Something new for historical novel readers
590309
Extremely interesting and different historical novel. Well written with intriguing characters.
204790
Well.. I was quite surprised at the length of this novel when I received it. The book itself is huge. It required a lot of reading so I was hoping it would turn out to be a great book! Let's see now .. I adore historical fiction, I wouldn't say it's my favorite genre, but I love books set in a historical time. It helps me learn more about the time and place it took place - we should have these novels in educational settings instead of giant textbooks which teach us nothing.

I haven't read too many novels on icebergs, actually I haven't read any novels based on this setting. The only thing close to it I've seen is the movie Titanic. The concept itself is really amazing - two teens on a iceberg. Rebecca and Samuel cross each other's paths and change each other's lives in various ways. Rebecca discovers Samuel when she saves him from a shipwreck. Finally, we have a novel where the heroine actually saves the hero, instead of vice versa. I liked the relationship they had with each other, it was intriguing. Rebecca and Samuel are basically opposite attracts. Samuel is quite different from Rebecca and her family. The author sure has a fine eye for imagery as well, I liked reading about the various  landscapes and scenes. It was vivid in detail, and I could literally picture the places in my mind.

I liked that this novel wasn't solely a love story. Seldom Come By also focuses on the Canadian War experiences and the hardships people suffered, as well as the nation. It is about family, forgiveness, and consequences. I found it to be a beautiful read.

As I have said before, the book itself is quite lengthy and takes a while to finish even if you're a fast reader like I am. Perhaps, it would have been better if the book was more shorter. I loved reading about the descriptions, and vivid imagery in this novel. I felt as if I was with the characters as well. This is an amazing read, it's something different yet fascinating. I would give it four stars.

Disclosure: Ebook was sent free of charge from the author via HF Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
2570456
I was really inmpressed by Nancy Bilyeau's first novel.  It had everything that I love in a good historical fiction book.  It was an exciting read from the very beginning with a mystery that had me guessing until the very end.  It is filled with lots of history and interesting facts from this famous time in history, the reign of Henry VIII.  There are some great characters in the book that really move the story along well, the most important being Joanna Stafford.  I loved reading about Joanna and all of her many adventures, she is smart, brave, and always struggles to do what she thinks is right.

One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was that it is a story about England during Henry VIII's time, but Henry is not a main character in the story at all.  It was nice to read about some other people that were important players at this time as well.  I particularly liked reading about Bishop Gardiner, he was so complex and devious I spent a lot of time trying to figure out his motives and real goal.  The two monks that are sent to help Joanna are also interesting characters that kept me wondering if they were truly good monks or had an agenda of their own.

This is story filled with action and suspense and kept me up late into the night so I could find out how it ended.  It is a complicated mystery with several layers of history and clues to go through to understand how everything comes to a satisying conclusion in the end.  I highly recommend it to any historical fiction fan, especially for those who enjoy reading about the Tudor's but is looking for something a little bit different.  I am definitely looking forward to the next novel by this new  author.
4711020
I love historical fiction and have never really read anything from this time period.  I found this book to be interesting, and it compelled me to google the characters. It was all in line with fact, and was a good "novel" type of read,based on history I would recommend it to others, and would read more by this author and about  this time period and the factual historical characters in this book.
1542162
very interesting historical novel with a few twists and turns along the way - a fun read for sure.
3594757
Great book that got me interested in historical novels - I normally stick to horror and fantasy.  I did find it a tad bit longer than I felt it needed to be, but I can see how that can easily happen when wrapping up the lives of 4 very interesting women.  Not sure if this is the appropriate place but if anyone who normally reads these types of books has similar recs, Id love to hear em!
3502690
Commanding nothing more than the average knowledge on Henry VIII and the somewhat scandalous marital history surrounding this particular ruler, I picked Kings and Queens mainly because I've been enjoying this author's other novels. It was a strange idea to me - a modern-day parallel on the famous life of a powerful man quite a few centuries removed. Yet, I figured that the book would be enjoyable anyway, because I loved this author's style, no matter the subject.

