Thursday, July 12, 2007
Elizabeth Chadwick's original research method
Elizabeth Chadwick recently posted on her blog a text about a talk she gave with her friend Alison at RNA. It was about how her friend tunes into the past helping her with her character's research. It's a really interesting read and you can find it here.
An Announcement
Michelle Moran, author of Nefertiti, is guest-blogging on my own blog this week. Monday, I posted my thoughts on her new novel, yesterday she talked about how she got inspired to write Nefertiti, Wednesday she talked about the writing process, and then today she talked about what to expect when you are expecting (and no, not a baby). Friday will be concluding thoughts.
To check it out, head on over to my blog.
To check it out, head on over to my blog.
The Leopard Unleashed - Elizabeth Chadwick
I have long been fascinated by Elizabeth Chadwick’s stories. I take my time reading them because I want to savour every word. Besides her current books in print she has 3 books – the first ones she wrote, The Wild Hunt, The Running Vixen, The Leopard Unleashed– that are OOP and are very HTF. I’m lucky enough to have all 3 and recently I finished the third one.
They are known as the welsh trilogy and feature several members of the same family.
Renard of Ravenstow comes back from the crusades after receiving word his father is seriously ill. Although he is betrothed and is expected to marry as soon as he arrives on welsh soil he brings with him his mistress, a half welsh dancing girl he found in Antioch.
Expecting a marriage of convenience only, he soon finds himself drawn to his new wife, Nell, and angry with his mistress’s demands. As England is torn apart between Stephen and Matilda’s supporters Renard has to face his responsibilities as Earl of Ravenstow and is forced to choose between the two women and what they represent.
As usual Chadwick gives a true feel of the period and all the political and social details really make these stories stand out but I think the main thing is how well she builds her characters, they have true personalities with good things and bad things and we are made to understand what drives their actions.
Although Nell is a more tame heroine than Judith or Heulwen she soon becomes an important part of Renard’s life. In fact if I had to mention a recurring theme in these 3 books it would be how strong the women are and how they fight (in different ways) for their love.
I recently discovered that a fourth book was planned, problems with the publisher however ended that project and The Love Knot was born instead. Highly recommended to all Chadwick fans this trilogy is a bit lighter and more romantic than her later works which makes them very enjoyable reads.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
These reviews were previously posted on our personal blogs, so if you read Marg and Kailana's blogs, you have already read them. New content coming soon!
Marg says:
As soon as I learned that the name Ariana Franklin was a pseudonym for Diana Norman, I added it to my TBR list! I did, however, have to wait a little while for it to come onto the library list but it did eventually! I was a bit worried that it wasn't going to because the first book written under this name (City of Shadows) still hasn't made it onto the catalogue! I am too impatient after reading this one...I've ordered it from The Book Depository (have I mentioned recently how much I love that store...it is so much cheaper for me to buy books from there than it is to go into a bookstore here.)
A young boy is found murdered and because he was crucified before being found in the river, the finger of blame has been pointed at the Jews of Cambridge. Now two more children are missing, the townspeople have revolted against the Jews, and now the Jews are sheltering in the castle. This situation doesn't make anyone happy - least of all the volatile King Henry II, who now not only has to feed all these people, but whose treasury is now falling woefully short of funds because the Jews are not paying him his share! Something must be done.
And so, at the behest of the King of Sicily, our main characters enter the story. He has agreed to send some investigators to help hopefully clear the name of the Cambridge Jews, to find out who the murderer really was, and to set matters to rights again. The group that is sent to England is an interesting one. There is Simon the Jew, Mansur the Saracen and a young female doctor by the name of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar. Whilst a female doctor is not all that unusual in the medical schools of Salerno, it is unheard of in 12th century England, and steps have to be taken to make it appear as though Mansur is the doctor in order to ensure that there are no accusations of witchcraft. Even in Salerno Adelia is somewhat unusual though, because she is no ordinary doctor. She is a Mistress of the Art of Death, someone who looks at a body and tries to figure out how they died - performing an early kind of autopsy.
