Historical Fiction Archives - Page 2 of 3

Posted on May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Book review of The Clan of the Cave Bear, the first book in Jean M. Auel’s epic Earth’s Children series set in prehistoric Europe.

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Synopsis

Set in prehistoric Europe, this is the first book in the Earth’s Children series. Ayla is a young cro-magnon human taken in by a group of Neanderthals after her people are killed in an earthquake.

‘The Clan,’ as they call themselves, come to love Ayla, despite her strange actions and ugly (they think) appearance. The medicine woman, Iza, adopts her as her daughter as teaches her about herbs and healing. However, the son of the leader’s mate, Broud, hates her and does everything he can to make Ayla’s life miserable.

Review

I loved The Clan of the Cave Bear. It was a gripping story about people and their relationships, many of which appear unchanged for thousands of years. I could really sympathise with Ayla’s struggles to fit in; so much of the book felt familiar and relatable to modern experiences.

My favourite thing about this book is looking at the differences and similarities between humans and Neanderthals. I don’t know how much of it was true (especially the cultural stuff), but it was realistic.

Creb was thunderstruck. How had the girl been able to grasp the idea so quickly? She hadn’t even asked what slash marks had to do with fingers, or what either had to do with years. It had taken many repetitions before Goov had understood. Creb made three more slash marks, and put three fingers over them. With only one hand, it had been especially difficult for him when he was learning. Ayla looked at her other hand, and immediately held up three fingers, folding down her thumb and forefinger.

“When I am this many?” she asked, holding out her eight fingers again. Creb nodded affirmatively. Her next action caught him completely by surprise, it was a concept he had spent years mastering himself. She put down the first hand and held up only three fingers.

“I will be old enough to have a baby in this many years,” she gestured with assurance, positive of her deduction. The old magician was rocked to his core. It was unthinkable that a child, a girl child at that, could reason her way to that conclusion so easily.

I thought that Broud was an unconvincing villain. His evildoing felt cartoonish and grotesque. He was like a spoiled child. I think the problem was his motivation; he didn’t like Ayla because she was different and because people paid attention to her but not him.

The Clan of the Cave Bear intelligently explored some serious issues that are still present in society today. The Clan have strict gender roles and are incredibly resistant to change. It made me wonder how modern society would treat Neanderthals if they were still alive today.

Conclusion

Have you read The Clan of the Cave Bear? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on April 9, 2021July 16, 2021 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

Book review of What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, time-travelling historical fiction set in modern and 1920s Ireland.

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Synopsis

Following her grandfather’s death, Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to find out more about her family. While scattering her grandfather’s ashes in Lough Gill, she gets lost in a sudden fog, is shot, and is pulled out of the lake in 1921. Her rescuer is Dr Thomas Smith, guardian to Eoin, a six-year-old boy who is Anne’s grandfather.

Having been mistaken for Eoin’s long-missing mother, Anne assumes the dead woman’s identity. Once healed, Anne gets involved in Irish independence, and the relationship between her and Thomas develops. However, the differences between her and the original Anne eventually puts her life in danger.

Review

I was completely captivated by What the Wind Knows. The writing is poetic and lyrical, and just jumped off the page. It was so suspenseful that I always had to read “just one more chapter” to find out what happened next. The whole story was heart-wrenching, beautiful, and felt authentic.

I loved the depth of emotions experienced by various characters. The writing is so brilliant that I could feel what they were feeling most of the time. There were many intense, emotional moments between characters. However, it wasn’t just the love between people explored in the book; there was love for a family, a country, and a past time.

The characters were all distinct from each other, each with different features and personalities. I liked how each of the protagonists were imperfect, neighbour-like people. I also liked how the villains of the story weren’t evil for the sake of being evil; they were doing what they truly believed was best.

Thomas was lovely. He was such a timeless, unassuming hero. Not a complicated character, he was smart, kind, gentle yet strong, and generous. He wasn’t one of those heroes the heroine (or the reader) falls for immediately, but by the end you can’t help but love him.