Well, what a surprise!
An avid reader of historical fiction in me was purring with delight, while the regular consumer of good fiction just enjoyed herself enormously. It WAS an account on Henry VIII coming to the power. If not for the modern-day setting I would say this book could be classified as a perfect historical fiction. But the modern-day parallel made it into something incredibly special. A new genre? Maybe. Why not? We do have alternative history and historical fantasy these days. Why not a parallel history?
Because having checked with Wikipedia and read the author's delightfully readable article following the well recorded events, I found that I learned much history and plenty of interesting detail reading this book. And in the most pleasant of ways, too! From Harry, the head of the huge real estate company, the "king"; through Cathy, the head of HR (Catherine of Aragon), the alluring electric Annette responsible for the company's PR (Anne Boleyn), and the rest of them, the six wives, all different, everyone a character in itself, perfectly modern, perfectly real, but reflecting on their historical prototype in the most detailed of ways, including their adventures, their affairs, their deaths even. This was the sort of the story I never ran along into, the history buff in me satisfied as much the regular reader!
Highly HIGHLY recommended :-)
3085898
I love historical fiction, and especially historical fiction based on the Tudors. Though the Tudors have a colored history that reads better than most fiction. However, I couldn't resist the first book in a new series based around the Tudor court, Wolf Bride.

Eloise is a young lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn. In this story, Anne is near the end of her life and is no longer a favorite of Henry VIII. Henry's eye is roaming for his next conquest. Before Henry can ensnare Eloise, her father comes to court to marry her off to someone she has no desire to wed: Lord Wolf.

From the beginning their 'courtship' is unusual. They meet under awkward circumstances, but from the very first kiss, Eloise is intrigued by her future husband. However, Wolf is kinda a jerk. He's been hurt in the past, so he takes it out on Eloise. Also, he's very insulting to her without even realizing it. Her manners are gentile and hiss are rough. It's a great contrast. In fact this book reminds me a bit of Taming of the Shrew. But you'll have to read the book to figure out which one is the shrew.

There were times that I really liked the characters and story line, but there were also times that I didn't. The thing I enjoyed most about this book is the historical aspect. The characters, however, were another story. Sometimes the characters seemed inconsistent with what the author was trying to portray. Their motivations seemed inconsistent and it left me confused and irritated. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read. I plan to check out the next book, Rebel Bride, before I make any hard-and-fast decisions on whether or not to continue with the series.
1867134
I received this book as part of the GoodReads FirstReads program and it was one that I was fairly giddy to have won.  As a fan of historical fiction generally and "Upstairs Downstairs" specifically I was more than ready to enjoy this one.

On the good side the book gives us a wonderfully open portrayal of the behavior of the landed class at the time.  No secret is too dark, no behavior too perverse to be placed on display.  We're introduced to some of the notable personages of the time and the scene is littered with tidbits of historical amusement from the Boer Wars to steam powered autos.  Weldon also treats us to a myriad of period vernacular that causes us Midwestern types to scramble for our dictionaries.  If nothing else it's worth reading just for the language.  Organizationally the book's short (almost tiny) chapters are each date-headed and titled helping the reader keep track of a sometimes tangled chronology.  This is the sort of book you can take in small bites if you need to and come back without losing much of the thread of the narrative.

On the other side, there's just not quite as much story as one would expect from a period piece.  Readers who anticipate a Classical level of detail from this novel are bound to be disappointed.  It is a novel very much boiled down to its nucleus, a traveling sideshow rather than a museum piece.  Additionally, while our author uses some amusing bits of language they do at times seem forced and inconsistently timed.  Her characters whip out a colorful phrase about every 20 pages and then revert to current standard English until it is once again time to find an appropriate period idiom to insert.  As the current vernacular so aptly puts it, "go big or go home"; if your characters drawl along in Cockney rhyming slang in chapter 1 then they'd best do so for the duration lest purists like me complain about it in online reviews.

To summarize, Weldon's novel is a cute period piece but it's a period piece written for the masses.  Bibliophiles who have come to this novel as a modern break from perusing Austen would be advised to understand that this is a novel written for an audience less accustomed to the complexities of Classical literature.  Readers are also advised to take a page of notes on the dramatis personae as they are introduced.  Personally I had some difficulty sorting out the rather homogeneous nomenclature of the various characters involved.
614059
Katherine Parr seems to be this year's hot ticket as far as the Tudor historical fiction goes. I've seen at least three new novels focused on Henry VIII's last wife, and more seem to be popping up regularly on my Amazon recommendations. This one started off with a bang. Katherine's second husband, Lord Latymer, is on his deathbed, in extreme pain, begging Katherine, who apparently has great knowledge of herbs, to euthanize him. Shortly after his passing, she and her stepdaughter are called to court and put into the service of Mary Tudor, the king's eldest child. Almost simultaneously, Katherine falls in love with the dashing but unscrupulous Thomas Seymour and is chosen as Henry's next queen. When duty calls, love must wait.

