MAY 2010 REVIEWS:

CHILDREN OF THE SUN
Elizabeth Manson Bahr, Book Guild Publishing, 2009, $33.50, hb, 336 pp, 9781846243103
    When Cihuacoatl, called Woman Snake, meets with Hernan Cortes at the behest of the great Aztec emperor Montezuma, the girl doing the translating quickly irritates him:
    “Don Hernan wants to meet the Lord Montezuma,” said the girl suddenly.
    “The Lord Montezuma does not travel.”
    “But Don Hernan can travel to him.”
    This was unexpected. Tenochtitlan was impregnable. Its two hundred and fifty thousand citizens would not be friendly. All they had to do was to shut the causeways and trap the Spanish. Yet Don Hernan did not look foolish.
    “We would not counsel such a dangerous journey.”
    “Nothing is dangerous for Don Hernan.”
    “There are demons and witches on the road.”
    Even in this brief exchange, readers get a full taste of the research, fine dramatic ear, and sly sense of fun they’ll encounter in Elizabeth Manson Bahr’s novel Children of the Sun, which tells the story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico from the standpoint of the Aztecs. Her Montezuma is a splendid creation, a vain man but a curiously good one too, an emperor who completely, fundamentally misunderstands the nature and extent of the danger Corez and his men pose to his beautiful, bustling capital city and his kingdom. Her Cortez is reticent and enigmatic, assuring Montezuma he’s no god but acting like one every chance he gets.
    As the danger of invasion—indeed, of conquest—becomes undeniable, the sons of Montezuma and their fractious allies try ploy after desperate ploy to defeat these strange white-skinned beings with their fire-blasting weapons, and the whole time the reader is swept along. Despite the fact that even casual students of history (or readers of Gary Jennings’ splendid novel Aztec) will know how the story ends, Bahr keeps everything fresh and gripping. Highly recommended. -- Steve Donoghue


FOOTSTEPS TO FOREVER
R. Samuel Baty, iUniverse, 2008, $19.95, pb, 312pp, 9780595496402
    In 1941, two U.S. army lieutenants are sent to rescue an ailing physicist who had been sent to occupied Norway by President Roosevelt to spy on German atomic energy progress. Jennifer, a nurse, and Jonathan (aka Dude) travel incognito to find the physicist and bring him safely home. Their dangerous expedition takes them into harsh winter conditions where they are pursued by the enemy and changed forever by their experiences and a budding love for one another. The terrors that Jennifer and Dude face are realistic and compelling, and Baty does an excellent job describing their adventure.
    Baty has taken on the whole war in this action-packed novel. He successfully incorporates the story of Jennifer and Dude into major worldly affairs and deals with the greater picture. This is not just a novel about a rescue mission—it’s a novel about how everyone was impacted by the war. Real life people, such as Roosevelt and Churchill, make cameo appearances in the novel, creating a realistic feel.
    The well-developed plot allows characters to progress and change by the novel’s end, and Baty intriguingly has included both sides of the story: Allied and Axis characters shine through in a thoroughly well-rounded story. By the novel’s end, one has experienced happiness, sadness, tragedy, loss, and in the end, hope. Highly recommended. -- Rebecca Roberts


FURNACE: Roger Williams in England
Richard Burwell, Xlibris, 2006, $24.99, pb, 480 pp, 9781425711115
    What turns a man into a fiery preacher and radical thinker? Richard Burwell attempts to answer these questions in his first novel, about the early life of his ancestor, Roger Williams. In 1612, a nine-year-old schoolboy sees a religious nonconformist burnt at the stake, a death ordained by church and state. For Williams, it begins a lifelong struggle with God, the devil, and himself.
    Roger’s minister and family claim the man was a heretic and deserved to die. Roger doesn’t accept this and begs God for answers, but the devil intervenes. Ultimately, God does reply: Roger’s Old Testament falls open to the passage “Behold . . . I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”
    Events indeed prove a furnace in which to mold his soul. As cloth dealers, Roger’s family suffers from Dutch competition, and Roger must leave school. His talent for transcribing draws the attention of Sir Edward Coke, an influential jurist. Coke sends Roger to Cambridge where Roger insists on preparing for the ministry, not law. When a free-spirited friend dies from the plague, Roger vents his doubts about a just God. Overheard by a spy, he is put on notice. After Cambridge, Roger meets John Winthrop, who encourages him to emigrate to a new settlement in America, but Roger declines. But when he again challenges the Church of England’s official views, he must flee England—and the rest is history.
    Burwell does a good job of presenting Williams’ philosophical struggles against a convincing historical context. His efforts to stay true to the period, though, occasionally lapse into archaic terms that aren’t clearly explained. That said, I hope to see a sequel. -- B. N. Peacock


