, we decided that there would be no category placed on the content, but rather, it would be a gathering place – a salon - designed not around a subject, but a tone. We wanted to stake out an outpost of civility where whatever is discussed – whether it’s film, books, humor, trends, whether we’re blogging reviews, interviews or simply views –  would be free of the “snark” that seems to permeate the online universe, as a poor substitute for what we admire about Austen’s writing: substance, style, grace and genuine wit.

We decided to call our site ‘Janetility’, because ‘gentility’ – an emphasis on manners - is one aspect of Jane Austen’s that we find especially appealing. In Austen’s novels, manners were more than a code of socially acceptable behavior - they were an exponent of moral character. As Edmund Bertram expresses it: “The manners I speak of might rather be called conduct, perhaps; the result of good principles.”  By this definition, Austen’s writing is mannerly – her assessments are keen but never crude, exercising Elizabeth Bennet’s tact in uniting “civility and truth in a few short sentences;” there is no “Mr. Collins is a jerk” – instead, he is “… not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society.” Nor is Mrs. Allen dim-witted, but rather “one of that numerous class of females whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them.” A person of good character may harbor coarseness of sentiment, as Austen observed by way of Elizabeth Bennet, but coarseness of expression invariably suggests foolishness, ignorance, vulgarity or vice, and in turn, that “pert pretension and under-bred finery,” as Emma expresses it, is always accompanied by a failure of manners.

In her novels, where one character might have the goodness (manners) and another the appearance of it (a pleasing manner), Austen exposes her characters’ propensity, and our own, to fall for the glib and the good-looking, whether it is Walter Elliot, Wickham or Henry Crawford, or a commercial pitch-man or a film star. Our twenty-first century understanding of predatory behavior gives us an appreciation bordering on astonishment at Austen’s skillful portrait of Willoughby, whose manner reveals his amorality, and yet who engages our skepticism, aversion and sympathy.

In the case of Willoughby and Marianne, we see the importance of manners-as-character; Marianne’s emotional self-indulgence is expressed in her thoughtless manner – to Colonel Brandon, to Mrs. Jennings, and even to Elinor, but Willoughby’s failure of manners (conduct) is worse. A woman might flirt and flatter, but a gentleman whose manners toward a woman were so encouraging as to raise the very real expectation of marriage – and indeed, even Marianne’s family and friends believe, on the strength of his conduct, that an engagement has been formed – is a sign of real maliciousness and a lack of principle. His conduct has persuaded Marianne that they are virtually engaged, though he has no intention of marrying her; in contrast, when Edward, succumbing to his own idleness and Lucy’s appearance of amiability, has behaved in an encouraging manner, his sense of what is right and her due prompts him not only to propose marriage, but to defend his choice even when he understands that it is at the cost of family, fortune and happiness. Darcy, on the other hand, neither encouraged Elizabeth, nor sought encouragement from her– he regards his manners as irrelevant, and assumes that she will accept him because of his wealth and connections, and only afterward, regrets “my conduct, my manners, my expressions.”

In an era of “snark chic” and the internet’s ever-expanding venues for indulging in it, we continue to be impressed with Jane Austen’s ability to be penetrating, ironic and droll without ever sinking to coarseness of expression.  Austen leaves those without manners and morals to each other – Lydia and Wickham, Lucy and Robert, Mrs. Norris and Maria Rushworth – but reserves genuine happiness as a reward of good character for those like Darcy, who, “in a cause of compassion and honor…had been able to get the better of himself.”

HT News

Historicalnovels.info has a short interview with Edward Rutherford about his new novel, New York. 

Anna Elliott has recorded a podcast with David Wilk of Writerscast International. If you have a spare 20 minutes or so to listen, I am sure it will be interesting!

Bookgasm has a contest to win copies of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Booking Mama has an interview with Diane Haeger, and a giveaway of her latest book, The Queen's Mistake.

Naida from The Bookworm has a guest post from Jane Odiwe, author of Willoughby Returns, and there is a giveaway as well.

