book review, historical fiction

Review: Daughter of Strangers by Maybelle Wallis

Daughter of Strangers by Maybelle Wallis rounds of the trilogy which began with Heart of Cruelty and was followed by The Piano Player. The third book in the Doughty trilogy, Daughter of Strangers relegates William and Jane to the background and focuses instead on William's colleague from Dublin, now in New York with the Doughtys,… Continue reading Review: Daughter of Strangers by Maybelle Wallis

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Women of Artemis by Hannah Lynn

In the vein of Claire Heywood and Jennifer Saint, Hannah Lynn's Grecian women retold books re-imagine Greek mythology and legend from the perspective of the women central to, or little mentioned in, these classic tales. The Women of Artemis opens with Otrera as she and her abusive husband move to a new town. Otrera soon… Continue reading Review: The Women of Artemis by Hannah Lynn

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Vengeance by Emma Newman

The Vengeance by Emma Newman takes place (presumably) during the early 18th-century from the Caribbean to pre-revolution France. Newman's story begins aboard the pirate ship Vengeance with Morgane and her relation Captain Anna-Marie. The Vengeance continually pursues and sacks ships of The Four Chains Company (a fictional East India Company), the Captain seeming to have… Continue reading Review: The Vengeance by Emma Newman

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Huntress by Kate Quinn

The Huntress by Kate Quinn opens in 1950 Boston where Jordan McBride must contend with her mysterious new step-mother, Anna. Jordan's love of and talent for photography expose a darker side of Anna, causing Jordan to try to dig deeper into Anna's cloaked past. Meanwhile in Vienna, English journalist Ian Graham and his associate Tony… Continue reading Review: The Huntress by Kate Quinn

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

In The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of Square of Sevens, richly-paints another 18th century story a reader can easily immerse oneself in. Newly widowed Hannah Cole owns a confectionery shop in London, this fact being somewhat scandalous both on account of a woman being the sole owner of a business and… Continue reading Review: The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

book review, historical fiction

Review: Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

For as much as I enjoy Jurassic Park (the movie,) I've actually never read any Michael Crichton but have always intended to. I randomly stumbled across Dragon Teeth, released posthumously, which centers around the "bone wars" of early paleontology in the 1870s American West. Dragon Teeth follows 18-year-old William Johnson of Philadelphia, a Yale student… Continue reading Review: Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

book review, historical fiction

Review: Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips follows a family though the American Civil War from its start to tenuous post-war reconstruction. The novel begins in 1874 West Virginia with young ConaLee and her mute mother Eliza being taken to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum by a man known only as "Papa," but who is not, in… Continue reading Review: Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a 17th century tale concerning the Vardo, Norway witch trials. If you think this sounds familiar, that's because The Witches of Vardo by Anna Bergman features the same subject matter. While there are some shared character names and similar beautiful writing styles, the stories themselves are quiet different.… Continue reading Review: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

book review, historical fiction

Review: This Savage World by Anna Housego

This Savage World by Anna Housego opens in 1770s London where young Maggie Bloodworth is trying to make her way in a city unforgiving to the poor. She is taken on as an apprentice midwife and eventually learns her trade with enough skill to stand on her own two feet. As Maggie's life progresses, she… Continue reading Review: This Savage World by Anna Housego

book review, historical fiction

Review: Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry

Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry follows professional violinist Sofya ("Sofi") and her teenaged granddaughter Yelena ("Lena") as they navigate the events leading up to, during, and after the brutal and infamous 1941 Siege of Leningrad . Having rekindled her old love with Admiral Vasili, Sofi gains valuable insider information that war is coming.… Continue reading Review: Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry