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[[Category:Historical Fiction|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Historical Fiction]]==Historical fiction==__NOTOC__{{newreview|author=Joanna Hickson|title=The Agincourt Bride|rating=4|genre=Historical Fiction|summary= Baker's daughter Guillaumette Dupain, aged 15, mourns for her still<!-- Remove --born baby but her tragedy becomes others' gain. Young Mette is sent to the Hotel de San Pol, home of the French royal family to become wet nurse to the latest child produced by the sickly Charles VI and his wife, Isabella of Bavaria. The infant is Catherine de Valois; destined to be the mother of an English dynasty. But first she must live long enough to marry an English king and being a 15th century royal is a dangerous existence when your greatest enemies are in your own family.>|amazonuk= <amazonuk>0007446977</amazonuk!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE-->}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=David Kent-LemonTananarive Due|title=Blockade RunnerThe Reformatory|rating=45
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=London shipbroker's clerk Tom Wells is hungry for promotionGracetown, Florida. June 1950. Seeking responsibility where ever possible he's still unprepared for After a scuffle with a proposition from his employer Mr Pembroke. The company white boy, twelve year-old Robbie Stephens Jr is sentenced to operate five cargo shipssix months at the Gracetown School for Boys, shuttling between otherwise known as the Bahamas and America's southern states and he wants Tom to be on board as shipping agent; a dangerous enterpriseReformatory. Why? It's 1861 a place with a brutal and dark reputation. But the south segregated reformatory is at war with a chamber of horrors, haunted by the Yankee northboys that have died there. President Lincoln has blockaded ports like Charleston and Wilmington in In order to survive the Carolinas in an attempt to prevent revenue-providing cargo leaving or supplies (including uniforms school governor and arms) arriving. Mr Pembroke plans to illegally 'run' his Funhouse, Robert must enlist the blockade, something not unattractive to Tom partially due to help of the vastly increased wage attached but mostly because he has a certain interest in a certain American ladyschool's ghosts – only they have their own motivations...|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781590648</amazonuk>1803366532}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate AlcottKatherine Howe|title=The DressmakerA True Account
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical General Fiction|summary=I’ve always avoided stories Hannah Masury is living in Boston, having been sent to live with a strong link family who run an inn, and being made to work there from a young age. When she hears there is to the Titanic; it’s such be a depressing and distressing topic, especially for those hanging of us with an active imagination! Howeversome pirates in the town, I was attracted she decides to this novel for different reasonsgo and watch. Telling Enthralled and horrified in equal measure, Hannah finds herself embroiled in a young boy's death at the story hands of Tesstwo vicious pirates. She hides away, a talented seamstress looking for a break, the core relationship is one that is not often explored – so that between employee they don't find and employer. Designer Lady Duff Gordon takes Tess on as kill her maid on the Titanic too, and quickly becomes then to escape them completely she runs away to sea, dressing as a mentor boy and example joining the notorious Ned Low's pirate ship as Tess develops her crafta cabin boy. But what happened She soon finds herself in the thick of things when there is a mutiny on the voyage threatens their relationship board, and Tess finds herself facing all kinds from there we are caught up in her rip roaring tale of moral dilemmaslife on the ocean waves.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0751549231</amazonuk>0861547438
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|rating=3.5
|genre=Historical General Fiction|summary= The After a bout of scarlet fever as a child, Ellen Lark loses her hearing. Suddenly plunged into a world of 1933 seems to be silence, everything about to disprove the idea that WWI was the war to end all warsher life changes. German politician Walter von Ulrich and his wife (and former English aristocrat) Maud watch Living in horror a time when the use of sign language was seen as Adolf Hitler's National Socialists increase their hold; something only savages do, Ellen is sent to a rise in popularity that invigorates their son Erikschool where she is taught to lip read, but physically restrained from signing. After visiting the von UlrichsFrom here, young Lloyd Williams takes mental images of the brutality gripping Germany home to England, images that fire him she ends up to fight against the fascist threat elsewhere in Europe. Meanwhile young socialite Daisy Peshkov another school studying under Alexander Graham Bell who has marriage on her mind but isn’t considered been teaching the deaf and using a respectable prospect in her native USAsystem called Visible Speech. (Blame her thuggish fatherAt the same time, movie magnate Lev.) This doesn't stop her though; if she can't have a rich American husbandBell is working on other inventions and ideas, there's still and Ellen finds herself unwittingly caught up in a bit complicated tangle of money left in Britainespionage.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0230710107</amazonuk>1035401614
