Category: Historical Fiction

book reviews of historical fiction books

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Review: White Rose Rebel by Janet Paisley

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

White Rose Rebel by Janet Paisley cover
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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 White Rose Rebel? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

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Review: People of the Lightning

Review of People of the Lightning, historical fiction set in prehistoric Florida by Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear

Cover for People of the Lightning by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
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Synopsis

In prehistoric Florida, Cottonmouth has been attacking every village he can since Musselwhite left him 26 years ago. As her clan gets smaller and her husband (Diver) is captured during an attack, Musselwhite must form an alliance with Heartwood Clan. In order to cement the alliance, she must marry Podwader. Pondwader is a lightning boy, so called because of his unusually pale skin, white hair, and pink eyes.

Following the wedding celebrations, Musselwhite receives word that Diver is alive and sets off alone to rescue him. Pondwader follows and Musselwhite tries to send him back, believing that he will be nothing but a hinderance. However, Pondwader has a baby lightning bird inside him and is determined to be there when Musselwhite confronts Cottonmouth.

Review

In the tradition of many oral cultures, People of the Lightning is told by an elder. He narrates the prologue, the final chapter, and interrupts the story at several points throughout the book. I found it amusing how he keeps losing his train of thought and the unnamed child he’s talking to has to bring him back on track.

I loved how there was a lot of detail about the culture, even if there is a bit much about their burial rites (after all, that is most of what we know about these people). People of the Lightning is set in a really obscure time period that no one knows about. It was nice to read something with a setting so different to what I usually read.

The climax of the story was a little underwhelming. Throughout the book we get all these hints of a large confrontation coming up, but when it arrived, it rather fell flat for me. While the events described would have been impressive and frightening in real life, the way the author described it made it seem relatively tame.

I was slightly disturbed by the fact that a 42-year-old woman was married to a 15-year-old boy. I completely understand that it probably fits the historical context, but for some reason I just couldn’t get past it for. Musselwhite is almost three times Pondwader’s age, she has children older than him, and his sister flirts with her son.

Conclusion

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

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Review: Into The Wilderness by Sara Donati

Review of Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati, an historical fiction novel set in late 18th century New York state.

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Synopsis

December 1792, Elizabeth joins her father at his home in the New York wilderness. She plans to start a school where she can teach all the local children. Despite her determination to remain single, her father has lined up a marriage for her with the local doctor.

Instead, she falls in love with Nathaniel Bonner, known to the local Indians as ‘Between-Two-Lives’ for the way he moves between the white and red worlds. In order to save the mountain the Bonners and their Mohawk family live on, Hidden Wolf, Elizabeth tricks her father and elopes with Nathaniel. What follows is an epic battle to keep what belongs to them and regain the good opinion of the local villagers.

Review

Into the Wilderness is often compared to Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. A brief appearance by Outlander’s characters was played upon by Donati’s publicist. I agree that this book would be enjoyed by Outlander fans. However, this book stands easily on its own merits and should not be avoided because the reader doesn’t like Outlander.

I found Into the Wilderness captivating. It is definitely the kind of book that I can disappear into and escape real life. The situations that the main characters find themselves in vary hugely, as do the settings, from Albany to a Mohawk village to the middle of the forest. The descriptions are superb; I really felt like I was a witness to 18th century New York.

The characters are all layered and well developed. Elizabeth is independent, tenacious, and brilliant. Throughout the book, we see her change significantly (as anyone would, going through what she does). She leans a lot and becomes more adaptable. Nathaniel is strong, manly, and lethal, but also loyal and tender towards his family. Even the minor characters have distinct personalities.

I really enjoyed how each character speaks differently. For example, Elizabeth has a very proper way of speaking, with perfect grammar and relatively sophisticated words. Nathaniel has a more informal manner, using words like aye and ain’t. Other characters’ speech suits their personalities and their role in the village/society. This makes the characters seem much more real.

