Here is an archive of my historical fiction book reviews. Although I read broadly, I primarily enjoy reading historical fiction that is set in a period over 50-100 years ago. The traditional “cut off” point for historical fiction is 50 years or more, but to me, “historical” fiction should be older than I am.
In Tudor England, could an abandoned, noble bastard become a murderous, thieving criminal?
Explore this character sketch of James Reynard, a villain of the historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna.
In JR Tomlin’s historical fiction novel Trust and Treason, Sir Archibald “The Grim” Douglas returns home following the disastrous battle at Neville’s Cross. He finds his land overran by the English and fights a personal guerrilla war to to rid Scotland of her invaders. However, he soon finds a deeper treachery, one that forces him to choose where his loyalty lies.
Can an AI “Artist” create a theme-specific cover image or illustrations for a historical fiction novel?
“We sometimes criticize and point the finger at other people who do the same things we did, the things we’re ashamed to talk about.” In the Wall of Tears, author David Kerr offers us a “modern” historical fiction version of ancient biblical history.
I am pleased to announce that the manuscript of the historical novel Sic Parvis Magna, the start-of-series of the Adventures of Francis Drake just crossed 80k words.
Be careful of what you ask of God … as you just might get it.
“…The vastness of the ocean that stretched to meet the sky filled her with a longing to reconnect with the God of the universe. She wanted to feel that closeness and security again. ‘Here I am, God, she prayed. ‘But what am I here for?’”
Had nothing happened, the 8-year-old, ruddy-haired Francis might have followed 300 years of family tradition. He lived in Tavistock, a small village in southwest England. He might have become a tenant farmer, tending to the land and husbanding the animals, or would have followed his father’s footsteps, becoming a preacher, living out his life in quietude and never venturing outside of the village. And history would not have taken a second glance.
But as it pleased the Almighty, the events of 1548 thrust his life in a very different direction. Little did he know that in mere six years, he would be on his way to become one of the greatest mariners, a legendary English admiral, and a feared pirate ‘El Draque,’ the sworn enemy of the Spanish Crown.
How does an effeminate boy that sees fairies survive in rough medieval London? In the historical fiction YA coming-of-age story Airy Nothing, author Clarissa Pattern gives us a wonderful gift. It is a feel-good story of a special boy set in a cruel period of 16th century English history with themes that continue to resonate strongly today.
Historical naval fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna is set in the period of Francis Drake’s youth. There are no records, leaving me to speculate what his apprenticeship was like. In this research post, I explore the ship that he apprenticed on.
In The Heretic Wind, author Judith Arnopp introduces us to Mary Tudor, the daughter of Henry the VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, and the first English Queen in her own right. The book is a fictionalized biography of Mary I (Mary Tudor, whom John Foxe dubs “Bloody” Mary). The historical character is easy to hate… which is why this book is so wonderful—as Arnopp puts us into Mary’s head, we discover…
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