}}
{{Frontpage
|author=Claire North
|title=House of Odysseus
|rating=5
|genre= Literary Fiction
|summary= ''What could matter more than love?''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Margaret SkeaB0C7J9D21B|title=Turn of the TideA Captive in Algiers (Muhammed Amalfi Mysteries)|author=A J Lewis
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Family When we first meet our hero, his name is Ettore and clan count in 16th century Scotland as Munro discovershe lives at The House of Beautiful Swallows. His allegiance lies with the Clan Cunninghame Idyllic as this might sound, it's a bordello and therefore heEttore's involved in their bloody feud with the Montgomeriesmother died when he was born. It should be straightforward He's not been short of mothers, though - but sometimes feelings don't run along genealogical lines and loyalties are torn. Munrofor someone of his background in late-eighteenth-century Amalfi, it's wife Kate finds this as difficult to live obtain decent employment. The stint working with, sharing the hardships preparation of a life anchovies didn't work out and bastards are considered bad luck on the edge whilst trying to protect their childrenfishing boats. Unfortunately the Cunninghames' victory at the Annock massacre has created greater problems than Ettore was nothing if not resourceful - and determined - and it solved and no one knows which side fate will eventually favourwas not long before he had a successful business as a guide for visitors. Meanwhile King James' presence creates a temporary respite, but revenge can't be side-lined foreverHe was even saving some money.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909305065</amazonuk>
}}
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=It's 1492 and Mura, an exoticThe Victorian era is incredibly over-looking child of Moorishromanticised as a setting for historical fiction (matched only, Spanish and Viking origin enjoys an idyllic childhood living with her widowed fatherperhaps, by the Second World War) which has often led to more than a Toledo booksellerfew writers mishandling it. However she soon learns that the world is a cruel place when he's snatched by the Spanish Inquisition and sheThere's hidden in such a brothel for safe keeping. Adara, the lady glut of media set in the night entrusted with Mura, betrays era that trust and the childhallmarks we's adventurous journeys begin. From nurtured daughter ve come to child prostitute associate with it are familiar to Medici slave, Mura discovers the power withinpoint of being cliched, nourished by her childhood tales from the Moors and 'North Men' and her gift of 'the sight'hackneyed even. Mura also bears a secret but All this is simply to illustrate that it seems that she'll would be the last an easy thing to discover do poorly. But despite that, something about itstill grabs me – and something about this book's description did as well.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848874677</amazonuk>1914585526
}}
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=In Restoration England, Sadie Appleby and her older sister Ella flee their home in Westmorland to try to lose themselves in London. They're forced 'I want all of Florence to try and avoid the relatives of the dead man who Ella robbed and build a new life, but things arenknow my name't always what they seem in the capital and they're left trying to work out just who they can trust.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330543431</amazonuk>}}
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{{Frontpage
|author=Thomas D Lee
|title=Perilous Times
|rating=3
|genre= Fantasy
|summary= ''Hate is the path of least resistance''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Russell JamesG K Holloway|title=The ExhibitionistsIn the Shadows of Castles
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=On one particular London night We begin after the momentous battle in 1834 three children start a journey that will mould their futures1066 and on the day of William of Normandy's coronation as King of England. Newly born Maddy is abandoned in Mrs CuthbertsonWilliam's establishment (position is not secure and the new king has many challenges. Imposing authority through a thinly veiled baby farm) causing Maddy coronation is important. And William is right to spend years looking for worry. While the reasons that led her there. Baby Sam previous king, Harold, is fished out dead and the likelihood of more pitched battles is over, the Thames rebels are stirring and grows with a burning desire much of the country does not wish to uncover the truth, shaping his career as recognise a journalistnew overlord. Meanwhile Hannah is conceived that night by two people fated to live lives that don't coincide, until…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>178095011X</amazonuk>1800422466
