Accuracy in Historical Fiction

As many of you know, I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to Conn Iggulden’s books because his incessant need to mess with history is infuriating.  It happens more and is more noticeable in his Emperor series, which annoys me to no end because some of the changes are not justified.  So, in this article I will discuss when writers need to be accurate and when it’s okay to mess with history.

I don’t know anyone who went to see The Mummy (1999) for its historical accuracy.  But that’s how cinema is so different from literature: in the former, accuracy is a bonus while people expect it in the latter.  Authors should not betray the bond of trust between them and their readers or their readers (especially reviewers like myself) will eat them alive.  Unlike The Mummy, a novel about the same thing would be ridiculed for having five canopic jars instead of four, giving Seti a beard and including the idiotic idea that someone can be mummified alive and survive more than the first day.  Basically, if you’re going to write historical fiction be sure, if nothing else, to get the basic facts of the time period right. Continue reading →

How I Spent My Day

I am trying to conquer my stupid, irrational zombie fear by reading Feed by Mira Grant.  It’s an amazingly funny book and more of a political thriller than a zombie story, but it’s still scaring me.  I’m going to need some serious therapy if I want to read the rest of the trilogy.  So if you like zombies or political thrillers or both, check out this review over on The Quiet Voice.  It’s very informative and it will explain things while I try not to jump at every little sound in this enormous, badly lit house of mine.  I promise I’ll have a review (not necessarily of Feed, though) out tomorrow.

If You’re a Michael Scott Fan…

This is just a reminder that The Enchantress by Michael Scott, which is the last book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, is coming out on May 22.  That’s only a little more than a month!  I’ve already got it on pre-order and I’m really excited.  Is anyone else out there anxious for the series ending?  And isn’t that cover amazing?

The Oasis by Pauline Gedge

(Cover picture courtesy of Amazon.)

Using subtle means of political power and economic control, a foreign power known as the “Rulers of the Upland” has taken over Egypt to plunder its riches and eradicate its religion and culture.  In The Hippopotamus Marsh, the stunning first volume of Pauline Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, the family of the last true King of Egypt chose to end 200 years of submission to King Apepa, and attempted to resurrect a dynasty.  Seqenenra Tao began a courageous and tragic revolt that almost led to the destruction of his family.

In this thrilling second volume, Seqenenra’s surviving son Kamose refuses an inheritance of failure, and chooses instead to continue his father’s fight for the freedom of Egypt and his family.  He begins his desperate sweep north, collecting fighting men from the loyal towns and villages he passes.  Will his savage brilliance bring him victory of defeat?  And will his acts redeem him or drive him to the brink of madness?

With his father (Seqenenra) and his twin (Si-Amun) dead, you would think Kamose would be ready to give up.  But instead of standing by and watching his family torn apart by the Hyksos king, Apepa, he decides to fight.  After all, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Kamose’s decision to fight irrevocably changes both himself and the fate of Egypt.

Faster paced than her later work and filled with memorable characters, The Oasis is my favourite book in the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy.  Of course I am biased because I love reading about ancient warfare, but Pauline Gedge has still penned a wonderful novel.  Told mostly from the point of view of Kamose, she gives us greater insight into the man behind the ruthless reputation.  His motivations are very believable and his internal struggles with the war are heart-wrenching, which makes him a very three dimensional character.

“This trilogy is dedicated to Prince Kamose, one of the most obscure and misunderstood characters in Egyptian history.  I hope that in some small way I have contributed to his rehabilitation.”

I truly believe that Pauline Gedge has contributed a lot to the rehabilitation of the infamous Kamose Tao, in much the same way Marcus Crassus was rehabilitated in my eyes by Andrew Levkoff.  Her trilogy certainly changed my perception of the great leader and I hope it changes yours as well.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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The Necromancer by Michael Scott

(Cover picture courtesy of Michael Scott’s website.)

San Fransisco:

Josh and Sophie Newman are finally home.  And they’re both more confused than ever about their future.  Neither of them has mastered the magics they’ll need to protect themselves, they’ve lost Scatty, and they’re still being pursued by Dr. John Dee.  Most disturbing of all, however, is that now they must ask themselves, can they trust Nicholas Flamel?  Can they trust anyone?

Alcatraz:

Dr. Dee underestimated Perenelle Flamel’s power.  Alcatraz could not hold her, Nereus was no match for her, and she was able to align herself with the most unlikely of allies.  But she wasn’t the only one being held on the island.  Behind the prison’s bars and protective sigils were a menagerie of monsters, and now Machiavelli has come to Alcatraz to loose them on San Fransisco.

Perenelle might be powerful, but each day she weakens, and even with Nicholas back at her side, a battle this size would be too much for her.  Nicholas and Perenelle must fight, to protect the city, but the effort would probably kill them both.

London:

Having been unable to regain the two final pages of the Codex, Dee has failed his Elder and is now an outlaw.

But the Magician has a plan.  With the Codex and the creatures on Alcatraz, he can control the world.  All he needs is the help of the Archons.  But for his plan to work, he must raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead.  For that, he’ll have to train a necromancer.

Despite what this gigantic blurb may make you think, The Necromancer is not an overly complicated book, I promise.  The only thing you should take away from this blurb is that whoever wrote it desperately needs to learn the art of summarizing.  Moving on…

As usual, Michael Scott’s writing is pared down and easy to read, which also makes for a nice, fast-paced plot.  He knows just when to switch to another thread of the storyline to keep the plot moving along quickly.  It is incredibly hard to put The Necromancer down and, as usual, it kept me reading until the very early hours of the morning.

Aside from the excellent pacing, the thing I love most about The Necromancer is the character development.  Michael Scott allows his characters to develop at a natural pace, so they feel a lot more authentic than most characters in fast-paced novels.  Alliances change and the line between good and evil blurs as Sophie and Josh Newman are put to the test again and again as Litha approaches.  They are supposed to be the ones to save the world, but the ending of this book will leave you in severe doubt that there will be a happy ending to the series.  Trust me, you won’t see what’s coming, but the cliffhanger at the end makes sense when you look at the series as a whole.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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