Time to put the feet up for 2014

Time to put the feet up until another year. I like to take December off from blogging, so until January 2015, may you find many new books to read over the festive/holiday season.
kind regards to you all,

- Medieval Mayhem

Tricky Beginnings: THE EMPTY THRONE by Bernard Cornwell

The Empty Throne

I will never forget the day I turned those initial pages and started the very first book in the Warrior Chronicles (Saxon Stories in the US) for the very first time.  It was many years ago now and was the beginning of a wonderful journey for me. 

 

 I had always been an avid reader. Since I learned to read really, but I had never found my niche fiction genre. I dabbled in fantasy fiction, I dipped my toe in horror, absorbed myself in crime thrillers, but it was not until I forged my way through the historical pretenders quagmire to this series that I finally discovered what I wanted as a reader. I wanted history. Brutal, honest, raw historical tales that smacked of reality. And so, thanks to Bernard Cornwell, I found my love of the historical fiction genre.

I have never looked back. Cliche I know, but true none the less.

There have been eight books in this series (including this one) and while the Warrior Chronicles is one of my two favourite series' of all time, I had started to feel a little jaded with it. To me, the two books preceding The Empty Throne had little originality. They felt like the same story and the same formula done to death. 

The Empty Throne broke that monotony for me. It was completely unique to all the books that went before it. We delved new characters, got to know evolving characters, and observed relationships between certain characters like we never have before. 

We saw Uhtred, not as the brutish and diabolical warrior many of us know and love, but as the victim of that which felled him so bloodily in book seven, The Pagan Lord.

With possibly only one or two books left in this series (from the lips of the author) you know you have come to a milestone with this book as soon as you open it and start reading.

The first book in the series, The Last Kingdom, has one of the most memorable opening chapters of all the books I have ever read. I may not recall it word for word, but I will always remember that first line and the tone of what came after.

To save you getting out your copy of The Last Kingdom to reread it, I shall hand it to you on a platter:

 

The Last Kingdom (published 2004)

Prologue - Northumbria, AD 866-867

My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred and his father was also called Uhtred. My father's clerk, a Priest called Beocca, spelt it Utred. I do not know if that is how my father would have written it, for he could neither read nor write, but I can do both and sometimes I take the old parchments from their wooden desk and I see the name spelled Uhtred or Utred or Ughtred or Ootred. I look at those parchments, which are deeds saying that Uhtred, son of Uhtred is the lawful and sole owner of the lands that are carefully marked by stones and by dykes, by oaks and by ash, by marsh and by sea, and I dream of those lands, wave beaten and wild beneath the wind driven sky. I dream, and know that I will take back the land from those who stole it from me.

I am an ealdorman, though I call myself Lord Uhtred, which is the same thing, and the fading parchments are proof of what I own.

The Empty Throne starts in a similar vein. Which brought back all those wonderfully nostalgic emotions that have stayed with me since that long ago day when I first began this series:

The Empty Throne (published 2014)

Prologue

My Name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred, and his father was also called Uhtred. My father wrote his name thus. Uhtred, but I have seen the name written as Utred, Ughtred or even Ootred. Some of those names are on ancient parchments which declare that Uhtred, son of Uhtred and grandson of Uhtred, is the lawful, sole and eternal owner of the lands that are carefully marked by stones and by dykes, by oaks and by ash, by marsh and by sea. That land is in the north of the country we have learned to call Englaland. They are wave beaten lands beneath a wind driven sky. It is the land we call Bebbanburg.

But that is where the similarities between the two books start and finish. 

This book is nothing like those before it. The author did not stick to that time worn formula. This is a story more about the setting of chess pieces than the following of a well beaten path. 

It was not without its risks for the author no doubt. There will be a truck load of fans out there who will be disappointed by the lack of formula in this one. 

Many pick up these books thinking they are going to get the same thing each time and they take comfort from that. For me though, I wanted the strategic meanderings that weave in and out of this one's storyline. From the confusing beginnings (make sure you pay attention to the opening chapters, and that opening paragraph, or you will be completely lost for the first thirty pages...as I was) to the interesting ending, this book will not tread in the footsteps of others. 

For example, some of Uhtred's children play a large part in this book. And I found that delightful. To have treasured this Uhtred character for so many years, and now to see how much like their father these children have become. I was reminded of Gisella and how she really was his one great love, even though I spent a few books thinking that title belonged to another. I think as this series comes to a close, it was important for Uhtred's relationship with Gisella to be dug up and clarified. To remind us who this woman was that Uhtred fathered such headstrong and beautiful children with.

If you look for them, this book holds codes to unlocking what will happen in the last book/s as this unforgettable and unique series finally winds up the cliffs of Bebbanburg to its unavoidable swan dive..

Five stars out of five.

- MM

A Rare Masterpiece: THE RELIGION by Tim Willocks

The Religion by Tim Willocks

There are a lot of rare things in this world that I would like to get my hands on. Pink diamonds. Vintage John Paul Gaultier Corset Dresses. Black Limited Edition Burberry Trenchcoats. An Aston Martin Vantage (V8 or V12, I am not fussy) and.... lengthy books that stay consistent in pace and quality from front cover to back cover. 

Obviously, for me, only one of these was ever going to be attainable. And it wasn't the Aston Martin Vantage. It was, of course, a lengthy book with pace and quality finish to end.