Elizabeth turned her attention to her students. “I don’t recall giving permission for you to leave your seats. Please return to them at once.”

Sheepishly, with lingering last looks toward Liam, they retreated the way they had come. Elizabeth waited until she heard the door close and heard them talking inside the classroom behind her.

“What are you doing here, Liam?”

“Nothing,” he spat, earning a smart cuff above the ear from Nathaniel. “Oooww! What was that for?”

“For your sweet manners and courteous ways,” Nathaniel said. “Remember it.” Then he looked at Elizabeth. “It ain’t the first time. I was watching today because I saw his tracks here.”

There were several places where the names of some of the characters were a bit mixed up. For example, in one scene Elizabeth is teaching school and she checks “Ian Kirby’s” slate (page 726 in my copy). It’s obviously meant to be Ian McGarrity (there is a character called Liam Kirby, but based on context, it couldn’t be him). This really annoyed me, but I’ll get over it.

Conclusion

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

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Review: A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Deveraux

Review of A Knight in Shining Armour, historical Fiction set in Elizabethan and modern England by Jude Deveraux

Cover of A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Deveraux (review by the Travelling Book Nerd)

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Synopsis

After being abandoned by her partner on holiday, Dougless meets a strange man wearing odd clothing. Nicholas was awaiting execution in the 16th century when he found himself transported to the future. Dougless and Nicholas form a reluctant partnership and work together to find out the truth behind Nicholas’ betrayal and supposed execution.

Once they find what they need to know, Nicholas returns to his own time equipped with knowledge that he believes will save him. Still in the 1980s, Dougless finds that Nicholas was still executed, and stumbles upon more information about the end of Nicholas’ life. Before long she finds herself in the past with a second chance at saving Nicholas and changing history.

Review

This story made me cry and cry and cry. I don’t know why, but it seemed to be during the parts that Dougless and Nicholas were resisting their feelings and were separated from each other. I found it to be a real emotional rollercoaster but my grandma, while she said it was a good book, didn’t find any of it sad.

My favourite part of this story is when Nicholas is discovering the 20th century. In most books that involve time-travel, the characters travel back in time, and thus have at least a small idea of what they’re encountering. It was amusing to see time-travel happen the other way around. I particularly like how Nicholas likes the taste of ice cream so much that he kisses Dougless when she first buys him some.

‘But then Nicholas saw the table lamp, and Dougless spent fifteen minutes demonstrating electric lights. Nicholas nearly drove her crazy with turning switches on and off until, to make him go to bed, she promised to read more to him.’

It was interesting to see Nicholas’ views on Romeo and Juliet. Nicholas had lived 30 or 40 years before Shakespeare wrote most of his work so hadn’t read any of it before, but would have been closer to the original intended audience than anyone alive today. As such, I imagine his interpretation would be closer to the ideas that Shakespeare was trying to convey.

The author (Jude Deveraux) appears to have done a reasonable amount of research into the Elizabethan era. She uses Nicholas to address modern myths about the past; Nicholas reacted to things in a realistic way and nothings seems terribly out of place, historically.

I struggled a bit with Dougless’s sudden character development. Throughout the book Dougless has problems with her self-worth and how her view of herself affects the way others treat her. When she returns from the past, this changes. That was fine, but it happened so abruptly that it was jarring.

Conclusion

Have you read A Knight in Shining Armour? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? What about other books by Jude Deveraux? Let me know in the comments.

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Review: Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon

Cross Stitch is the first book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series; historical fiction set in 18th century Scotland. Cross Stitch is also known as Outlander (it’s the same story, but published in the UK instead of the US).

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon cover
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Synopsis

Claire is on holiday with her husband, Frank, in Scotland following World War 2. She walks through a circle of standing stones one day while picking flowers and finds herself in the 18th century.

To keep herself safe from her husband’s sadistic ancestor, she has to marry Jamie, a young highlander with an interesting history. Despite trying to keep some emotional distance between them, she finds herself falling for him, so much so that when she finally has a chance to return to Frank she decides to stay with Jamie.

