Tag: historical fiction

Shelf Control #69 – 08/09/2023

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In today’s Shelf Control post, I am thrilled to share the details of a historical thriller novel originally published in German. There’s no particular reason for translated books making up only a small proportion of my TBR… I just don’t discover them all that often! That means when I do, I get really excited about them! 

Before I share the details of that book, let’s recap what the Shelf Control regular feature is all about!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

The Hangman’s Daughter – Oliver Pötzsch

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller

Pages: 450

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Amazon Crossing

Publication Date: 16 May 2011

 

 

Goodreads – The Hangman’s Daughter

Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman’s son—except that the town physician’s son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father’s wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and there hasn’t been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.

Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.

 

My Thoughts

The Hangman’s Daughter, or Die Henkerstochter, appealed to me initially as it’s a work of historical fiction. However, I’m also intrigued by the thriller and mystery element that takes place within the story.

If you like reading books that feature witchcraft, or speculation of witchcraft, then this should appeal to you as well. I haven’t read very many books from this angle, but I have several on my TBR (both fiction and non-fiction!). Off the top of my head, the only witchy book I’ve read is To Snare a Witch, now titled Bell, Book and Candle. 

The main protagonists in this book may be considered unsavoury, or at least unpleasant to deal with. Let’s face it, if you have business with a hangman it doesn’t look good for you! It’s a unique perspective to take in a book, and if done well, I think there is ample opportunity for character depth and exploration.

The Hangman’s Daughter is quite unlike anything I have read before. I’m looking forward to picking this up and exploring a new period of historical fiction and uncovering the mystery within.

That’s all for today’s Shelf Control post! Have you read The Hangman’s Daughter? Let me know what you make of this book either way in the comments!

 

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Monthly TBR – September 2023

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Hello fellow reading friends! I hope you’re as excited for my September Monthly TBR as I am!

I usually set myself a challenge every month and that’s no exception here! However, this month the stretch is more achievable. The books I set out on this list come out to around 2500 pages in total. Over the course of the month, that works out at needing to read an average of 83 pages a day. That’s about what I’ve been doing anyway.

I do have a small stretch in that in addition to the books shared on this list, I also need to finish my carryover book from August, Wizard and Glass by Stephen King. That adds an additional 400 pages to the monthly total, and ups the daily page count to 97 pages. As I say, a bit of a stretch, but not unachievable!

This month, I have a fairly even mix of fixed reads to pick up, as well as some that I have some freedom to change if I need to. Let’s get into this monthly TBR and take a look at what’s coming up reading-wise…

 

Fixed Reads

My first reading priorities of September are to pick up and finish two blog tour reads. I’m hoping to have both books finished by the 10th of September (at the latest, the first review is due on the 10th). I’ve already made a healthy start into the first and I won’t be hanging around to start the second.

The deadlines then slacken a little, as the remaining books on my ‘fixed’ reading list come from my monthly TBR pick, and a new feature, a book chosen by my Instagram followers.

 

Protector of Mercia

Protector of Mercia is my current read (Wizard and Glass is still ongoing, although I will be reading it around PoM if I can).

Protector of Mercia is the fifth book in M.J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia series. I’ve already read and reviewed the first four books on my blog (review of Eagle of Mercia, book four linked here as that contains links to all prior books). Having really enjoyed the unique perspective these offer, I’ve been looking forward to taking part in that over the latest book… which incidentally was published today.

As I’ve already briefly alluded to above, the review deadline for this book is the 10th of September. With just a few days left before that review was due, I am making all haste through this narrative and enjoying every second of it!

 

The Trail

The next book I will be picking up straight after Protector of Mercia is The Trail by M.A. Hunter.

The review deadline for The Trial comes thick and fast after Protector of Mercia, being just two days later. I’m sure you can see why I’ve put down Wizard and Glass for now in favour of these books. I decided to take part in the blog tour for this book based on the sound of the synopsis. I haven’t read anything by this author before, so it will be a new experience for me. having not read a thriller for a little while, I’m looking forward to a change up in genre as well.

 

Twelve Years A Slave

September’s TBR Jar pick works really well with my goal of reading more non-fiction. I happened to pull Twelve Years a Slave from the jar.

I feel like I featured on my blog not that long ago, but in reality, it’s probably longer than I thought. Already, I’ve downloaded a digital copy of this book from my library already, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in! Although I am familiar with the title, and I know that there has been a film based on this true story of the author, I am very ignorant of what actually happens. It’s for that reason that I am looking to pick this book up.

It offers a perspective I have never read before, and provides the educational aspect that I need. I’m a firm believer that we shouldn’t shy away from even the nastiest parts of our history. How can we learn from such things if we try to hide from them?