Heather J on Why I Love Books set in WWII

Heather J from Age 30+ ... A Lifetime of Books was the winner of the Best Historical Fiction blog during the recent Book Bloggers Appreciation Week. We couldn't wait for her to do a Why I Love piece for us to see why she loves historical fiction so much! When I received the post, I must confess that I teared up a bit, and then I thought it would be a perfect post to post on 11 November - a reminder that in the midst of all the tragedies of war, people who would never have met otherwise were bought together.

For those who have fallen during time of War, lest we forget.

******

I love historical fiction from all time periods but there is one era that catches my attention every time: World War II. In fact, the genre doesn’t matter as long as the time period is correct. Why? Because the events of World War II led me to be who I am today.

On June 6, 1944 Private Nicholas Fontana of New York landed on Utah Beach. Despite the intense fighting, Nick succeeded in making it off the beach without any injuries. His unit fought their way inland over the next several days. At one point a sniper’s bullet ricocheted off Nick’s helmet just after he pulled it into the correct position. Another time he twisted his ankle jumping over a hedgerow to avoid a German patrol; that injury caught up to him a few days later just outside the town of St. Lo. A German soldier appeared out of nowhere and threw a grenade at Nick’s unit. His twisted ankle kept him from moving fast enough and the blast knocked him to the ground, filling his legs with shrapnel.

Meanwhile, across the English Channel, 22-year old Eileen Hunt was doing war work in a Coventry factory along with other girls from town. Eileen was a gorgeous and independent red-head. Her job in the factory was to make needles, and she was paid by the gross. Eileen’s family had survived the repeated bombings of Coventry by sleeping most nights in the fields outside town, all the while worrying over her brother who was working as a fire watcher.

In October 1944, Eileen’s older sister, Mary, set her up on a date with an injured American soldier she’d met. According to Mary, this soldier, Nick, had a cast on one leg, walked with a cane, and was the perfect man for Eileen. Neither Eileen nor the soldier was interested in this blind date but each was bullied into going. Eileen was running late and Nick was ready to give up when they saw each other across the street; it was love at first sight.

It took until December 1946 for the couple to be reunited in New York where they were married on January 18, 1947. In January 2010 Nick and Eileen – my grandparents – will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary.

Without the events of World War II to bring them together, Nick and Eileen would never have met and my family as it exists today would never have come to be. I love hearing my grandparents tell their stories. Reading books about this time period helps me to imagine more fully what their lives must have been like. And that is why I love books set in World War II.

Etta by Gerald Kolpan

The real life of Etta Place of the Wild Bunch has been a mystery. What is known is that she was the lover of Harry Longabaugh, best known as the Sundance Kid. After Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in 1908, Etta Price disappears, never to be heard from again. There are many myths and speculation as to what may have happened to her but we will never know for sure. In this novel, Gerald Kolpan tells a fictional story of her life.

After her father's death, Etta is forced to flee her family home. The Black Hand mafia is after her to collect her father's debt. If she has no money, they will collect it another way, perhaps by disfiguring her as they have done to other women.

She becomes a “Harvey Girl", serving meals at a restaurant. She must defend herself against a rich customer who has tried several failed advances. One day he jumps out at her outside and becomes violent. Etta ends up killing him in self defence and has to flee again. This time she ends up with the Wild Bunch, where she meets the love of her life and starts her life of crime.

Etta is constantly on the move but spends some time in New York in disguise, where she meets and befriends Eleanor Roosevelt. She also meets Buffalo Bill and works for him for awhile as Annie Oakley.

Kolpan tells the story with the use of a fictional diary of Etta's, newspaper articles, and letters, intergraded with narrative. This style really worked for me and added more interest to the story. Kolpan obviously did his research about time and place and captured it beautifully. I really liked the fictional relationship that Etta had with Eleanor Roosevelt but I did find it hard to believe, especially when Eleanor found out about Etta's crimes with the Wild Bunch, yet remained good friends with her. That said, this is a beautifully crafted story and I recommend to historical fiction lovers.

4/5

HT News

Simon Mawer's Booker Prize nominated novel, The Glass Room, is going to be BBC Radio 4s Book at Bed Time for the next couple of weeks. Set in 1930s Czechoslovakia, it could be an interesting listen if you are interested in that era.