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Diana McCaulay3949666079|title=HuracanNoema|author=Dael Akkerman
|rating=4.5
|genre=Literary General Fiction|summary=1986 – 30-year-old Leigh McCaulay (''White gal!'') This is returning to Jamaica, the land of her birth. Her mother is dead and there is an estate a story about some things that happened to be settled. Her estranged father is somewhere on the islandme about twelve thousand years ago. Her brother is in England. This isn't the closest of grieving families. Leigh doesn't even know how her mother died. Indeed, she's a bit surprised to find out she'd gone back to Jamaica. The residual family had left the island not long after the father's desertion.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845231961</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=James Long1529125898|title=The Lives She Left BehindGodmersham Park|author=Gill Hornby
|rating=5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Jo has always been an ''If it were not for the casual dereliction of the odd childgentleman's duty, talking there would no women to her imaginary friend Gally from almost as soon as teach well-bred daughters at all.'' Anne Sharpe was thirty-one years old when she could talk. Her widowed mother drags her from doctor arrived at Godmersham Park to therapist until medication becomes take up the only answerposition of governess to twelve-year-old Fanny Austen. It provides peace for Jo's mother She had no experience of teaching but pushes the teenage Jo into this was a shady half-existencecase of necessity. Meanwhile somewhere elseUntil the death of her mother, Luke is also Anne had a teenager leading a half-comfortable life as he co-exists with his mother and was loved by both parents although her disdainful, temperamental partnerfather was frequently absent from the household. Luke feels When her mother died, her father cast her off and would have nothing more at home in the great outdoors than under a roof and gradually comes to realise whydo with her. They may have lived this long unaware No explanation was offered but she would receive an annuity of each other£35 a year. Her maid, Agnes, would receive nothing but Luke's and Jo's worlds collide one summer at an archaeological dig and what they discover is beyond their wildest imaginingswas fortunately taken in by some neighbours.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780875320</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tim SeverinMelissa Fu |title=Saxon: The Book of Dreams (Saxon 1)Peach Blossom Spring
|rating=3.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary= I loved the prelude to Peach Blossom Spring, a short chapter entitled ''Origins''. Unfortunately it is the only truly poetic part of a book that I expected more from. Covering Chinese history from 1938 to 2005 as viewed through one family's perspective. When their home city is set ablaze during the war with Japan, a young mother (Meilin) and her four-year-old son (Renshu) are among those who flee. The story follows them on their journey across China, and in Renshu's case eventually to America.
|isbn=1472277538
}}
{{Frontpage
|isbn=1916072038
|title=The House in the Hollow (The Talbot Saga)
|author=Allie Cresswell
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Sigwulf is the Saxon prince We meet part of a small kingdom - that is, until the ruthless King Offa of Mercia slaughters his Talbot familyin Yorkshire in November 1811. He is saved Twenty-seven-year-old Jocelyn Talbot and her mother have travelled in some discomfort from execution for a single purpose - to be shipped off their home at Ecklington, to the court of King Carolus of house in the Frankshollow. Sigwulf quickly befriends the Kings nephew, Count Hroundland, a powerful The two women are angry with each other and very ambitious man. However, just as quickly Sigwulf survives an attempt on his life, he also finds he has been thrown into a world Jocelyn is well aware of deceit and vain ambitions. Only Osric, Sigwulfher mother's crippled personal slave, can be trusted.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230764428</amazonuk>}}strengths and weaknesses:
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Pamela HartshorneAnnabel Abbs|title=Time's EchoThe Language of Food