 An enigma. A myth. Often whispered about, never actually seen. I have tried one or two, been tempted by a promise of cover to cover bounty many times. Was once wrongly directed down the Count of Monte Cristo path. A book that I felt suffered from much the same problem as many lengthy books. Too much waffle and could benefit from being a couple hundred pages shorter. Okay, so editors were less keen on cutting back then, but they should not be too scared of it now. And yet they seem to be.

I will concede that The Religion could have been shorter. Only nothing drastic. 50 pages at the most. But a few too many pages was kind of a small price to pay for a book that did not run out of prose in the first few chapters. It went on. On and on. On and on and on. Beefed up with excellent landscape and character creation, anchored by vivid portals into extraordinary battle scenes. 

I could not put it down. 

It was a gem as rare as any pink diamond, with as much pace at times as any V12 Aston Martin. As tight at the top as at the waist as at the bottom, as any Gaultier corset and with more movement than any Burberry jacket.

It was quite a find.

A rare find that you will notice from the outset. With passages that wash across the page in fresh, vernal literary splashes.

Page 12

The Fagaras Mountains, East Hungarian Marches. Spring AD1540

The yard was empty. The heavens at the rimrock's edge were reefed in vermilion cloud. From the village pillars of smoke quavered skyward and with them cries of anguish and crackles of flame.  

He walked across the cobbles, sick with fear. Fear of whatever vileness afflicted his mother. Fear of shame. Of cowardice. Of the knowledge that he couldn't save her. Of the darkness that had housed itself inside his spirit. Yet the darkness spoke with a feral power that brooked no refusal nor hesitation.

Plunge in, the darkness said.

Mattias turned and looked back at the forge...

Like the blade in the quench.

Plunge in.

*

Through to the middle they surged on. The tautness of a well trained writer carving his skill in inked words.

 *

Page 348

The Gauntlet – The Bailey – The Causeway 11 June 1565

Straighten up, breathe and blow, shake the sweat. He wheezed. His chest was tight, his gorge scorched. He felt nauseous and weak. He was too far forward. Get back.

The horde shouldered each other in their frenzy to get through the choke point, their weapons constricted, one shield obstructing another. Spot the openings. Swallow the scalding bile. Kill him, kill them, kill them all. A blow glanced off his helm and hammered into his pauldron. Spike him in the privities, stab him in the neck. The fellow fought on from his knees, blinded by the fountain from his arteries, still scrabbling with his blade for the joints in Tannhauser's plate.

Tannhauser drove the finial through his temple and stepped back. Now backstep again. Keep them at bay. He threw and upward swordcut to the thighs and backstroke to the guts and a thrust to the chest, in deep and twist. Don't look in his eyes. He's done. And breathe, you fool, keep the knees loose, ignore the battle cries. Get back.

It goes on. On and on and on. But I think I have shown you enough.

Don't be dissuaded from trying this for fear it is too masculine. It is masculine, without a doubt, but there is beauty too. Beauty of the heart and of the lovelorn. The author has not forgotten you. You, the reader of the heart.

While I did not think there was much romance in this book, it is there. A tugging undertow that a reader like me - who does not read with the heart but reads with the mind - can easily ignore. I hardly even noticed the female characters most of the time. They did not take up much room in my mental landscape.

To me the book is perfect. Perfectly written that is. Fast paced from start to finish. The story, however, had some personal taste flaws. They are not going to be flaws for everyone. Some of what I call a flaw, will be the things you will most likely value about the story.

It was the sex. 

Some may say it had to be there as sex is a natural part of life. In part this is true (although many live without sex in their lives and I would never claim their lives to be unnaturally led), but the sex in this book is quite often odd. Poorly located. Unnecessary. Forced into the story.

There isn't a lot of it. If you blink - or skim read - you may even miss it. 

When it does come (no pun intended) it is oddly placed, like an afterthought, or to please the authors own building sexual tension. If an author wants sex in a book it needs to feel naturally placed. Not just plopped down because the author was randy or the editor told him it needed more sex.

It was a great ride while it lasted (the book, not the sex) and I was disappointed it came to an end. My forlorn need not last forever though, for there is a book to follow it called Twelve Children of Paris. I have bought it already and cannot wait to read it. 

With any luck, it will be as well done as this rare gem, The Religion. As this kind of  writing skill is not something an author loses down a bottle of whiskey while he tries to outdrink his writer's block. No, he clearly has command of his writing talent.

The only place I feel he can fall down will be story. Lets hope he gets that right again too.

- MM

The Long, Lost Review: TRAITOR'S BLOOD by Michael Arnold

Traitor's Blood by Michael Arnold

I read this book back in 2012 and I really thought I had posted this review to the blog before. After a search I discovered that I hadn't. It should be here. It was a great read!

So, here you have it, my 2012 review of Traitor's Blood by Michael Arnold. (which reminds me, I need to get back to this series and try book three) 

* * *

I don't believe during my history with doing reviews, that I have ever used the term 'rollicking good read'. Nor have I in fact used the word rollicking in any form. I think that is fair excuse for using the term now, for Traitor's Blood was a bloody rollicking good read and the author has won a fan...of at least the first book in his series.

Kicking off in 1642, it is primarily set against the microcosm that was Hampshire during the English Civil War and also includes the Battle of Brentford as a feature.

The book is an action adventure in every sense. The writing while not of vast scope was skilful in the way it strung the very fluid of the story together. Brimming with plots and plots twists. Addictive characters at every turn. A female spy character that I appreciated for her rareness (eg an independent female character that has plenty going on in her life and doesn't count marriage and children as a life goal). And a male protagonist, in the form of Captain Stryker, who was buckets of fun to read about.