 

Priest of Bones

The last book on my fixed reads list of this monthly TBR is Priest of Bones by Peter McLean. In order to choose two books from my reading list, from which to poll my followers, I used a random number generator. This month, my followers had the choice of picking either Priest of Bones, or the runner-up, Killing for Company. I would have been happy with either choice, but I’m excited that this particular book won. I am predominantly a fantasy reader, yet I only have one other fantasy on this TBR (excepting Wizard and Glass once again!)

I suspect I’ll be reading the runner-up selection next month, as I’m keen to get to that one as well. If you want to have a say in my future polls, be sure to follow me on Instagram ahead of the next vote.

 

Mood Reads

 

A Storm of Swords – part 1

One of the things I set out to do earlier this year was to re-read the A Song of Ice and Fire series (aka A Game of Thrones), ahead of publication of the sixth book in the series. There were rumours that this was going to be towards the end of this year, although I’ve heard very little since.

That works out for me, because I am nowhere near as far along with the re-read as I initially planned. Instead, I’ve been picking up some other great reads, and this has fallen by the wayside a little.

In September, I’m going to be reading the first part of A Storm of Swords only. That’s hefty enough at about 600 pages. This is also the longest book on this monthly TBR… by a long shot! More typically, I would read books closer to an average of 500 pages. This month I’m uncharacteristically less at 357!

 

Lost Solace

The one book I didn’t touch at all in August is Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater. I’ve read a number of books related to this main series and reviewed them for blog tours in the past. Lost Solace has been on my backlist to read. Since I didn’t get to this book in August, I am making it the highest priority mood read of the month.

 

The Last Thing To Burn

I’ve been a member of a local bookish group on Facebook for a while, and another member recently suggested starting a book club. There’s nothing set in stone as yet. But, I quite like the sound of the book that’s been chosen. So, I’ll read it in case an event (virtual or not) goes ahead.

 

Summary

As if quite often the case nowadays, I have quite the range of books and genres in this list!

Have you read any of the books listed in today’s monthly TBR? Are any of them on your reading list?

 

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Book Review: The Duke and I – Julia Quinn

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In today’s book review post, I share my thoughts on a book that pushed me out of my comfort zone. The Duke and I isn’t the kind of book I pick up every week. I like my historical fiction, but I’m not usually inclined to pick up a romance.

I read The Duke and I as I enjoyed the Netflix series based on these books. By all accounts, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Romance isn’t a genre that I indulge in very often in any medium. In fact, if I like a book or TV show/film with a heavy emphasis on romance, it is an exception rather than the room. Given that the TV series proved to be an exception, I deliberately chose to take a leap of faith and pick up the first book that inspired the whole thing!

I’m going to be upfront here. Did I love the book? No. Saying that, I didn’t expect to love every single thing about it. For the most part, it lives up to expectations – albeit that those were lower for this book than they are for the majority of other reads, I pick up.

 

The Duke & I – Julia Quinn

Genre: Romance

Pages:

Audience: Adult

Publisher:

Publication Date:

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – The Duke and I

The Duke and I is a romance set in the Regency era.

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…

 

My Thoughts

 

Plot

Daphne is out and looking for a husband. Whilst considered a friend to all elite gentlemen, she isn’t considered by any suitors as wife material. Simon Bassett is a very eligible duke, but cannot stand the attention his position garners from mothers and eligible daughters. They strike up a mutually beneficial pact – for all appearances, they court one another. Simon gets left alone and Daphne’s reputation and eligibility soars by association. What could possibly be a flaw in this plan?

As romance novels go, the plot is solid enough. The book is all about the relationship of these two individuals. Personally, it was a little shallow for my taste. As I’ve already established in this review, The Duke and I isn’t really my kind of book and so my enjoyment was going to be limited by that. I did enjoy how other characters create conflict outside of these pair in the novel. In particular, I like Lady Whistledown. She goes completely against the grain of society itself (being a vocal woman is a no-no), but manages to keep her identity secret.

 

Characters

Of all the characters in the book, I feel I am supposed to most like and relate to Daphne. However, I did neither. I don’t really like her character. Some of that is in part based on her upbringing and the environment she lives in. She is a very sheltered young woman who can be very ignorant most of the time, yet manipulative when she wants to be.

Simon has some small grace. I enjoyed his backstory and the conflict that manifests in the plot in terms of his attitude towards society and starting a family of his own. It’s the most depth this plot gets, which is fine. For an epic fantasy girl, though, it feels quite superficial compared to my general reading tastes. That’s not a criticism because what was done in the book with the space allowed worked, but I just prefer more.

Again, like Daphne, I’m not a fan of his character otherwise. If I had a pound for every time Simon was romanticised as a rake in this book… I’d certainly have enough money to buy the rest of the series if I was so interested, despite the rising costs of today! I’m sure this appeals to a lot of women, but I really don’t understand the attraction or romanticising of this regency era ‘bad boy’. Give me nice and dependable any day of the week!

