Category: Historical Fiction
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland
(Cover picture courtesy of Kingston WritersFest.)
Set against the magnificent decadence of Louis XIV’s Versailles, Mistress of the Sun is the extraordinary story of Louise de la Vallière, the beautiful young equestrienne who won the heart of France’s charismatic Sun King. The spirited child of minor nobility, unable to marry and too poor to join a convent, Louise grows up to become a consort of the King, capturing—and then tragically losing—his favour. A riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its heart, Mistress of the Sun illuminates both the power of true love and our reckless attempts to capture and tame it.
Historical romance isn’t something I often read, but when I do make an exception to my rule I’m almost always impressed. Sandra Gulland succeeded in sucking me in to the world of King Louis XIV and his tumultuous, backstabbing court. It’s not often that I really believe how authors set up romances between known historical characters, but the one between Louise and Louis was quite natural. It was gradual, but with an undeniable, mysterious attraction.
Of course this book focuses more on characters than on plot. That’s a good thing because Louise carries the story on her shoulders quite well. She’s not a heroine with modern sensibilities that you tend to see cropping up in historical fiction: she believes her love of Louis outside marriage is sinful and wrestles with the guilt that comes with it. Yes, she rides horses well and can be one of the boys, so to speak, but she actually has the perspective a woman of her time would have. Louis himself is an enigmatic character as well. Sometimes he acts like a King, other times a normal young man and still other times a cruel man. His character is complex but you can’t help but see why Louise falls in love with him.
Although Sandra Gulland chose to use composite characters to simplify the plot, the main players in the story are real. And although I can’t vouch completely for her accuracy, judging from the fact that she devoted an entire blog to talking about her research, I’d say Mistress of the Sun is pretty accurate. Since I don’t know much about the time the simplifications of plot and characters don’t annoy me, so I don’t think most people will mind. It’s just a great novel, through and through.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Lady of Ch’iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South by Laurence Yep
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
2nd Month, 3rd Day
…There was once a time when the Chinese could just make up stories and write them down.
They didn’t have to be afraid of enemies attacking. They could make gardens instead of forts. They could walk out at night without any weapons and look up at stars.
Master Chen calls it “peace.”
It is hard to think there really is such a thing. I find it easier to believe that a warrior can fly through the stars in a magic chariot. However, the history books and Master Chen all say peace really existed.
Depending on which edition you have, this book is either subtitled Red Bird of the South or Warrior of the South. I have the special edition, so the title on my book is the latter, but the book was published under both names, in case you’re confused. I’m just using the apparently more popular title for my post.
Princess Redbird is a truly amazing woman. She’s a leader among her own people and strives to represent her people well while she’s in Chinese territory going to school. There are times she loses her temper, but she always makes up for it and in the end keeps her promise to do much better. Not only that, she is a stark contrast to her brother Little Tiger in that she’s interested in ruling and actually listens to her people. The two make an odd pair later on in the book, but it sort of sets the dynamic of what their relationship would be like in the future.
I honestly had no idea the Hsien people existed as a separate entity in Southern China in the sixth century. But Laurence Yep’s descriptions of the way the Hsien lived and the completely different climate back then are fascinating and informative. This particular entry in The Royal Diaries is 300 pages long, so we actually have a chance to get a feel for the times and appreciate Princess Redbird’s accomplishments. Her military strategies are absolutely brilliant and she is a strong, but compassionate leader.
Laurence Yep couldn’t have chosen a better candidate for his novel. Not only is he a talented writer that brings the princess to life, but he also brings the world of the Hsien and the turmoil of the times to life. How sad is it that a fifteen-year-old girl does not know what peace is and does not believe that it ever really existed? Princess Redbird is one of the few princesses in this entire series that I truly feel connected to, which is an enormous accomplishment in itself.
Even if you don’t know much about Chinese history, you’ll love this book. And even though it was written for tweens, people of all ages will absolutely love Red Bird of the South.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
*Only available as a used book.
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
I’ve been tempted by this book for almost a year now, when it really took off amongst the book blogs of the world. There has been an incredible amount of hype about Grave Mercy and it seems a very popular book with my fellow bloggers. So we must ask ourselves, once again, does it deserve all of the hype?
Yes. Actually, it does. The hype almost doesn’t do it justice.
Set in the Middle Ages with a few modifications, Grave Mercy is just one of those books that when you start, you can’t stop. The intrigues of Anne’s court and council, the tension between Ismae and Duval and the fast pacing of the plot make for a great read. I spent a whole afternoon on this book, something I rarely do anymore because of time constraints, but I just could not put it down. Ismae herself is a great, believable character who escapes a terrifying arranged marriage and eventually finds herself taught and indoctrinated in the ways of St. Mortain, the old god and new saint of death.
So is this an historical novel or is it completely set in a fantasy world? I had to look this up, but apparently Robin LaFevers did all her research and set the story in 15th century Europe and stayed true to the politics of the time. The only made up part would be the specific ‘saints’ or ‘gods’ mentioned in the book and the group of female assassins. (Obviously, the divine/magical elements are made up as well.) Other than that, Grave Mercy is actually pretty historically accurate, which if you’re a lover of history adds that extra layer of enjoyment.
I love political thrillers to some extent, so I really appreciate all of the political intrigues Robin LaFevers included. Betrayal, hidden allegiances and secret contracts all ratchet up the tension and drive the plot forward as Ismae tries to navigate the tricky politics of the times while trying to figure out her own feelings for the handsome Gavriel Duval, the duchess’ half brother. As you’re reading this, just remember that not everyone is as they seem and some characters will really, truly surprise you.
It’s hard to explain what makes Grace Mercy so great, but I think it’s a combination of very three dimensional, relatable characters, a fast-paced plot and rich mythology woven into the time period where it takes place. Not only that, Robin LaFevers is an excellent writer who knows how to balance dialogue and description without boring her readers to death. The cliffhanger at the end is also a good incentive to read the next book, Dark Triumph which stars Sybella instead of Ismae.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Vows of Revenge by J. F. Ridgley
(Cover picture courtesy of J. F. Ridgley.)
In 295B, Aelia and Lucianus struggle to survive in a world filled with pirates, godfathers and forbidden love. Where patricians rule and plebeians grovel. But, will Lucianus grovel? Don’t count on it.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from J. F. Ridgley in exchange for an honest review.]
To be perfectly honest, I’m not a big fan of romance in general. Especially when a book focuses on the romance. However, I am a big fan of historical fiction that’s accurate and well-researched, which is why I agreed to read Vows of Revenge. After all, I’m generally open-minded when it comes to what I read. Once again, I’m glad my open mind led me to another great read.
As I said, I’m not a big fan of romance; my regular readers know this all too well. However, I really liked the romance between Aelia and Lucianus in this book. Yes, it’s a stereotypical forbidden love on the surface (pleb loves patrician), but there’s so much more to it than that. There’s Aelia’s abuse-ridden past, societal expectations and the novel’s villains trying to get in the way of their relationship. It’s definitely a struggle and it doesn’t feel contrived at all.
I wouldn’t call Vows of Revenge a fast-paced book because it’s more character-focused, but it’s far from boring. Aelia’s character arc is fantastic and seeing things from Lucianus’ point of view keeps things moving constantly. There’s something in here for both romance-lovers and history buffs because Ridgley has done an incredible amount of research. For once, I can say with complete confidence that this book is historically accurate. Yes, the characters are made up. But the details of Roman life, from the background war in Samnia and the severe patrician-pleb divide are accurate. There’s even an historical note at the end of the book for the curious.
Vows of Revenge is written extremely well and is generally free of the typos that you typically find in self-published books. There are a few minor ones such as a missing letter or a quotation mark that faces the wrong way, but nothing blatantly obvious. Certainly not that many to have an effect on the quality of the writing or story and not enough to annoy this picky grammarian.
Even if you don’t generally read romance or historical fiction, I’d highly recommend Vows of Revenge. It’s definitely a worthwhile read.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Singing Sword by Jack Whyte
(Cover picture courtesy of The Templar Trilogy by Jack Whyte.)
Born of the chaos of the Dark Ages, the dream of eagles produced a king, a country and an everlasting legend—Camelot.
It is 395 A. D., and as the Roman armies withdraw from Britain, anarchy threatens the colony that will one day be known as Camelot. Creating their own army and joining with the Celtic people of King Ullic Pendragon, the colonists emerge as a new breed of Britons, ready to forge the government that will be the Round Table and its Knights and to prepare the groundwork for the future coronation of Arthur, first High King of Britain.
I’m the sort of person that loves doing jigsaw puzzles, which is part of the reason why I loved The Singing Sword. It’s a lot like a jigsaw puzzle, what with tiny, barley recognizable pieces of the Arthurian legends slowly being dropped into place. We got the outline or the edge pieces in the first book in A Dream of Eagles (formerly known as The Camulod Chronicles), The Skystone, and now we’re starting to fill in the easy parts.
Publius is obviously more mature than he was in the first book and it’s almost more interesting to see this more mature, worldly point of view as he and Caius struggle to build up the Colony. Their alliance with King Ullic, the growing threat of foreign invaders reaching Roman territory and an old villain reappearing made The Singing Sword very exciting and an entertaining read. Of course, there are the bad parts of the novel as well and I would definitely not recommend it for people who are sensitive to gore. Jack Whyte writes as Publius would have in the times and is less sensitive to the violence all around him. Therefore, it’s difficult for someone with modern views on violence to accept the ancient world for what it was, but The Singing Sword feels all the more authentic for that.
Not only is Publius more mature than when we left him at the end of The Skystone, all of the other characters are more mature. Their newly acquired maturity does not mean that they’re boring or that they don’t have character arcs. Quite the opposite, in fact. Fans of the first book will love to see their favourite characters change even more and will learn to love the new generation that helps bring the legend of Camelot closer to reality.
I give this book 5/5 stars.