book review, historical fiction, history

Review: Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler

Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler reimagines Lady MacBeth pre Macbeth. An heir to the crown of Alba with Pict heritage, young Gruoch lives her life according to a prophecy made by her Druid grandmother that she will inherit the crown and be remembered for ages to come. Gruoch is often blinded by this prophecy, even… Continue reading Review: Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler

book review, historical fiction, history

Review: Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard by Sally Cabot

Benjamin Franklin's Bastard by Sally Cabot begins in 1730s Philadelphia with Deborah Read meeting Benjamin Franklin. Their brief courtship is cut short when Franklin journeys to London for a time. When he returns, he meets a tavern serving girl named Anne. While Deborah and Benjamin are obviously historical figures, Anne is not. Rather, she is… Continue reading Review: Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard by Sally Cabot

book review, historical fiction

Review: Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore

Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore has been on my to-read list for a while, and I'm so glad I finally read it, because I loved it! Set in 1760s Boston, the novel follows Scottish painter Stewart Jameson (and his lovable Great Dane Gulliver!) and "fallen" woman Fanny Easton who disguises herself as a… Continue reading Review: Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson begins in 1730 with seven-year-old Red, daughter of a cunning man, as they travel the Cornish countryside telling fortunes. Red is knowledgeable of the mystical "Square of Sevens," a type of tarot card fortune telling using playing cards. But when Red's father dies and she is taken in… Continue reading Review: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Flight of Anja by Tamara Goranson

The Flight of Anja by Tamara Goranson, book 2 in the Vinland Viking Saga, is the sequel to The Voyage of Freydis. Anja Freydisdottir, daughter of Beothuk hunter Achak and Greenlander Freydis, comes of age on Greenland's shores without ever knowing the truth of her parentage and birth. Anja believes Freydis is her adopted mother,… Continue reading Review: The Flight of Anja by Tamara Goranson

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Fascination by Essie Fox

The Fascination by Essie Fox follows twins Keziah and Tilly Lovell in Victorian England. Identical in countenance, except Tilly stopped growing as a child. Marketed as a traveling "freakshow" by their own abusive father to sell his snake oil cure-all, the twins soon draw the attention of the mysterious Captain and the curious Theo Seabrook.… Continue reading Review: The Fascination by Essie Fox

book review, historical fiction

Review: Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee

Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee is set in 1620 in Lancashire and follows Sarah, a young woman from an outcast and destitute family known for their "cunning." Each woman in her family is marked by the devil, has a familiar, and has knowledge of herblore to make and sell remedies to the nearby village that… Continue reading Review: Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee

book review, historical fiction

Review: The voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson

The Voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson is a retelling of the Viking age Icelandic Saga about Freydis Eiriksdottir, daughter of Eirik and sister of Leif. Goranson positions Freydis in a loveless, physically and emotionally abusive marriage with the powerful landowner Thorvald in Gardar, Greenland. The depictions of abuse, both mental and physical, are explicit.… Continue reading Review: The voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson