News and Random Musings about Historical NovelsDo you prefer lopping off heads from horseback on the Mongolian steppes or delivering subtly devastating rejoinders over tea in a Victorian drawing room? This site features reviews of novels old and new to suit your taste. See below for the latest, or check out the Book Review Directory. Author interviews are featured several times a month. Those that no longer appear below can be found via the Articles page.
Sep 3, 2010, Review of ancient Japan mystery The Convict's SwordA new review of The Convict's Sword, mystery #6 in I.J. Parker's series set in eleventh-century Japan, has been posted. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, many-layered but easy to follow, psychologically rich but also full of gripping life-and-death suspense. Check out the review. Powell's Books is running a sweepstakes contest during the month of September. The prize is 30 books, each signed by the author. Most are contemporary novels, but some nonfiction books and a few historical novels by noted authors are included in the prize. Hugh Ambrose's The Pacific is nonfiction about World War II combat in the Pacific theater; Glen David Gold's novel Sunnyside is about Hollywood in 1916; John Irving's novel Last Night in Twisted River begins in a New Hampshire logging camp in 1954. Sep 2, 2010, Serial Episode Chapter 4, #7: The Queen's Command(see previous episodes)
My mouth fell open as I listened. But Janka nodded and smiled as though she heard such commands every day. I slid my arm out of hers. "Both of us, lady queen?" My mouth felt dry. I licked my lips, which helped not at all. I could not imagine she thought me suited for such an errand. "Do you mean me to go, too?" Uta raised her brows. The taper's light in the hollows above her eyes magnified her look of astonishment. "You especially, my dear. I have marked that you listen well and keep your own counsel. Tell no one, and certainly not the Princess Kriemhild, what you hear, but come directly to me, however late the hour, and tell me all the kings and their knights have said." I liked neither the thought of being secret witness to the kings' talk nor of hiding it from my lady Kriemhild. But if I defied the queen, she would not think twice before packing me back to my father in disgrace. The kings need never know I had listened. And in truth, my lady did not keep so close a guard over her tongue as she might. So I nodded and murmured obedience. Janka started to move down the passageway, but I held back. "What shall we do if someone sees us?" I thought a corner of the queen's mouth quirked up for an instant, but so strangely did the light jump and hover about her face, I may have imagined it. "Tell them you were looking for the kitchenmaids' privy closet and lost your way. They would never believe it of me. But the two least in rank among my daughter's companions might well lose patience awaiting their turn and seek a more humble place to empty their bladders." I hoped we would not be challenged. What could I do, but nod once again and give my assent? "Hasten, now, lest you miss somewhat of weight." And so we hastened.
Next: Chapter 5, Episode 1: The Kings' Talk Sep 1, 2010, Interview with Author Steven Saylor
My fascination began in childhood, with movies like Spartacus and Cleopatra, and I studied Roman history in college. But it was my first visit, in my twenties, that ignited a passion that just keeps growing. Writing Empire was my way to time-travel back to the city, and hopefully take readers with me.
The ancient historians were first and foremost storytellers, and they used every trick to keep readers scrolling forward. There's no end of scandal, passion, and violence. But we also have the writings of philosophers and poets, which give us entry to the thought-world of Rome--it's rather like going through the wardrobe that opens into Narnia. Rome is my Narnia or Middle Earth--except that this lost world really existed.
Our sources are dominated by imperial biographies. Everything is about the emperor--his astrological sign, his sexual habits, funny things he said, whom he killed on a whim. Most historical fiction focuses on the emperors--novels like Memoirs of Hadrian and I, Claudius. I wanted to explore what life was like for other people, so Empire is seen through the eyes of the Pinarius family. What was it like to be sexually humiliated by Caligula? What was it like to fall under the charismatic spell of Nero, and to be with him at the sordid end of his life--then to become the confidant of his eunuch-widow, Sporus, who met her own spectacularly tragic end? What was it like to fall in love with a forbidden Vestal under the paranoid Domitian, who felt obliged to police the morals of his subjects? The Pinarii make some bad choices, but each seeks wisdom in his own way. One becomes a follower of the wonder-worker Apollonius of Tyana, one of the most influential religious leaders the world has ever seen, who now is almost completely forgotten. One of the challenges of Empire was to bring Apollonius to life again. Previous novels and movies have really only grazed the surface of Rome; I think that Empire breaks a lot of fresh ground.
