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Newest Historical Fiction Reviews (view source)
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[[Category:Historical Fiction|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Historical Fiction]]__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->==Historical fiction==__NOTOC__ <!-- INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE-->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=V M WhitworthTananarive Due|title=The Bone Thief: (Wulfgar 1)Reformatory
|rating=5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary= Gracetown, Florida. June 1950. After a scuffle with a white boy, twelve year-old Robbie Stephens Jr is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, otherwise known as the Reformatory. It's 900ADa place with a brutal and dark reputation. Fleda But the segregated reformatory is the Lady a chamber of Merciahorrors, taken from her native Wessex haunted by the boys that have died there. In order to marry Merciasurvive the school governor and his Funhouse, Robert must enlist the help of the school's Lord 15 years agoghosts – only they have their own motivations...|isbn=1803366532}} {{Frontpage|author=Katherine Howe|title=A True Account|rating=4.5|genre=General Fiction|summary=Hannah Masury is living in Boston, her childhood friendhaving been sent to live with a family who run an inn, secretary and wanna-be-priest Wulfgar being one of her few existing links with the pastmade to work there from a young age. Their country When she hears there is far from united as whispers to be a hanging of unrest come from all directionssome pirates in the town, she decides to go and watch. Perhaps the only way to strengthen Mercia Enthralled and increase its importance is to acquire horrified in equal measure, Hannah finds herself embroiled in a saintyoung boy's relics? death at the hands of two vicious pirates. As a result of this thought processShe hides away, so that they don't find and kill her too, Wulfgar is sent and then to Baldney in order escape them completely she runs away to steal sea, dressing as a boy and joining the bones of St Oswaldnotorious Ned Low's pirate ship as a cabin boy. Despite having She soon finds herself in the company thick of young Ednoth of Sodbury (who can just about handle things when there is a sword)mutiny on board, Wulfgar beings to realise that stealing bones is and from there we are caught up in her rip roaring tale of life on the easy bit. Staying alive may be a tad harderocean waves.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0091947235</amazonuk>0861547438
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ella March ChaseSarah Marsh|title=The Nine Day QueenA Sign of Her Own|rating=43.5|genre=Historical General Fiction|summary= The young monarch, Edward Tudor, is dying and the Protestants After a bout of England fear scarlet fever as a return to Catholicism through his sisterchild, Mary TudorEllen Lark loses her hearing. HoweverSuddenly plunged into a world of silence, everything about her life changes. Living in a time when the Dukes use of Northumberlandsign language was seen as something only savages do, Pembroke and Suffolk seize the opportunity Ellen is sent to a school where she is taught to promote self-interest in the form of Suffolk's 16 year old daughterlip read, Janebut physically restrained from signing. His eldest and 4th From here, she ends up in line to another school studying under Alexander Graham Bell who has been teaching the throne is also young enough to do as she's tolddeaf and using a system called Visible Speech. In this way At the door closes harshly same time, Bell is working on Jane's childhoodother inventions and ideas, for history knows her as Lady Jane Grey; and Ellen finds herself unwittingly caught up in a name that will be written in bloodcomplicated tangle of espionage.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0091947170</amazonuk>1035401614
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Shiba RyotaroClaire North|title=Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel House of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 2Odysseus
|rating=5
|genre=Historical Literary Fiction|summary=If Volume 1 built up the characters of Masaoka Shiki and the Akiyama brothers, Volume 2 is a book ''What could matter more about war than about people, at least as individuals. Very early in this volume, Masaoka Shiki passes away at a very young age and so fades from the story. Shortly afterwards, as the war with Russia becomes more inevitable and Japanlove?'s preparations for this really kick into gear, the Akiyama brothers blend a little more into the cast of characters working on the war effort and whilst their names appear fairly regularly, we don't follow their stories as closely as before. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0415508843</amazonuk>}}