 

Narrative Style

The opening chapter commentary from Lady Whistledown makes for a fun break from rest of the narrative. Not only do they offer a more objective perspective to the very personal story going on otherwise, but it also gives a wider view of society.

As the narrative goes, it’s easy to read and follow what’s happening. Chapters are a good length and are approachable for all readers.

I appreciate that it is in keeping with the time period and setting, but the inequality and misogyny throughout the book really got my goat. I’m sure you’ve already gotten that impression by now, but just in case there was any room for doubt, you now know my feelings! I can appreciate a thing for its accuracy, but I don’t have to enjoy reading it! That definitely affected my enjoyment of the book.

 

Summary

The Duke and I had elements that I enjoyed, and others I loved less. Overall, it was an average read. If I had to describe it in one word, it was fine.

After reading this one I decided to explore listening to the audiobook of the sequel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, to see if that made for a better experience for me (as an in-between considering I liked the Netflix series). Spoiler alert – it didn’t and I ultimately decided to DNF that book and the series!

Have you read The Duke and I or any other books by Julia Quinn?

 

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First Lines Friday – 18/08/2023

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Good evening friends and welcome to today’s First Lines Friday feature! It’s turning out to be a rather miserable evening, but if we’re being honest, is there better weather for a bookworm? I’ll be cozying in with a blanket, a cuppa and my current read as soon as this post goes live. That’s what you’re here for, so let’s get right to it!

Today’s feature was chosen as a result of a challenge I set myself in last week’s Sunday Summary post – to feature a book from my physical TBR. For today’s First Lines Friday feature, I’m sharing a book by an author I have read once before and thoroughly enjoyed! It was popular a few years ago and features a plot with a Groundhog Day theme. It also has slightly different titles in the UK and US.

Can you guess what today’s book is based on those clues, or who it’s by?

 

Arent Hayes howled in pain as a rock slammed into his massive back.

Another whistled by his ear; a third, striking his knee, causing him to stumble, bringing jeers from the pitiless mob, who were already searching the ground for more missiles to throw. Hundreds of them were being held back by the city watch, their spittle-flecked lips shouting insults, their eyes black with malice.

‘Take shelter for pity’s sake,’ implored Sammy Pipps over the din, his manacles flashing in the sunlight as he staggered across the dusty ground. ‘It’s me they want.’

 

 

 

The Devil and the Dark Water – Stuart Turton

Genre: Mystery / Historical fiction

Pages: 548

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication Date: 06 Oct 2020

 

 

Goodreads – The Devil and the Dark Water

 

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.

But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.

And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.

Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes?

With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

 

My Thoughts…

If you hadn’t guessed the answer to my clues, the book I was alluding to was Stuart Turton’s debut novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (or The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the US). 

I read that book four years ago according to Goodreads, and I thought it was great. Firstly, where had that time gone?! It doesn’t feel like it was four years ago…

With that experience in mind, I didn’t hesitate to get a copy of The Devil and the Dark Water. To be honest, I bought that book without really knowing much about it, other than it was written by the same author. That’s all that mattered. As it happens, I really like the sound of the premise and setting in this book and would have bought it for that reason as well. Having just concluded a series with heavy emphasis around ships and sailing, I’m definitely in the mood for it! Knowing my TBR though, it’ll probably be another four years before I get round to it!

Jokes aside, I’m not going to leave it that long… I PROMISE!

If the book is as cleverly written as the debut, then I have every expectation of enjoying this book. It’s also a great length to be able to enjoy a complex mystery, but without getting bogged down in so many details that I’ll become overwhelmed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s First Lines Friday post!

Have you read The Devil and the Dark Water, or The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? What did you make of either of these books?

 

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Shelf Control #68 – 11/08/2023

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Welcome to a happy Friday! It’s the end of another working week, and today marks the beginning of some annual leave for me! I’m planning to pick up several reads whilst I’m off from the 9-5, but I doubt I’ll make it to today’s Shelf Control feature just yet…

In today’s Shelf Control post, I share the details of a historical fiction novel from one of my favourite periods – the Tudors! Before we get into the detail of today’s post, let’s take a moment to recap what Shelf Control is all about if you’re unfamiliar!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen – Alison Weir

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 602

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: 31 May 2016

 

Goodreads

The lives of Henry VIII’s queens make for dramatic stories and Alison Weir will write a series of novels that offer insights into the real lives of the six wives based on extensive research and new theories.

In all the romancing, has anyone regarded the evidence that Anne Boleyn did not love Henry VIII? Or that Prince Arthur, Katherine of Aragon’s first husband, who is said to have loved her in fact cared so little for her that he willed his personal effects to his sister? Or that Henry VIII, an over-protected child and teenager, was prudish when it came to sex? That Jane Seymour, usually portrayed as Henry’s one true love, had the makings of a matriarch? There is much to reveal …

Alison will write about the wives in the context of their own age and of the court intrigues that surrounded these women and – without exception – wrecked their lives. She will transport readers into a lost and vivid world of splendour and brutality: a world in which love, or the game of it, dominates all.