The book opens at a cracking pace, with all of the main characters, including our investigators, a prioress and a prior who never see eye to eye, a couple of crusader knights, the king's tax man all travelling together in convoy heading towards Cambridge. Unfortunately the prior has a very delicate problem. He is unable to urinate, and his bladder is in danger of bursting, so it is Adelia to the rescue, performing a very sensitive operation on the Prior, and thus ensuring that they have at least one person on their side once they get to Cambridge. Coincidentally, as the group arrive in the town, so the bodies of the other missing children turn up to, and so Adelia is able to commence her examinations.
It isn't long before the townspeople know that they have a new doctor in town, and so not only are the investigators required to try and determined how and why the children died, and who killed them, but also maintain the masquerade that Mansur is the doctor and Adelia is his assistant.
With the field of suspects narrowing, everyone is now in danger, and Adelia and her companions must decide who to trust, especially as she is feeling a growing attachment to one of the suspects, who is the King's tax man, Sir Rowley Picolt. The growing relationship between the two of them was deftly handled, without being completely cliched, and whilst the resolution may have been somewhat unusual and unlikely, it did suit the two characters involved.
With a great group of supporting characters, colourful descriptions of time and place, conflict between Church and state, between religions and between man and woman, there is a lot going on in this novel, but for the most part the author manages to keep all the threads in hand and neatly weaves them together for a very chilling showdown with the killer, and the resulting trials were very dramatic as well.
The characters that have been introduced in this book are certainly interesting and colourful, and would fit naturally in a series, so I was glad to hear that there is another Mistress book to come! No idea when it is coming..but just the fact that it is is enough for now!
Kailana Says:
When I first was made aware of this book, I was not sure if it was really my sort of book. Then, I began to hear a bit about it, and I got curious, so when I saw it at the store the other day I decided to pick it up and see what it was all about. I am very happy to report that I enjoyed the writing style immensely.
This novel covers a period in time for Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a doctor of Salerno. Adelia, as she is called in the book, is from a place that is revolutionary for its time because it allows her to become a doctor. Found abandoned when she was just a baby, she is taken in by two doctors. Her potential is seen from an early age, and so she begins the life of study to become a doctor. She is not a doctor to the living, though, she is a doctor to the dead, and through her the dead speak. She hears their stories by looking at their bodies and makes sure that the truth is discovered.
In Cambridge, the setting of this book, Simon of Naples, an investigator, is called upon to find out what is killing children in the area. The King has turned to the King of Sicily for aid, and they have decided that a doctor should also go to aid the investigation. The head of the medical centre there believes that Adelia is the best person for the job, even if she is a female and will have to hide the fact that she is a doctor while in Cambridge so as to not be accused of witchcraft. It is her bodyguard, Mansur, who is believed to be the doctor for the majority of the time that they are in Cambridge. He is unable to speak English, so it is easy to make it look like he is giving Adelia instructions when really it is she that is instructing him.
When they are called to Cambridge, only three children had been murdered, but on their way there, another one has been added. The first is a boy named Peter, who the prioress of Radegund wants to see sainted. She even has an exhibition set up where people can go to touch his bones and reap healing qualities. The other three victims are Ulf, Harold and Mary. It is up to Adelia to hear their cries for help and for Simon to get to the bottom of the murders. Things do not alway work out how they are supposed to, though, and there are a lot of twists and turns before the end is reached.
There are other interesting characters found in the novel. There is Gyltha, the housekeeper, who keeps the little band of characters together. There is Prior Geoffrey, a religious man, who meets Adelia under some embarassing circumstances, but is her ally from there on. There is Sir Rowley Picot who becomes an unlikely ally and a likely suspect. There is Prioress Joan, who is the Head of Saint Radegund and an interesting character from Ariana to spend time with.
This book has a lot going on in it. It has the mystery aspect of who is killing the children and why now after so many years with no apparent deaths. Romance even comes to call in this book, even though the majority of the people have sworn off relationships for religious and personal reasons, but are starting to wonder if they made the right choice. Adelia is a very empowering female character for the times that this book is taking place during. She is risking her life for these children because she could easily be found out and accused of witchcraft. She worries me in the end, but she redeems herself in my books.
The question really is whether the murderer is the most likely person or is it someone that will shock readers everywhere. Read and find out!