Aug 31, 2010, Review of Empire by Steven SaylorIf you enjoyed Steven Saylor's 2007 time-sweep novel about the founding of Rome and its years as a republic, you'll want to continue with Empire, which carries the story of the fictional Pinarius family and their mysterious golden pendant into the imperial years. Empire appears on bookstore shelves today. Check out the new review of Empire, which also includes links to companion reading and viewing. Coming tomorrow: an interview with author Steven Saylor Aug 30, 2010, Serial Episode Chapter 4, #6: The Winter Visitors(see previous episodes)
I wondered whether this would be my chance to catch some minor lord's eye. Ought I to wear the rope of gold beads and river pearls my father had given me? I tried to remember how my mother had shown me to wind it about my braids and, in turn, to wind my braids about my brow, so that all showed to best advantage. I felt a pang. Before I came to Burgonden, I had thought her more graceless than a lady ought to be. Her fingers were reddened from toils she would not let me share, and all but her two best gowns were so faded from daily wear, they should have been stripped of their jewels and given to the servants. But she had never blotted her nose with her sleeve, as was Queen Uta's habit, and she had chided me only in the gentlest of tones. The queen and her ladies dined with the kings that night, but despite her expectation, no call came for us maidens to go down. We heard, through the servants who laid a meal for us in the ladies' hall, that though the young prince had spent much time closeted with the two eldest kings and their seneschal, no place was laid for him or his escort in the hall. This troubled me, for Uta's judgment was rarely mistaken. As we rose from the tables, one of the minstrels who had been playing in the hall below came to the door, beckoning for Janka and me. I looked to my lady Kriemhild, who shrugged and said, "Go and ask his business. If my lady mother wants me, tell her I am not dressed. It is surely too late for her to parade me before this princeling. Such a child must have been abed long since." But it was not Kriemhild's attendance Queen Uta had sent to command. The minstrel made sure of our names, then bade Janka and me go to the end of the passage where the narrow servants' stairway led down to the kitchens. There, Queen Uta herself stood waiting for us. She held a taper in her hand, since the torch above her head had been doused. It flickered strangely over her face, lighting her chin and the end of her nose and casting unnatural shadows across her lips and eyes.
Next: Chapter 4, Episode 7: The Queen's Command Aug 28, 2010, YA NovelsThe YA (young adult) novels I've been reading lately are impressive works of fiction. One of my favorites is The Book of the Maidservant by Rebecca Barnhouse (see review). It's based on the actual life story of Dame Margery Kempe, a fanatically religious woman in medieval England who went on a pilgrimage to Rome and took her maidservant along. Reading between the lines of Dame Margery's memoir, author Rebecca Barnhouse developed tremendous sympathy for the teenage maidservant who, despite her ever-increasing responsibilities, was often the object of Dame Margery's wrath or neglect. In Barnhouse's novel, the maidservant is smart, witty and courageous, making for a fun read. For more YA reviews, check the Book Reviews page - novels written especially for young adults are marked "YA." When complete, the YA section of this website will include novels taking place in settings from prehistory to the 1950s and 1960s, and regions of the world from Asia to Latin America. Currently, listings for novels set in America and Europe go from prehistory through the 18th century, with a section for 19th century North America as well. Still to come are sections for 19th century Europe and later, as well as sections for worldwide settings such as Africa, Asia, Australia, etc. Aug 27, 2010, Review of The Green PopinjaysGuest reviewer Annis often contributes reviews of out-of-print historical novels that are well worth reading, but about which little information has been available on the web. Her latest contribution is a review of The Green Popinjays by Eleanor Fairburn about the notorious thirteenth-century Yorkshire beauty Lucia de Thweng. Irish novelist Eleanor Fairburn wrote some 20 novels in the 1960s and later under her own name and pen names. The Green Popinjays was her first novel. Long out of print, it's not always available through online booksellers (Amazon.com currently has one copy available), but Annis recommends hunting it up at your local library or ordering it through inter-library loan. Check out her review. Aug 26, 2010, Serial Episode Chapter 4, #5: In the Snow(see previous episodes)