 

My Thoughts

I am yet to read any books by Alison Weir. She’s a prominent writer in the genre focusing on royalty, and as a result has written several books about the Tudors. On the one hand I’d say it’s a wonder I haven’t picked any up yet. However, considering the constant number of books I want to read, I suppose it’s not really.

I’m looking forward to diving into her Tudor books. Katherine of Aragon is the first book in her Six Tudor Queens series. If I enjoy these as much as I expect to, I’m sure I’ll branch out to other books and periods she explores.

Katherine of Aragon has been on my TBR for a little over five years now. I distinctly remember reading an article in Writing Magazine and discovering her books as a result like it was yesterday. Isn’t it funny what you remember?! If only my memory were that good all the time… I’d forgotten when I started writing my regular Sunday Summary posts on my blog. I was surprised to find a Sunday Summary post mentioning the discovery when I searched for other posts on the book on my blog!

The combination of a new-to-me author and a favourite subject is one that I can’t wait to get to. This book, and potentially the series, are a promising jaunt into a turbulent and interesting period of history!

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Shelf Control instalment!

Have you read any books from the Six Tudor Queens series, or by Alison Weir? What’s your favourite period of history to read about?

 

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Sunday Summary – 6th August 2023

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Happy Sunday everybody and welcome back to my weekly Sunday Summary update post. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week, wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

This week has been a very productive one when it comes to reading progress and on my blog. The end of the month/beginning of a new month are always busy for me. Both my Monthly Wrap-Up post for July and my Monthly TBR for August were shared this week. They are both chunky blog posts in themselves – to prepare and publish.

Not only that, but I also shared a blog tour review on Friday for Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons. If you haven’t already checked out that post, and are a fan of historical fiction novels such as Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom, then Brothers of the Sword should be right up your alley!

 

Books Read

Brothers of the Sword

As I mentioned in last week’s Sunday Summary post, my priority this week was to finish Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons. As I’ve already mentioned above, I took part in the blog tour for this book on Friday. With just a handful of days left until that post, finishing Brothers of the Sword was a must.

I went on to enjoy this book as much as I thought I would! This historical fiction novel, along with the rest of the series, is full of action. There is plenty going on at any given time in order to keep our interest. Not only that, but this isn’t done to the detriment of character development or world-building. Both of these elements are also very much present and make for a well rounded tale. I’ve already shared my thoughts in full in that blog tour post. Rather than giving you a full write up here, I’ll leave the link to that post.

 

The City of a Thousand Faces

Next, I picked up the first book of my August TBR, The City of a Thousand Faces by Walker Dryden. This particular book was drawn out of my TBR Jar on my bookshelf. It has been on my reading list for some time. I’m pleased to say that not only did I start the book this week, but I made my way through all 530 pages of it!

The City of a Thousand Faces ended up being a mixed read. Whilst I enjoyed the setting and political machinations between several characters throughout, there were elements that weren’t so well executed. My main gripe is around characterisation.

The book is told across 100 chapters from a variety of perspectives. Most of these are fine; I actually enjoyed the different perspectives and the insight they gave into a lot of the character relationships. However, there were a few incidences of getting characters mixed up with each other. Daniel and Wolf, for example, had very similar narrative voices and circumstances. I’ve also finished the book being not entirely sure about who the antagonist in the story even was, which is a bit disappointing.

Overall, I the book received a three star rating.

 

Spike: The Virus vs The People

The last book I picked up and made progress with this week was Spike: The Virus vs The People. In my aim to pick up more non-fiction books this year, I have no less than three on my August TBR. The first of those I decided to pick up is, as the title would indicate, about the recent pandemic. It is strange to think that the pandemic kicked off over three years ago now. In some senses, it seems like ages ago, and in others, like yesterday.

As of this Sunday Summary update post, I have made 29% progress through the book. I made the majority of that reading progress just this morning. It’s compulsive reading! Whilst I’m sure there are plenty who wouldn’t feel comfortable reading about the pandemic just now, I am really interested in digging into the detail. It’s weird to think that I have lived through an event that will go down in history and will be talked about for years to come. Not only that, but I’m curious to find out some of the insights the author can give that wasn’t public knowledge at the time events were unfolding.

Given how quickly I’ve been able to make the reading progress I have, I expect I will fly through the rest of this book.

 

Books Discovered

When reading around the book blogosphere earlier today, I found a First Lines Friday post with a featured book that caught my eye. I hadn’t noted down where I saw that post, but fortunately I was able to find it again. The post was originally shared over on Read to Ramble.

I enjoyed the introduction, and the synopsis appealed to me as well. I take part in the First Lines Friday feature on a regular basis myself, so it’s good to see that these posts do inspire books to be added to the reading list. At least, it works for me!

 

Coming Up…

Next week, I will be returning to my usual three post schedule. Whilst I can manage a full post week now and then, it’s quite a lot to juggle!

The first post I will be sharing with you next week goes live on Tuesday. It’s been a while since I shared a Top Ten Tuesday post, and I’m excited for this week’s topic. This week’s theme is to share my top 10 books that I want to pick up as a result of the Top Ten Tuesday Series. The ‘why’ is that my discretion, I just have to share my top ten. I’ll obviously detail each ‘why’ in that post! 

This week’s Friday feature will see the return of a Shelf Control post. If you are unfamiliar with this series, I take a look at my reading list and feature one that’s coming up. I’ll share the details of that book and why I’m looking forward to picking it up. For this week’s post, I will be featuring a book that revolves around one of my favourite periods of history, the Tudors. This will also be a new author for me to explore, but one who is well known and esteemed in the genre.

Last, but certainly not least, I will be back with another Sunday Summary update at the same time next week. I expect to have a lot more reading progress to share with you, as I seem to be on a good run at the moment.

That’s all from me for today’s Sunday Summary update. What have you been reading this week? Are there any books that have caught your eye?

 

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Blog Tour Review: Brothers of the Sword – Peter Gibbons

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In today’s blog tour post, I have the privilege of sharing my thoughts by reviewing Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons.

As always, I’ll take the opportunity here to thank both Peter and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the blog tour and giving me the chance to be a part of it. I had a great time taking part in the blog tour for the first book in the series, Warrior and Protector!

Now, let’s find out more about this latest book in the Saxon Warrior series.

 

Brothers of the Sword – Peter Gibbons

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 312

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 02 Aug 2023

Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

 

Goodreads – Brothers of the Sword

An epic battle where heroes fight and die to protect a Kingdom from Viking invasion…

991AD

King Aethelred the Unready’s Kingdom of the English is threatened. Olaf Tryggvason and his fleet of Viking warships snap at the coastal edges like ravenous wolves, and Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes, has landed in East Anglia with an army of battle-hardened warriors.

Ealdorman Byrhtnoth of Essex must stand against them faced with overwhelming odds, forging his legend in the blood of his deadly enemies.

By his side, his Thegn, Beornoth, a brutal warrior and savage Saxon fighter is torn between his need to protect his loved ones, and his duty to fight for his Lord.

As the Vikings raid and slaughter, Beornoth is forced to fight for the survival of his oath sworn

brothers, his Lord, and the Kingdom itself when all roads lead to the fateful Battle of Maldon.

Can Beornoth protect his people and survive one of the most famous battles of the Viking Age?

A thrilling story, packed with war, vengeance and visceral combat.

 

Purchase Link

 

My Thoughts…

Plot

Following on from the earlier books in the series, Warrior and Protector and Storm of War, we are once again thrown into an action-packed novel. The life of a Saxon warrior is never a quiet one. Especially not for someone as reputed as Beornoth.

As ever, Vikings continue to raid and plunder throughout the kingdoms of now England. Despite attempts to pay the Vikings off to leave, these bloodthirsty men keep returning to English shores. It is Beornoth’s duty to cast them back into the sea.

I’m sure it goes with the territory with this book and setting, but it’s only fair to mention that the narrative in places is quite violent and in some places, graphic. I personally enjoyed this level of description, although I appreciate it may not be for everybody. I knew going into this book that it was going to feature a lot of war and battle scenes.

 

Setting

If Viking troubles weren’t enough, ongoing internal political conflict throughout the kingdoms divert the attention of those warriors who would protect the innocent. The particular time period this book’s set in is around the time when England first started to operate as a single country rather than independent kingdoms. It is apparent that this is still a recent development in the books as there are still shadows of division present, both in the events of the book, as well as the attitudes of characters. Although a work of fiction, Peter Gibbons incorporates historical elements in an interesting, but still informative way.

There is a lot of travelling that takes place throughout these books, and that gives us the opportunity to appreciate how vastly different locations were at the time. From established, fortified burhs to small villages on the roadside, a slightly geeky side of me enjoyed experiencing the architectural and technological advancements ongoing at the time. Compared to our modern day life, it seems very primitive. Even still, the descriptions are beautifully vivid, and so help immerse you into Beornoth’s world.

 

Characters

Beornoth was established as a multi-dimensional character from the first book. Even still, he continues to grow throughout the series. He is a well-known Saxon warrior, renowned for his skill and courage in fighting to protect Saxon land. He has his fair share of troubles. Having suffered at the hands of Vikings as a younger man, he detests those who would cause harm to others. And he fights against them savagely, and doesn’t shy away from putting himself in danger in order to try and protect others.

