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book reviews |
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Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Mercedes Rochelle introduces us to the fourth volume in “The Plantagenet Legacy” series, “The Accursed King”: What happens when a king loses his prowess? The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosy—God's greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry's health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray him—reducing this once great warrior to an invalid. Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn't willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogative—not even Prince Hal. But Henry didn't count on Hal's dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.  I am a big fan of the author. Her books about all of these kings are so good! I confess that I zipped through this stuff in history class and was so happy when it was over. Mercedes has turned that all around for me. I really enjoy historical fiction and stories from history. She takes the old and withered bones of history and brings them to life in a compelling and dramatic way! Her descriptions of traveling through towns on the way to battle or negotiation are first rate. She accounts for weather, geography and other impediments to human activities whether benign or nefarious. Some of the historical characters are well known, others not nearly as much. She gives them all their proper due and allows them to be real humans, flaws and all. While the action sequences are quite good, the dialogue is what really locks it in for me. Whether you like history or a political thriller this book is for you!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Accursed-King-Plantagenet-Legacy-Book-ebook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-accursed-king-mercedes-rochelle https://www.goodreads.com/-the-accursed-king You can follow the author: http://www.twitter.com/authorrochelle http://www.mercedesrochelle.com http://www.mercedesrochelle.net I have reviewed other books by this author: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-usurper-king https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/a-king-under-siege-book-one-of-the-plantagenet-legacy-by-mercedes-rochelle https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-kings-retribution https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/godwine-kingmaker-part-one-of-the-last-great-saxon-earls-by-mercedes-rochelle https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-sons-of-godwine https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/fatal-rivalry-by-mercedes-rochelle Tags: history, biography, fiction, medieval, European, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France, historical, biographical, Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction.
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Multi-volume, historical fantasy fiction author, Jay Veloso Batista introduces us to the first volume of the Forerunner Series, “Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse”: THE 2020 WISHING SHELF BRONZE MEDAL WINNER! Viking legends, unforgettable characters and authentic history combine in an exciting series starter! Vikings and Saxons, ghostly curses, witches and soothsayers, dangerous were-creatures and a young boy who must find his courage! Danelaw life is good! Practicing martial skills, grumbling over chores, listening to scary stories and shadowing his brothers everywhere, Finn is a normal boy of ten in the Viking Kingdoms of ninth century England. A bit timid, his father plots his apprenticeship while the family prepares a grand wedding. Off to the North, his uncle sails home after years of exile. And unbeknownst to all, the ghost of an ancient mage sits sentinel over his clan freehold. But when a witch’s curse comes alive, a mishap turns young Finn into a vardoger, haunted by his own forerunner ghost. Suddenly thrust into a new realm beyond Midgard, Finn struggles to be a boy by day and a ghost at night. His own clan fears him, he overhears murder plots, he learns the truth of giants and the hidden folk, and the witch still hunts revenge… Will Finn find the courage to defeat his enemies, save his uncle, and accept his new half-ghostly existence? Don’t miss Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse, first book of The Forerunner Series by Jay Veloso Batista.  This is such a good story. I was quite captivated by Finn and his Viking brothers and sisters. The author has such a good eye for detail that brings the story and the characters to life without burying me in extraneous information. I love the dialogue and the plotting was very exciting. Finn comes across as an ordinary, ninth-century, Viking boy looking for adventure. He finds far more than he expected when he sneaks off with a big brother and a friend to investigate a local legend about a witch. If you like a touch of the supernatural and are interested in legends of old you are going to love this story!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Thorfinn-Witchs-Curse-Forerunner-Saga-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-thorfinn-and-the-witch-s-curse https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thorfinn-and-the-witchs-curse-jay-veloso-batista My review of the second book, "The Vardoger Boy": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-vardoger-boy My review of the third book, “On Viking Seas”: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/on-viking-seas My review of the fourth book, "Kara, Shieldmaiden of Eire": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/kara-shieldmaiden-of-eire You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/JayVBatista https://www.jayvelosobatista.com http://www.amazon.com/author/jayvelosobatista http://www.facebook.com/jayvelosobatista http://www.instagram.com/jayvelosobatista https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jay-veloso-batista https://www.goodreads.com/JayVelosoBatista Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction A sequel to The Black Douglas TrilogyMulti-volume, multi-genre author introduces us to her latest work of historical fiction, “The Douglas Bastard” is the sequel to the Black Douglas trilogy: King Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas are dead — and Scots once more must fight for their freedom. Young Archibald, the Black Douglas's bastard son, returns from exile to a Scotland ravaged by war. With treachery and danger on every side, he must learn to sleep with a claymore in his hand and one eye open because even his closest friend may betray him... Content warning: violence against a child  This is a marvelous book! I love historical fiction it’s my third favorite genre. Books centered on the United Kingdom are particularly attractive to me because much of my heritage comes from there. The author has taken a minor figure and walked with him through the major events he would have faced and been involved in. She did a great job! I love how she wove so many minor details of daily life into the story. I felt I was right there with Archibald. His struggles with being the bastard son of a noble included repeated bullying by his peers. He held his own with even odds. The fights, jousts and war scenes were brutal like daily life for most people. The dialogue came across quite real. This is a great read and I award 4.9 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Douglas-Bastard-Sequel-Black-Trilogy-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-douglas-bastard https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-douglas-bastard You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/TomlinJeanne http://www.jrtomlin.com http://jeannetomlin.blogspot.com I have reviewed another book by the author: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-wayward-alliance Here is my review of another of Tomlin's books: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-lion-of-galloway Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
December 2023
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