Tagged: historical fiction
Child of the Morning by Pauline Gedge
(Cover picture courtesy of Passages to the Past.)
Thirty-five centuries ago the sun had a daughter: Hatshepsut. Youngest daughter of the Pharaoh, she was a lithe and magical child. But when her older sister died, it became her duty to purify the dynasty’s bloodline. She was to wed Thothmes, her father’s illegitimate son, who was heir to the throne. But fearing his son’s incompetence, Hatshepsut’s father came to her with startling news. She was to be Pharaoh, ruler of the greatest empire the world had ever known–provided, of course, that the unprecedented ascension by a woman did not inspire the priests to treason or instill in her half-brother and future consort sufficient hatred to have her put to death.
This is the premise for Child of the Morning, based closely on the historical facts. Hatshepsut assumed the throne at the age of fifteen and ruled brilliantly for more than two decades. Her achievements were immortalized on the walls of her magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahri, built by her architect and lover, Senmut.
Sensuous and evocative, Child of the Morning is the story of one of history’s most remarkable women.
(This summary is from Amazon because my edition does not have a blurb at the back.)
When I first read Child of the Morning, I was enchanted by it. Hatshepsut the tragic, pious she-pharaoh who wanted nothing more than to please Amun spoke to me. Pauline Gedge brought her to life for me and made ancient Egypt so much more accessible. Yet something about her portrayal of Hatshepsut didn’t feel right to me at all. Upon further study of her life, Pauline Gedge’s Hatshepsut does not sit well with me.
Pharaoh Hatshepsut reigned for 20-22 years after the death of her brother-husband Thutmose II. With the help of some great advisors (most notably the enigmatic Senmut), she ruled Egypt justly and kept peace for the better part of two decades, which was no easy feat. Personally, I don’t think Pauline Gedge’s dreamer could have achieved half of what the real Hatshepsut did. But maybe this is just my personal preference mixed with my prejudiced views of history. I do prefer an Iron Lady to an Aida, I must admit.
Other than my disapproval of Hatshepsut’s portrayal, Child of the Morning is excellent light historical fiction. The plot does not speed along, but it is nice and steady. Pauline Gedge has a talent for spellbinding writing and she inserts many authentic details from Egyptian life into her novel.
So what do you think of Hatshepsut? Was she an Iron Lady or a dreamer, as Pauline Gedge portrays her?
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Barnes and Noble.)
In a city of grandeur and decadence, beauty and bloodshed, two boys, best friends, dream of glory in the service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator. The other is a bastard child. As young Gaius and Marcus grow to manhood, they are trained in the art of combat—under the tutelage of one of Rome’s most fearsome gladiators. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldier’s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win. But as Rome is thrust into the grip of bitter conflict, as every Roman prepares to take sides in the coming battle, Gaius and Marcus’s friendship will be put to the ultimate test.
For two thousand years, people have been wondering who Gaius Julius Caesar really was and in his bestselling novel, Conn Iggulden attempts to answer this. Very little is known about Julius Caesar’s childhood and he presents a semi-plausible explanation for what shaped the great general’s early years. While I commend him for his cinematic, dazzling novel, I wish he had not sacrificed historical accuracy for the sake of drama.
Conn Iggulden admits in his ‘Historical Note’ at the end of the novel that he changed how Caesar was related to Marius, when Marius died and even how the dictator Sulla himself died. The first change was completely unnecessary, the second and third were for the sake of drama alone. Many of the changes Conn Iggulden made were unnecessary, but he was writing for the mass market instead of Roman historians.
The character of Julius Caesar is an excellent, well-developed one. His determination to prove himself and his love for Cornelia are all very realistic and make the mythical figure of Caesar into a living, breathing human. The Gates of Rome is a good book for people who do not mind historical inaccuracies and complex politics in historical fiction.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Glamour Glory.)
Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They ruled before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women.
The White Queen tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, who secretly marries the newly crowned boy king. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London. Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another best-selling classic series from this beloved author.
When I received The White Queen as a late birthday present from my best friend, I was a bit skeptical. Historical fiction had bored me up to that point, but Philippa Gregory’s amazing novel forever changed my attitude toward it.
The White Queen is the tale of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman who is recently widowed and fighting for her two sons’ inheritance. She meets the boy king Edward and immediately sparks fly. A whirlwind romance, battle and secret marriage later, Elizabeth becomes Queen of England. Philippa Gregory’s amazing novel chronicles the life of an extraordinary woman who was a secret force behind politics in the late 15th century England.
Elizabeth is a very believable, complex character who makes a wonderful narrator. Her motivations vary throughout the novel, yet she is still sympathetic and readers will root for her the whole time. She truly comes alive in Philippa Gregory’s vivid descriptions of life in 15th century England and the multifaceted politics of the time. There is certainly a reason why Philippa Gregory is known as the queen of royal fiction.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
(Cover picture courtesy of Pepper Ink.)
Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.
Interview with the Vampire is no doubt a classic novel, but it is not for everyone. If you do not like descriptions of graphic sex or admittedly disturbing violence, this is not a book you should attempt to read, regardless of its classic status. I do not like graphic descriptions of sex, so I skipped over these parts, but the violence was unavoidable as this is a true vampire novel. This is definitely a book for older teens to adults.
Aside from some mature content, Interview with the Vampire is a wonderful, slightly disturbing novel. It starts off rather slow, but as Louis’ tale goes on, this book will become glued to your hands. The sensual descriptions, the exotic characters and the authentic historical details are what really make this novel so great. The plot slowly twists and turns until we learn how being a vampire has changed the once mild, innocent Louis de Pointe du Lac. If you’re used to the wishy-washy vampires of today, prepare for a fresh and frightening experience.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.