Historical Fiction | Self-Publishing Review

Land of Kings (The Britannia Chronicles Book 2) by Virginia Weldon

The mythology and mystery of ancient Britannia are brought vividly to life in Land of Kings, the second installment of Virginia Weldon’s Britannia Chronicles.

A decade after Regan, Valerius, Cara, and Alana’s lives first collide, peace feels like a distant dream and there are still many battles on the horizon. Regan, having honed his impressive battle skills in the gladiator pits, returns to Britannia with his freedom intact, fire in his belly and a singular goal of reuniting with the woman he loves. Meanwhile, the rebel forces of the island nation are amassing under Queen Boudicca, and Alana and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-07-22T10:49:51+02:00July 22nd, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction|

Review: When We Were Brave by Karla M. Jay

The stories of World War II often focus on battlefield heroics and the history-shaping decisions made by famous leaders. However, scaling this global conflict down to a more intimate level can also be immensely valuable, which is precisely what author Karla M. Jay has done in her new work of historical fiction, When We Were Brave.

Three very different storylines grow and artfully wind together in this sometimes harrowing read: a recently emigrated family sent back to Germany, an SS officer wrestling with a crippling crisis of faith, and a young Jewish boy just beginning to understand the cruelty […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-12-02T04:21:48+02:00July 22nd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Karla M. Jay, World War II|

Review: Paladin (Firebrand Book 2) by Sarah MacTavish

Secrets are at the heart of Paladin, Sarah MacTavish’s inspirational work of historical fiction for young adults, and the second book in the Firebrand series.

It’s the spring of eighteen sixty-one. The country’s torn in half by those in the South who don’t want slavery to end and those in the north who find the concept despicable – so when Lincoln calls men to arms, four friends from Dove Hollow, Pennsylvania rise to the call.

Jack, Westleigh and Allison have their own reasons for joining, but collectively they’ve made a pact to protect the fourth member of their group. […]

Marta Cheng2019-06-07T11:12:44+02:00May 16th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Sarah MacTavish, Young Adult|

Review: Ripple Effect: Because of the War by Jenny Ferns

Some of the most traumatic and impactful events in human history are tied to war, which tears apart families, history, ideas and entire continents with their senseless brutality. In Ripple Effect: Because of the War, the first book in the Ripple Effect series, author Jenny Ferns steps down from the macrocosm of the battlefield to the peripheral effects of violence and chaos away from the frontlines. As this book’s title implies, the long-term results of war go much further than those who were wounded or killed.

Veronica and Rachel are sisters, although they both fell on opposite sides of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-20T05:17:04+02:00April 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, World War II|

Review: Across the River (Furnass – The Civil War Years) by Richard Snodgrass

In Across the River, author Richard Snodgrass creates a vivid and intensely personal story couched within the chaos, madness and sacrifice of the Civil War. The two main characters are involved in a clever plan to turn the tide of the war for the South, but there are countless obstacles that stand in their way, including one another.

Walker and Reid are an unlikely pair who don’t seem to like one another all that much, but they’re both driven by loyalty and sincere belief in their cause…at first. They have been tasked to cross into enemy territory and acquire […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:18:40+02:00March 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Military, Richard Snodgrass|

Review: Sophia’s Storm by Cara Skinner

The past meets the present in Sophia’s Storm, a gripping historical novel written for young adults by Cara Skinner.

It’s fourth of July week during the summer of 79. Sixteen-year-old Sophie Reiter and her extended family have assembled at her grandparents’ Galveston beach house for their annual week-long get together, but this year’s gathering is bittersweet, due to the passing of Sophie’s beloved Great Aunt Sophia last November at the age of eighty-nine. Her great aunt had died before she could tell Sophie about the most terrible time in their family’s history: a time when Galveston was nearly destroyed […]

Marta Cheng2019-04-18T12:27:55+02:00March 22nd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Young Adult|

Review: Koa Kai: The Story of Zachary Bower and the Conquest of the Hawaiian Islands by D.R. Pollock

Adventures and misadventures on land and sea are at the heart of Koa Kai: The Story of Zachary Bower and the Conquest of the Hawaiian Islands, a fascinating work of historical fiction by D.R. Pollock.

Zachary “Zach” Bower is the youngest of three sons born to Martha and Matthew Bower. Despite his intelligence and affinity for learning, Zach’s future working on the family farm seems a foregone conclusion until fate intervenes, resulting in the untimely death of Zach’s beloved mother. His grieving father decides to honor his dead wife’s last wish to ensure that their youngest son continues his […]

Marta Cheng2019-03-11T12:55:44+02:00March 6th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: D.R. Pollock, Historical Fiction|

The Burning by Devin K. Asante

A fanatical obsession leads to deadly consequences in The Burning, Devin K. Asante’s chilling work of historical fiction.

The year is 1666. Sixteen-year-old, Agnes Wilmore, has lost her three younger siblings to the plague before arriving in London, hoping to make a new life for herself. Almost as soon as she arrives, she’s raped by Robert Hubert, a tavern barkeep, who’s immediately infatuated with her. She’s rescued by Thomas Farrier and his wife, who hire her as their live-in caretaker for their three young children.

Agnes fervently hopes she’s seen the last of Robert but with each passing day, […]

Marta Cheng2019-02-18T10:57:17+02:00February 17th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Devin K. Asante, Historical Fiction|