WHITE SEED: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Paul Clayton, BookLocker.com, 2009, $19.95, pb, 482 pp, 9781609100018
    Paul Clayton brings Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colony of Roanoke back to life in this engrossing and easy-to-read story. The novel attempts to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists. As the story unfolds, things go from bad to worse for the colonists as they are constantly harassed and killed by Indians, and the soldiers sent to protect them descend into depravity. Additionally, John White, the colony’s ineffective governor, is coerced into returning to England to petition Raleigh for ships to resupply the colony. White fails in his attempts to aid the colonists, leaving them to fend for themselves in a harsh new world.
    White Seed introduces a compelling cast of characters that illustrate the important social and economic forces of the day. Maggie Haggar is an indentured Irish serving girl who is forced to escape to America because of a dark past. Manteo, a Croatoan Indian who serves as interpreter for the English, is a man torn between two worlds and belonging to neither, who finds solace and love with Maggie. The realities of class warfare are displayed by Captain Stafford, an excellent soldier, who resents the “gentlemen” he is charged with protecting. Powhatan is a shrewd Indian warlord who wages war on the colonists in an effort to eliminate any competition in his quest for empire.
    This book explores a forgotten chapter in American history in an entertaining and easily accessible way. White Seed is highly recommended because of its historical detail and easy-to-read style. -- Gerard Shea

SONGS OF ZION
Larry Colbert, Colbert House Publishing, 2001, $23.99, hb, 441pp, 9781887399036
     Songs of Zion is set in the midst of Nazi Germany, but the fast pace of the intricate plot takes the reader on a global adventure. A stolen religious icon (the Holy Lance used to pierce Jesus while on the cross) is part of Hitler’s plan: whoever controls the Lance controls the fate of history. From Germany to North Africa, we are drawn into the culture of the Nazis, Arab underground dealers, and Allied forces, but throughout all, we see the manifestation of God working to shape history.
    In a tempo that one reviewer compares to Ken Follett, the story follows both sides of the action. Himmler is frightened that the Lance’s loss will be discovered by Hitler, so he sends his top Gestapo agent to track it down. The protagonist, Phillip Blackletter, is an undercover agent for the Allies who is trying to track the Lance down before the Nazis get their hands on it. Alexis Elias (“Lexi”), the heroine, has a history with Blackletter and is trying to keep her own Jewish heritage hidden during the Nazi regime. She takes a front role in the hunt for the Lance, and she eventually meets up again with Blackletter, but both find that life and war have changed them.
    Although the book has strong Christian undertones, there is seldom a “preachy” feel to it. Honest struggle with religion is displayed, as well as the push-and-pull with Judaism. There is an interesting, well-researched discussion of the iconic “religion” of the Nazis. The mix of Aryan belief and Christianity, culminating in the relic of the Lance, meet head on with the workings of everyday Christian faith. Such faith is stirring in some characters, and for Blackletter, it becomes the saving point for his search.
    Researched, well-written, fast paced--this is a good addition for public libraries by a new author. -- Steve Shaw

THE ROSE & THE VINE
Lydia Harman, Diadem Books, 2009, $22.30, pb, 393 pp, 9780955985218
    The Rose & The Vine is a story of the French Revolution as seen through the eyes of the aristocratic de Quatreaux family. The de Quatreaux witness the annihilation of their way of life at the hands of revolutionaries. The family must learn to adapt to the violent political changes of the Revolution, avoid the guillotine, and escape many other dangers. Before the Revolution is over, the family faces terrible losses which are tempered by their courage and daring and ultimately lead to triumph and redemption.
    The head of the family, Jean-Pierre, attempts to warn the king of the dangers to the throne posed by the Revolution but to no avail. This well-researched novel also introduces the organizers of the Revolution; most prominent among these is the Jacobin leader, Maximilien Robespierre, the instigator of the Reign of Terror. The stars of the novel are the de Quatreaux twins, Angelique and Emile. Angelique is a strong-willed young lady with the heart of a poet who is offended by the injustices around her, and her righteous anger almost leads her to the guillotine. It is only through the valor and resourcefulness of her twin brother Emile and his friend Raoul that she escapes.
    The novel brings the French Revolution into living color by providing an up-close look at the events from the point of view of the de Quatreaux family. The book also has two appendixes that provide excellent descriptions of historical figures and events. The story might have been better balanced if it had followed more closely the experiences of the sans-culottes, as the lowest stratum of French society attempted to survive the violent upheaval of the Revolution. The novel is recommended because it is able to put a human face on one of history’s most violent events. -- Gerard Shea

NOBILITAS: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Neil Himsworth, Book Guild, 2009, £17.00, hb, 442 pp, 9781846243554
    “This is where I belong,” says the 5th century Roman surgeon and ex-army officer Mannius when asked by a friend why he stays in cold, damp Britain instead of joining his father in warm, sunny Gaul. “I’ve lived here since I was born. My mother’s buried here and all the friends I’ve ever had are buried here. So I’d rather stay and enjoy whatever weather comes my way.”
    Mannius is the hero of Neil Himsworth’s confidently professional debut historical novel Nobilitas, and what comes his way in the course of this remarkable novel is fascinatingly variable—the weather is almost always lousy (it’s Britain, after all), but the human affairs change with every chapter.
    Mannius is embroiled in colonial Roman politics at the highest level when his uncle the governor reattaches him to legionary service and is shortly afterwards murdered. Our hero yearns for justice, but he must also deal with the now-legendary British King Coel, and he’s often also bogged down in the simple duties of his new job, the details of which Himsworth renders with easy authority:
    No sooner had Coel left his tent than Mannius’ day exploded out of control—not that he felt he had had much control since he’d been woken. A steady stream of clerks brought papers for him to sign, punishments to countersign, requests for stores, requests for javelins—the list was endless.
    The added threat of Saxon invasion is just a further plot twist Himsworth throws in, as is a semiromantic plot line involving Mannius and the haughty native princess Caoimhe (their dialogues are unbearably awkward, but perhaps this was our author’s intention). All of these elements are skillfully combined into a rich, rewarding novel. Highly recommended. -- Steve Donoghue