On the cover of the book the publisher has a note saying this is 'The Sharpe of the Civil war'. Initially, this was a put off for me as every book that has ever tried to cash in on Bernard Cornwell's fame has failed dismally to live up to the hype. In the case of Traitor's Blood, I think finally there may be one that can.

I am excited to have found this series and, despite my aversion to more modern histories, have already bought the next in the Civil War Chronicles. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

- MM

On my Desk: THE TWELVE CHILDREN OF PARIS by Tim Willocks

I purchased The Twelve Children of Paris even before I was halfway through the first book in this series (trilogy?), The Religion. I was so moved by the skill and beautiful writing in The Religion, that I had to buy the follow up book as soon as possible.
Hard to come by authors who write so well and in so epic a manner.  I always grab onto them tight when I do.
Another that caught my interest with The Religion was the fact I hardly ever got bored. Not easy for a 774 page book. I have read many doorstoppers and so many of them frustrate me because they should have been edited harder and made a shorter read.
The Twelve Children of Paris is an equally long book. Hope the author can do the same here.

To my utter delight, there is a map in this second book! Huzzah!! A great map of Paris. Again and again I found myself bemoaning the lack of any form of map in The Religion. It desperately needed one too. The locations of battles that took place in the book, which were based on real battles that took place on Malta of course, were confusing the heck out of me. A map would have given an
extra layer to that first book. To help the reader not familiar with the layout of land and fortifications on Malta in that period, to wrap their head around where everything was taking place.

That's why I actually made outward noises of satisfaction (some huzzahs and some oh hurrahs) when The Twelve Children of Paris arrived in my mailbox and I opened the parcel, opened the book, to discover a double page map of Paris to go with the story.

Hoping to get to this book by the end of 2014. If not, then definitely January 2015.

- MM

On My Desk: THE EMPTY THRONE by Bernard Cornwell

It has arrived!! There he is! Photo taken in the flesh.
And it is sporting what I feel may be the best cover of this series to date.

 It isn't that it has a cool helmet placed on a cool chair.
 It is because of the meaning behind that chair, that chair in that hall (the image on the back cover is more telling than the close up image on the front).
Some of you will know what I mean and those who don't, if you have any interest in these books, should read the series from the start, or catch up with the series if you have only read a few.

As a massive fan of the Warrior Chronicles (Saxon Stories in the US) the cover art on front and back, is quite thrilling to me.
 But...
I can not yet sink my teeth into the story behind the cover. I am up to my eyeballs in a really enjoyable book right now. I have about half of that book to go before I can finally start The Empty Throne.

Not complaining really. It is an embarrassment of riches and I welcome it.

- MM

All Good Things Must End: KINGDOM by Robyn Young

Kingdom by Robyn Young

Oddly, I had mixed feelings when I finally got to open this last instalment in Robyn Young's Insurrection Trilogy.

The first in the series, Insurrection, is one of my favourite books and reading it was a real highlight of my 2013 reading year, but there is no escaping the fact that this is a trilogy, and if you know anything about the Robert the Bruce story, and the Wars of Scottish Independence, then you will know some of the highs and lows of this book, and this trilogy as a whole.

My mixed feelings were these. Sadness, excitement, reluctance. 

Sadness, knowing it was all going to come to an end. I had waited so patiently for this book's release. Was thrilled to the bone to find myself alone with it on a quiet evening. But I was still a little sad to see the story reach its zenith.

Excitement, as this is a story – so much of it based in fact - of many climaxes. You do not have to wait for this final book for major historical events to unfold. 

The battles, the betrayals, the demise of William Wallace, the unimaginable and unjustifiable crimes against the Bruce's friends and family. There is not one book in this series that does not have one or more of these poignant moments in British and Scottish history as its backbone. But in Kingdom, you have one of the biggest. You have Bannockburn

Reluctance, because this is not a series. This is a trilogy. The bucks stops here, folks, and if you got attached, prepare yourself for it all to end. There are no more after this one. The story has concluded.

I so often see authors writing long winded series' when they could have written a trilogy. I took comfort in knowing that this was not going to happen here. These magnificently written Insurrection books would wind up with book three.

There were enough important and fascinating events happening during this period of time that the author could have quite easily made the books shorter and stretched them into six books, but why would she do that, when she can turn them into a powerful trilogy? Each book an epic in their own right? 

I for one, am glad this author has the guts to write epic books and complete them in the third instalment. It is truly refreshing and I can not wait for her next trilogy. I will devour them as readily as I have devoured these.

- MM

Sherwood Shenanigans: WOLF'S HEAD by Steven A. McKay

Wolf's Head by Steven A. McKay

I was in the mood for this book when I came to it. Perhaps that is why I caved in and did a very rare thing. A rare thing for me that is. I accepted this self published book (and its follow on) in exchange for a review of each.
Yes, yes, I know that some of you are now picking yourselves up off the floor. It is a surprise and I am sorry to sling it on you in such a sudden manner. Accepting copies of Self Pub and Indie books  in exchange for a review is out of character for me I know (I have personal reasons for it). But hey, I have a weakness for the setting. What more can I say?  It is a one off.  So, dust yourself off, put your monocles back on and let's get down to the business of book reviews....

Fiends of the forest, highwaymen, pirates. They lend themselves well to the pages of our fiction and the plots of our movies and tv shows. Most of us grew up with the tales of Robin Hood, in all their varied forms, like cartoon Disney foxes or dashing, debonair swordsmen swinging from chandeliers And for the young and impressionable, such as myself, it sparked a life long interest in the theme as fantasy. Fantasy of the mind, where I might live for a while, escaping the stress that was life through school, young adulthood and then adulthood. I am an adventurer in the mind, not so much in the feet.
(I may dream of jumping out of a plane. I will not actually go and jump out of a plane...you get my meaning? IN the mind, not in the feet.)

