Next on my overdue book review list is Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton. This is one of the novels published after his passing, and, like many of those works, it feels less finished and polished than his more famous books. But it’s an interesting addition to his historical fiction and a prelude of sorts to…
In preparation for a recent vacation that included several days in Bavaria, I read The Ludwig Conspiracy by German author Oliver Pötzsch. The novel concerns the mysterious death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1886. Ludwig, known sometimes as “Mad King Ludwig” or the “Fairy-tale King,” built some of the most eccentric and fantastical…
On a long plane ride back from Africa, I had the chance to finish Camelot by Giles Kristian. This completes my journey through his trilogy of historically based Arthurian novels, even though I read them out of order—mistakenly beginning with Arthur. All three were excellent, and I’m honestly torn about which of them is my…
After finishing Arthur by Giles Kristian, I dove straight into Lancelot, his first book based on Arthurian legends. Written in the first person from Lancelot’s point of view, it offers the most unique portrayal of the famous warrior I’ve come across, along with a fresh take on his love story with Guinevere. Nearly half the…
Three weeks into the New Year, I’ve made good progress on the sequel to The Fae Dealings, my first story rooted in the legends of King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana le Fae. In the process, I had the pleasure of finishing Arthur by Giles Kristian as part of my research. Suffice it to say, I…
I’m continuing to catch up on book reviews after the launch of The Cauldron of God and work on my next novella. I’m taking a short break following a vacation to Scotland and Ireland, so it’s now or never! My latest medieval fiction read was The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron. It’s the first time…
One gracious Amazon reviewer recently described Enoch’s Device as “like The Da Vinci Code but set in 997 AD.” I appreciate the comparison. Enoch’s Device is filled with religious mysteries that stretch deep into the past. But there is also a fantasy element to the book, along with an epic scope designed to make it…
When Amazon chose The Lost Queen by Signe Pike as its Editor’s Choice for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, I knew I needed to read it. What I discovered was a book with few fantasy elements but compelling characters in an infrequently explored period that made for a satisfying historical fiction read. Amazon ranks the…
My journey with Uhtred of Bebbanburg has finally reached its end with War Lord, the thirteenth and final book in one of the greatest historical fiction series of all time. I began my foray into Cornwell’s The Saxon Tales back in 2005. Thirteen books later, I’ve followed the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, one of…
Twelve books into his Saxon Tales series, Bernard Cornwall has delivered one of his best Uhtred tales yet in Sword of Kings. The novel combines the Game of Thrones-style politics of The Empty Throne with the desperate circumstances of The Pale Horseman. It’s a page-turner too, and I ripped through this book in a few…
It’s been more than a year since I finished reading War of the Wolf, the 11th book in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales series. For some reason, I never got around to writing a review. Perhaps it was the pandemic, which broke out right about the time I finished this book. But as they say, better…