POSSESSED
Ken Holdsworth, Willow Bank Publishers, 2008, £7.99, pb, 171 pp, 9781906166007
    Young Thomas Neville, the brash and sometimes endearing, main character of Ken Holdsworth’s 2008 novel Possessed, is a happy man in 1752. He’s an officer in the 22d Regiment, and his home life is comfortably situated, with his father in possession of the fine old property of the Neville estate. Thomas sees all this very clearly:
    It is only when you no longer have something that you realise its value.
There was a time when I would wake up in the morning and look forward to each new day. I suppose that was happiness, but I never consciously thought about it.
   I was young and fit, the heir to a large country estate, a captain in the British Army—and head over heels in love. I had everything and I wanted for nothing.
    That is, until the day Edwin Cruikshank came into my life.
    Cruikshank is an altogether assured fictional creation; he insinuates himself into first the care and then the control of the Neville estate, and every time Thomas’ military adventures on land and sea allow him the leisure to return home to visit his family, he finds the situation worse. Cruikshank initially impresses him. “He really was the most engaging of men,” he thinks at first, “and I felt strangely at ease in his company.” But gradually he comes to see that the man might be pure evil, and the elements are in place for a rousing climax in which Thomas and his band of comrades face off against the dark forces Cruikshank has at his disposal.
    The narrative here is unfailingly brisk, and the numerous homages to the great Gothic mysteries are so effectively and affectionately deployed (“It was dusk when I crossed the heath,” etc.) that readers will be highly entertained.
-- Steve Donoghue


A WRETCHED MAN: A NOVEL OF PAUL THE APOSTLE
RW Holmen, Bascom Hill, 2009, $16.95, pb, 401 pp, 9781935098218
    In A Wretched Man, Holmen remains faithful to the historical origins of Christianity in the first century C.E. while weaving an intriguing tale of discord between James and Paul—a discord paralleled by Paul’s own internal conflict with his “unclean” inclinations. The suggestion of homosexuality as the thorn in Paul’s flesh is skillfully incorporated into the tale without being overwhelming.
    James, the younger brother of Jesus, has assumed the burdens of his brother, first while he is away teaching and then when he is crucified. He must care for their mother Mary and younger brothers as well as provide leadership to Jesus’ followers. When Paul approaches James with his account of conversion while on the road to Damascus, James is furious. How can Paul claim to know what Jesus wants when Paul never knew Jesus, never walked with him, and certainly was not there when he died!
    As a devout Jewish Christian, James insists on the keeping of Torah and the circumcision of Gentile converts. He and the Nazarenes await the return of Jesus and the kingdom of God on earth. Paul, on the other hand, ministers to the Gentiles and travels spreading the good news to all who will listen. He preaches that all Jews and Gentiles are welcome apart from Torah. He comes to believe that the kingdom of God is spiritual not physical. These are two very different interpretations and neither is willing to yield.
    The author notes are very helpful for those unfamiliar with early Christian history as are the maps of the Holy Land. A well-written historical fiction novel. Recommended. -- Debra Spidal

SACRIFICE: A Tale from Angel Mountain
Brian John, Greencroft Books, 2009, £7.99, pb, 352pp, 9780905559902
    Set in the rough, rugged country of Wales during the years of 1808-1809, Sacrifice is the seventh novel in Brian John’s “Angel Mountain” series. The series reads as a fictitious journal kept by the story’s heroine, Mistress Martha Morgan of Plas Ingli.
    When a group of men come into town claiming to be land surveyors, Mistress Martha soon discovers that chaos and crime follow them. Upon each victim the men have pinned a note the reads who the crime was committed for and by whom it was done. It is soon discovered that men are exacting revenge for punishment previously handed out, and Mistress Martha finds herself at the top of their so-called hit list. When the truth of the matter comes to light, we find that villainous group is part of an ancient secret society that is dead set on claiming their vengeance.
    Mystery, intrigue, secrets, and lies are all bound into this stunning work of literary art. The author, Brian John, has a way of connecting readers to the characters’ emotions that thoroughly enhances the reading experience. I enjoyed the fact this book contained a nice Celtic atmosphere all the way through and stayed true to the Welsh heritage. Although I did feel a bit lost at times due to the fact that this is an addition to a series that actually falls into the middle of this popular saga, I did not feel hindered in any way from understanding the plot or the characters. For me, Sacrifice was an alluring read that held my interest throughout its 348 pages, and the addition of the Welsh language added to the pleasure. -- Angela Simmons