I find that there really are not enough of these kinds of adventure criminal stories being written today. I can name the ones I know, that have been written in the last ten years, on two hands. And if you want to narrow that down to just Robin Hood, then I am forced to count them on one hand, with Wolf's Head being one of them, Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead another and Outlaw by Angus Donald the next. There are scant more that I can name off the top of my head. Hood to me is young adult and I do not like young adult books, so where does that leave me?? With two book choices. 
Are you seeing now why I broke my own golden rule and accepted this book in exchange for review?

I did not think a great deal of Outlaw by Angus Donald, but I can see why some would love it. If that is the kind of story you crave - loose retellings of Robin Hood in action adventure style - then I would recommend Wolf's Head to you quick as a flash. They are not that dissimilar in writing style, truth be told. Which is a mix of the simplicity, naivete and inexperience so many debut writers suffer from. A little uncomplicated for my tastes, but still able to carry a story well enough and easily devoured by readers who aren't as snobbish as I am about writing techniques and wordsmithing.

  Still, I was surprised by the book when I first started reading it. I actually expected it to be really badly written and I can honestly say that while uncomplicated it isn't badly written. That sounds a little like a mixed message, but the experienced fiction readers amoung you will know what I mean. Simple doesn't always mean bad. It just means the techniques are a little raw and the breadth of word use is not there. But what is there, is not messy and ill formed. I expect as the books come down the line from Steven A. McKay over time, that simplicity will be overcome by experience.
 I think this book will continue to find its audience in the ebook market place and will continue to rate highly there too. It is a perfect light and easy read for those looking to download the diamonds in the rough on Amazon.  

Going off what I have given two stars to over the years, I find this book was better than some of those.  So, three stars officially and two and a half stars on my personal scale.


- MM

Once More Into The Fray: KING'S GOLD by Michael Jecks

King's Gold by Michael Jecks

Another one down and not too many more to go now. I read the first in this series, The Last Templar, then I jumped forward to the books at the end (because I could not source the earlier books too easily or at all in some cases) starting with The Oath.

Then I read the recently released prequel to the entire series, Templar's Acre. And now back to the end of the series with this one, King's Gold. One more to go and if I then wish to meet Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Simon Puttock again, I will have to wind the clock back and find some of those that came before The Oath. 

I discovered when I read The Oath, that these are virtually stand alone books. You are going to miss out on that special connection one has with characters by not starting the series at the beginning. And it would serve you better if you tried to read them all in some semblance of order (and at over thirty books, you have quite a hunt ahead of you). But overall, it isn't that you 'cannot' jump in anywhere, or you 'should not' jump in at the end like I did. I managed to understand what was going on just fine. I am sure you will too, if you cannot find the earlier books.

Here in this second last book, King's Gold, we are getting into more political intrigue and less medieval mystery. I found The Oath was the same. More about political espionage than whodunnit and I am told by fans of the series that the whodunnit style is relegated to the earlier portion of this thirty something book series. While political intrigue becomes the focus in the latter portion.

I think I enjoyed King's Gold more than The Oath. There has been too much time between them to explain why. That aside though, I have to comment on Michael Jecks' writing style. In a time where so many authors are doing an abysmal slash and burn of the English language, and wordsmiths are becoming an endangered beast, Michael Jecks is one of those elite few modern historical fiction authors who wields a pen with an easy and old fashioned moxie. It is a hand that compliments the settings of his books. He could almost be writing to us from the era he writes in. 

Aspiring authors should slow down their writing. Stop looking for the quick turnover. Study the hands of authors like Michael Jecks. Aspire to harness that dying art of wordsmithing, before you even think about writing a novel yourself. 

I will try to get to the last book in the series, City of Fiends, in the coming months. 'Try' and 'do' are two seperate matters however, so don't go laying your bets on me just yet. 

- MM

All Quiet in the Land of Downunder

Time has been getting away from me. I have wanted to read, review, blog, but life does not always let you fit in the 'sitting down' luxuries. The interweb frivolities.
 I have not finished any historical fiction books since I read and reviewed The Lion and The Lamb by John Henry Clay and this is why the blog has been quiet on the review front.

Currently reading the spectacularly good final to the Robyn Young's Insurrection trilogy, Kingdom, and when I do get time to read between life and sleeping, I am besotted with this terrific read.
Many of you who have seen my review of the first in the trilogy, Insurrection, will understand my elation at finding this new one by Robyn Young to be as spectacular as it is.  I enjoyed the second in the trilogy, but for me, it was that incredible trilogy opener, Insurrection that impressed me no end. It became one of my favourite books.

With hesitation then, I admit that so far, I am loving Kingdom as much and possibly even more. I don't know how it can be so, but it is. I did not think it would be possible for Robyn Young to ever write a book that could beat Insurrection on my favourites list. But, after 200 pages, I think she may have done it with Kingdom.

What else have I been up to?? Let's see. I have discovered MOOC courses. That has been a delightful experience and I recommend them to one and all.
I signed up to a course run by the University of Leicester called England in the Time of Richard III. It is three weeks in and I am enjoying it immensely. If you are interested, despite it being three weeks in (with three weeks to go) I think people can still join and catch up from the beginning.
I have also signed up for a course starting in September this year called Hadrian's Wall: Life on the Roman Frontier. Come join it with me if you think it will be of interest to you.