"Riders." My voice quavered. The quarrel behind me ended. Queen Uta came to the window, and I gave place. Kriemhild squeezed in between us. "Who can they be, in this season? Messengers? Not knights, for they wear no armor." "Of course they wear armor," Uta said. "It is under their mantles. They have only taken their helms off, for the cold, and tied them at the back of their saddles." "The one in front has no helm upon his saddle." Queen Uta did not answer. This should have gladdened me, for it seemed to confirm that one rider, at least, was no enemy knight. If he was not, how could the others be? And yet a dread struck into my heart. If these men came to us over the icy roads, who could not? Scarlet, I remembered, was the Saxon color. But when at last Uta spoke, it was to say firmly, "Another suitor for you. And a most eager one, to come by winter. You and your maidens will appear in the hall tonight. See that you show a gladsome face and look on him with welcome." "But he is a child!" Kriemhild protested. "Look." I raised myself on my toe tips to peer between their shoulders. It was true. As the party neared the gates, I could see that the smallest of them, the one in the lead who wore the circlet, was as beardless as Giselher. "Lads grow to men," Uta said. "His father may be a great lord. If that be so, his suit may be most welcome. If not, it does no harm to show others that time sits still for no man, and the maiden who is unwedded today may be out of reach tomorrow."
Next: Chapter 4, Episode 6: The Winter Visitors Aug 25, 2010, Smithsonian article about shell shock in WWIThe latest issue of Smithsonian (September 2010) includes an article by Caroline Alexander about shell shock during World War I, The Shock of War. Initially, physicians believed the symptoms of shell shock resulted from the physical damage caused when a shell exploded near a soldier, as with the case of a soldier "buried under earth for 18 hours after a shell collapsed his trench." They discovered, though, that many sufferers "had been nowhere near exploding shells." Alexander's article explores the discovery and treatment of this catastrophe of war - still with us today as PTSD. Novels about shell shock include June Hutton's Underground, about a Canadian man buried alive in a trench by a shell (see review); Pat Barker's The Eye in the Door, about a psychiatrist who treats soldiers for shell shock; and Charles Todd's A Test of Wills, the first in a series of mystery novels about a Scotland Yard inspector suffering from shell-shock. Aug 23, 2010, Giveaway News: A Flickering LightLiterary publicist Stephanie Barko is celebrating her new blog with a series of book giveaways, now through September 19. Today's prize is an autographed copy of the 2009 historical novel A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick, a Christian-themed coming-of-age story. It's about a young woman who becomes a photographer's assistant in 1907, when the fledgling art of photography with its volatile flash powders and dangerous chemicals was still very much a man's profession. A Flickering Light won a 2010 Willa Award. To submit your entry, just go to Stephanie's new blog and post a comment with your answer to her question of the day. Aug 19, 2010, Review of The Unquiet BonesA new review of The Unquiet Bones, the first mystery in the relatively new Hugh de Singleton Surgeon Chronicles series, has been posted. Two more mysteries in this series about a young surgeon in fourteenth century Oxford have appeared to date, and reviewer Susan Gillmor looks forward to reading them. Miss the mystery, if you must, but don't miss the link in the companion reading section below the review to a humorous website about medieval medicine. Aug 17, 2010, Review of YA novel Here Lies ArthurAnnis has been reviewing a number of novels for young adults. Her latest is a review of Here Lies Arthur, a novel by Philip Reeve which suggests how the King Arthur legend might really have originated, not around a just king in a glittering medieval castle, but around a ruthless gang leader after the break-up of Roman law and order in Britain. If you're interested in the "real" King Arthur, check out