DRAGON’S BLOOD
Jude Johnson, Scorched Hawk Press, 2009, $16.00, pb, 342 pp, 9780976246923
    Tucson in the opening years of the 20th century is the setting of Jude Johnson’s third novel—specifically, the Arizona Territory of 1904, which is in the grip of a wave of settlers. The plot follows parallel story lines: the trials of earnest, conscientious, hard-working Jamie Jones, the son of a Welsh father and a Mexican mother, and the adventures of footloose, acerbic (one character aptly calls him a “smartass dude”) Percy Kindall. Poor Jamie must deal with provincial prejudice (he resembles his Mexican mother rather than his Welsh father) and has the poor taste to court an abrasive young woman named Iris Crawford, who’s what a later age would call a “piece of work”:
    “What’s wrong with you?” Iris hissed before turning away.
    He [Jamie] sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”
    “Does it have to do with me?”
    He blinked. “Uh, no.”
    “Then it isn’t my problem, is it?”
    It’s not exactly Marshal Dillon and Miss Kitty, so perhaps it’s predictable that young smartass Percy, now going under the name of Paul Brown and searching for clues to explain his father’s mysterious suicide, should so easily steal the novel whenever he’s anywhere near the center stage. It’s Percy who gets all the dry lines, and it’s Percy who stands in for the modern-day readers as Johnson dramatizes some little-known facets of territory life a hundred years ago. Most readers, for instance, will be unfamiliar with the “orphan trains” that shipped unwanted or abandoned children from the East Coast slums to settlers out West. When Percy/Paul learns that many of these children ended up not cherished by families but slaving in mines, he’s horrified—and so are we.
    Johnson’s an old hand at making all this entertaining (this is her third Old West novel), and her extensive research into the period is worn appealingly lightly. Recommended for fans of the time period. -- Steve Donoghue

SELENE OF ALEXANDRIA
Faith L. Justice, Booklocker.com, 2009, $18.95, pb, 346 pp, 9781601458131
    Selene has wanted to be a physician ever since the deaths of her mother and baby brother, but this is no easy feat for a girl living in fifth-century Alexandria, Egypt, where higher education is mostly relegated to men. But Selene’s drive and intelligence soon earn her the patronage of Lady Hypatia, the city’s remarkable polymath scholar (fascinatingly brought to life here), and gain her entrée into the Museum, Alexandria’s renowned institute for learning.
    Alexandria is not only a “city of scholars” but a hotbed of clashing faiths and cultures with escalating violence in the streets and mounting tensions. It is against this prevailing atmosphere of suspicion and intolerance that Selene’s medical training and her apprenticeship to an aged healer, helping to treat patients in the city’s non-Christian quarters, is called into question and catapult her into a trial for her very own life.
    While Selene admirably paves a path for herself in a patriarchal society, her blatant proto-feminism can be quite jarring for the time period, and the reader is left hanging as to her ultimate fate. But Selene’s world is so meticulously described, from the small, everyday details of her wardrobe and toilette to the authentic recreation of the city she inhabits (partially based on actual excavated ruins), and rendered with such a “you-are-there” immediacy—whether it is a grand chariot procession through the bustling streets or a bird’s eye view from the top of the skyscraping Lighthouse, one of the ancient world’s Seven Wonders—that readers will be captivated.
    Fans of Gillian Bradshaw’s classic The Beacon at Alexandria (whose heroine travels to the titled city disguised as a male so she can study medicine) may especially enjoy Selene and find a promising new historical novelist who shares the same gift for wonderfully researched, vividly evoked, good old-fashioned storytelling. -- Brett Correa

INDEPENDENCE: A Novel of the American Revolution
Kate Kasserman, Center 61, 2009, $19.95, pb, 471 pp, 9780984363902
    To say that Rachel Kolkhorst’s life was one filled with trials and tribulations would be an understatement; it is more fitting to say that around every corner of her life, disaster loomed ready to claim its mark. After suffering numerous losses beginning at the age of eight when an Indian attack upon her homestead left her an orphan, she finally met the man who would stay forever locked into her mind—rebel soldier Lieutenant Bellew, who shows her a passing kindness and finds a position with a rich benefactress who has ties to both sides of the revolution. Before long, Rachel finds herself in the midst of this ongoing war, knowing that if her secrets were revealed, all would surely be undone—all the while Rachel is trying to forge a lasting relationship with the handsome, headstrong Lieutenant Bellew.
    Independence is one of my favorite novels set in the Revolutionary War era. Author Kate Kasserman has developed believable characters who are strong and determined. In many historical novels of this era, events are often viewed from the male perspective, and it was refreshing to read one from a woman’s point of view. I also enjoyed way the author intertwines the plot development with the love story rather than coming at both from different directions. This book should come with a warning stating that once you start reading, you will not want to put it down. A great read. -- Angela Simmons