In Cambridge, a child has been hideously murdered and other children have disappeared. The Jews, made scapegoats by the all-powerful Christian clergy, have been forced to retreat into the castle to avoid slaughter by angry townspeople.
Henry, King of England, is displeased. The Jews provide a large part of his revenue and therefore the real killer must be found, and quickly. A renowned investigator, Simon of Naples, is recruited and he arrives in town from the continent accompanied by an Arab and a young woman, Adelia Aguilar.
There are few female doctors in twelfth century Europe, but Adelia is one of them, having qualified at the great School of Medicine in Salerno. What's more, her speciality is the study of corpses; she is, in fact, a mistress of the art of death, a skill that must be concealed in case she's accused of witchcraft.
Adelia's investigation takes her deep into Cambridge, its castle and convents and in a medieval city teeming with life, Adelia makes friends and even finds romance. And, fatally, the attention of a murderer who is prepared to kill again.
Marg says:
As soon as I learned that the name Ariana Franklin was a pseudonym for Diana Norman, I added it to my TBR list! I did, however, have to wait a little while for it to come onto the library list but it did eventually! I was a bit worried that it wasn't going to because the first book written under this name (City of Shadows) still hasn't made it onto the catalogue! I am too impatient after reading this one...I've ordered it from The Book Depository (have I mentioned recently how much I love that store...it is so much cheaper for me to buy books from there than it is to go into a bookstore here.)
A young boy is found murdered and because he was crucified before being found in the river, the finger of blame has been pointed at the Jews of Cambridge. Now two more children are missing, the townspeople have revolted against the Jews, and now the Jews are sheltering in the castle. This situation doesn't make anyone happy - least of all the volatile King Henry II, who now not only has to feed all these people, but whose treasury is now falling woefully short of funds because the Jews are not paying him his share! Something must be done.
And so, at the behest of the King of Sicily, our main characters enter the story. He has agreed to send some investigators to help hopefully clear the name of the Cambridge Jews, to find out who the murderer really was, and to set matters to rights again. The group that is sent to England is an interesting one. There is Simon the Jew, Mansur the Saracen and a young female doctor by the name of Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar. Whilst a female doctor is not all that unusual in the medical schools of Salerno, it is unheard of in 12th century England, and steps have to be taken to make it appear as though Mansur is the doctor in order to ensure that there are no accusations of witchcraft. Even in Salerno Adelia is somewhat unusual though, because she is no ordinary doctor. She is a Mistress of the Art of Death, someone who looks at a body and tries to figure out how they died - performing an early kind of autopsy.
The book opens at a cracking pace, with all of the main characters, including our investigators, a prioress and a prior who never see eye to eye, a couple of crusader knights, the king's tax man all travelling together in convoy heading towards Cambridge. Unfortunately the prior has a very delicate problem. He is unable to urinate, and his bladder is in danger of bursting, so it is Adelia to the rescue, performing a very sensitive operation on the Prior, and thus ensuring that they have at least one person on their side once they get to Cambridge. Coincidentally, as the group arrive in the town, so the bodies of the other missing children turn up to, and so Adelia is able to commence her examinations.
It isn't long before the townspeople know that they have a new doctor in town, and so not only are the investigators required to try and determined how and why the children died, and who killed them, but also maintain the masquerade that Mansur is the doctor and Adelia is his assistant.
With the field of suspects narrowing, everyone is now in danger, and Adelia and her companions must decide who to trust, especially as she is feeling a growing attachment to one of the suspects, who is the King's tax man, Sir Rowley Picolt. The growing relationship between the two of them was deftly handled, without being completely cliched, and whilst the resolution may have been somewhat unusual and unlikely, it did suit the two characters involved.
With a great group of supporting characters, colourful descriptions of time and place, conflict between Church and state, between religions and between man and woman, there is a lot going on in this novel, but for the most part the author manages to keep all the threads in hand and neatly weaves them together for a very chilling showdown with the killer, and the resulting trials were very dramatic as well.
The characters that have been introduced in this book are certainly interesting and colourful, and would fit naturally in a series, so I was glad to hear that there is another Mistress book to come! No idea when it is coming..but just the fact that it is is enough for now!