The time travel element was very well done. Like other aspects of the book, it was well thought out. The author wrote it in a way that made sense. This can’t have been easy, what with time being ‘coiled into ever-widening (or tightening) circles, layered and wrapped around the next’ and not linear.

If I had to give What the Wind Knows one criticism, it would be the multiple references to people and dates that I didn’t get – I just didn’t have enough prior background knowledge. However, it did make me curious about the events mentioned.

Conclusion

Have you read What the Wind Knows? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on January 22, 2021January 22, 2021 by Emily — 2 Comments

Review: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Book review of The Other Boleyn Girl, an historical fiction novel set in Tudor England by Philippa Gregory.

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Synopsis

This book follows Mary, sister of Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII’s second wife). Mary is lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon when she catches the king’s eye. Her ambitious and overbearing uncle sees an opportunity and quickly removes Mary from her husband’s household. Before long, she is in the king’s bed advancing her family’s fortunes.

After she has borne him a daughter and a son, Henry’s attentions stray to Mary’s beautiful older sister, and Mary is ordered to help Anne catch the king. As always, she obeys, but then Anne falls out of favour and their entire family is put at risk.

Review

Like Philippa Gregory’s other Plantagenet/Tudor books, The Other Boleyn Girl is heavy reading with many historical tidbits. Generally, I find that Philippa Gregory sticks to the historical record, but also goes along with whatever current theories happen to be popular. When reading this book, you do have to keep in mind that it is a novel, and as such is not historically perfect.

I loved the relationship between Mary and William Stafford. William was obviously able to give her the kind of life she wanted but couldn’t have being at court all the time. I really admire Mary’s strength in standing up to her uncle and leaving her family with William. I’ve come across Thomas Howard before and he was clearly a Horrible Man.

“Who d’you think is hearing the evidence against these men? Who will be president of the court against your brother? Your own uncle! Does he use his influence to save him? Does your father? No.”

Most of The Other Boleyn Girl is written from Mary’s POV. This makes some of the characters seem one-sided. For example, Catherine of Aragon is portrayed as an older woman/role-model who can do nothing bad.

The exception to this is Mary’s brother and sister. Mary has a real love/hate relationship with George and Anne. She loves them both dearly, but is often jealous of or frustrated at them. Like when Anne denies Mary permission to see her children, Mary hates Anne.

That being said, this book didn’t push sympathy for Anne Boleyn under the reader’s nose. Many people see Anne as a victim, and she is usually portrayed as one. The Other Boleyn Girl shows her doing some questionable things but also as a victim who had few choices and did what she was pushed to.

Conclusion

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on January 8, 2021March 12, 2021 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Book review of The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, an historical fiction novel set during the French Revolution.

Synopsis

Yann Margoza’s life is turned upside-down when the small group of magicians he works with are invited to perform at the Chateau of the Marquis de Villeduval. One of the group recognises Count Kalliovski (murderer, blackmailer, and all round baddie) and is quickly murdered. Yann and his mentor Têtu, escape and Yann is sent to safety in England.

Three years later, Yann returns to France at the height of the Revolution on a mission to rescue Sido, the daughter of the Marquis de Villeduval. In the meantime, The Marquis has lost his mind and Count Kalliovski insists that Sido marry him in order to pay off her father’s debts.

Can Yann find and rescue Sido? Will she leave France without the Marquis? And how does Count Kalliovski fit into their pasts?

Review

The first time I read The Red Necklace, I was about 12 years old (it’s not targeted at young adults, but then again, my mother gave me Cross Stitch to read when I was only 15 – tells you something about my family). I remembered it having a lot of witty lines, so when I came across a copy at a second-hand book sale, I didn’t hesitate to buy it.

I liked Yann. He is charming, quick-witted, and brave – everything a hero should be. Sido wasn’t as likeable but I felt bad for her. She’s foolishly loyal to a father that hates her and doesn’t actually do anything other than being a damsel in distress for Yann to rescue.

