This Saturday I watched the U.S. premiere of The White Queen on Starz, a miniseries based on the Philippa Gregory novel of the same name. The story is set during The War of the Roses, which happened to be the inspiration for George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Needless to say, I enjoyed stumbling…
For the third year in a row, I plan to spend my summer vacation in the Bahamas. It’s hard not to like the Caribbean with its perfect beaches and wonderful resorts, but as a fan of history, the Caribbean always makes me think about pirates. Maybe it was the Disneyland ride I used to adore…
This week, I’m pleased to feature a review of Robert Lyndon’s Hawk Quest by guest reviewer Bill Brockman. Bill is an avid reader of historical fiction, but he’s also devoted his life to public service as a Battalion Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and a 31-year part-time airman in the Air National Guard….
After a brief hiatus, I’m returning to my series on the Magic of Medieval Fiction, where we have been lingering in the late Fifth Century and the Age of King Arthur. One of the stories from that time period that I neglected to mention previously was the tale of Tristan and Iseult. This story has…
As part of the Spartacus: Rebellion Virtual Book Tour, I interviewed author Ben Kane about the second book in his epic series. Q: Ben, welcome back to Fresh-scraped Vellum! Last June, you were kind enough to give me an interview on your first book in the series, Spartacus: The Gladiator. Had you already finished Spartacus: Rebellion…
As part of the virtual book tour for Ben Kane’s new novel, Spartacus: Rebellion, I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the book and a second interview with author Ben Kane! I’ll post the interview tomorrow, but until then, here’s my review of the book after this very cool image of its cover. Spartacus:…
Fresh-scraped Vellum is excited to participate in the virtual book tour for Ben Kane’s new novel Spartacus: Rebellion! A review of the novel will be posted this Thursday, and on Friday I’ll feature an interview with author Ben Kane. Fresh-scraped Vellum also participated in the tour for the first book in the series, Spartacus: The Gladiator…
In my reviews of Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King and Enemy of God, I noted how the character of Merlin is obsessed with recovering the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, which he believes can restore the power of the old Celtic gods. These treasures, which are sometimes called the Thirteen Hallows, feature prominently throughout Cornwell’s The…
Enemy of God is the second in Bernard Cornwell’s series The Warlord Chronicles. Its protagonist is still Derfel Cadarn, who is now near thirty years old and one of Arthur’s lords. The book begins immediately where The Winter King ended, after the battle among the British kings at Lugg Vale. Arthur is trying to keep…
Leading up to my next installment in my series on Medieval Fiction, I thought I’d pose some questions about one of the late Fifth Century’s most legendary figures: Who was Arthur of Britain? And was he a real person or a purely mythical figure? Arthur vs. Mordred – One of my favorite Arthurian images! These are…
As anyone who follows this blog knows, I am especially fond of fiction set in the Middle Ages. My own novel, Enoch’s Device, is set at the end of the Tenth Century, and most of the books I read and review have some connection to the medieval world. These include not only historical fiction, but…