Head over Plaidy's Royal Intrigue for details of some signed Jean Plaidy goodies.

There is a new giveaway over at Scandalous Women, this time for Vanora Bennett's Blood Royal.

You can win a copy of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay over at Bookbrowse.com

HT News

Amy from Passages to the Past has started a fab new blog. Royal Cribs will focus on "the palaces of princes, the dwellings of duchesses and the abodes of the aristocracy". Sounds like fun doesn't it?

Lucy from Enchanted by Josephine has a giveaway of a book that sounds fascinating - The Lover's Path. Check out this post for all the details.

Aarti from Booklust is giving away a copy of The Mulberry Empire by Philip Hensher.

Over at Lady Gwyn's Kingdom, Robin is holding her first ever giveaway! You can win a copy of Laurien Gardner's The Spanish Bride.

Michele from Reader's Respite is doing it again! Giving away a book in her own inimitable style that is! This time you can win a copy of Katherine by Anya Seton, pretty much a historical fiction classic.

The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer

THE KNOWING BRIDE

When dazzling Horatia Winwood married the powerful Earl of Rule, she was saving her sister from a loveless match, rescuing her family fortune, and providing herself with a life of ease. Hers was a marriage made not in heaven but in the coolly logical mind of a very self-possessed young beauty.

Not until Horatia was deep in dangerous intrigue with her husband's vengeful rival, the dashing and arrogant Lord Lethbridge, did she suddenly find -- to her own tremulous surprise -- she had fallen deeply in love with the man she had married for money. But was it too late, now that she was but a heartbeat away from betraying both him and herself?

This was one of the first books I read by Heyer and it has remained one of my favourites ever since. I reread it recently and since I had never written a review I decided to do it this time. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it as much as the first time.

The Earl of Rule has decided it's time to marry and for his bride chooses Miss Winwood less from inclination then from her impeccable bloodline. But Miss Winwood already has a beau and the Miss Charlotte Winwood is determined not to marry so the youngest of the family - Miss Horatia Winwood decides to take matters into her own hands and offer herself as prospective bride. It is fun to see how Rule is instantly charmed by the plain, stammering Horry and not only agrees to the change of bride as to becoming the patron of Miss Winwood's beau.

Like other Heyer novels The Convenient Marriage is full of witty dialogues and interesting conversations between the characters. Horry and Rule have a big age gap and she tries to be as adult as possible, keeping out of his way and his affairs but it is quite obvious from the beginning that Rule likes her as she is and is determined to be patient and considerate with his wife.

Horatia gets herself in various degrees of trouble, especially by befriending one of Rule's old enemies, and things aren't helped by Rule's cousin trying to make mischief between them. I was also quite amused by Horry's brother Pelham, the inveterate gambler who run through the family fortune but has a high sense of propriety and can't understand why Rule doesn't have a heavier hand when dealing with his sister. And in the end it is lovely to see Rule save Horry from herself... Although she is sometime too childish and immature he is a wonderful wise hero who totally makes up for it.

This is a fun Georgian romance that I highly recommend!

Grade: 4.5/5

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.


The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.


Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.


Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

Teddy's Thoughts:

Have you ever wondered what happened to Cleopatra's children after her after her death? Michelle Moran tells us in her new engrossing novel.

Twins, Selene and Alexander were taken to Rome by Octavian after he took over Egypt. Rather than turning them into slaves, like he has with most of his other conquests, he takes them to his sister, Octavia's house. Where they receive a warm welcome by Octavia and her son, Marcellus. They are treated much like Marcellus and even go to school and activities with him and his betrothed, Octavian's daughter, Julia.

Rome is quite different than Egypt and it takes some time for the twins to adapt to the Roman way of life. Sometimes beautiful but equally brutal. Alexander loves to have fun and so does Marcellus. They enjoy carefree days of placing bets on chariot races and attending the theatre. While Selene cares more about architecture, learning, and dreaming of the day she can return to Egypt.

On their 15th birthday, the twins know things are about to change for them. They are to find out who Octavian has chosen for them to marry. Will he be cruel and make bad matches for them or will they find happiness?