They return together to Jamie’s family home but don’t get to spend much time as a happy married couple before Jamie is taken by the black watch. Claire has to search all over Scotland for him and save him from Frank’s sadistic ancestor.

Review

Love, love, love this book. I read it and re-read it and read my favourite bits over and over again and again. It was so engrossing. My first copy fell to pieces and my mum had to buy me a new one.

I was 15 when I first read Cross Stitch and Mum was unsure whether to let me. At first, it was because she remembered it having a lot of magic and witchcraft. After she read it again before giving it to me, her objection was based on the amount of sex portrayed. I didn’t have a problem with it; it wasn’t overly explicit and focused on feelings rather than actions.

The beginning was a bit slow (the first day of reading, I only made it to page 132 and had no trouble putting the book down). However, I learned a lot about Claire early in the book and there were scenes later on that were so much more interesting because I could link back to something that had happened earlier.

I loved how the traditional relationship roles are reversed in Jamie and Claire’s romance. Usually, the woman is the inexperienced virgin. However, here, Jamie is the inexperienced virgin and Claire is the experienced one. Also, Claire is four years older than Jamie, where men are usually older than their wife or girlfriend.

“Does it bother you that I’m not a virgin?” He hesitated a moment before answering.

“Well, no,” he said slowly, “so long as it doesna bother you that I am.” He grinned at my drop-jawed expression, and backed towards the door.

“Reckon one of us should know what they’re doing,” he said. The door closed softly behind him; clearly the courtship was over.

I absolutely loved the wedding, particularly the walk up to the chapel. ‘“I can’t marry you! I don’t even know your last name!”’ I found it hilarious that Claire ends up marrying Jamie in the same church she married Frank in. It’s one of those little things that isn’t crucial to the story but makes the reading experience so much more enjoyable.

While some characters did things that are completely unacceptable to a modern audience, they were still essentially good people and were acting as someone in that time and place would have acted. The exception to this is Captain Randall – he’s nasty, I hate him, but then we’re supposed to hate him. The only person (real or imaginary) I can think of who’s more sadistic than Randall is the Marquis of Sade, and sadism is named after him.

Conclusion

Have you read this Cross Stitch/Outlander? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said? Let me know in the comments.

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Review: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Review of The Fiery Cross, book 5 of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon cover
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Synopsis

The Fiery Cross opens at the clan gathering at Mount Helicon. Over the course of a day, nearly everything possible happens: Jamie find lots of new tenants, Claire heals a bunch of people, and Brianna and Roger get married (but not before the priest is kidnapped).  Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Jamie summons the men to join a militia company and sets out to gather more recruits, leaving Brianna manage the new settlers.

Jamie’s aunt Jocasta is finally set to marry Duncan Innes (not having been able to marry at the clan gathering because the catholic priest was kidnapped). On the day, the family has to deal with a murdered slave, regulators and loyalists, sexual frustration, and the appearance of Stephen Bonnet.

Jamie’s militia company is called into the War of the Regulation. Unfortunately, Roger has an incident which robs him of his voice and very nearly his life. This brings Jamie and Roger together, as does a snake-bite and hunting down Stephen Bonnet.

Review

Apparently the publishers announced the release date for The Fiery Cross before Diana finished writing it. As such, she didn’t have as much time to edit the draft as she would have liked. It shows. Some of the scenes seem really drawn out and others are not necessary to the story.

The main story arc is unclear. There seems to be several themes and story-lines that were woven together throughout the book, but there isn’t any one overarching story line. This made the book a bit difficult to stick with.

It was largely focused on the characters’ day-to-day life (as opposed to pushing the story forward). Almost nothing happens, things get a bit repetitious (constant references to Brianna’s breasts, Jemmy’s diapers, etc.). This focus made me wonder how I would cope with living in the 18th century (I like to think not too badly, if I could take my mother).

However, some individual scenes were fantastic. They were the kind of scenes that I go back and read again after I’ve finished. I really loved the parts where Claire was explaining 20th century science and medicine to Jamie.

The surfaces of both lungs were black and grainy; Betty was in her forties, and had lived all her life with open wood fires.

“Anything nasty that you breathe in and don’t cough up again – tobacco, smoke, soot, smog, what-have-you – gradually gets shoved out between the lung tissue and the pleura,” I explained, lifting a bit of the thin, half-transparent pleural membrane with the tip of my scalpel. “But the body can’t get rid of it altogether, so it just stays there. A child’s lung would be a nice clean pink?”

“Do mine look like that?” Jamie stifled a small, reflexive cough. “And what is smog?”

“The air in cities like Edinburgh, where you get smoke mixing with fog off the water.” I spoke abstractedly, grunting slightly as I pulled the ribs back, peering into the shadow cavity. “Yours likely aren’t so bad, since you’ve lived out of doors or in unheated places so much. Clean lungs are one compensation to living without fire.”

This book really starts to show American history. I found this boring and skipped through some more history-y bits. To be fair, I don’t know much American history, and I have even less interest in it; I haven’t ever been to America and it holds absolutely no attraction for me (I don’t know why, it just doesn’t). Maybe it would appeal more to Americans.

I felt really bad for Roger. In this book, he shines in his own story rather than just being a player in Claire and Brianna’s stories. While bad things have happened to him before, bad things continue to happen but I felt worse about them, maybe because I cared about him more.

I enjoyed the development in Jamie and Claire’s relationship. They’ve mellowed slightly and settled into a relatively regular life, but there’s still passion between them. I made my way through these books so quickly that I had barely gotten used to Jamie and Claire being parents, and now they’re grandparents. It took some adjustment (they’re not young anymore).

Conclusion

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

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Review: The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney

Review of The Chosen Queen, historical Fiction set in 11th century Britain by Joanna Courtney

The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney cover (review by the Travelling Book Nerd)

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Synopsis

The Chosen Queen is based on the life of Edyth, daughter of the Earl of east Anglia, wife of king Griffin of Wales, and later married to Harold Godwinson.

When Edyth’s father is exiled from court, the family go to Wales. There, Edyth catches the eye of King Griffin and when her family leaves, she stays behind to marry him. As Queen of Wales, Edyth learns how to support the men in her life rule a country.

Returning with her children to England following Griffin’s murder, Edyth becomes firm friends with Svana, handfast wife of Harold Godwinson. As political tensions rise due to the lack of an obvious heir for the aging king, the pressure on Edyth and Harold to marry and claim their place at England’s head.

Review

Even though I’m familiar with the history and knew the basics of what was going to happen, especially towards the end, I still found myself hooked. Primary sources from this period of history are largely biased (about men by men), and I enjoyed the way this book focused more on the women.

Despite being a bit modern, the characters are brought to life well and seem more like actual people than primary sources make them seem. They seemed understandable and I came to really care for them.

Edyth is a very admirable woman. She is strong, resilient, and mature. She fights for what she believes in. I particularly admired her understanding of politics and the way that she helps the men in her life make decisions. In this way, she has a significant effect on the running of her country even though she couldn’t hold any official power.

He looked at her curiously and she spun round to grab his other hand in hers. “We should tour the whole country – the north first. Let people see you, talk to you. It is what you do well, Harold, and people will trust a king they have seen with their own eyes.” He nodded thoughtfully and she pushed on. “Griffin skulked at Rhuddlan. He thought he was safe, but it was an illusion – as you proved all too well.” Harold grimaced but now was the time for lessons, not recriminations. “We only rode south when it was too late – that is not a mistake you can afford to make.”

“You are right. You are so right, Edyth. See, I told you I needed you as queen.”

The author changed the names of some of the characters to make it easier for a modern reader. I understand this, and some of these changes were done well, such as Eadyth/Edyth and Gyrth/Garth. Other changes, I didn’t like – the difference between the real person’s name and the book character’s name is just too great. For example, Gunnhild becomes Hannah and Leofwine becomes Lane.

The Chosen Queen is full of historical detail but isn’t bogged down with it. It really made me feel that I was experiencing the 11th century. The intense political climate of the time is thoroughly explored. The author has clearly done some excellent research into the period; her world-building is excellent both in the big events and the little details.

Conclusion

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

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Review: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

Review of The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel, final book of the epic Earth’s Children series of historical fiction set in prehistoric Europe.

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel cover - review by Travelling Book Nerd.

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Synopsis

Ayla has become Zelandoni’s acolyte. Along with Jondalar, Jonayla (Ayla’s daughter), and the animals, they travel around looking at sacred sites and painted caves. Along the way they meet many people, have adventures, and save some lives.

By the time Jonayla is six, the demands on Ayla are putting a strain on the family. This worsens after Ayla receives her ‘calling’ to be Zelandoni. Both Jondalar and Ayla become withdrawn and miserable until a near-death experience forces them back together.

Review

The Land of Painted Caves is the most boring book in this series. For most of the book, people travel around looking a cave-paintings and nothing happens to advance the story. There are a lot of descriptions of caves, painting, and scenery.

A couple of times, the plot jumped several years for no apparent reason. The first time, right before the time-jump, there was an earthquake that made no sense. Previously, earthquakes have preceded change but this one doesn’t. Then it jumps forward four years and it takes several pages before the jump becomes apparent.

I found it hard to believe that they still only had three horses at the end of the book. Whinney was about three years old when she gave birth to Racer, and she had Grey a couple of years later. By the end of the book Grey is six years old but there is no indication that she has ever mated, had a foal, or even come into heat.

I was disappointed to see Ayla and Jondalar regress to where they were during The Mammoth Hunters. They act as if they don’t love each other anymore and stop communicating, making the other jealous. This again lands them in a vicious cycle of misunderstanding and hurtful behaviour. I thought they had moved beyond such behaviour and did not enjoy seeing it again.

Many of the characters had no apparent personality. Apart from the major characters who featured in previous books, they all seem the same. They aren’t really in the book enough for any differences between them to be obvious; there’s a lot of them that come and go without really doing anything.

I did like finding out what happened with the Mamutoi after Ayla and Jondalar had left, especially Ranec. I had wondered what happened to him. How long did it take for Ranec to get over Ayla? Did he mate with Tricie?

Saying that, the ending gives no closure. There could quite easily be another book after this one (there isn’t, but it feels like there could be). Ayla and Jondalar talk about having another child, Zelandoni is guilty about pushing Ayla, and Danug is still visiting. The story doesn’t end.

Conclusion

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

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Review: The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel

Review of The Valley of Horses, the second book in the epic Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel of historical fiction set in prehistoric Europe.

The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel cover
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Synopsis

After leaving the group of Neanderthals that raised her, Ayla is unable to find other humans, and settles in a protected valley. She initially plans to stay for the winter but ends up remaining there for three years. During that time, she adopts a foal and raises a baby cave lion.

While Ayla’s in the valley, two brothers journey eastward along the river later called the Danube. They meet many people during their travels, and spend some time living with a group called the Sharamudoi. After the death of the woman he loves, the younger brother, Thonolan, loses his will to live.

Ayla finds the two young men after they have been mauled by her lion. Thonolan is dead, but she takes the other brother, Jondalar, back to her cave and saves his life. From Jondalar, Ayla learns about her own kind of people and the two of them form a relationship.

Review

I liked The Valley of Horses at the beginning, and it got better at the end. I’ve read and re-read the good parts over and over again.

In the first part of the book, I preferred the Ayla parts of the story to the Jondalar parts, but the Jondalar parts are necessary for the pace of the story and for action. Also, without the Jondalar parts, I wouldn’t have had the background that I needed to appreciate the rest of the story.