While my historical fiction accomplishments have been limited, I did get to read a small non fiction on Vikings.  While I strive to get more books finished so that I can post some more reviews, here is my review of that book.

Vikings by Gunnar Andersson

Vikings by Gunnar Andersson

This is the companion book for the Viking Exhibition called Vikings! It toured Australia and (as of the time of this review) is now touring Canada. In 2012 it toured Scotland and I have no idea where it went in between, or whether it went anywhere in that period between Scotland 2012 and Australia 2014.

I was unlucky enough to miss the exhibition in my own country, and lucky enough that a friend in Canada picked this book up for me as a gift when she went to see the exhibition in her country.

This book is what it is. A nice little book to own. Glossy cover, glossy pages with some lovely images. A paragraph or two to accompany each chapter and image. I do not recommend it as a detailed non fiction on Vikings. But I do recommend it as a lovely little coffee table piece to flick through, and as a gift for a Viking mad friend who didn't get to go to the exhibition.....

- MM

A Little Lamb: THE LION AND THE LAMB by John Henry Clay

The Lion and The Lamb

It is about time that books of this kind - set in this period of history and of an epic nature - begin appearing in bookstores. Books that cover similar, are generally old or dated ones now. Published many decades ago and no longer in print. In fact, I can not think of any recent ones at all that are set in this thoroughly fascinating period of history.
There are shorter books purpose written to be the kicking off point for a series, but I can not think of anything like The Lion and The Lamb, which has been released in the last four or five years. By anything like The Lion and the Lamb, I mean epic journey fiction set in Roman Britain.

There have been similar in epic feel, like Hawk Quest by John Lyndon. Only that comes much later in British history and is set in countries outside of the UK for the most part.

I was very impressed by this debut from John Henry Clay (who most certainly has an epic name to match an epic story). It was not without its naivete and its rough edges, but I think most readers can forgive that in a debut. There are debuts that hit their marks and perfect notes. Debuts you would not guess were debuts, but they are not common. Therefore, I forgive this book for being freshly whelped. It would be unnecessarily pedantic not to.

The book was riddled with characters I liked and characters I did not. I really liked Paul and Eachna and I really disliked Amanda and Patricia. But that's going to happen in every book. Some characters appeal, some do not. Then for each reader that will be different.

If you read this book I would like to know what you think of the characters (whether I know you or we are yet to know each other, please feel free to give me your opinion).

I was very fond of Eachna. For her toughness, her vulnerability, her disability. She was the kind of well rounded and flawed character that I like and that will keep me coming back.

I do have to confess why it was that I gave this book four stars out of five..and nearly gave it three and a half. Sometimes, the names of the people, the way settings were described, I felt this book was not set in the period it was supposed to be. It had this habit of not having any sense of place or era and you could be reading a story in Roman Britain, or Medieval Britain, or even, at times, when there were scenes with no definite indicators of period, with names like Paul, Amanda, Victor, Patricia flying around, it could even have been not in history at all. But in current day.

For what it is worth, I understand that the author is educated through his profession in this period, and he would know if variations of these names are commonly attributed to this time, but I do not think these kinds of names give a good sense of era to a book like this. I think it makes it sound like an episode of  Heartbeat.
This improved a lot later in the book though. I must admit.

A caveat. I will add an apology in advance to the author for such cavalier disregard of the names he chose for his characters, but hey, reader reviews are all about personal taste, not whether we are right or not.

That was my only big negative to the book. I am not mad for stories about love either, but I do not cry foul about that because the book makes no secret of its strong relationship plots. I expected it.

What more can I say? It's a great debut. It's an honest attempt at giving us, the readers of historical fiction, a real epic of this period to sink our teeth into. Its the harbinger of things to come from this new author and he will be welcomed out of the Hodder & Stoughton author stable by more readers of the genre as he develops his skills over time.

 It is all those things and I recommend you give it your consideration (and then make sure you get back to me on what you thought of the characters).

- MM

The 10 Must Read Books in the Historical Fiction Genre

I am frequently asked by people new to the world of the historical fiction genre (the non romance/non fantasy world that is), or by people who are beginning to dabble their toes in its waters, “what books should I read to get a feel for the genre?”  I actually get asked it so much that I thought I would compile a list of 10 books that I think all self respecting readers of the genre should tackle at some stage in their lives. It is also a list for those who are new to the genre or those who are trying to branch out and rediscover the broader arms of the genre. 

You are not going to like every book on this list. Heavens, I do not, why should you? In fact, there is a Bernard Cornwell book on this list that I only gave 1 star out of 5 to. But, I still think it is a must read book of the genre, whether I liked it or not. 

This is also not a list of my favourite books of all time in the genre. It includes some of them, about six, but not all of them. Because this list is not for me. It is for you.

It is not for me to impress my own tastes upon you. That is why I have not delved into my personal favourites top ten in order to compile this list. I have compiled with the help of my many years of watching and listening to people talk historical fiction.

I suppose you could still say that I have added in a great deal of my own personal opinion and you would be right to say it. While they aren't all my favourite historical fiction books, some of mine are there, but I have put a lot of my own experiences into the choices and it is only by luck that some of my favourites got on it. It is a selection that I think covers the diversity within the genre, battle reads, adventure reads, mystery reads. 

The idea of the list was for me to take all the historical fiction books I have read, add a little dash of personal taste, a teaspoon full of observational opinion, mix it all up and then use my experience with the genre to select the most diverse group of ten books I can think of. Books that cover the full gambit of most common story devices in historical fiction. Mystery, adventure, battle, invasion. A smattering of love and maybe a snippet of passion are sprinkled amoung the stories, if you have to have that in a historical fiction, but they are not major plot devices and play second fiddle to the main storylines.