On the other hand, I loved to hate Count/Citizen Kaliovski. He is merciless and evil, but not just plain evil – there are hints of his backstory throughout the book which gives him some depth and help us to understand him.

Sido looked completely broken, her face pale, her dress filthy. On seeing her, Kalliovski was in no doubt that she would be his, regardless of the Marquis’s objections. The game was all but won.

Only two women in his life had ever had the wit to resist him. One would have nothing to do with him, and the other … the other … had revealed in him a weakness that no true gambler can afford. Weakness was what he looked for in others; to detect it in himself was unforgiveable. His strength was to know that every man had a flaw, every soul its price. Just once he had been powerless against passion, defeated by the Queen of Hearts. Never again.

I also liked how many of the characters had traits that didn’t necessarily contribute to the story. For example, Têtu is a dwarf. There is no reason for Têtu to be a dwarf; he just is. It made it feel more authentic. After all, real people have physical characteristics that don’t hugely affect their lives.

In the middle of the book, the story jumped forward a couple of years. I found this sudden and jarring. It might have worked better if it had been separated into a part one and part two, rather than trying to flow straight through without pause.

The Red Necklace does a good job of showing how out of touch the rich were during this period. For the first half of the book, the upcoming revolution is very much present but kept in the background which makes their obvious terror in the second half more understandable.

Conclusion

Have you read The Red Necklace? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on December 11, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: Song of the Earth by John R. Dann

Book review of Song of the Earth by John R. Dann, an historical fiction novel set in prehistoric Africa and Europe.

Song of the Earth by John R. Dann (cover) — **Save Me on Pinterest!!**

Synopsis

Grae and the seven daughters of River Woman are the only people to survive the volcanic eruption that destroys their home. Together they find a place to settle and form a tribe. When the surrounding area is no longer sufficient to support them, the tribe separates and migrates away.

Grae leads a group north, settling in different places for a couple of years before moving on in their search for a long-term home. This group eventually ends up in what now is Europe and, when Grae dies, is led by his son, Eagle, and Grandson, Young Grae. Along the way they repeatedly come up against Neanderthals (known as wide men), hostile tribes, and evil magic.

Review

This book is decidedly odd. There is very little story arc – rather a series of loosely related events and people going about their strange lives. When trying to describe Song of the Earth, the word that springs most readily to mind is lackluster.

I found the characters difficult to keep track of. There were so many of them and a lot had very similar names to each other. It even appears that the author had trouble with this; a couple of times I thought that the character who just did something had left the tribe earlier, and when I looked back, they had.

The people invent many different things in a ridiculously fast pace, especially words. This makes it seem unrealistic, particularly when they meet other groups that they’ve never met before who already have the same technologies and use the same words.

Eagle said, “You will be chieftain someday. Perhaps you should spend more time learning how to throw your spear than thinking up new words.”

“It is not so much just thinking up new words,” Young Grae replied. “It is trying to understand strange things. If we name them better we can think about them better. We have the words ‘Sunset’ and ‘Sunrise,’ which might help us understand better why the sun disappears in the west every night and appears in the east every morning.”

Eagle said, “You are right. It is hard to even talk about things if they don’t have names. To understand strange things without names is even harder.”

I liked how the tribe had multiple enemies to contend with throughout the book. To begin with, they have to split-up and move because their environment doesn’t produce enough food for them anymore. Then, they battle against other groups of people, and at the end, there is a major showdown with Lilith and her friends.

Conclusion

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on November 20, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: The Conqueror’s Queen by Joanna Courtney

Review of The Conqueror’s Queen, historical fiction by Joanna Courtney based on the life of Mathilda of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy and wife of William the Conqueror.

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Synopsis

Mathilda of Flanders reluctantly accepts her father’s choice of husband for her: William, Duke of Normandy. When she goes to Normandy for her wedding, Mathilda finds a court full of men with very little appreciation of great culture.

Keen to win Mathilda’s heart along with her hand, William vows that one day he will earn England’s throne for her. In 1051, King Edward invites the couple to his court at Westminster for Christmas and promises his throne to them upon his death.

