Before this season I had predicted that HBO’s Game of Thrones would have to diverge from the books, but I never guessed it would do it so soon and in such a big way. (Book *SPOILERS* ahead) I didn’t see this one coming! Let’s just say, Sansa and Littlefinger never go near Winterfell in the…
With the fifth season of Game of Thrones set to begin this Sunday, there is plenty of internet chatter on how the show might diverge from the books. Given the pace at which George R.R. Martin is writing The Winds Of Winter — with some predicting a 2017 release — it’s a certainty the show will run out…
Saint Patrick’s Day is one of my all-time favorite holidays, so today I’m re-posting an article about Stephen R. Lawhead’s Patrick: Son of Ireland. I had little appreciation for the story of Saint Patrick until I began the research for Enoch’s Device. That novel begins in Derry and tells the story of two Irish monks who try to prevent…
In honor of one of my favorite holidays, the Kindle version of Enoch’s Device will be on sale at Amazon for the next 7 days! (And on Amazon UK too!) After all, the book’s heroes, Brother Ciarán and Brother Dónall, are Irish monks who undoubtedly enjoyed a pint or three on St. Patty’s Day! Irish monks emptied the kegs on St. Patrick’s…
As Season 3 of Vikings gets underway, it just so happens I’m immersing myself in Viking-related fiction. I just finished Blood Eye by Giles Kristian, a book about the Vikings in England that guest reviewer Bill Brockman introduced me to last year. A quote on the cover from Bernard Cornwell (who writes some of the…
Season 5 of HBO’s Game of Thrones will premier on April 12, 2015, and last week HBO released the first official trailer. It looks absolutely amazing, but it also hints to some distinct changes from the books. For example, I don’t recall reading about Ser Jorah fighting in Meereen’s arena or Jaime going to Dorne, and it…
To kick off the New Year, guest reviewer Bill Brockman has reviewed Odin’s Wolves by Giles Kristian, and it looks to be another fantastic Viking tale. 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…
I began the New Year by finishing The Scourge: Emaculum, the third and final volume in Roberto Calas’ historical fantasy series about a zombie apocalypse set in fourteenth century England. In short, I loved this book and believe it’s the perfect ending to this trilogy. You can read my review of The Scourge here, and…
This week, I’m pleased to feature another book review by guest reviewer Bill Brockman, this time of Dubh-Linn by James L. Nelson, Book II of the Norsemen Saga. As many readers of this blog know, Bill is an avid reader of historical fiction, but he’s also devoted his life to public service as a Battalion…
This has been a great summer for historical fantasy fiction. Yesterday, author Roberto Calas released The Scourge: Emaculum, the third and final volume of his Scourge trilogy, which reimagines a medieval plague like the Black Death as a zombie apocalypse. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series (which I reviewed here and here)…
Last week, frequent commentator and guest reviewer Bill Brockman alerted me to an article about BBC making Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom into a TV series. The Last Kingdom is one of my all-time favorite historical novels, so this is wonderful news! You can read the full article in The Independent, titled “BBC’s new Game of Thrones slayer…