|rating=5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Grace Trewe Eliza Acton is a poet who has temporarily moved to York to sort out never had the affairs of her godmother, Lucy, who died suddenly. After surviving the Indonesian tsunami the previous Christmas, Grace has decided to live life slightest inclination to the full and plans more travelling once Lucy's house is soldboil an egg. She hasn’t When tasked with writing a care or a tie in the worldcookery book, as long as she doesn't remember little Lucas back on that Christmas beachrecruits Ann Kirby, a local woman with a troubled home life. As it turns outTogether, they test, that's not the only thing she needs to avoid. Strangecraft, horrific dreams disrupt her sleep refine and vivid daydreams start to attack her waking moments as 21st century York keeps fading to be replaced by its 16th century streets. Grace will be fine though; it's just stress and her oddly acquired knowledge reshape the world of domestic cookery, reinventing the past is just a coincidence, or so says seemingly kindly neighbour, historian recipe book and single father Drewchanging the face of cookery writing forever. Meanwhile, 500 years before, there was a woman named Hawise who met a terrible death…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>033054425X</amazonuk>1398502227
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kevin Crossley-HollandFreya Marske|title=Scramasax: The Viking Sagas, Book TwoA Marvellous Light
|rating=4
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=History lecturer Michael Martin thought Robin Blyth is nudged into a job in the Civil Service, much to his chagrin. There he meets Edwin Courcey and learns that the chance streets of love and marriage had passed him byLondon are threaded with magic. Then Gally, Desperate to remove a history nut and lecture gate crasher, attended one of his lectures and dared curse that threatens to contradict swallow him. Contradiction led , Robin follows Edwin to courtship and the marriage that had previously seemed so elusive but despite their love and accompanying emotional securitycountryside, Gally has a dark subconscious that haunts her. She's unsettled by repeating nightmares where the hedgegrows bristle with incantations and, worse, night terrors that can't be explained by counsellors' logicthe people shimmer with power. However when Mike and Gally find their (or rather, Gally's) ideal home in the shape of There they uncover a derelict cottage in sinister plot that threatens the Somerset village lives of Penselwood, Gally's nightmares are augmented by a strong feeling of déjà vu. Meanwhile the Martins seem to have developed a benevolent stalker all magicians in the shape of aged local Ferney Miller. Mike considers him a bit of a pain while for Gally he represents something else entirely; something that she can't explain nor understand but will become a threat to her marital happiness and Michael's peace of mindBritish Isles.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1780875304</amazonuk>1529080886
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Andre BrinkB09F4CTKJR|title=PhilidaFlights for Freedom|author= Steven Burgauer
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Philida falls in love with Frans, It's the son later stages of Cornelis Brink World War I and they have four children together creating the United States has just entered the conflict. Petrol Petronus is a tragedy on two counts: only two children survive young American who has signed up and their love is troubledjoined the 17 Aero Squadron. For this is South Africa This company was the first US Aero Squadron to be trained in 1830 Canada, the first to be attached to the RAF and Philida is only the Brinks' 'knit girl': a slave specialising first to be sent into the skies to fight the Germans in active combat. But before that can happen, Petrol has to master flying the family's knittingnotoriously difficult but majestic Sopwith Camel.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846557046</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John BuchanChristophe Medler|title=HuntingtowerMadrigal: A Closely Guarded Secret|rating=3.54
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Dickson McCunn Set against the backdrop of the English Civil War, a secret plan (code-named Madrigal) is on his travels through rural Scotland when he meets a man he doesn't warm to at first, discovered by Sir Robert Douse in the name summer of John Heritage1642. They are quite chalk and cheese – McCunn an older man, who has only just sold up his very well-known Glasgow grocery shop and made this trip his first steps into retirement on As a complete whim. Heritage is younger, Englishloyal servant of the King, and a soldier. McCunn seems Head of the old RomanticSecret Service, Heritage modern poetry in contrast. But when they meet up itis Robert's at duty to uncover the edge details of the Huntingtower estate, a coastal country house, guarded by suspicious landlords turning guests away plan and unfriendly foreign types, and found follow the clues to contain a young beauty who just happens to be uncover one of the love of Heritage's life, most guarded secrets in history—especially since they met a few years previousthe plot could affect the King. She is being coerced into staying against her will, but lo and behold – the cynical Heritage can come over all chivalrous and try and rescue her – with desperate consequences for both men…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>184697223X</amazonuk>B095HY8SXQ
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1471187179|authortitle=A N WilsonBeautiful Spy|titleauthor=The Potter's HandRachel Hore
|rating=4
