The Serpent’s Spell by Rae St. Clair Bridgman is a captivating tale of magic spells, a journey and a young hero. It begins with a news report of a fire, then switches to a girl and her cat, then switches again to a boy and his snake taking a train journey from Toronto to Winnipeg. So, it
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When I started Passion for Compasses, I did not expect to discover a medieval eyeopener. Although the subtitle–Medieval Master Builders and their Cathedral Building Plans–intrigued me, I thought I would learn a bit about how medieval architects built the great gothic cathedrals without understanding any of the technicalities. I picked it up from Book Sirens
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With The Agincourt King, Mercedes Rochelle has achieved a triumph, creating a nuanced world for possibly the best known of English medieval kings and battles. Rochelle frames the novel with Henry V’s decisive, implacable character as he crushes the Lollard uprising in early 1414. She establishes her English narrator, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, whose admiration
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In Find Me in the Stars, a captivating journey of love and courage, author Jules Larimore masterfully transports readers to the mysterious, mountainous Occitanie region of southern France during the late seventeenth century. Against the backdrop of religious persecution, Larimore weaves a tale of ordinary people who embark on a perilous journey in search of
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A review of Rozsa Gaston’s Margaret of Austria Introducing Margaret of Austria’s eventful life On to the story itself. After three unfortunate marriages in France, Spain & Savoy, Margaret of Austria comes into her own after 1504, when she is again widowed. Refusing to marry again despite intense pressure from her father, Emperor Maximilian I,
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If you are in the mood for a light historical mystery, Conspiracy in Bologna may be the book for you. In Renaissance Florence, a young orphan wakes in the night to scary sounds. He climbs from bed to uncover a frightening conspiracy. A volunteer who works at the orphanage worries about the mysterious disappearance of
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K.M. Butler’s new book, The Welsh Dragon, is a compelling tale of loyalty, betrayal, and danger, rich in historical detail. The dramatic novel opens as fourteen-year-old Henry Tudor and his uncle Jasper Tudor flee England, first to Wales, and then to France after the Lancastrian defeat in 1471. Blown off-course by storms, the small party
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Jules Larimore’s novel, The Muse of Freedom is her first published novel, although she has been writing nonfiction for over 15 years. With her Huguenot background and links to the Bondurant family, Larimore began to explore her story over 20 years ago. This novel is only the first installment in her series. Its lush language
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I just finished prolific historical novelist, Mercedes Rochelle’s excellent English historical novel, The Usurper King, using the excuse of preparing a guest post for her blog while preparing for my launch. The Usurper King As Henry comes to learn, gaining a crown he did not covet was a mixed blessing. Once won, it was a
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Estimated reading time: 2 minutes Historical romance meets period history These are two women with intelligence, in aristocratic roles without power. Mothers to children birthed to rule. Alienated from their natural instincts and obstructed from their abilities. Surrounded by wealth and privilege and yet locked in relationships defined by ancient customs of court and monarchy.
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In France in the early 1600s, Cardinal Richelieu is the master puppeteer. When the Cardinal enmeshes Gregoire the gentleman thief, son of a Count hung for treason, and Charlotte, a destitute widow, in his plot, he offers each of them their heart’s desire. Thus, Gregoire, masquerading as a musketeer and Charlotte as a lady’s maid,
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The novel, Lotharingia, Charlemagne’s Heir, recreates the fascinating personalities that shaped Europe at the time of the power struggle between pope and emperor. Mathilde enlists formidable allies—her mother, the Pope himself, and her husband’s feudal overlord, King Heinrich of Germany. Heinrich, she discovers, is another of Charlemagne’s heirs; another force of nature. He defies the
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