If you were a stalwart of the genre, you would pick a completely different group of ten, I am sure. But these ten books are meant to cover a vastness of life and adventure for you to sample at will. If I have done my job properly with the list and you decide to undertake the challenge of reading all ten, then the reason for the selections will become clear. You will learn which types of historical fiction you hate, what types you think are enjoyable, and what types you really love. 

Once you have discovered all that about your own tastes, you will know what types of historical fiction you want to pursue within the genre. The only way to find out what sorts of reads you will like is to sample a cross section of them all. And I hope this is what I have given you here.

*NB These books are in no particular order. They are a list of ten, as opposed to a top ten. There are books that do deserve to be on this list. But for two reasons they have not made it. One: because I may not have read them yet so won't vouch for them. And two: there is only ten spots up for grabs not fifty.

***

1. THE LAST KINGDOM by Bernard Cornwell

What can I say about this one. Anybody who knows me knows that I am the mega fan of this series. I love it and it was the greatest historical fiction find of my life. It also happened to be THE book that lit my path into the warm bosom of straight up historical fiction. A guiding light to me, I discovered the entire unisex genre of non romance and non fantasy related historical fiction from this one beacon of light. Boy, do I owe it my thanks. 

As a stand alone book, I do not think it is the best in the series. When I first read it, it even took half the book before I got into it.

It is possible you will have the same experience and if you do, hang in there. Go on with the series - maybe the next two books - before you make a decision on whether or not to continue with it.

My review of The Last Kingdom

2. THE WINTER KING by Bernard Cornwell

Not my favourite Cornwell by a long shot, but it is a unique and special book. Unlike any other one that deals with this particular subject matter. King Arthur.

For those with a specific hankering for Arthurian books, this is a must read. It may not appeal to you, but it is worth giving it a chance to see if it will.

My tiny review of The Winter King

3. GHENGIS: BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE (aka Wolf of the Plains) by Conn Iggulden

There are a number of reasons I can give for having this book on the list. This is another unique one. There really isn't anything else like it. There are other books on Ghengis, but not like this one.

To write this book, the author lived with the Mongols for a time and I believe that comes through in the story. Surely it is worth reading it just to see how he adapted that personal experience to the story? Yes? No?

A well loved series, I think every reader of historical fiction needs to try this book (and maybe even the one that follows) to see what you make of it. From my observations, so many people who like this book go on to absolutely love the entire series. If you go on to love the series, then you will be glad I suggested you read this first book.

My Review of Wolf of the Plains/Birth and an Empire

4. GATES OF FIRE by Steven Pressfield

An absolute tour de force by this acclaimed author. Gates of Fire is, unequivocally, hands down, the greatest battle historical fiction ever written. A stroke of genius.

In my opinion, this was Steven Pressfield's masterwork. He has never done one as good as it, and I doubt he ever can again. Wherever that place was inside him that he managed to pull this book from, that place was drained of resources on its completion. He may try, but he will never write another book that can touch Gates of Fire. It is battle as poetry.

“A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them...A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free.” Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

Oh bravo, Mr Pressfield. It stirs me still.

My Review of Gates of Fire

5. THE WHALE ROAD by Robert Low

It has to be on the list. Yes, he's my favourite author, yes this is book one in one of my top two favourite series' of all time, but forget all that, this book, this series, is masterful beyond words. The best Viking historical fiction to date. 

It is rough, crude brutality rolled into a shieldwall along with Norse mythology (not in fantasy form) and blasts of humour. I have to have it on this list.

Discover this series if you dare!

My Review of The Whale Road

6. DISSOLUTION by C.J.Sansom

This is a controversial choice. For the simple reason that the punters are split on this book. Half believe it is dull and boring, the other half (of which I am one) believe it magnificently written and the kicking off point for a really marvellous mystery series set in Tudor times. 

Read it, see what you think. It could be the best thing you have read, or the worst thing. You could go either way, but you probably need to find out which way that will be.

My Review of Dissolution

7. POMPEII by Robert Harris

Something about this book captured my imagination and it has to make an honorary appearance on this list for that. It is so well loved. Not everyone does, mind you, but many do. Me included. 

The ending. Gosh. As the volcano starts to erupt, I can still smell the ash and feel the avalanche of pumice stone on my face.

My Review of Pompeii

8. AZINCOURT  (aka Agincourt) by Bernard Cornwell

How could a book that moved me so little end up on my list of ten? Easy. Everybody else likes it but me. Considering what I am trying to achieve here with this list, that is as good a reason as any for it to be here.

If you only try one Bernard Cornwell, let it be this one. From my experience, it is quite possibly the closest thing to a guaranteed winner. Something I cannot say about The Last Kingdom or The Winter King.

My Review of Azincourt

9. THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER by Oliver Potzsch

I have asked myself over and over, why The Hangman's Daughter should be on the list. Once I explain my reasoning then you may understand why I did it.

There are better mysteries out there. Others you will like more than this one. This one's gravitas, during my list decision making session, was its being not only a mystery set during a period of European history that is not covered a lot in historical fiction, but because it is a translation.  There are so few translations in historical fiction that can work. I think this one did most of the time.

There were times, however, where I feel it did lose something in translation, but overall, it is a good book and may awaken in you an interest in more translated historical fiction out of Europe. That can only be a good thing.

