Category: Historical Fiction
The Curse of Malenfer Manor by Iain McChesney
(Cover picture courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours.)
Those in line to the Malenfer estate are succumbing to terrible ends – is a supernatural legacy at work, or something entirely more human?
Young Irish mercenary Dermot Ward retreats to Paris at the close of World War I where he drinks to forget his experiences, especially the death of his comrade, Arthur Malenfer. But Arthur has not forgotten Dermot. Dead but not departed, Arthur has unfinished business and needs the help of the living.
Upon his arrival at Malenfer Manor, Dermot finds himself embroiled in a mystery of murder, succession, and ambition. Dermot falls in love with the youngest Malenfer, the beautiful fey Simonne, but in his way are Simonne’s mismatched fiancé, her own connections to the spirit world, Dermot’s guilt over the circumstances of Arthur’s death… and the curse.
[Full disclosure: I received an invitation to read this book through NetGalley from the publisher and accepted the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.]
There are so many things to love about The Curse of Malenfer Manor but the main thing I loved was the writing itself. Iain McChesney has such an authentic style that I truly felt like I was reading a novel from that time period. There are no noticeable anachronisms and I suppose you could call the vocabulary ‘advanced’, but that all comes together to create that authentic, post-war atmosphere. This writing style especially stands out when we actually get to Malenfer manor, a manor that seems stuck in the days of lords and tenants. It creates an eerie atmosphere that completely suits the subject matter of the novel.
My second favourite thing was the characters. How could I not fall in love with Dermot? He carries his guilt over Arthur’s death with him, has a hard time accepting that Arthur came back to him as a ghost, falls in love with the beautiful Simonne and all the while is trying to discover the mystery behind the Malenfer curse. He has a lot of internal conflict to go along with the external conflict and that’s what made him such a memorable character for me. Arthur himself was quite the character as well and it’s a testament to Iain McChesney’s writing ability that although he was such a great character, he never outshone Dermot, the main character.
The plot starts out slowly enough, but when Arthur’s ghost shows up and we learn of his backstory with Dermot things really start to get interesting. And when the two friends arrive at Malenfer manor, it took all my will power to put my Kindle down and go to sleep. The Curse of Malenfer Manor is something you’ll want to read in one sitting in one sitting, believe me. The plot keeps twisting and turning and by the end you’re not sure if the curse really exists or if it’s something more man-made. Iain McChesney is truly a master of suspense.
Even if you don’t like traditional mystery stories, I’d have to recommend The Curse of Malenfer Manor. If you do like historical fiction, romance and/or supernatural elements in your novels, you should read this book. Give it a try; you won’t regret it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Fortune’s Favorites by Colleen McCullough
(Cover picture courtesy of Avon Romance.)
In a time of cataclysmic upheaval, a bold new generation of Romans vied for greatness amid the disintegrating remnants of their beloved Republic. They were the chosen…and the cursed—blessed with wealth and privileged yet burdened by the dictates of destiny in a savage struggle for power that would leave countless numbers crushed and destroyed. But there was one who would tower above them all—a brilliant and beautiful boy whose ambition was unparalleled, whose love was legend, and whose glory was Rome’s: a boy they would one day call “Caesar.”
While Sulla features heavily in the first part of Fortune’s Favorites, make no mistake: this is the story of Gaius Julius Caesar and his brutal early years. You know, Colleen McCullough’s portrayal of Caesar is the most sympathetic I’ve ever come across and yet he really does some horrible things. He crucifies all those pirates (but broke all their legs except the leader so they’d die quicker) and was utterly ruthless in Spartacus’ revolt as he served under Marcus Crassus. At the same time I had difficulty not shedding at least a few tears at his pure grief when his aunt Julia and his wife Cinnilla died.
Sulla is fully developed as a character now; his story is clearly done by the time he gives a gigantic middle finger to Rome at the time of his retirement. That’s when we really get into the Julius Caesar chronicles and things start to get a little more hopeful. Sulla was always such a ruthless guy but out of all the characters you couldn’t help but cheer for him once Gaius Marius went crazy. It was sad to see him go downhill over such a long period of time.
So it was a nice break to see Caesar finally start to succeed in life. His bargaining with Nicomedes of Bithynia for a navy, the sheer gall he had in facing the pirates when he was captured and his strategies during the Third Servile War all seemed so satisfying, so realistic because Colleen McCullough really put a lot of effort into his character. There are so many ways a sympathetic portrayal of Julius Caesar can go wrong (mainly the fact that hey, he did some pretty awful things) but in Fortune’s Favorites you can’t help but love him. Even his ruthless streak.
As I mentioned in my review of The Grass Crown, Colleen McCullough has a ridiculously addictive writing style. This book is 1004 pages long and I read it over the course of just four days, sneaking in a few minutes here and there. Considering how busy I’ve been lately that’s quite an achievement and a testament to how much I really enjoy her writing. She makes you really feel like you’re there in the ancient world along with all these historical figures you’ve read about for years. (In my case, anyway.)
Really, if you haven’t picked up Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series, you need to start now. The crazy page counts are worth it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough
(Cover picture courtesy of The Incurable Bluestocking.)
Throughout the Western world, great kingdoms have fallen and despots lay crushed beneath the heels of Rome’s advancing legions. But now internal rebellion threatens the stability of the mighty Republic. An aging, ailing Gaius Marius, heralded conqueror of Germany and Numidia, longs for that which was prophesied many years before: an unprecedented seventh consulship of Rome. It is a prize to be won only through treachery and with blood, pitting Marius against a new generation of assassins, power-seekers and Senate intriguers—and setting him at odds with the ambitious, tormented Lucius Cornelius Sulla, once Marius’s most trusted right-hand man, now his most dangerous rival.