Even so, he is far from an altruistic character. Hellbent on revenge, a character from the second book (whom Beornoth deliberately debilitated in the previous book), makes a real appearance in Brothers of the Sword. Beornoth’s actions in Storm of War come back to haunt him, as the circumstances of the maiming of this character have spurred the Vikings into trying to dominate the Saxons for good… more savagely than ever!

As with all people, Beornoth is multifaceted and at times, morally grey. It makes him a very plausible character in terms of motives and understanding how he thinks, as well as allowing for growth in learning from his mistakes. Overall, I really enjoy Beornoth’s perspective on events. Whilst he may not be perfect, he more often than not has the best of intentions.

 

Summary

Brothers of the Sword is an exciting sequel to the Saxon Warrior series. I’m really enjoying the amount of action and conflict present throughout each of the books. The events of this particular book show that the author does not pull his punches – something I really enjoy. It’s more exciting to read a book if you don’t know if everything will work out in the end. In every battle scene, I was questioning whether my favourite characters were going to make it out alive. After the heat of battle, I couldn’t help but wonder what was next on the horizon for the survivors!

 

Author Bio

Peter Gibbons is a financial advisor and author of the highly acclaimed Viking Blood and Blade trilogy.

He comes to Boldwood with his new Saxon Warrior series, set around the 900 AD Viking invasion during the reign of King Athelred the Unready. He originates from Liverpool and now lives with his family in County Kildare.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petergibbonsauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/AuthorGibbons

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/petermgibbons/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PeterGibbonsNews

Monthly Wrap-Up – July 2023

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Happy August friends and welcome to my monthly wrap-up post for the month of July! As always, I set myself a colossal TBR and didn’t get around to all the books on it, but that’s okay. I still read a decent amount. I’ve also taken time out to enjoy doing other things as and when I wanted.

Let’s take a look at what I read in the last month!

 

Books Read

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea

I started off the month of July by finishing one of the last reads I picked up at the end of June. The House in the Cerulean Sea was a heartwarming read that I didn’t know I needed, but I was a big fan of. I talk about that book a little bit more in my June wrap-up, if you’re interested.

I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative, characters, and how invested I got in the book. It’s an experience that I’ll be looking to repeat when picking up more books by T.J. Klune.

 

Death at the Caravan Park

My next priority in terms of reading for July was to pick up Death at the Caravan Park by Susan Willis. I agreed to provide a review for the recent blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.

In part, I decided to pick it up because it has been a little minute since I picked up a cosy crime. It’s not a genre I read a lot of, but it was a change that was well received. The setting of the book was quite relatable to me in that it was set in a seaside town. Living on a small island, I’ve never really far away from the sea myself! I’ve also stayed at a caravan park before, and I have known characters very similar to that in the book.

If you want to check out my full thoughts on that book, here is a link to my blog tour review post.

 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Having read and enjoyed another work of fiction that largely features mental health recently, I was excited for this book to come out of my TBR Jar. If you’re not familiar, I have a jar on my bookshelf, full of scraps of paper with book titles from my reading list to pick from randomly.

July’s pick ended up being Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I was also quite pleased that this book finally made it onto the reading list as it has been on my radar for the last five years. It was probably one of the oldest books on my reading list at that point, so it was about due to come up!

Whilst I had an idea that the book revolved around mental health, I didn’t really know much more about it. Aside from that, it has a gripping plot with intriguing characters and takes you on a journey you don’t expect. I enjoyed this book so much that I read pretty much the second half of it in one day! I’d ended up arriving early for a hospital appointment (just a routine check, nothing sinister) so I started my reading that day while sat in my car waiting. I continued to read all that evening until I was finished. Just don’t ask me how late to bed I was that night…

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is it very easy, five-star rating for me, and arguably, it was one of the best books I read in July!

 

Storm of War

Although not strictly for a blog tour itself, I picked up Storm of War by Peter Gibbons as I am reviewing the next book in the series later this week. With this in mind, I had to catch up on that first.

The events of Storm of War follow on quite nicely from Warrior and Protector. I was able to pick up the story and characters very easily, and the action packed narrative we saw in that first book definitely carried through!

If you enjoy historical fiction set in 10th century Britain, then the series is definitely one I’d recommend picking up. The narrative style is nice and easy to get on with. I also enjoy the amount of action and political machinations in the book. I feel there is a perfect balance to feel authentic for the period, and keep us guessing what happens next.

Storm of War set the foundation nicely to be able to pick up my current read, Brothers of the Sword.

 

Cytonic

Drawing with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson was also one of my favourite reads of the month. This third instalment in the Skyward series is, in my opinion, the best so far! That’s not to detract from the previous books, because they have laid down a lot of the groundwork that enable us to get stuck in with Cytonic.