THE RED PRIEST’S ANNINA
Sarah Bruce Kelly, Bel Canto Press, 2009, $18.95, pb, 258pp, 9780578025650
    In a tale of a famed opera composer and his prize singing pupil, it should be no surprise to encounter passion and drama, and The Red Priest’s Annina delivers vast amounts of both. This tale of Annina Giro, a young student of Antonio Vivaldi’s in 18th century Venice, feels like a tragic opera as Annina struggles at every turn, always striving to achieve her dreams of standing at center stage.
    From the moment the story begins, Annina has obstacles set in her path—her father’s objections to her dreams of singing and acting, struggles with rival singers in Venice, and her own feelings. Like many girls of fourteen, Annina is torn between her passionate desires and her common sense. It’s hard not to cringe and suffer along with her as she often makes the wrong choices. Luckily, she has friends with her best interests in mind at her side to guide her as she learns not only to sing, but to trust in her own strengths.
    Though Annina is the main character and narrator, it is the other characters who steal their scenes, including the charming gondolier Fortunato and Annina’s best friend, a cheerful costumer at her opera school named Graziana. Yet the composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi himself is the most engaging character, acting as a sort of guardian angel to Annina as he guides her through the dangers of lecherous patrons and scheming rivals. It is little wonder that Annina begins to develop feelings for her charming and talented, yet utterly forbidden, teacher.
    Though billed as a young adult novel, this is perfectly engaging for older readers as well. Those who are music fans or simply love stories filled with angst and drama will enjoy this book.  -- Megan Kitzman

THE SAVAGE RIVER VALLEY
Pamela de Leon, Tate Publishing, 2009, $19.99, pb, 348pp, 9781607998211
    Clara has always been haunted by the specter of an unknown past, inexplicable memories creeping into her psyche, tormenting her with the mystery of their origin. Unwilling to continue living the half-life she leads, Clara chooses a watery grave but finds that she is granted a second chance to find peace and purpose. Sent on a spiritual quest, Clara embarks on a transcendental journey through time to find her place in the history of the Hudson River Valley and the natives who once populated that region. Awakening in the primeval wilderness of what will one day be New York, Clara witnesses an eventful period in the history of the river people.
    A wandering spirit, a restless brave, a far-seeing squaw, and a mysterious cripple come together as worlds collide on the banks of the River Hudson, their individual voices telling this tale of family, greed, and longing, resulting in a multilayered plot as complex as the history of the river valley.
    De Leon’s intricately detailed portrayal of life among the people of the Great River introduces the reader to a fascinating account of the Mohicans, their traditions, and their connection to the land and the spirit of Manito.
    Some readers may initially be put off by the meandering preface, but the narrative soon develops into a fast-paced adventure when the reader is introduced to the visionary Minnah, whose ability to see beyond the mundane allows her to perceive the spiritual bonds that connect her people to the land, and her determined brother, White Feather.
    This book is recommended for readers interested in the history of precolonial New York, Native Americans, and the early trade routes between the Old and New World. -- Gricel Dominguez

OUR HART
Lloyd Lofthouse, Three Clover Press, 2009, $15.95, pb, 281pp, 9780981955315
    Lloyd Lofthouse prefaces Our Hart, the sequel to his novel My Splendid Concubine, with a transcription of the plaque inscribed to Sir Robert Hart in Shanghai, which informs us that he was, among other things, “Inspector General of the Chinese Customs, Founder of the Chinese Lighthouse Service, Organizer and Administrator of the National Post Office, Trusted Counselor of the Chinese Government.”
    Readers who missed My Splendid Concubine will be grateful for the information, since Our Hart hits the ground running and only reprises that earlier novel in quick asides. Queen Victoria’s Foreign Office attached his services in China as a young man, and he spent the latter half of the 19th century there, culminating in a long stretch as Inspector-General of Foreign Customs. But Our Hart is a far cry from an official biography: this is a novel of love—not only the love of a woman (which Hart finds in China in the person of Ayaou, the concubine of the first book’s title), but the love of a country. From the beginning, Hart feels this love for China, though he initially has a hard time convincing the Chinese.
    To put it mildly, he goes on to prove this. He sees his administration through upheavals, social turmoil, the Boxer Rebellion, and all the other spasms by which China stumbled into the 20th century, and by the climax of one such scene late in the book, Hart travels with an extensive bodyguard and must admonish Chinese soldiers not to kneel to him. By the time he meets the wizened old empress Tzu Hsi at the book’s conclusion, readers are very much supposed to feel she’s the one being honored.
    This kind of cultural condescension comes about in the most benign way, but it can get a little wearying. It’s the only drawback of this otherwise fine and tightly controlled novel. -- Steve Donoghue

THE VAULTED SKY
R. P. Moffa, iUniverse, 2009, $27.95, pb, 525 pp, 9781440152511
   World War II aviation novels, much like the service branch they chronicle, are a proud, isolated, and somewhat elitist group, probably because aviators tend to write the things, and aviators can be a bit proud and elitist themselves—it’s a natural side-effect of being able to play in the clouds, while most of us are stuck on the ground. In bookstores for the last seventy years, novels like Piece of Cake and Gentlemen of Adventure have set an intimidatingly high literary standard.
    To that group we must now admit R. P. Moffa’s The Vaulted Sky, a long, thoroughly researched, and ultimately very engaging coming-of-age novel centered on young American Patrick Montaldo who has “flying in his blood” and soon gets a chance to train and exercise his talents as a fighter pilot for the British during the dark opening days of the Second World War. We see Patrick at school, then training in Canada, then more training in England and Ireland, and all the while we’re served up countless earnest passages like this one:
    "The Hurricane and Spitfire were like non-identical twins. Both were born of the aeronautical creativity of the thirties. Both were powered by the superlative Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine of 1175 hp, and both carried a battery of eight .303 caliber machine guns. The Hurricane entered service in 1937, only a year before the Spitfire …"
    It’s a safe bet that Moffa knows as much about WWII-era aviation as any writer alive today, and how much you want to know about that subject will determine how well you and this novel get along. In Patrick, Moffa has created a very likeable central character; focusing more on him and less on the machines he operates would be a wise strategy for promised future installments. -- Steve Donoghue