William and Mathilda spend the following years strengthening Normandy together and raising their always increasing family. Then 1066 comes around and King Edward dies. The English seem to have forgotten their promises and crown Harold Godwinson, but William has not forgotten and plans an invasion.

Review

In The Conqueror’s Queen, Joanna Courtney beautifully rounds out her Queens of the Conquest trilogy with a book that’s descriptive and engaging right up to the end. She excels in writing a variety of unique characters each with their own personalities and motives.

It was interesting to see William the Conqueror before he became the Conqueror. I also enjoyed seeing a kinder, more just side of him. History tends to remember William as conniving and merciless. While that part of him isn’t absent, it is tempered by care, devotion, and a desire for loyalty. Overall, the book shows him as a well-rounded personality and makes him easier to empathise with.

I loved the relationship between William and Mathilda; they were such a great couple. While they have some rough patches, their relationship is solid. They obviously respect and trust each other. Mathilda is the perfect partner to help William rule his lands.

There was a bit where William tells Mathilda that he slept with some prostitutes before marrying her so that he would know how to please her. My immediate thought was “Aww, that’s so sweet,” but then I stopped and thought: “is that really aww worthy?” Is it? I can’t decide.

I’m not sure about the inclusion of Judith’s story. In The Constant Queen, the author included Tora’s story. This made sense as Harold had a history with Tora, and the two women’s stories eventually came together. That doesn’t happen with Mathilda and Judith in The Conqueror’s Queen.

Mathilda is a fantastic woman. She’s intelligent, down to earth, and thinks things through before dealing with the situation. While her character starts out young and flighty, she develops realistically and becomes the perfect Duchess of Normandy. I would love to read a book on her life as Queen of England.

Conclusion

Have you read The Conqueror’s Queen? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on November 13, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: The Constant Queen by Joanna Courtney

Review of The Constant Queen by Joanna Courtney, an historical fiction novel set in 11th century Europe.

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Synopsis

Based on the life of Elizaveta, Princess of Kiev and wife of Harald Hardrada, king of Norway. When an exiled Norse nobleman (Harald) arrives at her father’s court, Elizaveta agrees to keep his treasure safe while he goes out and makes his fortune. He returns several times, but always heads back out for more.

Over time, Elizaveta grows tired of waiting for Harald to marry her. She gives him the keys to his treasure and tells him to leave. On his way home, Harald grows increasingly morose and eventually returns to Kiev to win Elizaveta back.

Together, they return to Norway to claim the crown and build a stronger kingdom. Harald’s relationship with Elizaveta is passionate and tumultuous, and he occasionally turns to a childhood sweetheart for peace.

Review

The Constant Queen is my least favourite book in the Queens of the Conquest trilogy. The book skipped through time a bit quickly for me. I had trouble keeping up with what year we were in and how what was happening fitted in with what else was going on in the world.

There was too much focus on the romantic side of the story for my liking. I would have preferred more history and politics. However, it seems that Joanna Courtney decided to use romance and a love triangle to create intrigue. Also, as the story progresses the phrases used in the romantic bits become repetitive.

Of the three men who claimed the English throne in 1066, Harald Hardrada is probably the least known and the most forgotten. Afterall, unlike Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror, he never actually got to be King of England. I enjoyed reading a book that looked at this lesser known man and the background to his involvement in the events of 1066.

I liked the contrast between Harald’s two wives. Elizaveta is fiery, rebellious, and independent whereas Tora is sweet, understanding, and steadfast. I appreciated how the relationship between the two women wasn’t used to create drama or move the plot forward. Sure, there is some initial subtle nastiness and power struggles between Elizaveta and Tora, but by the end they become friends and learn how to work together.

“Er, Lady Tora Arnasson, this is Queen Elizaveta.”

“Of Kiev?” Tora asked, taking a single step forward.

“Of Norway,” the dark girl said stonily, taking a mirrored step.

