Books We Love (Or Not)

This literary historical/time-travel novel is set in medieval and modern-day France. Amateur archeologist Alice Tanner is working on a dig in the Pyrenees when she unearths a hidden cave containing an altar, human remains, and a mysterious ring that may hide the key to the Holy Grail. The quest draws her back to the bloody Crusades of twelfth-century France and another young scholar, an herbalist named Alais, whose pursuit of the truth oddly mirrors her successor’s. But Alice is not the only historian who seeks the Grail, and her rivals will kill to obtain it.

I’ve been eyeing this one on the bookstore shelves for a while, and now I wish I’d read it sooner! As a general rule, I sometimes don’t enjoy parallel narratives with chronological breaks that skip backward and forward in time. In addition, I’m often not a huge fan of first person point of view, nor—gasp!—the occasional present tense narration. But, despite all these factors, I lost myself in this book. The relatively unknown historical setting, featuring the horrific Crusade against the Albigensian heresy in France, is bloody but fascinating, and the contemporary villains pursuing the Grail are brilliant and complex. The narrative thread is strong and easy to follow despite the breaks in chronology, while Alice/Alais is a highly likable and resourceful heroine. A powerful romantic subplot gave me another reason to love the story. For you romance readers out there, never fear—a happily-ever-after ending is guaranteed.

I recommend this beautiful, complicated, and unconventional story to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, religious mysteries like those featured in Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCI CODE, and a certain literary lyricism in their prose. Let me know what you think about this one.

In this elegant historical novel, clever Eloise Rousell is a noblewoman’s illegitimate daughter–a gifted seamstress to Protestant princess Elizabeth Tudor. When Elizabeth’s strict Catholic sister, Bloody Queen Mary, takes the throne, the queen’s ruthless persecution of heresy threatens highborn and common alike. When Elizabeth is arrested, Eloise too is imprisoned in the Tower of London and risks a heretic’s death. Now Eloise must step carefully, trusting only the alluring but mysterious Lord James Colby, if both women are to survive the queen’s malice.

I found this a fascinating read for several reasons. Ashley is a well-known romance author who holds an M.A. in English literature, and has only recently ventured into historical fiction. Her expertise and love of the Tudor period shine through in the writing. Unlike some historical novels, the pacing in this one remains brisk throughout, the heroine strongly likable, and the conflict lively. The satisfying romance between Eloise and Colby adds warmth and sensuality to the tale. Somewhat unusual in historical fiction, the romance-sized page count (an easy 323 pages) contributes to a very fast read. And I was impressed with this author’s appealing and authentic yet accessible historical voice—something I need to work on in my own writing.

Ashley has also written Anne Boleyn’s story A LADY RAISED HIGH, another story I deeply enjoyed and recommend to readers interested in the Tudor period, under the pseudonym Laurien Gardner.

Set in Victorian England, this historical mystery is written in the tradition of Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters. Widowed Lady Julia Grey is attending a holiday house party in an isolated manor, snowed in with her eccentric family, when a guest turns up murdered. Then Julia’s spectacular Grey Pearls disappear, along with her spinster aunt. To solve the mystery, Julia must join forces with her old flame, cynical but seductive detective Nicholas Brisbane—before someone else turns up dead.

This story is a delight that any lover of historical mystery or historical fiction is certain to satisfy. Constant twists and turns continually surprise the reader (and Julia, although Nicholas always seems one step ahead of the game), and the story unfolds with the intricacy of a peeled onion, layer by layer. Multiple villains—all of them colorful, and some definitely more malignant than others—keep the story lively. The chemistry between Julia and a fiercely-resistant Nicholas provides an enjoyable romantic subplot, while quirky characters and a vivid sense of place contribute further fascination. The book is #2 in the Lady Julia Grey mystery series, which debuted with the RITA-winning SILENT IN THE GRAVE.

If you enjoy historical mysteries and the authors I mentioned above, you’re going to enjoy this one. It’s beautifully written, and you’ll savor every sentence. Has anyone out there had a chance to read the first book in the series?