BABUR, THE FIRST MOGHUL IN INDIA
Farzana Moon, Unlimited Publishing LLC, 2009, $19.99, pb, 284pp, ISBN Pending
    Farzana Moon, in her 2009 novel Babur: The First Moghul in India, does her part to correct the rather dire prevailing Western attitude toward Afghanistan, where recent war and insurrection have obscured the rich culture that has flourished in the region for centuries. Babur, the towering figure at the center of Moon’s novel, was the first of the Persian Moghul rulers of India, and Babur tells the story of his tumultuous reign. There are beautiful princesses, gorgeous scenery, sumptuous palaces, wicked viziers, and all the other expected trappings of 16th-century Persian court life, and all of it is rendered in a baroque and highly stylized tone:
    The sanctuary of his bedroom was Babur’s pain-loving comfort and solitude. He had begun to pace, his senses numb with grief, misery, and bitterness. Chilled silence was all he could feel, within and without, embracing the ocean of agony inside him, all stark and glittering. His thoughts were entering a desert of pain, beholding the wound of loss and grief, but he dared not touch it, fearing its assault and violence.
    “Oceans of agony” will no doubt be too florid for many contemporary readers, but those readers are urged to be patient: this style of tale-telling has a long and noble history of its own, and once readers surrender to it, the rewards are great. In Moon’s book, there are no shades of grey: we follow Babur through romance, treachery, and conquest, and the sun is always shining, the moon is always full, the flowers are always in full bloom, and everybody—Babur most certainly included—is always in the grip of deep passions. The rhythm of it can be intoxicating. Recommended, especially for war-weary modern readers. -- Steve Donoghue

THE LILY AND THE ROSE
David More, iUniverse, 2009, $21.95, pb, 351 pp, 9781440145377
    David More continues his “Smithyfield Saga” in 2009’s The Lily and the Rose, which finds Billy Smithyman, the tall, handsome, daring French and Indian War hero of The Eastern Door, as a now-prosperous and respected Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Colonies of the Crown. It’s in this capacity that maverick fur trader Pierre-Martin de St. Remy comes to see him in the British province of New York in 1760 to ask for a favor. The meeting of these two old friends sets the stage for the novel’s numerous and often quite engrossing flashbacks.
    The Lily and the Rose is crammed full of action on all levels—from individual fights to full-scale battles—and the period research is impeccable and fluidly presented. There is everywhere about this book and its predecessor the feel of a natural and quite professional storyteller domesticating historical facts into ripping good yarns. But the most delightful aspect of the book is the wry little glints of humor that sparkle in all but the most solemn scenes. When the Connecticut preacher and would-be seminarian Caleb Stephens contemplates a not-very-promising candidate for his school, he gets a little help from practicality:
    This one is probably a waste of time, but where else will I find any other students while this war lasts?
    'More to the point,' an extremely secular internal voice responded, “without any student fees, where will you find food?'
    More also does a superb job of dramatically realizing the enormous importance of the Iroquois League in the war that takes up most of the book; his genius is to remind his readers that three great nations were involved in the contest for a continent. Highly recommended, whether you’ve read Volume I or not. -- Steve Donoghue

THE HARLOT'S PROGRESS, YORKSHIRE MOLLY
Peter Mottley, Carnevale Publishing, 2009, £9.99, pb, 368pp, 9780956375605
    Life in 18th-century London is hard, even harder still for a young inexperienced woman visiting for the first time. Poor Molly Huckerby travels to London in order to marry her wealthy cousin; she is instead tricked into becoming a prostitute, something all too common for the time period in question. Faced with a life of prostitution and hard London living, Molly must learn her own heart in order to keep herself whole and, in most instances, sane.
    Mr. Mottley weaves a tale of a London prostitute with clarity and surprisingly fluid prose. The life of Molly Yorkshire is hard, and Mr. Motley spares no detail in demonstrating just how brutal life can be in 18th-century London. The Harlot's Progress has the temporal feel of the erotic classic, Fanny Hill, yet Mr. Mottley allows his own writing style to shine through. This novel keeps the reader entertained, disgusted, and intrigued at the same time; the pages practically turn themselves. -- Monica Schroeder