Kailana Says:
When I first was made aware of this book, I was not sure if it was really my sort of book. Then, I began to hear a bit about it, and I got curious, so when I saw it at the store the other day I decided to pick it up and see what it was all about. I am very happy to report that I enjoyed the writing style immensely.
This novel covers a period in time for Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, a doctor of Salerno. Adelia, as she is called in the book, is from a place that is revolutionary for its time because it allows her to become a doctor. Found abandoned when she was just a baby, she is taken in by two doctors. Her potential is seen from an early age, and so she begins the life of study to become a doctor. She is not a doctor to the living, though, she is a doctor to the dead, and through her the dead speak. She hears their stories by looking at their bodies and makes sure that the truth is discovered.
In Cambridge, the setting of this book, Simon of Naples, an investigator, is called upon to find out what is killing children in the area. The King has turned to the King of Sicily for aid, and they have decided that a doctor should also go to aid the investigation. The head of the medical centre there believes that Adelia is the best person for the job, even if she is a female and will have to hide the fact that she is a doctor while in Cambridge so as to not be accused of witchcraft. It is her bodyguard, Mansur, who is believed to be the doctor for the majority of the time that they are in Cambridge. He is unable to speak English, so it is easy to make it look like he is giving Adelia instructions when really it is she that is instructing him.
When they are called to Cambridge, only three children had been murdered, but on their way there, another one has been added. The first is a boy named Peter, who the prioress of Radegund wants to see sainted. She even has an exhibition set up where people can go to touch his bones and reap healing qualities. The other three victims are Ulf, Harold and Mary. It is up to Adelia to hear their cries for help and for Simon to get to the bottom of the murders. Things do not alway work out how they are supposed to, though, and there are a lot of twists and turns before the end is reached.
There are other interesting characters found in the novel. There is Gyltha, the housekeeper, who keeps the little band of characters together. There is Prior Geoffrey, a religious man, who meets Adelia under some embarassing circumstances, but is her ally from there on. There is Sir Rowley Picot who becomes an unlikely ally and a likely suspect. There is Prioress Joan, who is the Head of Saint Radegund and an interesting character from Ariana to spend time with.
This book has a lot going on in it. It has the mystery aspect of who is killing the children and why now after so many years with no apparent deaths. Romance even comes to call in this book, even though the majority of the people have sworn off relationships for religious and personal reasons, but are starting to wonder if they made the right choice. Adelia is a very empowering female character for the times that this book is taking place during. She is risking her life for these children because she could easily be found out and accused of witchcraft. She worries me in the end, but she redeems herself in my books.
The question really is whether the murderer is the most likely person or is it someone that will shock readers everywhere. Read and find out!
Louise's Intro
On a personal note my name is Louise I don't have any nicknames (not any I like anyways) I live in Brisbane Australia with my boyfriend and work in a Solicitor office. I have lived in Brisbane for about 8 years and I love it.
I don't remember what got me onto reading Historical Fiction or what really got me onto reading. Though I do remember always loving reading and now I get to share my passion with people online which I love doing.
I don't have a favourite author however I do find myself drawn to story set in England from about 11 century to the Tudor times. Neverthese I'm keen to try story set in different places and different times, because you never know when you mind find a new favourite era.
I don't have a personal blog I did briefly but I decided that it wasn't right for me at the time so I'm very excited to be sharing a blog with such well read and lovely ladies.
I don't remember what got me onto reading Historical Fiction or what really got me onto reading. Though I do remember always loving reading and now I get to share my passion with people online which I love doing.
I don't have a favourite author however I do find myself drawn to story set in England from about 11 century to the Tudor times. Neverthese I'm keen to try story set in different places and different times, because you never know when you mind find a new favourite era.
I don't have a personal blog I did briefly but I decided that it wasn't right for me at the time so I'm very excited to be sharing a blog with such well read and lovely ladies.
Kailana's Intro
Howdy everyone! I am a little slow on posting my intro, but here I am! So, first things first, Kailana is not my real name. Although, I think it would be very cool if it was, it's an original name. My name is in fact Kelly, but you can refer to me as whichever. I am not picky. Kailana is my alter ego of sorts, a bookworm (okay, so that carries through to everything) elf in an online comic that is currently not being published. If she ever is again, she is based off me. (I included a picture of her, which you can see on the right, because I like putting pictures on posts and felt my post needed some colour.)