This literary historical novel, set in 1830s New England, is the highly colorful and appealing story of Una, the wife of the vengeful Captain Ahab from Melville’s MOBY DICK. What a delight it was to read this story! Told from Una’s unique point of view, this tale of female empowerment and adventure on the high seas is interwoven with a strong message of tolerance. Over the course of this meaty tome, Una is transformed from an athiestic child raised by a strict Kentucky Christian to a strong, independent woman with a powerful sense of spirituality. Throughout the course of her remarkable life, Una grows to adulthood while living in a New England lighthouse, runs away to sea disguised as a cabin boy, is shipwrecked and forced to resort to cannibalism, is rescued and married to a fellow survivor who subsequently becomes a raving madman, then is divorced and remarried to Ahab, with whom she enjoys a deeply satisfying spiritual and physical relationship that results in a child before Ahab loses his leg—a loss which becomes the engine of his inevitable destruction. While grieving for Ahab’s loss and raising her son, Una develops bonds of respect and friendship with prominent writers, scientists and abolitionists including Frederick Douglass and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her spiritual desert is eventually watered from the spring of transcendentalism, which fuels her healing and her ultimately successful search for happiness.

This book astonished me utterly! I am sometimes not the first reader to pick up a literary novel, as I demand a strong narrative thread, brisk pacing, and a happy ending from my reads. Nonetheless, I LOVED this book, in part because the story IS driven by a strong narrative and dynamic, sympathetic, heroic characters. The fascinating friends Una embraces, the very different men she loves, the traumas of every kind she survives, the beautiful, restrained and dignified words used to tell the story, and Una’s own passion are remarkable. I sucked down this 650-page book in about four days-—astounded and delighted in every way. For me, this was a book worth buying and owning, for the pleasure of reading it again and again.

I heartily recommend this read for fans of historical fiction, and for anyone who enjoys stories of nineteenth century seafaring, thoughtful romance, and the brisk, salty wind of a New England-set narrative. Difficult issues (i.e. cannibalism) are treated with sensitivity and grace, and the sexual aspect of love is handled with discretion. For me, AHAB’S WIFE was an excellent example of a literary historical novel with strong commercial appeal–similar to Arthur Golden’s MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, which is another favorite of Xenia’s.

BTW, AHAB’S WIFE inspired me to run out and rent MOBY DICK with Patrick Stuart, which was a nice, enjoyable way to absorb Melville’s story. And I think it’s a credit to how well-drawn Una’s passion for Ahab was in AHAB’S WIFE that, in this particular movie, Patrick Stuart as Ahab made me pant! Holy great white whales, he was sexy in this one…

Xenia is delighted to report that she has spent her entire weekend happily buried in this book! I do like so much this marvelously imagined series, an alternate history with fantasy elements which takes a look at what the Napoleonic wars might have been like—-with dragons!

A brilliant cross between Jane Austen and Anne McCaffrey, THRONE OF JADE is the continuing epic of British naval captain William Laurence and his extraordinary Chinese Celestial dragon Temeraire. In the first book of the series, HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON, the pair unexpectedly bonded when Laurence’s ship rescued the dragon’s egg from Napoleon’s clutches on the verge of hatching. In this sequel, the outraged Chinese demand the rare dragon’s return, but Temeraire will only oblige if Laurence is permitted to accompany him to China. During their long ocean voyage and subsequent adventures in Canton and Peking, the machinations of Imperial political factions result in several increasingly bold assassination attempts against Laurence. Temeraire and his beloved companion must find out who wants Laurence dead, and find a way to persuade the Chinese Emperor that this foreign barbarian and his rare Celestial dragon belong together.

While submerging myself in this delightful read, I paid particular attention to the author’s voice–which does indeed have strong overtones of Jane Austen, and it’s marvelous to me that a series written in this style can achieve such broad commercial success. Both main characters are highly appealing, and the affectionate bond between them is powerfully endearing. Once again, the original, well-researched and executed scenes of naval warfare with dragons steal the show. Think what the movie “Master and Commander” would have looked like, if crossed with The Dragons of Pern! There is a great deal to praise in these heartening novels.

I would recommend this series to lovers of Jane Austen, military (particularly naval) history, fans of Anne McCaffrey and other complex, dragon-inhabited fantasy worlds. These books are a completely unique reading experience! In this reader’s humble opinion, you won’t find any other stories out there which are even remotely like them.