The Highland Witch (entitled Corrag or Witch's Light in some countries) by Susan Fletcher is based on the events of the 1692 Glencoe Massacre of Clan MacDonald, told from the perspective of a outsider named Corrag. The massacre occured after the MacDonald Clan swore their oath (albeit by a forced hand) to King William "too… Continue reading Review: The Highland Witch by Susan Fletcher
Most of us know Homer's famous Iliad and the stories/myths therein. Helen of Troy is perhaps one of the most famous characters in this epic poem--"the face that launched 1000 ships." Despite Helen being a main character, Homer's epic largely focuses on the perspective of the male heroes of the story--like Hektor, Menelaus, and Agamemnon.… Continue reading Review: Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
Book 6 in Julia's Brannan's Jacobite Chronicles, Tides of Fortune, is a worthy conclusion to the epic series. The final installment was engaging, enthralling, compelling, and filled with suspense if Alex and Beth would finally discover the truth and reunite. Alex and Beth, still thinking the other dead, seemingly start new lives--albeit a far cry… Continue reading Review: Tides of Fortunes by Julia Brannan
Book 5 in Julia's Brannan's Jacobite Chronicles is a harrowing and daunting journey that more than makes up for the misfires of book 4. Pursuit of Princes follows Beth and Alex, thinking the other dead, struggling in the aftermath of the Jacobite defeat at Culloden. While Alex and his clan fulfill their blood oath of… Continue reading Review: Pursuit of Princes by Julia Brannan
The Storm Breaks, book 4 of the Jacobite Chronicles series, follows Alex and Beth MacGregor during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and the events leading up to and including the fateful Battle of Culloden. While book 4 is largely on par with the rest of the series, there are large portions that feel more general, big-picture… Continue reading Review: The Storm Breaks by Julia Brannan
Julia Branna's third book in The Jacobite Chronicles series follows Alex and Beth MacGregor as they settle into the double life of their marriage. In London, they remain Sir Anthony Peters and Lady Elizabeth, while their true selves are known in Scotland as the MacGregor chieftan and his wife. The Gathering Storm sees Alex and… Continue reading Review: The Gathering Storm by Julia Brannan
Right Back Where We Started From by Joy Lanzendorfer is a sweeping and complex multi-generational story set against the backdrop of an evolving America from the mid-19th century to WWII. In a way, it's also a love letter to the state of California and all the multitudes contained therein: the glamorous mystique of Hollywood, the… Continue reading Review: Right Back Where We Started From by Joy Lanzendorfer
Becoming Leidah is a magical realism tale set in 19th century Norway, a time and place still deeply entrenched in superstition, in which the clash between the Norse Paganism and Christianity was still culturally present. The narrative, rather than linear, moves between past, present, and future in mirroring the three Norns of Norse Mythology--the sisters… Continue reading Review: Becoming Leidah by Michelle Grierson
Stephanie Dray does it again with this epic gem of a historical fiction novel highlighting three amazing women. The Women of Cheateau Lafayette weaves their lives together; the women bound by the Chateau Chavaniac-Lafayette, the home of American Revolution war hero the Marquis de Lafayette. In the 18th-century, we follow Adrienne de La Fayette (nee… Continue reading Review: The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
The Mask Revealed by Julia Brannan, book 2 in the Jacobite Chronicles, picks up right where book 1 left off. Beth Cunningham, after uncovering a startling secret, must put the pieces of her life back together within its new context. Soon after, Beth and her new husband journey to Italy and France where they… Continue reading Review: The Mask Revealed by Julia Brannan