the review. Aug 12, 2010, Forthcoming ReviewsMy TBR ("to be read") stack is overflowing with intriguing possibilities. Some of the novels I definitely plan to review in the next couple of months are: Steven Saylor's Empire, the sequel to his time-sweep novel Roma; A Curable Romantic by Joseph Skibell, about a young doctor, the woman he falls recklessly in love with from a distance, and Sigmund Freud; Rival to the Queen by Carolly Erickson, about the wife of Queen Elizabeth's beloved Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; Barbara Erskine's 1986 time-travel novel Lady of Hay, about a modern woman in King John's England; and Elizabeth, Captive Princess, the second in Margaret Irwin's classic trilogy about Queen Elizabeth. Some enticing mysteries, literary debuts, and oldies-but-goodies are also in the pile and will doubtless make an appearance among the new reviews during the coming months. Coming tomorrow: a new episode in A World So Wide Aug 10, 2010, Review of The Lion of CairoAnnis, who enjoys a good sword-and-sorcery novel, has contributed a new review of The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden. Its hero is one of the legendary Assassins of Alamut, sent on an unusual mission. Aug 9, 2010, Historical Novel Society Conference DatesThe date of the Historical Novel Society's next conference in the U.S. has been announced. It will take place June 17-19, 2011, in San Diego, California. Conferences are held in the U.S. and the U.K. in alternating years. The 2010 conference will be held in Manchester, England, this coming October 17, and speakers will include Robert Low, Harry Sidebottom, Jean Fullerton and Douglas Jackson. Last year's U.S. conference featured Margaret George and Sharon Kay Penman as guests of honor and offered workshops for both readers and writers, ranging from "The Best New Historical Fiction: What To Read and Why" and "Historical Accuracy vs. Plot: A Debate on Balancing Fact and Fiction" to "Place as Character: Making Your Settings Come Alive" and "Query Letters That Worked." If you're interested in attending this year's conference in England, you can register now at the Historical Novel Society website. Registration for the U.S. conference will open in November 2010. Aug 6, 2010, Review of The Concubine by Norah LoftsA new review of The Concubine, Norah Lofts's novel about Anne Boleyn, has been posted. Many novels have been written about Henry VIII's second wife, whose short season as queen changed England forever. Reviewer Susan Gillmor is impressed by how well this one stands the test of time. Aug 4, 2010, Interview with author Sara Poole
You won't find "poisoner" listed on a household ledger but every great family employed herbalists, perfumers, and apothecaries, at least some of whom may have had more than a passing knowledge of poisons. Poison was, after all, the weapon of choice of the Renaissance, or at least people believed that to be the case. Many common diseases of the day--malaria, typhoid, and cholera, for example--produce symptoms that mimic the effects of various poisons. As a result, whenever a great man or woman died suddenly or after a brief illness, poison was suspected. Nobles and wealthy merchants did everything possible to safeguard themselves and their families from falling victim to it. They may also, on occasion, have used it as a weapon. Certainly, the Borgias are suspected of having done so although their reputation in this regard may be exaggerated.
My characters always surprise me but none more so than Rodrigo Borgia. When I began my research into his life, I had certain preconceptions about him that turned out to be essentially correct, including that he can be thought of as a cross between a corporate chief executive and the don of a crime family. But as he emerged in Poison, he became a much more complex figure, driven not only by personal ambition but by the desire to create a lasting legacy that to a certain extent anticipated a more modern and unified Europe. I also came to the conclusion that much of his depiction in history has been skewed by his enemies, whose fear and envy of him drove them to defame him in any way possible.
Poison is the beginning of Francesca's account of her life in service to the House of Borgia. I know how and when her story ends but I have no idea how many books it will take to get there. The second book, Serpent, picks up shortly after Poison ends. It will be followed in turn by Malice, which is now in the works.