It goes without saying that we get to see things from the POVs of our old favourite characters Marius and Sulla but I for one welcomed the introduction of other characters. Livia Drusa was a fantastic female character and her situation really gave me more insight into the plight of aristocratic women in Rome. And of course who can forget the precocious young Gaius Julius Caesar, who is feared by Marius because of old Martha’s prophecy that he would surpass his uncle? As with how it actually happened, Marius’s declining health and mental state led to Sulla’s meteoric rise up the ranks of the Roman hierarchy. The way Colleen McCullough chose to tell the story was very telling: Marius, whose star is fading, receives very little page time while Sulla takes the main stage.
While I can see where this new expanded set of characters might confuse some readers, if you’ve read The First Man in Rome you’ll have no trouble following the many intrigues of The Grass Crown. The Social War is sort of the main war in this book and it’s certainly not simplistic. What fascinated me the most was the different approaches the many Senators took to the war and how they proposed to stop the Italian rebellion and discourage future rebellions. Pompey Strabo Carnifex, true to his name (‘Pompey Cross-Eyed Butcher’ in English) was a truly horrible character that demonstrated the worst the patrician class had to offer. There are just so many different, complex characters that if I start on them now this review will turn into an essay.
In essence the characters drive the story, whether they’re Roman or not since we get to see things from all points of view. The plot is not fast-paced by any stretch of the imagination and yet Colleen McCullough’s writing is just too good to put down. She truly cares about historical accuracy and her writing immerses you in the cutthroat world of ancient Rome. From the halls of the Senate to the blood-soaked streets of Rome all the way to the far east of the empire, you’ll feel like you’re really there with the characters watching the events play out. And that, my friends, is a special talent very few writers possess.
With the end being such a cliffhanger I had no choice but to dive straight into the next book, Fortune’s Favorites. Truly, Colleen McCullough has an addictive writing style.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
(Cover picture courtesy of Hatchette Australia.)
Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys — or as he would later be known, Merlin — leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man’s-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur — king for once and always.
I’ve read so many different takes on the Merlin legend you’d think I’d get bored after this long. But of course not, especially when I read such awesome books like Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy. It’s the perfect mix of magic and realism combined with some brilliant research that makes it seem like Merlin could have been a real historical figure.
I’ll start off with the characters because they were my favourite part of the whole thing. Merlin was pretty good. He was a precocious child that grew up to be a mature young man that is slightly cynical about the world around him because he’s seen the ugly side of life. He knows the fine line between the visions given to him on occasion and prophecy and that sometimes you need to give people what they want to hear. The thing about Merlin is that he changes so much throughout the story that you can’t help but love him. Seeing him interact with Ambrosius and Uther was fascinating. Especially considering Uther isn’t the sort of man you would think he’d be in this novel. I can’t say much without giving the plot away, but Uther is probably not how you imagined he would be.
I’ll admit that the plot is not exactly fast-paced but neither is it so slow that it drags on and on. No, Mary Stewart has great pacing in The Crystal Cave and we really get to learn about Merlin on an intimate level while enjoying the plot. Unlike so many first books in historical fiction/fantasy trilogies there are actually interesting events going on rather than the author just having the first book as a prelude to the real events.
Basically if you love the Arthurian legends you can’t afford to pass up The Crystal Cave. It’s a great addition to the Arthurian canon and even if it wasn’t it’s a worthwhile read for Mary Stewart’s great writing style alone. She has this way of describing things that’s just magical and leaves you wanting more (in a good way). She never overdid the descriptions but I could clearly picture the world of Merlin. Really, The Crystal Cave had everything I could possibly ask for.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Hittite by Ben Bova
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
This is the tale of Lukka, the Hittite soldier who traveled across Greece in search of the vicious slave traders who kidnapped his wife and sons. He tracks them all the way to war-torn Troy. There he proves himself a warrior to rank with noble Hector and swift Achilles. Lukka is the man who built the Trojan horse for crafty Odysseus, who toppled the walls of Jericho for the Isrealites, who stole beautiful Helen–the legendary face that launched a thousand ships–from her husband Menaleus after the fall of Troy and fought his way across half the known world to bring her safely to Egypt.
I wasn’t really sure what I expected of The Hittite, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. The opening scene takes place amidst the chaos of the sack of Hattusas where Lukka is desperately trying to keep discipline in the garrison while finding his family. The once mighty Hittite empire has been thrown into chaos by a bloody civil war and once Lukka learns that his wife and sons are bound for Troy as slaves, there’s only one place he can go. Except when he gets there, not all is as it seems.
The thing I like most about The Hittite is how Ben Bova portrayed all of the famous characters from the proud (and vain) Achilles to Helen. I love how Achilles is the proud fool he was in the original legend while Helen is an independent woman desperate to survive in a world where women are, for the most part, chattel. The most heartbreaking part of the whole novel is when we hear Helen’s tale from Apet her nursemaid and see just how much she really did suffer in Sparta. It’s a much more realistic portrayal of Spartan life than I’ve ever seen and had I been in Helen’s place I would have done the exact same thing: use Paris to escape to Troy.
The other thing I liked was that Ben Bova’s writing style has the perfect balance for historical fiction. He is able to describe everything so that I felt like I was there, but he never really gets into the long-winded descriptions that some authors of historical fiction do. I liked how he explained the implausible things from the Trojan myth (Achilles’ weakness, the Trojan horse) in a way that makes you believe it really could have happened that way and the story could have just grown into something more.
Overall, I absolutely loved The Hittite. I wasn’t going to pick it up at first, but it was in the bargain bin at my local bookstore so I figured I had nothing to lose. Trust me, you’re pretty much guaranteed to fall in love with The Hittite once you start reading it. It’s well worth the cover price.
I give this book 5/5 stars.