Most of the novel follows the historical course of events--with, of course, some speculation and embellishment. Katherine is a sympathetic but somewhat dull figure, but, fortunately, Fremantle develops some very interesting secondary characters who keep the story going. Dr. Huicke, the king's physician, is sent to Latymer's sickbed. He admires Katherine's strength, diligence, and cunning in herbology, and the two become close friends, to the point where the two even share some dangerous secrets. Fremantle also develops a side story focused on Dorothy (Dot) Fownten, a maid first to Katherine's stepdaughter and then to her. Dot, a keen observer of human nature and devoted to the queen, provides insights into the historic events and persons and even has a romance of her own.

Although I love historical fiction, I prefer mine to have a bit more history and a lot less schlocky romance--which, unfortunately, is where this novel heads in the last third or so. Still, it was a fast and fairly enjoyable read. Fremantle provides an appendix to the book that I know I will return to in working on my own novel. It includes not a brief "who's who" list of the historic figures but also a very fine list of resources.
1165841
I have never read historical fiction before, and generally find myself reading novels by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child, Jeffery Deaver, Michael Crichton and similar authors.  However, I really enjoyed this book by a man whose family I had the honor of meeting recently.  I found myself really interested in the lives of the characters and looking forward to each time I could escape for a while and read.  Considering the size of this book, it only took me a little over 2 weeks to finish it in between taking care of my family and work, since it kept my interest (sometimes into early the next morning).

The story starts in Kansas (Dodge City), but quickly moves to Texas for the majority of the book.  Two cowboys, Tom Schurtz and Luke Stuart, meet in Dodge after cattle drives and decide to head south together since they're heading in the same direction.  Once at the Stuart home, Luke and his wife Elizabeth share a plan to homestead in a 'secret' canyon, only seen by those native to the area--Escondido canyon.  Tom agrees to partner with them and a family member, Andy, goes with them and they move to and start building and living in this Texan eden.  They encounter surprisingly few challenges until others start moving into the same area.  I won't share more than this since I don't want to be a spoiler, but from this point I flew through the book and am anxiously awaiting the next installment of this three part series. The integrity of the Stuart family and Tom Schurtz was also a refreshing aspect of this novel and I found myself thinking a lot about my Catholic upbringing and my uncle in Puerto Rico (who is a missionary priest there).

I'll admit, the historical backgrounds intrigued me, but there were times I tended to lose interest, hence the 4 stars.  Again, this may be just me and my lack of historical reading.  However, this has encouraged me to consider reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House' series that my daughter received as a gift a few years back and so far has had no interest in reading.  I'd like to read more about pioneers while I wait for Ritzer's next book, so that's probally where I'm heading next.
257008
This book was recently entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:

Title: Scenes From A Life
Author: Richard Abbott
Star Rating: 4 stars
Number of Readers: 15

Readers Comments
Wonderful setting, vividly described. A very enjoyable read. Female reader, aged 55

A fascinatng historical novel. I felt I enjoyed an interesting novel and learnt a great deal about a past Egyptian civilisation. Male reader, aged 44

This is not a fast-paced thriller. The historical setting and the extent to which the author shows it to the reader hurts the pace of the novel. However, many readers want that. They don't want Dan Brown with lots happening on every page. If you enjoy historical novels and you enjoy immersing yourself in a different world, this is for you. Female reader, aged 44

This author knows Egypt. Pity he populated his story with so many characters. Its like Picadilly Circus! And the plot is slow and not particularly exciting. However if ancient Egypt is your thing. If you want to know how they dressed, what they drank and how they talked, this is for you. But page-turning thriller it is not. Female reader, aged 68

Stats
Editing 7/10
Plot 5/10
Writing Style 8/10
Cover (title, design) 5/10

Of the 15 readers:
5 thought the cover was good or excellent.
9 would read another book by this author.
10 suggested working on the pacing in the first half of the book
15 thought the setting was the best part of the book.

A fascinating step back in time. The Wishing Shelf Awards
2597543
I read The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron last year, the first in this Hidden Masterpiece series, which was a fantastic debut novel. Like that first novel, A Sparrow in Terezin includes Sera as a common character. The dual storyline keeps the reader turning pages, following circumstances of both. The historical details and setting descriptions are fascinating and obviously well-researched. The reader can easily visualize both worlds in this story.

I found that, if I had to choose, The Butterfly and the Violin might be my preferred novel. Kjas story in A Sparrow in Terezin is fascinating, emotional, and hard, as well, though the symbolism of the sparrow didn't seem as inclusive as symbolism in the first novel. The author did an excellent job of creating Kjas world changes, in Prague early on, in London as she settled into a new way of life, in London as the Blitz occurred, and later within the heart of German-occupied Europe. Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of this story was the inspection of good and evil, and how good and beauty could be found even when surrounded by immense evil.