Michelle Moran writes a sweeping novel of some of the beauty and severe brutality of Rome. It is apparent to me that she spent a lot of time researching for this book. She writes about famous Roman trials in the corrupt justice system and slavery, the Pantheon and other architectural wonders. Throughout the story she stays true to Rome. This is a book not to be missed by historical fiction fans!

5/5

Kailana's thoughts:


It is hard to believe that this is Michelle's third book. That means that we have known each other for three years! And, what a great three years that has been. I received an ARC of Nerfertiti back when it was still a bit unusual to receive ARCs. Nowadays, everyone does it, but it did used to be a bit harder to accomplish. I don't even remember what the circumstances were, but I was so excited to read the book. I love Egyptian history, but don't really nearly enough of it. I am so glad that I said yes, though, because reading that book has lead to me reading three great books by a very nice person who has become a friend. This is the second year for Michelle Moran Week and the third year that she has appeared on my blog in some capacity. Now, on to the actual review!


Cleopatra's Daughter was another great novel from Moran. I only just finished it yesterday, so this review is a bit late. September has been busy, but I did finish it! That's the important thing, right! When I invite Michelle to appear on the blog it is months before her book is out, so I never really know what to expect. The big thing for me and this book is I actually knew the story, but not from the point-of-view of Selena. The novel built on my knowledge and last night after finishing it I was discussing what I knew and what I learned with one of my friends. There were several times through the book that I learned something new and thought about it, and for me that is what a good historical fiction book is supposed to do. It will lead me to pick up a non-fiction book for comparision, too, so then I support the book industry. It's a full-circle act.


The novel is told from the point-of-view of Selena. She grows through the book. Her childhood was wonderful, but then her parents both died. She was taken to Rome, along with her two brothers, to be figureheads for Octavian's cause. They actually lived with Octavia, Octavian's sister and the ex-husband of Mark Antony, which was a little strange but Octavia appeared to hold nothing against them. Even though the story was told by Selena, I still felt that we got to know the other characters through her and by the end I had a sense of who they all were. Octavian was written a lot like I always expected him to act. Same with his sister. She was in many ways the exact opposite of her brother. It actually worked well for them, though, because one saw what the other would likely miss. Octavian's daughter, Julia, was spoiled but had also suffered through her young life. You both found her annoying and felt for her throughout the book. There were a lot of characters I only slightly knew existed, so I learned a lot about them.


This book covers the highs and lows of Selena's life. You really experience her emotions through the pages and feel for her at the right times. I really liked her. Michelle portrayed her wonderfully and made me love her by the end. Even though I knew how things were going to end, I have to say that I loved the ending. It was perfect, in my opinion. Anything other than would really spoil things. I think this book will appeal to those that love historical fiction, but really it is is a book for many people. It has a readable style and it doesn't get bogged down with facts. I recommend this book strongly and hope lots of people take a chance on it and enjoy it.

HT News

Leslie Carroll has just announced that she has a new three book deal. The trilogy will be about Marie Antoinette, and will be published under a still to be decided pen name.

There's another opportunity to win The Harlot's Progress: Yorkshire Molly by Peter Mottley over at Hist-Fic Chick.

Over at HistoricalNovels.info, you can read an interview with Eva Hetzioni-Halevy.

Susan Higginbotham has a fascinating guest post up at Womder and Marvels, about a siege of Calais led by Edward III.

HT News

The most exciting HT News today has to be the fact that Sourcebooks is republishing the Morland Dynasty books by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles! I am reading my way through this series at the moment and loving it, so I am really glad to see that others are going to be able to discover how good they are! Look for the first book in the series, The Founding, to be released in April 2010. The cover looks pretty luscious as well:

Teddyree from The Eclectic Reader is giving away a choice of three books in November, one of which is Elizabeth Chadwick's The Running Vixen.

Arleigh from Historical-Fiction.com has just announced a couple of new giveaways. The first is for Terence Hawkins Rage of Achilles, and the second for Peter Mottley's The Harlot's Progress: Yorkshire Molly. You can also win a copy of Rage of Achilles at CW Gortner's Historical Boys blog.