Each of the books so far have been quite different in terms of the setting and plot arc. I’ve enjoyed each of them for different reasons, but I really invested into this latest narrative. Spensa is finally discovering who and what she is, and more about the universe around her. Having spent her life previously as an isolated young woman, there is only so far Sanderson was able to take the world building. There has been a lot of teasing and unveiling in order to keep us interested, but in Cytonic, everything blooms!

Also, I’m happy to have read the book and be caught up with the series, although I’m even more excited about the fact that this won’t be true for long. The next book in the series, Defiant, comes out in November!

 

Brothers of the Sword

As of the end of July, I just finished up my read of Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons. As I’ve already mentioned above, I am due to be reviewing the book very shortly for the upcoming blog tour.

Even though I enjoyed Storm of War, I can very happily say that I enjoyed Brothers of the Sword even more. Without giving anything away, the author definitely isn’t pulling his punches on the events of this third book in the series. Set in a brutal time period where Vikings and Saxons clash amongst each other, there is always lots of action and plenty of risk to have us questioning the safety of characters we have come to love. In my opinion, the action scenes are written very well in order to balance action with detail to make for a vivid experience.

I finished Brothers of the Sword just in the nick of time for this monthly wrap-up! Well, I finished it at about 12:10am this morning, but that was before I slept for the night. In my eyes, that counts!

 

Summary

Once again, I didn’t get to the end of my ambitious reading list. I’m okay with that though! I set the list as a way of trying to push myself, but I don’t beat myself up if I don’t finish either. The truth is, I’ve enjoyed the reading experience I’ve had this month. Yet, I’ve still allowed for other hobbies and things I need to do.

It’s not going to stop me from setting another ambitious reading list in the next couple of days… let’s be honest! At least I have some time off during August to make a considerable attempt at it.

So, here concludes my monthly wrap-up for July 2023! Have you read any of the books I have featured in today’s list? Have any of them caught your eye to pick up for yourself? As always, I’d love to have a natter in the comments or on social media, so let’s chat!

 

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Sunday Summary – 30th July 2023

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It’s the end of another week (and sadly, weekend) so you know what time it is! It’s time for this week’s Sunday Summary post! Let’s dive into my review of the week just gone.

My first published post of the week was a review of one of my favourite reads in 2022 (and ever, to be honest). Although I’m not a vampire girly, I really enjoyed Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. If you check out my review, you’ll see why you might just love it too!

On Friday, I shared my next Well, I Didn’t Know That! post. The topic of this week’s post was a little bit different; I discussed my feelings regarding Twitter and the upcoming changes to the social network site, and how I may be re-considering my use of the site in future.

 

Books Read

 

Cytonic

As of last week’s Sunday Summary post, I had just finished my previous read, Storm of War. So, I started this week with a brand-new book! I decided to pick up Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson as I was keen to continue with the Skyward series. I picked up the second book of the series, Starsight, earlier this year and really enjoyed it. As I’m looking to try and read up on more sequels this year, Cytonic fit the bill.

I enjoyed the plot of this latest instalment, more so than the earlier books. This is in part because we’ve already laid out the foundation of the world and events in prior books. They have all worked together really well, and I’ve enjoyed how they’ve taken a different slant each time. This latest book had plenty of action and a story arc and characters that I was invested in.

I finished this book on Friday this week, so I am officially up-to-date with the series… at least until November. In November, the sequel Defiant is due to be published. I can imagine I’ll be picking it up before too long!

 

Brothers of the Sword

The next book I picked up this week is Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons. You may recall that I read another book by Peter Gibbons earlier this month, Storm of War. That’s because I am due to be reviewing Brothers of the Sword next week. In order to do so, I had to catch up with events in the second book of the series before I could read and review the third.

As of this Sunday Summary update, I am 54% into the book. I’ve made quite a lot of progress with this just over Friday night and through the weekend. I really enjoyed the events that have taken place so far in the book, and I’m invested to see what happens next. Obviously, I need to shake a leg and finish this book in time for my review on Friday. As things stand, I have every confidence that I will finish this book in the next day or two. My Kindle gives an estimated reading time of just two and a half hours to finish the book. I’m hoping to get half of that done tonight before turning in. 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added no less than three books to my reading list this week. I don’t feel so bad about one of them, as it is a sequel to series I am already reading (and may have just alluded to above). The other two books I’ve added are both non-fiction books, but are very different in topic and were found by very different means.

 

Defiant

The first book I’ve mentioned is of course Defiant by Brandon Sanderson. On the one hand, it is good to be able to tick Cytonic off my TBR. However, it wouldn’t be an accurate reflection to leave Defiant off the list. I definitely want to read this book, so I this addition will net off Cytonic’s completion.

 

The Success Code

The next book added to my reading list is as a result of a cheeky browse through WHSmith’s book sale in my local store on Monday. There wasn’t over much that caught my eye, and my wallet is grateful for that.