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Pam JenoffB0C7J9D21B|title=The Ambassador's Daughter|rating=3.5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=In 1919 the Great War - the First World War - was over and all that was left was to work out the terms of the peace treaty. Margot Rosenthal accompanied her father, a diplomat, to Paris, where he was part of the German delegation and in the invidious position of being disliked by the French because he was ''the enemy'' and mistrusted by fellow members of the delegation because he was Jewish. They'd previously been in England where they'd simply been the enemy. Margot could have gone home to Berlin but that would have taken her back to her fiance, who'd been seriously injured A Captive in the war. She'd rather fallen into the engagement, feeling that it was what she ought to do. Passion played no part.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848452039</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewAlgiers (Muhammed Amalfi Mysteries)|author=Annabel Lyon|title=The Sweet GirlA J Lewis|rating=34.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=''When we first meet our hero, his name is Ettore and he lives at The Sweet GirlHouse of Beautiful Swallows. Idyllic as this might sound, it'' is s a novel fictionalising the life of Pythias, the Greek philosopher Aristotlebordello and Ettore's daughtermother died when he was born. The reader looks at the world through Pythias’ eyes He's not been short of mothers, from the age though - but for someone of 7 until her his background in late teens-eighteenth-century Amalfi, starting in Athens, and ending up in Chalcisit's difficult to obtain decent employment. One gets to delve into The stint working with the experience preparation of life in the household of a highly esteemed ancient philosopher, anchovies didn't work out and the uncertainty which the main characters bastards are thrown into after the death of King Alexander, making life unsafe considered bad luck on fishing boats. Ettore was nothing if not resourceful - and determined - and it was not long before he had a successful business as a guide for anyone previously affiliated with him – this includes Aristotle, who visitors. He was once his teachereven saving some money.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>085789952X</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=C W GortnerEssie Fox|title=The Queen's VowFascination
|rating=4
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Queen Isabella of Spain will always be regarded The Victorian era is incredibly over-romanticised as a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, contemporary sources claim that she was wisesetting for historical fiction (matched only, kind and gentleperhaps, hating any kind of cruelty, including by the popular sport of bullfightingSecond World War) which has often led to more than a few writers mishandling it. Her rule brought about the unification of Spain and heralded There's such a new era glut of peace for its people. On media set in the other side of era that the coin, she and her husband Fernando sanctioned hallmarks we've come to associate with it are familiar to the infamous Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion point of all Jews from Spainbeing cliched, hackneyed even. Her most vehement critics may also point out All this is simply to illustrate that her sponsorship of Columbus brought untold misery it would be an easy thing to the inhabitants of the Americasdo poorly. But despite that, although in her defence, there is no way that she could have predicted the eventual consequences of his pioneering voyagesomething about it still grabs me – and something about this book's description did as well.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444720805</amazonuk>1914585526
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Shiba RyotaroNicole Jarvis|title=Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1Portrait in Shadow|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=I've long been a lover of Japan, ever since a brief visit to the country more than a decade ago. Whilst I've read several Japanese crime thrillers in translation, I've never really investigated the history want all of the country. Now available in English for the first time, Shiba Ryotaro's ''Clouds Above the Hill: A historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese WarFlorence to know my name'' provides just that opportunity.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0415508762</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=Sharon PenmanG K Holloway|title=LionheartIn the Shadows of Castles
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=''Lionheart'' is We begin after the latest book momentous battle in 1066 and on the day of William of Normandy's coronation as King of England. William'Devil’s Brood'' series, which focuses on s position is not secure and the dysfunctional Angevin branch of the Plantaganetsnew king has many challenges. Imposing authority through a coronation is important. And William is right to worry. As While the title suggestsprevious king, Harold, the story is a richly detailed account of dead and the life likelihood of Richard Imore pitched battles is over, covering the period from his coronation up to the end rebels are stirring and much of the third crusadecountry does not wish to recognise a new overlord.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447205367</amazonuk>1800422466