Between these two novels, readers get a strong sense of two different perspectives of the terrors of World War II. I recommend fans of historical fiction reading them both.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange or my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
4939566
If you are looking for a lovely historical fiction book for a teenager, especially one from a new author, The Queen's Soprano is definitely for you! As a fan of historical fiction, and a person interested in studying history in general, it is a disappointment that there aren't more books available in this genre for young adults.

This book was refreshing in subject matter, as Rome in the seventeenth century isn't something one learns about in school. I myself had never heard of virtually all the primary figures described in the novel, and am now glad that I have. It provides a sort of snapshot of a young girl's life, and is full of detailed descriptions as vivid and lovely as the dress on the cover. However, although the information included is interesting, the story is much more centered around the main character, Angelica Voglia, than it is historical facts. Don't read that the wrong way, everything is, to my knowledge, completely accurate. However, this book is first and foremost, written for the character and her story, and serves more to inspire further research on the topic rather than give all the historical information to the reader. All in all, the book is a snapshot of Angelica's life.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The story and storytelling are highlighted more so than they would be if the book was written from the perspective of say, Queen Christine, who is an important figure in the novel, which would have probably shown more of a change over time of policies and rules. However, choosing to write the story from the perspective of Angelica allows a deeper look into the everyday culture of the time period, and makes the book seem more like a story of a struggling protagonist, with whom the readers can possibly relate to, that just happens to be occurring in a culture different from their own.

The pacing of the novel, I felt, was well done. As far as content goes, parents should know that there are several suggestive parts, and one section that is intense and could be especially upsetting (it is intentionally upsetting to any reader) to more sensitive readers, but nothing is explicit.

In conclusion, I would recommend The Queen's Soprano to lovers of historical fiction in at least 7th grade, especially fans of Susanne Dunlap, who are looking for a sparkling story that delves deeper into the personal side of a more obscure bit of history.
2503642
Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. She simply knows how to take important personalities in history and weave their stories into something easy and enjoyable. With her novels, it feels like we get the story behind the story and that's what I've always found fascinating about her work. Changeling is completely different from anything I've ever read from her... and I'm unsure whether that's a good thing.

While there are certainly still historical facts sprinkled into this book (especially about the time period and the crusades), the focus of this book is what's entertaining. The reader gets to see supernatural encounters, and the darkness of the paranormal that Luca takes on for his mission. The paranormal aspects are really what make this story pop, and make it stand out from other historical fiction.

Honestly, if I hadn't read a lot of other supernatural/paranormal YA, I probably would have enjoyed this one more. While I thought the basic set-up and plot was really interesting, it merely ended up being good. I was entertained as I read it, but I certainly wouldn't call this one a favorite. Plus, the fact that there were apparently two separate story lines (one at the nunnery and one with the werewolf in the village) was slightly confusing.

Luca didn't really strike me as a character I loved, but I do find Lady Isolde slightly more fascinating. I liked learning more about her origins as a rich man's daughter, and what happened to put her in her circumstances. Apart from these two, I enjoyed some of the secondary characters - particularly Ishraq and Freize, who were definitely different from everyone else included in this book.

While Changeling was certainly fun to read, and I honestly enjoyed it, I still prefer Gregory's adult historical fiction novels to her YA series. I admire her for writing for a completely different audience, but I'm unsure as to whether or not I will be continuing on with this series.
4334237
I have read very few books that are set in China, or anywhere in Asia for that matter. Although I love historical fiction, and I am open to most historical eras, China's history never really grabbed my attention. More than likely this is because I had never been introduced to a novel set in historical China that really got my interest. I came across this novel as I was looking through the new arrivals on Netgalley's historical fiction list, and I thought I would give it a try. I find the history of courtesans, concubines, prostitutes, etc. extremely interesting, especially in the 1800's or earlier. The Courtesan by Alexandra Curry started out a little slow for me, but I really started to get into it about a quarter of the way through. I really liked learning more about China's history, especially this subject of China's history. Sai Jinhua overcame so much in her life, This was an extremely harsh time in China's history, especially for women. The fact that Sai Jinhua was a real person from history made this novel even more interesting to read. Obviously much of it is fictionalized, but much of the historical aspects are true.
The author did a great job of bringing this woman to life, and giving her a voice. I love historical fiction novels that deal with women who once were alive. So little was recorded about a woman's life by the predominately male historians, so novels like this really give me a glimpse of what these strong women may have been like. I recommend checking this book out if you are a fan of historical fiction.
3393308
I really enjoyed reading this translated historical novel from it's original German author Durst-Benning.  It kept my interest and learned a bit about the seed trade from the 1800's in Europe.  There is enough richness described from the viewpoints of each of the main characters and I enjoyed the writing style.  It's always a bonus to have a believable strong leading woman character when reading historical fiction.