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=The man of clay that A N Wilson throws onto his storytelling wheel in Minnie is an 'ordinary'girl living an unexciting life in a leafy provincial suburb. The Potter's Hand'' book is set in the great Josiah Wedgwood, but this is much more than a historic telling of his life. Indeed, Josiah already has a thriving business at the start of the book. What Wilson does particularly impressively 1930s and Minnie is expected to live up to put Wedgwoodher mother's achievement expectations and find a nice young man to marry, produce children and works into the context of spend the politics and social philosophy rest of the times, sandwiched between the two great revolutions in America her days looking after her husband and Francetheir home. In order Unfortunately, this isn't what she wants to do this, Wilson has at all and neither does she want to play slightly loose with artistic licence by altering dates and time lines continue working as a bit, but it works wellsecretary. He also balances the real historic figures with several key figures As a result of his own invention and where a chance meeting, she finds herself drawn into espionage, working for the historic figures don't quite fit with his narrative, he alters their ages secret service and invents 'facts' effectively living a double life - attempting to infiltrate the benefit Communist Party of Great Britain. Minnie finds herself torn between what she perceives as her duty and the friends she has made - and likes - whilst working for the fictional narrativeCommunist Party.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848879512</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John BuchanAfonso Cruz and Rahul Bery (translator)|title=The Gap in the CurtainKokoschka's Doll|rating=32.5|genre=Historical Literary Fiction|summary=A short stay with friends in society for Sir Edward Leithen Well, this looked very much like a book I could love from the get-go, which is just what he needs, being an overworked MP why I picked my review copy up and lawyerflipped pages over several times before actually reading any of it. Among I found things to potentially delight me each time – a weird section in the collection of fellow guestsmiddle on darker stock paper, some of whom he knows and some he doesn'ta chapter whose number was in the 20, is the extraordinary mind of Professor Moe000s, a scientist who decides to select some of the houseguests letters used as subjects for his latest experimentnarrative form, and so on. He declares that he can make sure they can see into the future, and It intrigued with the people he chooses – for various reasons – do indeed get subterranean voice a mental snatch man hears in wartorn Dresden that what little I knew of The Times newspaper exactly a year into their futureit mentioned, and whattoo. But you's moreve seen the star rating that comes with this review, one and can tell that comes completely true – either for good or bad…if love was on these pages, it was not actually caused by them. So what happened?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846972248</amazonuk>1529402697
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ben KaneChristina Hammonds Reed|title=Spartacus the GladiatorThe Black Kids|rating=4.5|genre=Historical FictionTeens |summary=Given Ben KaneChristina Hammonds Reed's tendency to write strong characters who rebel debut novel is set against their Roman leaders, it's perhaps slightly predictable that he should take on the story backdrop of Spartacus, who led a slaves' rebellion against Rome. This is, perhaps, the only thing you can say about Kane's writing that is predictable.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099561921</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Robin Binckes|title=Canvas Under The Sky|rating=3|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Rauch Beukes is a 17 year old Boer lad living with his family on the Eastern Cape frontier in Africa. Sadly for them1992 Los Angeles riots, the year is 1834: not a good time as the Boers live under the dictates of the British and in fear of indigenous local tribes. This becomes all too real reaction to Rauch when, returning from a trip with his father, he discovers a smouldering heap where his home once stood and a row of graves bearing the remains absolution of his mother and sisters. Wanting four police officers for beating a better lifeblack man, a group of farmers decide to travel towards Africa's southern interior to establish a self-determining Boer homeland and so RauchRodney King, his father and brothers join them feeling they have nothing nearly to losedeath. The momentum grows and Told from the migration will become known as 'The Great Trek'perspective of Ashley Bennett, the novel follows her evolution from a tough, dangerous period silent bystander when confronted with matters of South African historyrace, challenging Rauch's strength, courage to a woman finding her voice and a fair bit of his libidoembracing her heritage.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1920143637</amazonuk>1471188191
}}