I loved seeing Ayla develop into her own person after being held back trying to fit in with the Clan. When she was living with the clan, a lot of her personality showed that she was different from everyone else. She had to suppress her smiles and laughter in order to fit in and survive. Living on her own, she could be curious, express her creativity, and follow her own inclinations as much as she liked.

‘She was thinking about naming the horse. I’ve never named anything before, she smiled to herself. Wouldn’t they think I was strange, naming a horse? Not any stranger than living with one. She watched the young animal racing and frisking playfully. I’m so glad she lives with me, Ayla thought, feeling a lump in her throat. It’s not so lonely with her around. I don’t know what I would do if I lost her now.‘

I found the number of innovations that Ayla came up with unrealistic for one person. She domesticates horses, makes fire with stones, and invents the travois to help her carry the animals she hunts. Individually, the circumstances surrounding each invention and discovery are reasonable, however put all together it is just too much for one person to have done.

Jondalar is too perfect; he’s tall, handsome, sensitive, intelligent, and everyone loves him. I usually don’t like characters like that, preferring characters to have a flaw or two and be more relatable. However, Jondalar’s perfection is recognised and we are shown some of the problems that it brings him. This made him much more likeable.

Conclusion

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

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Review: On A Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens

Review of On a Highland Shore, historical fiction set in medieval Scotland by Kathleen Givens

On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens cover
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Synopsis

Margaret MacDonald, daughter of the Laird of Somerstrath, has just discovered that the man she is to marry has been unfaithful to her with her best friend. Because of her family’s refusal to cancel the betrothal, she travels to court to ask King Alexander to release her from it.

Returning home, she and her escort find that Norsemen have destroyed Somerstrath and massacred the inhabitants. While cleaning up the bodies, they find that several young boys are missing, including one of Margaret’s younger brothers.

They are joined by several relatives and allies, including Gannon MacMagnus, a young Irish warrior with a Norse father. Together they start recovering from the invasion and track down the attackers.

Review

The beginning seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start. However, once the Norsemen attack Somerstrath the story takes off. As the book continues, it is intense and suspenseful, especially during the battle scenes (warning: they were a bit graphic).

I enjoyed the brief appearances of real historical people, such as King Alexander. This ties the story in to the real historical setting. The book does a great job of showing the beauty of this time along with the brutality.

I struggled to care about Davy, the brother who was abducted. I just hadn’t seen enough of him to become attached to him before he was taken. I was more concerned about whether they would find and stop the Norse invasions or not.

There was a tease about Nell’s story. She meets a man called Liam and it seems obvious that eventually they’ll get together. Apparently the author planned to write another book featuring Nell, but died before she could do so. That’s a shame, because I want to understand that reference.

The author did a really good job of showing Margaret’s emotions; I could really feel her helplessness, loss, and betrayal.

‘Margaret stumbled down the hill behind Rignor. They checked every house. They found no one alive.

Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think.

They stopped before what had once been the gatehouse, staring at the still-smoldering roof of the keep. Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think. The chant ran through her mind, but thought was already very difficult. There was a roaring in her ears, almost like the sea. She no longer even saw the bodies of the men who had died here, simply stepped over the fallen who lay strewn across the stone courtyard and in the storeroom that had been the ground floor.’

The relationship between Margaret and Ganon adds a bit of romance to the story, but not enough to make it a romance novel rather than historical fiction. It also seems a bit shallow; I think the author hasn’t done a very good job of the “show don’t tell” thing with regards to this part of the story.

Margaret and Ganon were both strong people. I liked them much more than weaker characters such as Rignor. While I didn’t want Rignor to die, I was glad that his death allowed Margaret to become the clan leader; she always looked like a better leader than him.

The Norseman (main baddie) is pure evil. Rignor and Lachlan are shown as bad, they certainly do bad things, but they aren’t evil at heart. They are understandable given the setting and context.

Conclusion

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