The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

One woman holds the key to England's most glorious empire

Elizabeth of York, the only living descendant of Edward IV, possesses the most precious thing in all of England - a legitimate claim to the crown. Two princes meet to determine a country's destiny: whoever wins will take Britain's most rightful heir as his bride and her kingdom for his own. On one side is her uncle Richard, the last Plantagenet King, whom she fears to be the murderer of her two brother's the would-be kings. On the other hand is Henry Tudor, the exiled king. Can he save her from a horrifying marriage to a cuthroat soldier.

Marg's Thoughts

Her mother was the beautiful woman who secretly captured a king's heart. Her father was a charismatic and handsome king whose brother was a loyal general, but who took the throne for his own. Her younger brothers disappeared in one of the enduring mysteries of the ages.

There are times when a book has a main character who just can't carry a story on their own, and for me, this book is one of those. Whilst Elizabeth of York was very important in her time, particularly as a marriageable young princess, she must have been a bit difficult to write about because in some ways it seem as though the interesting things happened around her instead of her being an active participant. Her story is interesting given the events that happened to people around her and her early life, but certainly her marriage appeared very much to be one of duty and is portrayed as being very lonely, despite the attempts from Henry's mother to welcome her into the family. Henry's mother is portrayed as a loving mother-in-law when everything else I have read about her suggests that she was controlling and overbearing. Elizabeth's own mother, Elizabeth Woodville doesn't come out of this portrayal too badly given the reputation that has carried through the ages.

Much of the content of the book revolves around what happened to the Princes in the Tower, as well as the two pretenders. One of the positives of this book for me is the way that the story of Perkin Warbeck is told. My interest has certainly been piqued, and I am definitely looking for more to read about him, and his life.

The other dominating character in the novel is that of Richard III - a love him or hate him kind of guy if ever there was such a thing! Many people are either strongly pro or strongly anti Richard, and there are many novels where you can clearly see the author's personal bias in the characterisation that they choose. In this novel it is almost as though Barnes tried to be even handed when it came to Richard III but instead comes off as inconsistent.

As we follow Elizabeth through her life we get brief glimpses of her children, the ill fated heir, Arthur and the dashingly sporty and handsome Henry but for me the book ends at a very strange point, very abruptly, and I think that this has flavoured my final rating of the book.

I received an ARC of this book from Sourcebooks. I have no idea if the blurb above ended up being the blurb on the final book but I really hope not! I am pretty sure that Elizabeth's sisters were living descendants of Edward IV, and I don't think Henry Tudor was an 'exiled king' when she married him.

Over the last couple of years I have been lucky enough to read a couple of Margaret Campbell Barnes' books that have been being republished by Sourcebooks. This was an okay read, but not as good as either Brief Gaudy Hour (about Anne Boleyn) or My Lady of Cleves (about Anne of Cleves). I am on the lookout for The King's Fool though, and if I can find them, will definitely read more from this author. I believe that another of the author's books is due to be rereleased next year.

I was interested to see on Fantastic Fiction that they have grouped Brief Gaudy Hour and My Lady of Cleves together with this book as part of a trilogy called Shadows of the Crown. Whilst the Tudor connection was obvious, I hadn't actually seen this title for the group of books before.

I'm glad that I have read this, but if I was asked to recommend a book by this author, I would start with one of the others.

Rating 3.5/5

Teddy's Thoughts

Elizabeth is daughter of Edward IV and niece to Richard III. When her father dies, it is her brother who is to take the crown. However, Richard III decides that the only one suitable to be King is himself. He sends both of Elizabeth's brothers to the tower to be held. Richard has his coronation and all of a sudden Elizabeth's brothers go missing and are presumed dead.

Many think that Richard III ordered their disposal . Now Elisabeth is the only living descendent to Edward IV and should be the rightful Queen. Elizabeth is horrified when Richard III proposes marriage to her. Not only is she convinced that he murdered her brothers but he is her uncle, after all!

