Not exactly historical...
345470
Some points of this book vary vastly as to what happened during the time period of the French Revolutionary War, but we must remember that this is a work of fiction. As a work of fiction, I find it quite good. Again, I wish for more accuracy, ahem, as in both in the bedroom and in the streets but overall the story was romantic enough.
1853514
This read too much like a history lesson to me. Not what I was expecting. It's not POORLY written, per se, just not my cup of tea.
4001418
First of all, I appreciated that the author was very clear about the fact that she essentially just made most of the history up in her end notes - that way no one will think this was realistic.  The bare bones of the story (insignificant German princess, convert to Orthodoxy and Russia, favored by the Empress, Peter's lack of maturity, her mother's scheming) were there, and if you're not hung up on history, you can really enjoy the period flavor.

Although it lacked a lot of historical accuracy, it was a fun read.  It moved quickly, and had interesting moments.  Sophie/Catherine has stupid moments, but she is a teenager.  Overall, I thought characterizations were okay.  I got it while it was free, but I doubt I would play for sequels.
4626500
Not overwhelmingly dense, but also not a quick read.
3460866
The book is not bad, however, the author goes to historical information more than rituals. The rituals itself aren't much describe or have lack of information. I wanted more....
5889
As others have noted, this is different than Michener's usual historical fiction.  It's a travel book.

That is fine, but I'd vote for more history and less  on churches and bullfighting.
4662035
I liked it but the historical inaccuracies kind of disappointed me , thought it should have been a bit more accurate
4853541
I've read Priest by Sierra Simone and really enjoyed the writing so I was exciting to read something historical from her as I was really in the mood for a good historical.  While I did enjoy some of the story, it fell flat for me because it didn't feel very historical.  If you're into erotica, you will very likely enjoy this series as it's mostly sex with a little story thrown in.  Had the plot been more developed, I would have enjoyed it more.

I will certainly say the sex scenes are quite steamy and the characters are likeable.  So don't be dissuaded by my three stars, just keep in mind this is far more erotica than historical in genre.
1511336
Although it is not directly about an actual Revoluntionary Way event, it is a good read with a good number of historical facts....my kind of reading...do not like "history books", but do like historical fiction....keep on reading.
3828866
Perhaps more so than in his previous novels, A Murder on the Appian Way by Steven Saylor is really the telling of an historical (and epoch-making) event in ancient Rome with just a bit of fiction to sew it all together.  Our fictional sleuth Gordianus does very little here, which is sort of a shame (..in previous Saylor novels we've grown to love him and his family).  But the reader does gain a lot of insight to what made ancient Rome the way it was, for better or worse.
The actual murder (of Clodius) on Applian way is not terribly interesting ... it's more of a reckless accident.  But the political turmoil it creates is most interesting, and ultimately very upsetting to the Roman citizenry.  Many readers might find all this political in-fighting to rather dull, which is understandable.  However Saylor fans who have already read through his previous works should find it to be interesting enough.
Bottom line: historical fiction that is heavy on history, light on fiction.  Not Saylor's best, but the events told were truly historical.  Recommended.
694616
I did enjoy reading about some of these characters, their interactions, and the depictions of life during this time period; however, I'm not sure this is appropriate for a fiction. And that's exactly what this is - a fiction in every respect. I would have enjoyed reading about fictional characters of this time period, but to bring in real people and give them personalities and actions that contradict writings of the time is a misstep. I can't quite recommend Flerlage's book, but I wouldn't completely disparage it either so I'm giving it a three-star review.
3655677
Briefly, these books are not Scripture and it is not difficult to discern why, once reading them. However, as historical counterpoint to Scriptural prose, they lend an interesting perspective, even if some of the narrative is a bit "over the top."
1678802
I really enjoyed this book. However, it kind of reads like a history book so im not sure that every reader will enjoy it as much as I did.
4784218
I was interested in this time period, and this book provides some images of it that help to place it in the mind. It seems, though, to have extraneous material in it. It wandered, but then, it suggests that people wandered after the fall of Rome, and didn't know quite what to do. Probably true.

I'm not sorry I read it, but if there were more to follow, I would not continue with it. The characters were not captivating, and I wasn't wanting for more...
4672864
Nice, but doesn't quite live up to its potential. Many of the Then/Now photo pairs are from very different angles or distances, and so the contrast between eras is not always as dramatic as it could be. Don't wanna seem like a stickler, because it's a decent book, but if you are a real fan of Chicago and/or its history, you may find yourself wishing "why didn't they send a photographer to the exact same spot that this 1908 photo was taken from?" as you flip through the pages. The then/now technique has been done recently with more "wow" elsewhere, but until someone creates that book, this one's ok.
4303452
mostly it's about the author justifying his position and comparing it to other historians.  I was interested in reading a book with some detail and new insights.  This book is more for those highbrow historians and not so much for someone like me who was looking for another history about the Civil War.
31957
Not as flowing as I had anticipated.  Lots of repetitive pages and not very "exciting".  Great history lesson but not a
flowing historical novel!