Plus it is dark and gothic and that is so in right now!

My Review of The Hangman's Daughter

10. PRIDE OF CARTHAGE by David Anthony Durham

What a book to close out the ten. Pride of Carthage.

For me this book is up there with Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire as one of the best battle historical fictions ever written. Only this book has so much more to it. More characters, more lands, more cultures. It encompasses a vaster span of land mass than Gates of Fire and that really worked for me to give the story a real sense of place on the historical timeline. The reason I can't put it on the same exact pedestal as Gates of Fire is that there are times when I think Pride of Carthage waffles. For that reason, Gates of Fire pips it at the post.

This book may even get you to cry in the end. I have no shame in admitting that it made me cry. And books rarely make me cry. I can count the books that have done that to me on one hand. With fingers to spare.

You may also hate it, but isn't that the aim of this list? To stir you to action? To make you hate and love and, most important of all, to make you learn who you are as a reader in this genre?

My Review of Pride of Carthage

- MM

Don't Burn It: A BURNABLE BOOK by Bruce Holsinger

A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger

Once I got over my giggle fest at any mention of the road in London called Gropecunt Lane (immature I know, but I can't be a grown up about everything all of the time) I went on to delight in this charming and well written read. I can hardly even believe that it is a debut for that scholastic fellow, Bruce Holsinger, but it is. So believe it I must.

The absolute strength of this book is its characters. Sure, the writing is adept majority of the time and the manner in which the story laid itself out impressed me enough, but I liked the book for its memorable characters most of all. 

Then there is the meat of this book. Its reason for existing. The mystery plot.

The mystery plot did its job. Enjoyable, educational and significant enough to keep me coming back for more. However, I would not say the outcomes sneaked up on me. I could see down the line what was coming.

In saying that though, I was not all that disappointed by knowing who was up to what and why they were up to it and what they would do with what they had when they wanted to get up to what they were up to... That is going to happen in every mystery. Some readers will guess, some won't. Just so happened that in this book, I guessed.

I must not forget to mention another strength of this book that I overlooked earlier in this review. The description of setting and context. I am a sucker for a well strung bow. And A Burnable Book carried a qualified arsenal. The streets, the politics, but of them all, I think the portrait of life in the slums of London came through sharply. Even now, having finished the book a few weeks gone, that world of the London moll stays vivid in my mind.

Bruce Holsinger did a wonderful job in A Burnable Book, to bring this particular era of medieval England to life and I cannot wait for the follow up book to be released. 

I get so jaded with sorting wheat from chaff in the genre of historical fiction. When a great debut comes along and I get the scent in my nostrils of even better reads to come, I celebrate them. And therefore I celebrate A Burnable Book. I hope to discover more of these quality debuts.

- MM

 

Interview with Author BRUCE HOLSINGER

 

Author, Bruce Holsinger

What better book to whet the appetites of readers of history and lovers of books, than a book about a book set in the volatile era of late fourteenth century England? Is there better? I do not think so. I am biased though. Given my tastes for historical fiction and the like.

As one of those readers and history lovers, I was very excited by the prospect of sinking my teeth into A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger when it finally manifested, appearing in book stores and libraries worldwide. 

Of course, the cover leaps out at you long before you set eyes on the premise, and that alone makes it a book hard to forget. But when I do flip it over and read the blurb, my breath catches in my throat for - as a borderline bibliophile and history addict – to find a book about a book set during the 100 Years' War....Well, lets just say I was like a moth to a flame. And I have seen plenty of other readers go down to its wiles since. We cannot help ourselves. Books about books. Ohh how delightful.

Given the chance to interview the author, Bruce Holsinger, I was inspired by a thousand questions regarding, especially, the history, but I showed some restraint and whittled them down to nine.
Bruce has risen to the challenge of my nine probing enquiries, and I hope you all, lovers of books and maybe of history too, enjoy the end result, and then go on to enjoy the book too.

 

 ***

A question I ask first in every interview..Do you think it is important to be as historically accurate as possible in an historical fiction novel?

Yes, I do--though accuracy and plausibility are two very different things. First, in order to be worthy of the designation, historical fiction shouldn't mess around with the historical record to any degree. If there is a departure from or violation of known historical fact (chronology, sequence, and so on) there should be a good reason for it, and it should be explained in an author's note. Second, though, historical fiction can't be satisfied with the known facts of history. In order to write a compelling story, an author has to make things up--has to lie about history, in other words! But these lies have to be plausible. I know for a near certainty that there wasn't a book called "Liber de mortibus regnum anglorum" floating around in late-medieval London: I made this book up for the purposes of my novel. But I also know and have learned enough about the history and literature of late medieval England to be confident that the existence of such a book is perfectly plausible--and that the story I've concocted around this fictional book is a feasible one. Perhaps it's in that space between accuracy and plausibility where the magic of historical fiction happens...

Where did your setting for A Burnable Book come from? For example, did you have an interest in that specific period of history and those geographical areas first or did you choose them after deciding to write a novel?

I teach medieval literature as my day job (I'm an English prof at the University of Virginia), so I've always been enchanted by the poetry of late medieval England, particularly the circle of Chaucer, Gower, Langland, and other poets of the Ricardian age. But I wrote a few other novels before "A Burnable Book" that didn't get published, and those were set in the present, though with medieval background stories. I guess the honest thing to say is that my fiction writing over the last fifteen years led me to this period and setting, and when I set out to write a third novel with two unsuccessful ones in the drawer I vowed to tackle an era I knew something about--though as I write in the historical note at the end of the novel, I was also ignorant about a lot of this period I thought I knew so well.

