I haven't gotten into the habit of reviewing non-fiction books, as I often find them hard to review in the same way I review fiction. Nevertheless, I will try to make more of an effort to do so. Never Caught seems like an exception to me, though. Dunbar has written what I would classify… Continue reading Review: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
The Terror by Dan Simmons tells the bleak, brutal tale of the doomed 1845 Franklin Expedition in which the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus sought to traverse the Northwest Passage. While historically we know that all those on the expedition perished likely from starvation, exposure, scurvy, cannibalism, etc, Simmons offers a horror/supernatural twist to… Continue reading Review: The Terror by Dan Simmons
Enchantress of Numbers tells the true story of [Augusta] Ada Byron King, the daughter of the famous poet, growing up in the shadow of the famous father she never knew. I admit I did not know much about Ada or Byron historically, so it was certainly interesting to read how liberal and pioneering Ada and… Continue reading Review: Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini
See my review at the Journal of the American Revolution!
The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston tells the story of a magically gifted mute woman, Morgana, and her new husband by arranged marriage, Cai Jenkins. Although the back cover blurb claims this book takes place in the early 19th century, it felt almost "pan historical," and more fantasy. There are only details here and there… Continue reading Review: The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston
A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett is a fast-paced story spanning 18th century Scotland, London, and Virginia. We follow Mack McAsh and Lizzie Hallim, both strong-willed, independent people from differing socioeconomic classes. Mack has been born to the harsh life of coal mining; young men often yolked to a mine and landlord for life… Continue reading Review: A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell tells the story of young Mozart's relationships with the four Weber sisters beginning in 1777 Manheim, Germany. The Weber family follows the patriarch's direction in the appreciation of and vocation in music. They host musical nights every Thursday at their home, and it is on such a night that the family… Continue reading Review: Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell
As we well know, Captain Phasma was grossly underused in The Force Awakens. We were teased with marketing hype for this amazing-looking character, and what we got was a glorified extra who was implausibly bested by a rookie trooper with a blaster. Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson rights what TFA got wrong, or rather, what it didn't… Continue reading Review: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson
I don't know how I didn't discover Beverly Swerling until now, but wow--Shadowbrook was right up my alley! Scouring Amazon for 18th Century fiction paid off! Shadowbrook takes place during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), and for anyone who doesn't know, I have an obsession with the Daniel Day-Lewis version of… Continue reading Review: Shadowbrook by Beverly Swerling
Inferno Squad by Christie Golden is the prequel to the highly anticipated Battlefront II game, and follows the conception of the elite Imperial Inferno Squadron and its first undercover mission. What's interesting about main character Iden Versio and Inferno Squad as a whole is the idea of humanizing the Empire. Through Iden, we come… Continue reading Review: Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden
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