A HANDFUL OF DUST
Robert J. Pajer, 2009, $22.99 ,pb, 267 pp, 9780557075249
    The single most amazing thing about Robert Pajer’s fast-paced, hugely enjoyable novel A Handful of Dust is the no-nonsense, whirlwind way he gets down to the business of his plot. That plot is, as we used to say, a hum-dinger: a rogue U.S. naval officer has used experimental technology to leap backwards in time, intent on stalking and killing Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt before he becomes president—and straight-shooting (we hope) FBI agent Matt Wells has been ordered to go back in time himself to kill the would-be assassin and preserve the timeline we all know and love.
    Most authors, facing such a corker of a premise, would bolt the thing out of the starting gate by spending too much time on the how of time travel (Michael Crichton’s Timeline makes this mistake for about 200 interminable pages). Pajer dispenses with this in basically one paragraph and a bit of dialogue—the explanation’s just as convincing as it needs to be in order to get us to the main meat of his plot: FDR, the past, the plot.
    That plot is wonderfully, almost dementedly, explosive. Heroic Matt is hardly in the 1930s long enough to take off his hat before he’s framed for murder and on his way to Sing Sing, and the whole time an assassin is creeping closer and closer to FDR (and naturally, a problem develops with the time-travel machinery “back” in the present).
    Pajer’s action sequences—and there are quite a few of them—can be a bit muddled, and some of his dialogue is positively cringe-inducing (it’s a rare feat for anybody to make FDR sound inarticulate, but Pajer manages a couple of times), but his own enjoyment of his great story is obvious—and infectious.
-- Steve Donoghue

WHITECHAPEL
Ian Porter, AuthorHouse, 2009, £7.99/$12.20, pb, 351pp, 9781438952505
    The year is 1871, the place is Whitechapel, and no woman is safe alone on the streets while Jack the Ripper is on the loose. It is a time and place where women resort to prostitution to keep themselves and their families out of the workhouse, a sure death sentence. The horrific murders are bringing attention to the social and economic conditions in 19th-century London, which some choose to believe is beneficial—not only are the streets being cleaned up, but the media attention may lead to social change. Do the ends really justify the means though?
    That is the question asked by Alexander Nash, a thief and tough who has learned the identity of the murderer but chooses to remain silent. Sookey Parsons is a gentlewoman reduced to slumming through her own foolishness. The two make odd but sympathetic guides to life in London’s East End. When Mary Kelly, friend to both Nash and Sookey, is found dead, Nash must learn to live with his previous silence. While Nash and Sookey are both fictional, many of the other characters are historical figures: the police, the victims, and James Maybrick.
    Porter includes author notes explaining his use of the “criminal fraternity’s speech” and a glossary of terms to help decipher the dialog which can be a bit difficult. The descriptions of life and death in the East End are well researched and written. His Jack the Ripper is based on the Maybrick diary, generally believed to be a hoax. However, Maybrick makes an intriguing and very believable Ripper. An enjoyable and fast-paced read. Recommended to both fans of Ripper fiction and British historical fiction. -- Debra Spidal

THE LEES OF MENOKIN
Suzanne Hadfield Semsch, BookSurge, 2009, $27.99, pb, 622 pp, 9781439245965
    While most Americans know something of the lives of founding fathers such as John Adams or Thomas Jefferson, many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence are virtually unknown today. In The Lees of Menokin, author Suzanne Hadfield Semsch seeks to correct this oversight for Virginia signer Francis Lightfoot Lee, younger brother of the better known Richard Henry Lee.
    The Lees of Menokin focuses on two parts of Francis Lee’s life—his political career in the Virginia House and later in the Continental Congress, and his marriage to Rebecca Tayloe, making it both a political saga and a love story. While Francis’ struggles and triumphs in the political arena are interesting from a historical standpoint, it is the love story between husband and wife that carries the book. Their intense love for one another and for their life together brings a sense of charm the characters tend to lack when apart.
    The enormous amount of research and enthusiasm Ms. Semsch put into this book are obvious. Unfortunately, the extreme attention to detail does tend to bog down the book a bit, especially in the first half. However, with tensions rising between the American colonies and Britain and the Lees’ lives growing more difficult, the latter half of the book is an improvement.
    The close attention to detail in many aspects of colonial life, from politics to running a manor house and the tensions of slavery, do make this book a treat for those with an interest in Colonial America. And while Francis and Rebecca Lee may not have lived the most dramatic of lives, it is refreshing to see one of the lesser known founding fathers get a turn in the spotlight. -- Megan Kitzman

THE GREAT HOUR STRUCK, ON EAGLE’S WINGS: PART ONE
Gary Varner, iUniverse, 2008, $25.95, pb, 484 pp, 9780595517879
    Idealistic and at times maddeningly naïve young 101st Airborne paratrooper Lieutenant Sam Henry finds himself and his men caught up in the largest combined air and seaborne invasion in the history of the world as they train and prepare for D-Day in Gary Warner’s big, minutely detailed, and utterly fantastic novel On Eagle’s Wings, Part One, the first installment of his epic “The Great Hour Struck” WWII cycle.
    As the novel opens, Sam and his men (a fairly typical movie-mix of ethnic and social stereotypes, although presented with enormous vigor) are in Merryfield, England, learning the logistics of the mind-boggling tasks that await them—and mingling with the ration-reduced, war-weary native population. Sam falls in love with a pretty English girl named Maggie, but don’t let Warner’s polite efforts in that direction mislead you: he’s here to blast you out of your chair with the sheer epic action of the war. A typical scene:
    A mortar round hit the creek forty yards beyond the bridge and raised a murky fount of water and reeds into the air.
    “Under the bridge, now!” Sam grabbed Phillips around the knees, while Lazeski hooked his arms under Phillip’s armpits. They lifted and rushed for cover. Sam tripped and dropped the wounded man’s legs. Phillips screamed.
    The next six rounds walked back toward the bridge.
    “Everyone stay down!” Sam stabbed a morphine Syrette into Phillip’s thigh.
    A faint whistle announced nine additional shells dropping straight down and landing just outside the bridge. Muck showered down.
    Fans of HBO’s Band of Brothers (and who isn’t?) may have wished for a novel that conveys the same great mix of violence, humor, and humanity. In On Eagle’s Wings, they’ve found that book. Highly recommended.
-- Steve Donoghue