There is much plotting and it is decided that she must marry Henry Tudor and that he must fight Richard III for the crown. The first attempt fails but eventually Richard III is killed and Henry Tudor becomes Henry VII. However, he doesn't hold up his end of the bargain to marry Elizabeth and give her a coronation to become queen of England. Eventually, due to public and private pressure he makes good and marries Elisabeth. However, he does not make her queen until after she has their first son.

The marriage itself, is loveless. Elizabeth has romantic notions that they would grow to love each other and have a passionate one. Henry doesn't seem to know what romance is and seems incapable of love. He couples with her only to produce heirs. Poor Elizabeth longs for more out of life.

This book was first published in 1953. Sourcebooks has re-published it and it is due out in the United States on October 1, 2009. I'm glad they did. Barnes has a way with words and I love some of her descriptions of the time and place. I must admit, that there are a few places that I would nod off to sleep while reading it. Some of the time that Elizabeth interacted with her mother seemed boring to me. It took me a good 50 pages to finally get drawn into the story.

That said, I am glad I stuck with it. I learned more about the period and really enjoyed it, once it got going. If you like historical fiction and are interested in this important period in English history, you will enjoy this book.

4/5

HT News

Amy from Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of The Harlot's Progress: Yorkshire Molly by Peter Mottley.

During the last couple of weeks I have read and enjoyed the first two books in Helen Hollick's Pendragon's Banner trilogy. If you would like the chance to discover how good one of these books is for yourself, Bloody Bad is giving away a copy of the second book, Pendragon's Banner.

The Tome Traveller is holding a giveaway for The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes.

Over at The Anne Boleyn Files you can read an interview with Dr Josephine Wilkinson, author of The Early Loves of Anne Boleyn.

Royal Reviews has reviewed Diane Haeger's Perfect Royal Mistress, and now they are giving a copy away as well.

Michele from A Reader's Respite is giving away a copy of A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd.

Spotlight on Fiona Buckley's Ursula Blanchard series

For a long time now, a look at the historical fiction shelves will reveal that one of the most popular eras in historical fiction is the Tudor period, particularly the life and times of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I. This fascination is understandable - scandalous love lives, religious upheaval and dramatic events in world history all are factors in the fascination that readers have with these times.

Those factors are part of what makes the Ursula Blanchard series of novels by Fiona Buckley an entertaining read.

Full name Ursula Faldene Blanchard de la Roche Stannard, our introduction to Ursula is when she is a young widow who has recently arrived in the court of Elizabeth I. She needs to provide for her young daughter, Meg, as well as her servants. It isn't long before William Cecil has Ursula working for him in a variety of roles, placing her both in danger, but also in situations where she can show her resourcefulness and resolve.

There is definitely some similarity in tone and broad themes to Karen Harper's Elizabeth I mysteries series, but one of the key differences is that Ursula is not restricted to the court as Elizabeth I, as sleuth, needs to be for the most part. Being able to travel around means that Ursula is able to investigate events such as the death of Robert Dudley's wife (The Robsart Mystery) and various Catholic (The Doublet Affair) and aristocratic plots (To Ruin a Queen). Along the way, Ursula interacts with Catherine, Queen of France (The Queen's Ransom), Mary, Queen of Scots (A Pawn for a Queen and The Fugitive Queen) and also finds time to live her own life as well including dealing with deaths, marriages and raising a young girl to womanhood.

Like many other historical mysteries series, there are times when Ursula is too modern, and there are some things that happen that I didn't really like, but the positives outweigh those criticisms.

At this point in time, there doesn't appear to be any new Ursula Blanchard books due to be published, which is disappointing. Fiona Buckley is however the pen name for Valerie Anand who writes historical fiction/fantasy, and she has at least one long running series that I will try at some point.

I did find that this series started slowly, but the books did improve and the last few were very entertaining. I started reading this series before I started blogging so I don't have reviews for all of them, but I have provided the links where possible. The series in order is:

1. The Robsart Mystery (also published as To Shield the Queen)
2. The Doublet Affair
3. Queen's Ransom
4. To Ruin A Queen
5. Queen of Ambition
6. A Pawn for a Queen
7. The Fugitive Queen
8. The Siren Queen