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{{Frontpage
|isbn=3949666079
|title=Noema
|author=Dael Akkerman
|rating=4.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=''This is a story about some things that happened to me about twelve thousand years ago.''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Joanna Hickson1529125898|title=The Agincourt BrideGodmersham Park|author=Gill Hornby|rating=45
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary= Baker's daughter Guillaumette Dupain, aged 15, mourns 'If it were not for her still-born baby but her tragedy becomes others' gain. Young Mette is sent to the Hotel de San Pol, home casual dereliction of the French royal family to become wet nurse to the latest child produced by the sickly Charles VI and his wifeodd gentleman's duty, Isabella of Bavaria. The infant is Catherine de Valois; destined there would no women to be the mother of an English dynastyteach well-bred daughters at all. 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>}}''
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|rating=3.5
|genre=Historical Fiction|summary= The world of 1933 seems I loved the prelude to be about to disprove Peach Blossom Spring, a short chapter entitled ''Origins''. Unfortunately it is the idea only truly poetic part of a book that WWI was the war I expected more from. Covering Chinese history from 1938 to end all wars. German politician Walter von Ulrich and his wife (and former English aristocrat) Maud watch in horror 2005 as Adolf Hitlerviewed through one family's National Socialists increase perspective. When their hold; a rise in popularity that invigorates their son Erik. After visiting home city is set ablaze during the von Ulrichswar with Japan, a young Lloyd Williams takes mental images of the brutality gripping Germany home to England, images that fire him up to fight against the fascist threat elsewhere in Europe. Meanwhile young socialite Daisy Peshkov has marriage on mother (Meilin) and her mind but isn’t considered a respectable prospect in her native USA. four-year-old son (Blame her thuggish father, movie magnate LevRenshu) are among those who flee.) This doesn't stop her though; if she can't have a rich American husbandThe story follows them on their journey across China, thereand in Renshu's still a bit of money left in Britaincase eventually to America. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0230710107</amazonuk>1472277538
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Rosemary Sutcliff1916072038|title=Sword At SunsetThe House in the Hollow (The Talbot Saga)|author=Allie Cresswell
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Every country has its myths and legends: those stories that are told and re-toldWe meet part of the Talbot family in Yorkshire in November 1811. Stories that Twenty-seven-year-old Jocelyn Talbot and her mother have any number of re-interpretations. Stories, a belief travelled in which becomes part of our national identitysome discomfort from their home at Ecklington, even if we hold them to be true, purely because we want them to be truethe house in the hollow. Part The two women are angry with each other and Jocelyn is well aware of themher mother's strengths and weaknesses: ''She is practiced at subterfuge, at any rate. Those parts concealing, beneath a facade of our favourite retelling that speak most to us as individuals. In England, Robin Hood and his merry menrespectability, is one such. The other is King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Tabledeplorable truth''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857892436</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lisa HiltonAnnabel Abbs|title=Wolves in WinterThe Language of Food
|rating=5
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=It's 1492 and Mura, Eliza Acton is a poet who has never had the slightest inclination to boil an exotic-looking child of Moorish, Spanish and Viking origin enjoys an idyllic childhood living egg. When tasked with her widowed fatherwriting a cookery book, a Toledo bookseller. However she soon learns that the world is recruits Ann Kirby, a cruel place when he's snatched by the Spanish Inquisition and she's hidden in local woman with a brothel for safe keepingtroubled home life. AdaraTogether, the lady of the night entrusted with Murathey test, craft, betrays that trust refine and reshape the child's adventurous journeys begin. From nurtured daughter to child prostitute to Medici slaveworld of domestic cookery, Mura discovers reinventing the power within, nourished by her childhood tales from recipe book and changing the Moors and 'North Men' and her gift face of 'the sight'. Mura also bears a secret but it seems that she'll be the last to discover itcookery writing forever.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848874677</amazonuk>1398502227