In any case, I have two blogs other than this one. My own blog, Kailana's Written World, and another group blog that mostly concentrates on fantasy, Twisted Kingdom. I should be honest straight up, I love history, but most of my life it was non-fiction books. History has always came naturally to me, and it was my minor in university. So, while I now read historical fiction, my favourite genre is fantasy. This means that I like to mix the two of them up from time to time and read historical fantasy.
I am also going to branch out and say that unlike many people, Philippa Gregory was not my introduction to historical fiction and I much rather would read a book set in Canada (where I live) than England. I love how people can remember their first historical fiction book, I am sitting here drawing a blank on that front. I remember reading Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker in the fourth grade, and while it does not take place too far back in history, that is the first historical fiction-type book that I remember reading. (Great book by the way!)
I am better at time periods than anything else. I really like historical fiction about Canada, books set in Egypt, and books about the first and second World Wars. These are the three things that I enjoy above all else. I will read books set in European history (which Canada sort of is anyways), but I am still relatively new in that genre. As to my favourite authors, I have never been very good at picking favourite authors, or books for that matter. I have read Sharon Penman, Philippa Gregory, Sarah Dunant, authors like that. I just recently read Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. That was a very good read! Oh, and The Blood of Flowers by an author whose last name I could not spell right now.
I forgot to add a "personal" note. It is always so much easier to talk about books than myself. Well, let's see. As I said above, I live in Canada. I will just say the east coast because most people do not know their Canadian geography anyways! I just graduated from university in May, so I am trying to decide what the next chapter of my life will include. I am hoping lots of reading! I have always read, since I was really little. Actually, my first word was "tickle" and, for me, that meant book. Do not ask me why, but it beat out "mom" and "dad". So, reading was there from a very early age. I started out with "Sweet Valley High" and "Baby-Sitter's Club". I do not know when I started, but I have a memory of talking about how boring those books were when I was in grade 2. My mother bought them for me, I read them, I soon got bored of them and moved on to more "advanced" reading. Anyways, I love blogging, it is funny I got Stephanie interested in it because it was Marg that got me started. My two top genres are fantasy and historical fiction, but I read lots of other things as well. I cannot say I am easy-going, though, because I am not big in romance, westerns, mystery, or horror. Not because these are terrible genres, but because there are too many other books to read.
Anyways, I will hopefully read some more of the historical fiction on my shelves, and have another blog to keep me busy! Happy reading!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ana's Intro
I can't really remember when I started reading, I think I've always been a book lover because from an early age I read voraciously every adventure or mystery book I could find (think Famous Five, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew...). Then as I got older my tastes were varied but historical romance and historical fiction became my primary interests. I also read mysteries, thrillers and general fiction.
I have many favourite authors like Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Kay Penman, Anya Seton, Roberta Gellis, Isolde Martyn and many more and among other things I'm hoping this blog will allow me to find new authors to try. My favourite time in History is the Middle Ages but I read books set in every period.
I'm hoping this will be a fun adventure as although I've been blogging for a few months now here it's the first time I'm going to share a blog with other readers and I'm looking forward to it.
On the personal side I'm a portuguese travel agent living near Lisbon. I share an appartment with the boyfriend who is really nice about my book addiction. He never complains about having to spend a couple of hours at the bookstore or having to move his stuff so I can have more space for books.
I have many favourite authors like Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Kay Penman, Anya Seton, Roberta Gellis, Isolde Martyn and many more and among other things I'm hoping this blog will allow me to find new authors to try. My favourite time in History is the Middle Ages but I read books set in every period.
I'm hoping this will be a fun adventure as although I've been blogging for a few months now here it's the first time I'm going to share a blog with other readers and I'm looking forward to it.
On the personal side I'm a portuguese travel agent living near Lisbon. I share an appartment with the boyfriend who is really nice about my book addiction. He never complains about having to spend a couple of hours at the bookstore or having to move his stuff so I can have more space for books.
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