Historical Fiction book reviews

2020-07-28 A fantastic read, and I’m really surprised that more people aren’t talking about it. I mean, Celtic Monks, Vikings, Constantinople, and the Golden Age of Islam – what’s not to like about it?! Even better is that it’s well-written and never really flags. The characters are great, its rich in detail, the settings are alive, and the pace never lets up. This was my... Continue reading

2019-05-26 This isn’t a bad book. In fact, much of it is quite superb, rich with detail and even the characters come alive in the period. It convincingly portrays something of life on the Roman frontier in Britain. Where it falls down are a couple of reasons. The first is easily overlooked, as many male writers do this, namely by having women throw themselves at... Continue reading

2019-03-15 A fitting end to the wonderful series about the rise of Vespasian from bumpkin to Roman Emperor. An excellent series, for those who like that sort of thing. 🙂 Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2018-12-09 A fantastic story about Iron-Age Britain just before, during, and after the Roman invasion under Claudius. It’s a little slow to get started, but in the end it’s a brilliantly-written and researched historical novel about the period, and really gives a great perspective of Roman occupation. The big flaw is that this book almost certainly influenced Braveheart, with its woaded warrior-chiefs rallying to the... Continue reading

2018-10-13 Pros: Smooth writing, superb setting, and engaging development between the brothers Tiglath and Esarhaddon. Cons: Too much violent misogynistic sex – Shaditsu should have been edited out – plus lack of character action to resolve the climactic intrigue. Will consider reading the sequel, Blood Star, but if not satisfied will give this otherwise good author a miss in future. Rating: 4/5 Continue reading

2018-08-27 I thought this started a little awkward – too much trying to explain the passing of ten years since the last book. However, it soon found its groove and in the end it proved to be a very satisfying read. I’m excited to see this series will be entering Italy, so will definitely be reading more of this. 🙂 Rating: 4/5 Continue reading

2018-08-14 Excellent historical fiction, rich with mediaeval detail, yet manages a blistering pace. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the period. 🙂 Rating: 5/5 Continue reading

2018-03-23 Another good book from Robert Harris. As ever, strong with the storytelling, though I actually had a couple of niggles with this novel: The first is that the narrator, Tiro, was freed from slavery at the end of the last book – but about a third of the way into Dictator he is … freed from slavery. I may have misunderstood something, but I... Continue reading

2018-03-19 Lustrum shows a master writer at work. The second book in a trilogy, it clearly establishes Robert Harris as one of the two great pillars of Roman historical fiction writing. What’s especially gratifying is that the other, Colleen McCollough, approaches the story from a completely different angle in her excellent Masters of Rome series. So where she has Caesar as the protagonist and Cicero... Continue reading

2018-03-14 This is a decent book that does a great job of teaching Elizabethan history by proxy – but it somewhat falls flat when it comes to making the experience feel real through the characters. Follet’s plotting is often masterful – covering the rise, reign, and aftermath of Elizabeth I via a dozen POV characters in 4 countries is a genuine achievement. But all too... Continue reading