However, I was intrigued by The Success Code. As well as trying to finish and/or read more sequels this year, I’m also trying to read more in the way of non-fiction. I’m not averse to a bit of personal development, and I’m hopeful I can find some advice in this book, that will prove useful to me.

 

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia

The origin of this book recommendation is a little unusual. I follow a brand called Snag Tights on Instagram. Something I value about them is how body inclusive they are. It’s rare to see products modelled by larger women… and I mean genuinely larger women. Media is full of stick thin models, or at an absolute push, a size 16 or 18 women who in my not so humble opinion, shouldn’t even count as ‘plus size’. You never see bigger than that.

Snag are different. They aim to advertise their products using models in the same proportions as represented in society. For example, if 40% of women in society are obese, that percentage is used in their marketing. I think it’s a great idea. As a larger woman myself, it gives me the opportunity to look at different products on models that are actually my size. Not only that, but I like how their products are designed with size 24 as the baseline. Normally clothes are designed on skinny people and then scaled up, and that doesn’t always work.

This is kind of besides the point, because I’m here to talk about the book that they recommended earlier this week. In their Instagram feed, they shared a great write-up on Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. I can’t say that this idea has ever crossed my mind before, although I have no trouble believing it either. Given that I am clearly uneducated on the subject, I decided to add this book to my list to change that! It also happens to be another non-fiction – again, a focus for this year.

 

Coming Up…

Next week I’m in for a marathon run. The end of the month, and the beginning of a new month, is always busy for me. Not only do I have the usual wrap-up and new reading list to share, but this month I also have a blog tour book review to share!

I’ll be kicking off the week on Tuesday with my reading wrap-up for July. As always in these posts, I’ll be talking about the books I read throughout the month and telling you some of my thoughts on those!

On Thursday, a day earlier than I would usually, I am going to share my reading list for August. I can’t believe we’re nearly in August already … but there we are! As always, I’m going to share an ambitious reading list in the hopes that I can make a dent in it. I have some great books coming up, and also some time off the 9-5 in which to enjoy them. I hope you can join me for that post!

On Friday, it is my scheduled slot for the blog tour of Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons. As I’ve already mentioned in this post, I will be reviewing that book for the tour. If you’re interested in historical fiction novels around 10th century Britain, full of clashes between Saxons and Vikings, then you’ll definitely want to read my review on Friday.

Last, but certainly not least, I will be back at the same time next week with another Sunday Summary update.

For now though, that’s all for me in today’s Sunday Summary post. What have you been reading this weekend?  Do you have any reading recommendations for me?

 

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Sunday Summary – 23rd July 2023

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Good evening – I hope you’re looking forward to this week’s Sunday Summary post!

As always, I’ll quickly re-cap the blog posts I have shared this week so far before going into the books I’ve picked up this week. The first post I shared this week was a discussion post. In that post, I featured my favourite tropes in the fantasy genre.

On Friday, I shared a First Lines Friday post. The book I chose to feature in this post is the beginning of a series that I have been itching to try, but I’ve been holding off. As I want to try and continue with and/or finish more series this year, I’ve deliberately not started this one yet. I can’t say I’ll hold out for too much longer, but I’ve tried!

 

Books Read

 

Storm of War

The only book I have made progress with this week is Storm of War by Peter Gibbons. As of last week’s post, I had made just 10% of progress into the book. I was already intrigued having enjoyed the first book of the series last year. I’m reading the second book as I need to read and review the third book of the series, Brothers of the Sword, on the 4th of August.

I finished reading Storm of War tonight, just before I started drafting this post. I enjoyed this follow up to the series and I’m looking forward to starting the third book very soon. I am going to give myself a quick break in between by picking up a completely different genre. Then, I’ll be back into the series once again!

 

Books Discovered

On Monday this week, I finally added a fantasy book that I have been reading a lot about on Twitter – Illborn. The book has about 1,500 ratings several hundred reviews on Goodreads. With an average star rating of 4.2 stars, it’s full of promise! I’m really intrigued by the synopsis and I would love to give it a go! At just over 700 pages, it is every aspect an epic fantasy book… which I love!

 

Coming Up…

For the first blog post of next week, I plan to review one of my favourite reads of 2022 – Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff. The next book in the series is due to come out in February 2024. I will definitely be getting myself a copy of that as soon as I can to read it!

On Friday, it is the turn of my Friday feature, Well, I Didn’t Know That! In this feature post, I try to share some alternative media other than books, and to share things I’ve learned between each post. As of yet, I haven’t christened the topic of this week’s post. I’ll be crunching ideas over the course of the week, and all will be revealed on Friday!

As always, I’ll return for another Sunday Summary post at the end of the week. I’m hoping for more in the way of reading progress next week, as July is fast ticking away and I still have a few books I want to pick up before the end the month.

That’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary update post.

Do you have any suggested content you’d like to see from me? Are there any books you would like me to read and review, or any feature posts you’d like to see?

 

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