Tag Archives: Historical fiction

The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown by Jane Yolen

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Jewel in the Toad Queen’s Crown
Author: Jane Yolen
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Gaslamp, Historical fiction
Dates read: 29th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: He realized then how foolish he had been, playing about with kabalistic magic.

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Synopsis

A great historical rendition of Queen Victoria’s unique friendship with her Prime Minister and the journey they took to reach an understanding.

Thoughts

This story didn’t end at all as I expected. But it did make me realise that it is probably based on a true story. Which just makes it all the more fun – after all, who doesn’t like a cute little reimagining of a true, historical friendship?

I was expecting a truly dark story at the beginning. One in which the Queen is somehow overtaken and turned in a way that would be detrimental to her kingdom. (Don’t look at me like that, it does happen). Yet, it was kind of sweet, cute, and funny in the end. Alright, there were moments of darkness and slight insanity… but it was mostly enjoyable.

Sometimes it’s nice to read a story that features a male and female and just ends in friendship. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good romance, but that isn’t the only way that people of opposite sexes can interact. The fact that this friendship came from a kind of magical place, and an understanding of each others’ loss was thoroughly enjoyable. And not the kind of short story that I’m going to forget any time soon.

 <- The Vital Importance of the Superficial ReviewA Few Twigs He Left Behind Review ->
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The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the falconer

Title: The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
Series: The Falconer #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Historical fiction, Steampunk, Young adult
Dates read: 27th September – 19th October 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: I walk downstairs, inappropriately carryinig a cup of tea from one room to another.

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Synopsis

Lady Aileana Kamerson was destined to a life carefully planned around Edinbrugh’s social events – right up until a faery murdered her mother.

Now, between social engagements, she slaughters the fae in secret, determined to track down that faery, and to destroy any others who cross her path.

But midwinter is approaching, and a battle looms.

Aileana is going to have to decide how much she’s willing to lose – and just how far she’ll go to avenge her mother…

Thoughts

I’m totally in love with this story. I can’t wait to get the next book in the series… because seriously?!?!? The cliff hanger at the end of this! I actually turned the page about three times because I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Who ends a story on a sentence like that? But it was so damn good… now I just have to wait until next payday… if I can.

Although I recently read The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance, I have very few books on my shelf which feature Scotland. Let alone fantasy historical fictions which feature a strong, young female lead. Definitely something that needs to be expanded on in my collection…I loved the court intrigue that I find in English stories, but there was a little more language and history in amongst the Scottish culture. Probably also intrigued me because I have a Scottish background and it’s something that I know a lot less about than my English heritage.

Women who are inventors are becoming a quick obsession for me. Whilst I’m not an inventor, I have a science background and I love when women share that same STEM, analytical interest. The fact that Aileana is an inventor in a steampunk version of historical Scotland was kind of ridiculously exciting. I actually squealed out loud a little when I started reading about her inventions. Particularly because all of her inventions are also weapons that she uses to have her fun and kill multiple fae. The darkness combined with inventions and steampunk hit my total happy spot and was written in a way that felt completely plausible.

Fae is something that has fascinated me ever since I was a teenager and read Wicked Lovely. And I’m talking traditional fae – the ones that prey on humans and aren’t nice and cuddly like Tinkerbell. This follows that tradition – fae are not nice in this story. They are multifaceted, tricky and incredibly dangerous. Just like much of the folklore within the tales which traditionally come out of the UK. The adherence to more traditional knowledges and practices were amazing. And I loved that at the end of the book, May includes a section which details each of the fae incorporated in the story in far more detail. I think I’ll have to flick back to this a little more when I finally get my hands on the next books…

 <- The Fallen Kingdom ReviewThe Vanishing Throne Review ->

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A Child of the Darkness by Brett McBean

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: A Child of Darkness
Author: Brett McBean
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Family, Historical fiction
Dates read: 15th October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: He looked out and watched with wonder at the falling rain.

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Synopsis

He’s the son of the Ripper… and he’s finally found him. But now he wants one last favour from the man who abandoned him.

Thoughts

Many of the stories in the The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection have a bit of a focus on genetics. What would the children of the Ripper be like? The grandchild, the many times great-grandchildren? And mostly I’ve enjoyed them… but something about this slightly more fantastical take on the same story gave me a few heebie jeebies. Not sure why, but it definitely made me feel not so comfortable.

Of all the stories I expected to read, one where the child begs the father to perform another murder really wasn’t one of them. Especially when the child is doing it to regain his sight… and there’s something completely off about him as well. Although I can’t pinpoint that one so closely. It’s just uncomfortable and weird. This entire story. Weirdly uncomfortable. Not one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a fairly clever story, but not one that I would be likely to read again. There is just something about it that is a little too intensely creepy for my taste. But it’s still very well written, and a completely imaginative Jack the Ripper story… one that is probably going to haunt me for a little while longer.