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John KerrFreya Marske|title=Hurricane HoleA Marvellous Light|rating=3.54
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=In 1942 German U-boats were wreaking havoc with Allied shipping Robin Blyth is nudged into a job in the CaribbeanCivil Service, much to his chagrin. Tom Hamilton, a young American working undercover There he meets Edwin Courcey and posing as learns that the streets of London are threaded with magic. Desperate to remove a rich playboycurse that threatens to swallow him, was sent Robin follows Edwin to the Bahamas to investigate Nils Ericssoncountryside, a Swedish industrialist. Sweden might have been neutral in where the war but Ericsson was known to have ties to hedgegrows bristle with incantations and the Nazispeople shimmer with power. It wasn't long before Hamilton was certain There they uncover a sinister plot that Ericsson was building a base for U-boats at Hurricane Hole on Hog Island. The problem was what to do about it. The Governor threatens the lives of all magicians in the Bahamas was the Duke of Windsor, friend of Ericsson and himself a suspected Nazi sympathiserBritish Isles. As an added complication Hamilton was attracted to Evelyn Shawcross but as she was a friend of both the Governor and Ericsson, could he trust her?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0709099053</amazonuk>1529080886
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Will BuckinghamB09F4CTKJR|title=The Descent of the Lyre|rating=5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Seventeen year old Ivan Gelski, the much loved son of Bulgarian peasant parents, has his bride to be and future snatched from him brutally just before his wedding. Full of rage and vengeance, he leaves his close knit village to join the haiduti, a savage band of outlaws who kill mercilessly in order to acquire food and survival. Years later, on one of these killing sprees, Ivan encounters Solomon Kuretic, a Viennese Jew and guitar virtuoso on his way to play for the Sultan in Constantinople. Solomon must play Flights for his life but, by doing so, he sends Ivan on a journey of his own spreading across Europe and into saintly veneration.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>9380905076</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFreedom|author=Deborah Swift|title=The Gilded LilySteven Burgauer
|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. TheyIt're forced to try s the later stages of World War I and avoid the relatives of United States has just entered the dead man conflict. Petrol Petronus is a young American who Ella robbed has signed up and build a new lifejoined the 17 Aero Squadron. This company was the first US Aero Squadron to be trained in Canada, but things aren't always what they seem in the capital first to be attached to the RAF and they're left trying the first to be sent into the skies to work out just who they fight the Germans in active combat. But before that can trusthappen, Petrol has to master flying the notoriously difficult but majestic Sopwith Camel.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330543431</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Colm ToibinChristophe Medler|title=The Testament of MaryMadrigal: A Closely Guarded Secret|rating=3.54
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=The subject matter for Colm Tóibín's 'The Testament Set against the backdrop of Mary' the English Civil War, a secret plan (code-named Madrigal) is exactly what the title suggests discovered by Sir Robert Douse in that it relates Mary's feelings about the death summer of her son, Jesus, whose name it hurts her too much to even mention1642. It's As a curiously slight offering though. Its 100 odd pages lands it somewhere between short story loyal servant of the King, and novella territory. Even soHead of the Secret Service, with Tóibínit is Robert's excellence as a writer duty to uncover the details of the plan and follow the emotive subject matter, I expected clues to be more engaged with uncover one of the most guarded secrets in history—especially since the plot could affect the story than I wasKing.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0670922099</amazonuk>B095HY8SXQ
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Lawrence Norfolk1471187179|title=John Saturnall's FeastA Beautiful Spy|author=Rachel Hore
|rating=4
