Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

West Oversea by Lars Walker

American Literature July 2, 2009 Superfast Reader 16 Comments

Synopsis: In 1001 AD, an Irish priest travels with a famed Norse hero to Iceland, Greenland, and parts unknown, in the company of a wicked talisman that gives him the second sight. Review: West Oversea takes the tone of a saga, only with an accessibility that had me turning pages like a madwoman to find out what new wonder Lars Walker would create for me. I want to read everything else he’s ever written! Lucky for you, the publisher (Nordskog Publishing) has given me 2…

Past Imperative by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Canadian Literature May 1, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: An upper class young man on trial for murder in WWI England finds his destiny entwined with a girl on the road with a traveling troupe of actors in an alternate vaguely medieval world ruled by capricious and contentious gods. Review: I really enjoy Dave Duncan’s writing–he’s imaginative and not afraid of getting a little literary, and always comes up with great characters. Past Imperative (Round One of the Great Game) was a welcome departure from the usual epic fantasy in that half of…

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett

On Reading April 27, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Jane Austen manners + Bronte sisters gothica + magic = too much pastiche and not enough depth. Review: I loved the concept of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, but I just could not remain interested in this book. The writing was lazy, oscillating between high-minded prose awkwardly imitating Austen or George Eliot, and sloppy grammar and anachronisms that brought the whole thing crashing down. Story-wise, I couldn’t focus on tracking the development of the mythology and presentation of the core story elements for the…

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox

British Literature April 19, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Upon arriving at Evenwood as a lady’s maid, young Esperanza Gorst discovers that she is in the center of a plot to topple her mistress. Review: The Glass of Time is Michael Cox’s follow up to The Meaning of Night, continuing his Wilkie Collins-esque tale of intrigue and revenge with a Bronte-inspired suspense melodrama. I devoured it like a madwoman in an attic. Raised a lady in France, Miss Gorst is an unlikely choice for a lady’s maid. Her breeding and manners make it…

The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

British Literature March 2, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: Robbed of his fortune by a rival from his school days, Edward Glyver seeks vengeance and restoration under an assumed name. Review: The Meaning of Night is a cunningly plotted piece of faux-Victoriana, conjuring up Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins with a soupcon of sex that doesn’t feel anachronistic at all. Edward Glyver’s nesting-doll tale gives every character a chance to tell his or her own life story, and Cox makes each one fascinating in its own right. Despite the near-constant digressions, Cox never…

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

American Literature January 6, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: Sent to a convent on the Welsh Coast during the Blitz, a teenage girl finds herself on the run and afraid for her life–from the scarred, terrifying Mother Superior. Review: I am hoping that Alex McAulay is planning a follow-up to Shelter Me, because while he wrapped up the plot quite well, I certainly did not feel I was done with Maggie’s story. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that where she winds up at the end is just as…

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

American Literature December 7, 2008 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: A slave girl bent on gaining her freedom finds herself embroiled in the furor of the Revolutionary War in 1776 New York City. Review: It’s simply perfect, that’s all there is to it. Chains is one of the finest examples of a young adult novel you’re likely to find, from one of the genre’s finest authors, Laurie Halse Anderson. I have been reading YA for almost three decades now and while Anderson’s Speak, a fine, fine novel itself, is a classic of a certain…

Guardian by Julian Lester

American Literature October 28, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A white boy in in 1946 witnesses a lynching. Review: While the subject matter of Guardian is powerful, the approach is heavy-handed, and I don’t think it has anything new to say about racial violence. It’s certainly no To Kill A Mockingbird, and honestly I would be disappointed if a teen picked up this book instead of that one, just because it’s new. The characters are thin to the point of caricature, and there is such a sharp distinction between the good guys and…

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

American Literature October 16, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A wealthy young woman takes a job transcribing the diary of a victim of the Salem witch trials, discovering a powerful love story that changes her perspective on her privileged life. Review: Deftly interweaving the very different stories of three headstrong women, Susan Meissner has crafted a novel that delivers a powerfully moving reading experience. I found myself on the verge of tears many times, overcome by Lauren’s journey as she inhabits the world of Mercy, a young woman fated to die by hanging…

Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove

American Literature April 20, 2008 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: A San Francisco lawyer finds herself magically spirited back to ancient Rome, where she ends up running a tavern and weathering a German invasion. Review: I’m reading Household Gods for an online book club, and the only reason I didn’t quit this book is because I really like the people in the book club. I am not worried about hurting anyone’s feelings by admitting it, because I’m the one who chose it! It’s been languishing in my TBR stack since Christmas 2006 when my…

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