 <- It’s All in the Genes ReviewMy Name is Jack… Review ->
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Phosphorus by Veronica Schanoes

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Phosphorus
Author: Veronica Schanoes
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Gaslamp, Historical fiction
Dates read: 11th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: You’d like to know that Annie won’t starve, at least.

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Synopsis

Annie has always been told by her gifted grandmother that she has a bright future ahead of her. What she doesn’t know is that the brightness comes from phosphorus and will lead to a dark end…

Thoughts

I’ve recently read The Radium Girls, which gave me a whole new appreciation for what some women went through in the work force in the twenties. And, this story is about phosphorus, not radium. It takes place a long, long time before the occurrences in Radium Girls, but much of the storyline and themes echo. Which is probably why I loved it so much from the very beginning.

This is a very bittersweet and tragic tale. Annie seems to have so much promise and a beautiful life before her. Yet, it is cut short by the greed of others. Although she tries to stay around to watch their comeuppance, but she still meets a kind of horrible end. One that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Historical fictions and tales which are based on the truths of history have seriously begun to become a bit of an obsession with me. Particularly ones which are based on the battles of women and the working class. This short story perfectly fits that niche and makes me wonder what else Schanoes has written that I can get my hands on…

 <- Mr. Splitfoot ReviewWe Without Us Were Shadows Review ->
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Mr. Splitfoot by Dale Bailey

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Mr. Splitfoot
Author: Dale Bailey
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Gaslamp, Ghosts, Historical fiction
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The spirit hands and the voices and the Summerland itself.

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Synopsis

Maggie and Kate Fox have a long history of delving into the spiritual world. But as Maggie faces her final days, she reminsces on their lies and the horrors of Mr. Splitfoot.

Thoughts

I don’t really know anything about the Fox sisters. But this short story really made me want to find out more about them. It would be an amazing story and fascinating tale. Actually, I think that I’ll put their biography on my wishlist…

Bailey manages to write a fascinating historical fiction. Taking Maggie’s last days and building a rich tapestry, he constructs a world that I didn’t quite want to leave. Maggie’s confusion, reminiscing and regret all built a surreal story. One that had a waxing and waning quality… built around an old woman with many regrets and a horrifying spectre lingering over her final moments.

One of the aspects I really enjoyed about this story (other than the actual story), was Bailey’s explanation at the close. He highlights which parts of this tale were real and which ones completely figments of his own imagination. It made everything far more real and intense. Bought it to life in a way I really wasn’t expecting. And had no idea I craved so badly.

 <- Charged ReviewPhosphorus Review ->
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Point of No Return by Jennifer St Giles

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Point of No Return
Author: Jennifer St Giles
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 26th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: How could a mortal believe a slayer over a man like you?

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Synopsis

She’s been half in love with a statue for as long as she can remember. But when she meets the man in real life, her life may just be put in jeopardy. Will he arrive in time to save her?

Thoughts

Love hits us all. Not so often in the form of an obsession with a statue. But it still hits us. Luckily, nothing untoward happens with the statue… rather it happens with the man who inspired the physique. Which I can kind of understand… I too have stared at some gorgeously constructed artwork…

Prejudice exists in everyday life. But it seems to be so much more potent when told through the lens of fantasy and fiction. Maybe something to do with the fact that it removes us a little further from the situation, so we can see it a lot clearer. I like that instead of focusing on vampire prejudice (I have a LOT of those stories), this tale focuses instead on assumptions made about women and their sexuality. Actually, it was mostly the belief that she’s a witch because of her red hair… but still…

Every action has a consequence. I kind of hate the consequences in this story… in trying to save the woman he loves from a life of the night, he inadvertently places her in even more serious danger. Danger which makes you want to reach through the pages and punch the idiots who perpetrate it in the face. But that’s a soap box moment for another day…

 <- I Need More You ReviewWith Friends Like These Review ->
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Charged by Leanna Renee Hieber

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Charged
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Gaslamp, Historical fiction
Dates read: 25th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: While today’s fair was no joy, tonight proved a further trial – the first of what I assume will be many stumbling blocks along my pilgrim’s progress.

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Synopsis

Mosley was struck by lightning as a child, but he didn’t truly realise that that’s what it meant until his younger brother is murdered. Then, on his quest to meet Edison, he begins to understand the true meaning behind light, electricity and power at the turn of the century.

Thoughts

Tesla and Edison and their competition has always vaguely fascinated me. After all, they’re work is what we use in our everyday lives and it’s not something that I could imagine being without. And, apparently Hieber felt the same… since this pivotal moment in time is what is featured in this tale. It completely drew me in. To the point, that after reading this story, I bought a collection of works that feature Tesla’s experiments and life… you have to start somewhere, and I’m still not entirely sure who’s side I’m on in that race…

I really enjoyed Hieber’s wordplay on light and power. Both are intricately intertwined with electricity and they have some incredibly similar meanings, yet we use them so separately in our everyday lives. I don’t think I’ll be doing that so much now. From henceforth it seems more likely and useful to see them as their intertwined selves. And understand them in conjunction with each other.

Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of Smallville, and in one of the early episodes there is a young man who goes insane and has a lot of power (literally) running through his veins. Mosley made me think of this a lot. He is young, from a very bad family situation and just wants to find a way to make the world (mostly his world) better. Yet, the way he goes about it has a slightly sinister feeling to it. One that left me with goosebumps sliding up my arms long after I turned the last page.

 <- The Unwanted Women of Surrey ReviewMr. Splitfoot Review ->
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The Keys to the Door by William Meikle

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: The Keys to the Door
Author: William Meikle
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, Horror
Dates read: 20th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: And, by Jove, I did indeed feel something: a certain coldness and dampness in the air.

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Synopsis

Mary was born on the same night as a horrific murder took place. Now, they’re trying to exorcise the Ripper and give the young woman her bid for freedom.

Thoughts

Unlike every other short story in The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection, this one had an intriguing element of fantasy. Nothing too overt, but enough that I had a bit of a smile and a feeling of fantasy nostalgia hanging across my face when I turned the last page. And a few goose bumps, considering the fact that it had a kind of horror spin on it.

The poetry of having the woman who is the primary victim also being born on the same night as the final Ripper victim and having the name of one of his victims helped to add to that eerie feeling. The setting of an old building, a candlelit room and a haunting spectre further compounded this feeling. It made this one of the more enjoyable stories and, ironically, less dark than many of the others in this collection.

I liked the sense of closure at the end of this tale. It not only put the spirit of Jack the Ripper to bed, but also let the lead detective finally say his own goodbyes. It also hinted that the darkness within the killer was something more than just the average serial killer… which I kind of like since we will never know who it was, or why they did it.

 <- A Head for Murder ReviewIt’s All in the Genes Review ->
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The Unwanted Women of Surrey by Kaaron Warren

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: The Unwanted Women of Surrey
Author: Kaaron Warren
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5:  4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Death, Feminism, Gaslamp, Historical fiction
Dates read: 19th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: We went walking early in the evening.

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Synopsis

In a house of unwanted women, the Grey Ladies have decided to make their presence known. But these unwanted wives don’t really know what the cost is going to be… will it be too late when they find out the truth?

Thoughts

This is kind of a strong story. It intertwines death, feminism and the choices we make in life. And it truly asks the question: what is right and what is wrong? Where are the shades of grey? Or in the case of this story, where are the shades of the Grey Ladies? After all, they haunt through this story in an eerily familiar way with each flick of a page.

The mix of a tale about women attempting to find their power and place in the world. the five women in this story are all unwanted by their husbands for one reason or another. In some circumstances, I think that this unwantedness is completely understandable (there was a potential murderer among them). But in others it is just kind of tragic. At the beginning of the story, all of these women are kind of just gliding through life with no real aims or decisions as to where they want to go in the world. By the end, that has changed and there is a sense of purpose and desire in all of their actions.

The use of the cholera outbreak and a mass murder gave this tale an entirely haunting feeling. And one that made you feel a little less comfortable with the decisions that are being made by the unwanted women of surrey. Yet, it also provides a great placement in history as this was a moment that actually happened. And houses provided for married, yet unwanted women was also quite a common occurrence within this time period. The fantastic blend of historical fact, and the fantastical nature of the Grey Ladies completely swept me away.

 <- Smithfield ReviewCharged Review ->
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A Head for Murder by Keith Moray

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: A Head for Murder
Author: Keith Moray
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 11th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Who better, the prince has reasoned, than the greatest batsman of his day to save the day.

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Synopsis

A group of gentlemen gather to play cricket and discuss their passions. But does one of them have a head for murder?

Thoughts

This story felt so very, very British. After all, it starts off with the cricket whites and a bunch of gentlemen playing the age-old sport. Just something which is far too English to be ignored… and then it jumps over into the realm of Jack the Ripper and things get really intense really quickly.

I’ll admit, while I was reading this story, I wasn’t really paying attention. But I gave it a low score because even though I wasn’t paying attention, it also didn’t draw me in at all. As I’m trying to write this review, I just have these vague recollections of moments throughout the tale. Nothing obvious and concrete… all just very… vague.

From my hazy memory of this tale, I remember that Jack the Ripper was moving in more privileged circles… I liked that it took this spin. Most of the other stories thus far in the The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories collection have taken more of a working-class angle to the killer or the telling of his choices. This, instead made it sound as though he was of a higher class and far removed from the realities of the victims who he butchered.

 <- The Face of the Killer ReviewThe Keys to the Door Review ->
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