Historical Fiction

Review: The Quieting West by Gordon Gravley

★★★★ The Quieting West

The Quieting West is a quick-moving novel set against the backdrop of the Wild West. It follows the parallel lives of two cowboys, Thomas and Billy, who find themselves unexpectedly swept up into the world of Hollywood as the more conventional work for cowboys dries up. Forced to move from ranch to ranch in seek of work, Billy and Thomas’ talents for riding are quickly sought out by silent movie directors, eager to exploit the men’s experience to employ them as stunt riders.

Billy is a young, agile orphan, unsure of his exact age and wise beyond his years. […]

2017-09-21T09:49:51+02:00September 21st, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

Review: The Moonshine Wars: Or My Life in Kincaid, Georgia by Terry Lee Kincaid III

★★★½ The Moonshine Wars

While it is easy to look at the post-Civil War era through a historical and objective lens, the stories of the families who lived through those times are also fascinating, and vitally important. In The Moonshine Wars: Or My Life in Kincaid, Georgia, author Daniel Micko invites readers to get to know one particular Southern family, and takes the time to tell their strange side of the American story.

Stretching from the end of the Civil War through the end of the Roaring Twenties, this multi-generational tale delves into the Kincaid family business, how they rose to prominence, […]

2017-09-26T02:46:42+02:00September 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Firebrand by Sarah MacTavish

★★★★½ Firebrand by Sarah MacTavish

Firebrand by Sarah MacTavish is an historical young adult novel centered around the American abolition of slavery in the mid 19th century. Saoirse Callahan emigrated from Ireland with her family and ended up in Texas, where their fortunes may not be any better. When a series of fires crop up all over the state, it’s thought to be the result of a slave rebellion, which may only be rumor, and Saoirse wants to get to the bottom of what’s happening, which may just put her in danger.

In a parallel story, Westleigh Kavanagh, a Pennsylvania abolitionist, is sheltering a […]

2019-05-14T09:58:56+02:00May 15th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Review: Brethren (The Villeins Trilogy Book 1) by Jeremiah Pearson

Brethren by Jeremiah Pearson

Brethren is the first book in Jeremiah Pearson’s Villeins Trilogy, a Christian/historical fiction series about a sect of Anabaptists in 16th Century Europe.  Based in the Holy Roman Empire just prior to the Protestant/Catholic wars of religion and amidst the Ottoman/Hapsburg conflicts, this is a fascinating look at the lives of pacifist protestants during the bloodiest religious wars in history.

First, it must be said, the historical accuracy of this novel is astounding. Many historical fiction writers take great liberties with facts in the name of fiction. To his great credit, Pearson does so sparingly enough as to be […]

2019-02-11T09:14:54+02:00April 22nd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , , |

In the Fullness of Time by Katherine P. Stillerman

In the Fullness of Time by Katherine P. StillermanIn the Fullness of Time by Katherine P. Stillerman is an inspiring work of historical fiction, and the sequel to Stillerman’s eloquent first novel, Hattie’s Place. In the first novel, Hattie tries to make her way through early 1900s South Carolina, dealing with sexism, and especially children’s rights, or lack thereof in the early century. In this novel, the concentration is again on rights: specifically, the suffrage movement, and the right to vote.

It may seem strange to call a work of historical fiction “prescient,” but the novel has larger implications given the current historical moment. Given the defeat […]

2017-03-03T01:47:51+02:00March 3rd, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: In the Mouth of the Lion by J. Guenther

★★★★½ In the Mouth of the Lion by J Guenther

Overflowing with rich history and a huge amount of research, In the Mouth of the Lion is a thorough and wildly entertaining piece of fiction based in real fact. Tackling a novel that requires putting yourself in the shoes – and mind – of Hitler is ambitious, to say the least, but Guenther delivers a surprising level of empathy and insight, giving readers a different view of history.

What makes the book particularly effective is its basis in real events. While the story of Carl Jung visiting and diagnosing Hitler sounds fantastical, it’s actually based in fact, as Jung […]

2017-01-31T11:51:18+02:00November 15th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: In the Presence of Wolves by Erick Nason

★★★★½ In the Presence of Wolves by Erick Nason

In the Presence of Wolves: The Adventures of Ranger Jacob Clarke by Erick Nason is a rugged and action-packed adventure.

As military history in America goes, the French and Indian War is perhaps the least discussed, but as Erick Nason so expertly depicts in his novel, In the Presence of Wolves, it was truly a fascinating time in American history. Approximately two decades before the Revolutionary War broke out, America had a very different battle to fight – one against the French and their Indian compatriots. This novel is set in the lush upper forests of New York, […]

2016-09-05T10:05:35+02:00August 23rd, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |

Elephant Walk (The Brigandshaw Chronicles Book 2) by Peter Rimmer

 Elephant Walk (The Brigandshaw Chronicles Book 2) by Peter RimmerElephant Walk (The Brigandshaw Chronicles Book 2) by Peter Rimmer is a rich and entertaining work of historical fiction set in England and Africa. Beginning at the onset of World War I (whereas Book 1 was set in the tail end of the nineteenth century), Elephant Walk finds Harry Brigandshaw settled in the Dorset countryside after graduating Oxford when he receives a telegram, which brings him back to Africa. When his brother is killed in the war, Harry enlists and finds success in the service, but also great danger for himself and his family.

Elephant Walk defines the term “epic.” […]

2016-07-22T09:48:31+02:00July 20th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |
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