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=John Saturnall’s mother Minnie is an 'ordinary' girl living an unexciting life in a healer and herbalistleafy provincial suburb. It was all too easy The book is set in the 1620’s for women with 1930s and Minnie is expected to live up to her skills mother's expectations and find a nice young man to come under suspicion marry, produce children and spend the rest of witchcraft. When John her days looking after her husband and his mother are hounded from their village by religious extremists the Lessoners, they hide in Buccla’s Wood. But as winter takes a grip on the land John’s mother dieshome. John is taken in Unfortunately, this isn't what she wants to work in the kitchens do at Buckland Manorall and neither does she want to continue working as a secretary. His progress from scullery boy to cook is graphically recorded alongside his prickly relationship with the daughter As a result of the housea chance meeting, Lucretia. The story takes the couple through the years of the civil warshe finds herself drawn into espionage, when life at Buckland comes under threat from working for the advancing Puritan army.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408805960</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Russell James|title=The Exhibitionists|rating=4.5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=On one particular London night in 1834 three children start secret service and effectively living a journey that will mould their futures. Newly born Maddy is abandoned in Mrs Cuthbertson's establishment (a thinly veiled baby farm) causing Maddy double life - attempting to spend years looking for infiltrate the reasons that led her thereCommunist Party of Great Britain. Baby Sam is fished out of Minnie finds herself torn between what she perceives as her duty and the Thames friends she has made - and grows with a burning desire to uncover likes - whilst working for the truth, shaping his career as a journalistCommunist Party. Meanwhile Hannah is conceived that night by two people fated to live lives that don't coincide, until…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178095011X</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Diana McCaulayAfonso Cruz and Rahul Bery (translator)|title=HuracanKokoschka's Doll|rating=42.5
|genre=Literary Fiction
|summary=1986 – 30-yearWell, this looked very much like a book I could love from the get-old Leigh McCaulay (''White gal!'') is returning to Jamaicago, the land of her birth. Her mother which is dead why I picked my review copy up and there is an estate to be settledflipped pages over several times before actually reading any of it. Her estranged father is somewhere I found things to potentially delight me each time – a weird section in the middle on darker stock paper, a chapter whose number was in the island20,000s, letters used as narrative form, and so on. Her brother is It intrigued with the subterranean voice a man hears in Englandwartorn Dresden that what little I knew of it mentioned, too. This isnBut you't ve seen the closest of grieving families. Leigh doesn't even know how her mother died. Indeedstar rating that comes with this review, and can tell that if love was on these pages, she's a bit surprised to find out she'd gone back to Jamaicait was not actually caused by them. The residual family had left the island not long after the father's desertion.So what happened?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1845231961</amazonuk>1529402697
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Bernard CornwellChristina Hammonds Reed|title=1356The Black Kids
|rating=4.5
|genre=Historical FictionTeens |summary=Sir Thomas Hookton, aka Le Batard (a French word thatChristina Hammonds Reed's very similar in English, if you see what I mean) roams France with his band of mercenaries, acquiring plundered riches and selling their services in the war debut novel is set against the French. However, Thomas' liege, Lord William Bohun, Earl backdrop of Northamptonthe 1992 Los Angeles riots, disrupts a reaction to the combative equilibrium when demands absolution of four police officers for beating a diversion. Monks are spreading stories about 'La Malice'black man, (the sword with which St Peter defended Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane) and with it the power to bless or curse the ownerRodney King, depending who you listen nearly todeath. So Lord 'Billy' wants it and La Batard must find it. Meanwhile Sir Thomas has competition as unsavoury elements in Told from the church create a special order perspective of knights. They mean to find it firstAshley Bennett, by foul means or even fouler.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007331843</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=James Long|title=The Lives She Left Behind|rating=5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Jo has always been an odd child, talking to her imaginary friend Gally from almost as soon as she could talk. Her widowed mother drags the novel follows her evolution from doctor to therapist until medication becomes the only answer. It provides peace for Jo's mother but pushes the teenage Jo into a shady half-existence. Meanwhile somewhere elsesilent bystander when confronted with matters of race, Luke is also to a teenager leading a half-life as he co-exists with his mother woman finding her voice and embracing her disdainful, temperamental partner. Luke feels more at home in the great outdoors than under a roof and gradually comes to realise why. They may have lived this long unaware of each other, but Luke's and Jo's worlds collide one summer at an archaeological dig and what they discover is beyond their wildest imaginingsheritage.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1780875320</amazonuk>1471188191
}}