Elizaveta did not hold out her hand and for that, at least, Tora was grateful for she could no more have kissed it than she could a weed-strung toad. Instead, they both bowed their heads in a curt greeting, more for the eagerly watching Norwegians than each other.

“And how,” Tora asked, “do you find your new country?”

“Very agreeable,” came the swift reply, laced with an exotic southerly inflection, but Tora saw the edge of Elizaveta’s full lips twitch and knew she’d hit a nerve. Good.

Unfortunately, some of the characters are distractingly modern. Elizaveta’s strength has a distinctly feminist feel to it that doesn’t fit in with the historical setting. Also, the men generally seem unbothered by Elizaveta (and later her daughter) acting rebellious; I had thought 11^th century men would try to supress such actions.

Conclusion

Have you read The Constant Queen? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).

Posted on October 9, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 2 Comments

Review: Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

Review of Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick, historical fiction based on the life of Henry I’s daughter, Matilda, set in 12th century England and France.

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick (review by Travelling Book Nerd) — **Save Me on Pinterest!!**

Synopsis

Following the death of her husband, Empress Matilda returns to her father’s court in England. As he has no surviving legitimate sons, King Henry is making plans and back-up plans for the succession. Part of these plans involve marrying Matilda to Geoffrey, Count of Angou. Matilda is almost twice Geoffrey’s age and sees him as little more than an insolent puppy.

Then Henry dies. Matilda’s cousin Stephen swoops in to take her father’s crown before her supporters can act. United by the need to secure their sons’ futures, Matilda campaigns for England while Geoffrey fights in Normandy. Will they succeed? Can Matilda win back the crown her father promised her?

Review

Of course, anyone who knows the least bit of Medieval English history knows how the story ends. Stephen holds on to the crown until his death, at which point Matilda’s son Henry becomes king. I liked how the author ended the book where she did, at the point where Matilda leaves England and her son comes to the fore of the story.

I like how Lady of the English shows Matilda in a different light to how she is usually seen. Historically, Matilda is thought of as proud, demanding, and overbearing. Book-Matilda is brave, intelligent, and frustrated at not being taken seriously just because she’s a woman. This makes her fascinating and likeable.

She looked round at the menfolk of her family and knew they would never understand, much less want to do so. That her place was above theirs, that she was the only one born of a ruling king and queen, was cause for envy, not worship. Had she been male, she could have led the discussion about to begin without a second thought. As it was, although she was a figurehead, they did not expect her to contribute to the dialogue, any more than they expected her to gird on a sword and don a mail shirt. Geoffrey was here with his army, amply fortified by the two thousand marks Stephen had given to him the previous year. He wanted to talk tactics with Robert, not her.

The author, Elizabeth Chadwick, does a great job of plausibly filling the gaps in the historical record. She really transported me into the 12^th century. I appreciated how well she stuck to historical fact; for example, there is an opportunity to sensationalise the story with a possible affair between Matilda and one of her supporters, but the evidence is sketchy and she instead shows Matilda as devoted to God and her family. The book seems really well researched, though I’m not so sure about her use of akashic records.

The ending had me crying my eyes out (this seems to happen a lot these days). For so long, Adeliza had longed for children and once she finally had a family, she had very little time with them before she became unwell and had to leave. It is so sad.

Conclusion

Have you read Lady of the English? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!).

Posted on August 7, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Review: Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury

Review of Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury, prequel to the After Cilmeri series of time-travelling historical fiction set in medieval Wales

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Synopsis

Meg has been going through a rough time when a car accident throws her and her two-year-old daughter into 13^th century Wales. Her car lands in a marsh and she is rescued by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales. Unsure what to make of her, he takes Meg with him as he deals with a rogue lord.

Along the way, Meg shares what she knows about Welsh history, particularly about Llywelyn’s betrayal and death 14 years later. As they spend more time together, they grow to care about each other and face various challenges together.

Review

It’s pretty obvious that Daughter of Time is a prequel. The story-line is weak (the main villain and conflict are unclear), there is very little character development (Meg doesn’t grow personally at all), and the secondary characters are insubstantial (it might have been easier to care for them if you had already read the main series).