Aug 3, 2010, Review of Poison by Sara PooleReaders who like their heroines a little bit wicked are liable to enjoy Poison by Sara Poole. It's about a woman who takes on the job of poisoner for Cardinal Borgia in 1492 as he, in turn, vies for the job of pope. See the new review of Poison for more about this mystery novel, just published today. Aug 2, 2010, Review of The King's MistressThe sumptuous red cover of Emma Campion's The King's Mistress promises a novel steeped in the luxury of life at Edward III's fourteenth century English court. See the new review of The King's Mistress to find out if this debut novel about Alice Perrers, Edward's much-reviled mistress, is your kind of novel. Feb 21, 2010, Best Historical Novel Picks from 2009 by AnnisFrequent review contributor Annis has made a list of the best historical novels she read in 2009. It's a great list, full of novels both exciting and thoughtful. Annis and I have similar taste and enjoy many of the same novels, but what we read in the course of a particular year doesn't necessarily overlap much, so this is a completely different set of books than appears on my own best of 2009 list. Feb 15, 2010, Review of Savage Lands by Clare ClarkA new review of Savage Lands by Clare Clark has been posted. It takes place in the early 1700s, primarily in the struggling French colony that later became Mobile, Alabama, but was then part of the huge territory of Louisiana. Clark's vivid, lush prose is especially well suited to the steamy setting and her complex and passionate characters. Jan 10, 2010, Book Lovers of the Feline Persuasion
Dec 31, 2009, The Best Historical Novels I Read in 2009This was a great year for readers who love historical novels. For this year's list of the very best that I read, I wasn't able to limit myself to ten, but selected fifteen historical novels and five historical mysteries that I especially enjoyed. The list includes some literary novels adored by critics, some beautifully written novels that seem to have slipped through the cracks unnoticed, and some without a great deal of deeper meaning that are just for fun but deliver that fun by the truckload. Not all were published in 2009, but most appeared within the last few years, while a couple are recent reprint editions of novels that had gone out of print. I hope you'll enjoy some of them as much as I did. Best wishes for a very happy New Year. May your reading in 2010 be inspiring, fulfilling and pleasurable, and may your real-life experiences be the same! Nov 23, 2009, First map to use the name "America" featured in Smithsonian articleThe December issue of Smithsonian magazine includes a fascinating article by Toby Lester, "Putting America on the Map," about two German map-makers, Matthias Ringmann and Martin Waldseemuller, who in 1507 published the first map to show North and South America surrounded by water and labeled "America." If I'm not mistaken, no one has ever written a novel about Ringmann and Waldseemuller. There are several novels about Columbus and his voyages, though, beginning with Washington Irving's influential, if misleading, 1828 novel The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, which portrays Columbus as the man who convinced Europeans that the earth was not flat but round (educated Europeans already knew this). More recent Columbus fiction includes Adam Schell's 2009 comic novel Tomato Rhapsody, about an Italian tomato grower who sailed with Columbus, and Stephen Marlowe's also-humorous 1987 novel The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus. On a more somber note, Ridley Scott's 1992 movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise, starring Gerard Depardieu as Columbus, portrays the discovery of the New World as a tragedy. It's not too late to enter the Thanksgiving Book Giveaway contest. See the November 20 post below. Coming tomorrow: A review of Delilah by India Edghill
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Today we're talking with Steven Saylor, author of the newly released time-sweep novel Empire about imperial Rome from 14 A.D. to 141 A.D., which included the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero and Domitian, to name just a few of the most memorable emperors. Welcome, Steven!
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It's a privilege to interview Sara Poole, the author of Poison, a novel about a young Italian woman who becomes Cardinal Borgia's poisoner in 1492, as Borgia is scheming to become pope. Welcome, Sara!
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Author Susanne Alleyn sent me this photo of her friend's cat Frimousse guarding a galley of her novel 