Why Geoffery Chaucer and John Gower? What is it about these two real life friends that made you want them both as your major characters?

At the ending of his great poem "Troilus and Criseyde," Chaucer dedicates the work to Gower: "O Moral Gower, this book I direct to thee..." That's a pretty strong statement of friendship, though how we read it has always been open to debate. I personally read that statement as a bit tongue-in-cheek, and when I set out to write the novel I wanted to explore the darker side of this well-known literary friendship. One of my good friends who read the novel said that the relationship reminded her of the Mozart/Salieri dynamic in "Amadeus"--though of course those composers weren't friends, while we know Gower and Chaucer were. It's one of the clearest and most provocative instances of a male literary friendship in the Middle Ages, too, and it allowed me to explore a lot of themes that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise: the power of literature, friendship vs. family, and so on. One of my favourite relationship in historical fiction is the Aubrey-Maturin friendship in the Master and Commander series of Patrick O'Brian, and I suppose I have that  in mind as well as I flesh out the poetic friendship between Chaucer and Gower.

Your book is set against the tumultuous backdrop of fourteenth century England. The second stage of the 100 Years’ War has kicked off and your setting of 1385 is lodged between the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and the treacherous Lords Apellants’ moves against Richard II which really gained its momentum in 1386. Can the reader expect to feel the intensity of that climate in your tale? Or does your story speak more to a politically oblivious London sub culture?

Great question! Yes, the intensity is building between the factions, and there have already been a lot of nasty Game-of-Thrones-type moves between Richard II and John of Gaunt: alleged conspiracies, open assaults, and so on. This particular moment, spring of 1385, was a really interesting one, falling just after the death of John Wycliffe and just before Richard's disastrous campaign in Scotland that summer. Since you asked, the sequel will be set in 1386 in the thick of the Wonderful Parliament, and in this case the machinations of the appellant lords against the king's faction will be at the center of the novel. "A Burnable Book" is very much a story of town-crown conflict, too, and the city bureaucracy is very much aware of the power struggles among the upper aristocracy. At the same time, it's a story of the London streets: butchers, prostitutes, pickpockets, and so on, so I suppose the political obliviousness is part of the story, but only for a portion of the characters and subcultures explored in the novel.

By all appearances, you seem to have gone to great lengths to inject a sense of realness into your book by using real life characters and a realistic social fabric. Has this been difficult and do you ever long for the freedoms offered by having purely fictional characters?

Yes I do! Staying true to history means staying true to the known facts of historical personages, and this can be a really tricky balance. In some ways it's easier to make up a character out of dust and nothing than to invent around the known facts of biography and chronicle. But I love this kind of creative challenge, and I'm eager to hear reactions to the various types of characters from readers. Are the real-life reincarnations (Gower, Chaucer, Swynford) as strong as the completely made-up characters? Are there other ways in subsequent novels that I might flesh out these characters, whether historically or otherwise? Character is a notoriously difficult part of fiction writing, and I'm just a beginner in many ways.

Are there periods of history that you would love to write in and why? And do you think you will one day?

I think so. I'm particularly intrigued by Roman Britain and have given some thought to setting a novel in that era, exploring the decline of Celtic culture in the face of Roman incursion. I'm also determined to write a present-day novel, though I'm not sure what form or genre that would assume.

You are working on a follow up to A Burnable Book. Will this be a sequel in final form? Or are you planning a multi book series?

I'm under contract to write a sequel (I have a two-book deal), but I would absolutely love to continue this as a five-book series. I already have a vision for it, and know exactly what Book 5 would do. So if "Burnable" and its sequel do well enough I'll hope to continue the series with three more books. More Gower, more Chaucer, more Edgar/Eleanor Rykener...

Is A Burnable Book written with a mind on the reader familiar with Chaucer and Gower? Or can the novice - who knows nothing or little about these men - pick this book up and relate to it do you think?

A novice should definitely be able to pick up the book and enjoy it. I assume no knowledge of the period or of these poets: it's a thriller, with a storyline that I hope keeps the reader turning pages without knowing anything about the Middle Ages, let alone about the life and career of John Gower. That being said, if you *do* know a lot about medieval literature you'll be able to catch a number of allusions and "inside jokes" that will make the story all the more entertaining--at least I hope so!

And now to the question I close every interview with..

Do you prefer ebook or paper?
 

This is an interesting question for me right now, as I'm in a somewhat transitional period. There's nothing I love more than curling up with a trade paperback, but I find myself increasingly drawn to e-readers for pleasure reading--and even for work. I did one of the near-final edits on "A Burnable Book" on my Kindle, sending it to myself as a Kindle doc and using the highlight function to bring out passages I wanted to come back and change. This was a really great way to see my own prose in a different light, and it worked wonders for my revision process. So I'm definitely a fan of e-readers, though as a scholar of manuscripts and early books I hate to think about the decline of print!

Thankyou for taking the time to do this interview, Bruce. I am sure that as people read this interesting novel, they will appreciate the insights and value the time you took to give them.

And thank you, Terri, for the wonderful opportunity to talk about the novel in this forum. I hope your group readers enjoy it and that they'll feel free to ask me any questions and make any comments they'd like!

***

Bruce Holsinger's Website can be found here:  http://www.bruceholsinger.com/
On social media the author can be followed via;
Twitter - https://twitter.com/bruceholsinger and Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bruceholsingerauthor

- MM

nb* apologies to readers on any font formatting that looks weird. Blogger does this of its own accord and it isn't fixable.