Meg’s reaction to being in Medieval Wales is very believable. She initially distrusts the people around her and doesn’t immediately fall in love with her rescuer. She doesn’t magically understand the local language. However, she also doesn’t think much about her mother and sister at home; they must have been going mad worrying about her disappearing.

I had no idea what he’d said. Confused because his words were unintelligible, even as they tugged at my ear with familiar tones, I didn’t move or say anything, just stared. He tried again. I shook my head, uncertain.

He stayed relaxed, his hands at his sides and walked toward me, speaking a little louder, as if somehow that would help. I was desperately trying to make sense of what he was saying, but as he got closer, my breath rose in my chest until it choked me. He must have seen the fear in my face because he stopped, about three feet from the bed. I finally found my voice.

“What?” The words came out as little more than a squeak. “Who are you?” I dragged my eyes from his face and flashed them around the room again, seeking somewhere to run but no seeing anything but the long distance to the door and the man standing between it and me.

There were a few things that bothered me about Anna. For example, she seemed way too advanced for a 2-year-old; the sentences she uses are too complex. While I loved how everyone treated Anna (especially Llywelyn’s knights), it seemed like she was an extra character that was there because the author was stuck with her, not because she played any part in the story.

The ending made me want to scream. Meg’s return to the present is so sudden; it just happened. I’m not even sure if whatever story-arc the author was pursuing in the 13^th century had a conclusion. I assume all the questions I was left with would be answered if I read the first book in the series.

Conclusion

Have you read Daughter of Time? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!). However, I got a copy of the eBook for free on Face Book (obviously the author giving away the prequel in order to get people hooked and buying the rest of the series); if you don’t mind eBooks, go and take a look.

Posted on June 26, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: White Rose Rebel by Janet Paisley

Review of White Rose Rebel, historical fiction by Janet Paisley set in 18th century Scotland

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Synopsis

Anne Farquharson, lady McIntosh, is a staunch Jacobite. When her husband, Aeneas, is forced to join the government forces to put down the ’45 rising, she raises the men of the clan herself. Throughout the conflict Anne and Aeneas constantly find themselves coming up against each other.

Following the end of the rising at Culloden, Anne is given to Aeneas as a virtual prisoner. Together, they must rebuild their relationship and come to terms with the end of Scottish culture. Meanwhile, Anne does all in her power to secure the freedom of those Jacobite supporters who are being kept prisoner. Aeneas tries to help her but must maintain the appearance of supporting the crown and keeping Anne controlled.

Review

White Rose Rebel is a well-researched book, told primarily from a woman’s point of view. Three aspects of the major characters’ lives (war, politics, and love) are beautifully woven together to create an emotional adventure. The love triangle between Aeneas, Anne, and MacGillivray is realistic and heart-breaking.

I loved how the English were portrayed as barbarians while the Scottish were forward thinking and civilised, particularly in how they treat their women. It was an interesting look at what makes a culture civilised (such as equality) and the English inclination to conquer and “civilise” everyone else.

Meg went to the woman’s horse, running her hands expertly over its back leg. The man stirred in his saddle, clearly uncomfortable.

“Move, Helen,” he insisted. “These northern tribes are savages.”

As Cath arrived beside them, Meg looked up from her examination of the horse. “Tha e crùbach,” she said, in her own Gaelic tongue. “It’s lame.”

Anne grabbed hold of the bridle on the man’s mount.

“Among savages,” she said, “wives don’t walk while husbands ride.”

I liked how the story continued well past Culloden. Many books in this kind of setting use Culloden as either a starting or ending point. It was nice to see how such a major event changed things. That being said, I’m a tad disappointed that neither Anne nor Aeneas was actually at Culloden during the battle.

The very end of the story felt a bit rushed. Even though Anne and Aeneas had been becoming closer to each other again after Culloden, and they did magnificently at the Duke of Cumberland’s ball (such a fantastic scene), their final reconciliation happens a bit suddenly.

Conclusion

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

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