Review of The Price of Blood by Patricia Bracewell
My review of Patricia Bracewell’s The Price of Blood. Queen Emma of England in 1006 faces Vikings, a self-destructive husband and illicit love. Excellent, dark sequel to Shadow on the Crown.
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Judith’s Reviews
Review of Rodin’s Lover by Heather Webb
A Review of Heather Webb’s historical novel, Rodin’s Lover, about Camille Claudet, a talented sculptor who had a tumultuous relationship with Rodin and eventually declined into madness.
Review of Knossos by Laura Gill
Knossos, by Laura Gill, takes the big view of the history of Crete, unfolding the years between 1900 and 1200 BC in a series of interrelated, extended stories.
Review of A Day of Fire by Stephanie Dray, Ben Kane, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, Vicki Alvear Shecter
A Day of Fire is a collection of six interconnected stories set in Pompeii on the day Vesuvius blew up. The stories immerse us into a variety of strata of Roman life in this iconic city and build a rich palette of characters.
Review of Tita by Marie Houzelle
Review of Tita, a novel set in 1950’s South of France: Tita is not an exercise in blind nostalgia for a lost past. It is a rich and warm, yet open-eyed portrait of a place and time just beyond our current reach. It’s a book worth savoring.
Review of A King’s Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman
Sharon Kay Penman’s epic novel of the latter part of Richard the Lionheart’s life, A King’s Ransom, engages in some literary alchemy.
Review of Sea Witch: The First Voyage of Captain Jesamiah Acorne by Helen Hollick
Review of Helen Hollick’s Sea Witch: a rich pirate yarn with magic mixed into the ships and battles–oh, and a love story.
Review of Blade of the Samurai by Susan Spann
Susan Spann’s second historical mystery, Blade of the Samurai, is set in medieval Japan and has several unpredictable twists for its two “sleuths,” a Portuguese Jesuit priest and a shinobi assassin. Highly recommended.
Review of Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner
Kanner has filled in the sparse Biblical account of Noah, telling the story of the flood from the point of view of Noah’s wife, and thus creating an extended modern midrash.
Review of The Promise by Ann Weisgarber
Set in Galveston in 1900, The Promise brings us inside two utterly different women’s voices and experiences as they cope with upheaval, loss and love. A masterful book.