THE DRAGON AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
Charles White, Lulu, 2009, $19.72, pb, 317pp, 9780578024684
    At the beginning of Charles White’s deadpan, hilarious medieval Viking novel, The Dragon at the Edge of the World, Lief the Invincible is returning home to Greenland after an illustrious career “sacking abbeys, burning villages, eviscerating bishops.” He’s looking forward to some peace, where he doesn’t have to worry about an “arrow out of the darkness that would pin his soup bowl to his heart (which was the way Snorri the Rude got it).” But there are two obstacles to his retirement. The first is his mother, nagging him to seek new adventures:
    “The unknown is always worse than the reality.” Quoth his mother.
“Never stare too long at an empty glass of beer,” was the standard reply to such inanity, but of course he could not say that to his mother …
    And the second is that his younger brother Kevin (the artistic type, not so much with the pillaging) is missing at sea, and it’s Lief’s duty to go looking for him. Kevin, it turns out, has come ashore in a not-so-primitive North America inhabited by many Native American tribes. While Kevin’s crew are rudely dealt with (“They’re toast,” he’s told. “Literally.”), he himself is befriended by budding entrepreneur Baby-Walks-On-The-Ground (it’s a long story), and in short order Kevin, Baby, and Lief are dealing with the homicidal old madman King Wassabi of the Mohawks and his beautiful daughter, and the whole absurd plot becomes gloriously tangled up in a rather half-hearted quest to corner the China trade.
    White has written the funniest historical novel I’ve read since Ferdinand Mount’s Jem (& Sam)—The Dragon at the Edge of the World belongs on the same shelf as John Barth’s immortal The Sot-Weed Factor. Enthusiastically recommended. -- Steve Donoghue

THE INDIA ROAD
Peter Wibaux, iUniverse, 2009, $20.95, pb, 348pp, 9781440162213
    As a small country with a population of less than one million in the 1490s, Portugal seems to be an unlikely candidate to alter the balance of world trade. Yet John II of Portugal forged alliances, sent explorers and spies out into the unknown, and adapted the best technology of his time to map a sea road to India—a trade route bringing spices and precious gems from Calicut to Europe that propelled Portugal to fabulous wealth in the 16th century.
    Author Peter Wibaux weaves multiple strands into his story of the mapping of this sea route. Historical characters include John II of Portugal, ruthless and visionary, orchestrating this great venture while scheming to make his illegitimate son the heir to the throne, and his spy, Pero de Covilhã, traveling to Egypt and India, and then to Ethiopia seeking an alliance with the fabled Christian Emperor Prester John. Explorers and mariners Bartolomeu Dias, Pero de Alenquer, and Vasco da Gama also play major parts. Other characters show us the lives of carpenters and sailors, maids and menservants of the day.
    This is not a romantic story, the times were not gentle, and Prince John’s trade route cost many lives. But the author manages to capture the leap into the unknown requiring bravery and resourcefulness to survive, the exhilarating launch of a dangerous adventure that could lead to either death or amazing riches. It is an exciting story, and Wibaux does it justice. The descriptions of life on board the ships of the discovery fleet have a particularly realistic feel. A useful addition to the book would have been a map and a character list.
-- Laura Staley

THE FRENCH BLUE
Richard W. Wise, Brunswick House Press, 2010, $29.95, 567pp, 9780972822367
    The title of Richard Wise’s long, fast-paced and charmingly illustrated novel, The French Blue, is the name the fabled Hope Diamond went by during the 300 years of its original cut and settings, and that famous gem is like a living character in this book—tempting, endangering, and almost betraying Wise’s hero, 17th-century freelance adventurer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.
    Tavernier was a genuine historical figure, for all that his incredible adventures in France and India (including several run-ins with Shah Jahan, known to the West primarily as the man who built the Taj Mahal) make him seem larger than life, and Wise has had the brilliant idea of ransacking that life and the adventures to produce this epic novel about the world of gem trading—and the more familiar historical novel staple of desperate love (Tavernier longs for the exotic Madeleine, although there’s something reassuring about how his longing never completely overtakes his lust for riches.
    There are several ways a novel of this scope and period could go wrong, and Wise is careful to avoid them all. There’s an enormous amount of research in this book (historical characters like Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin, and Louis XIV appear frequently)—readers are toured from top to bottom of the world of premodern gemology, and the period details of court and travel are scrupulous in their rendering—and, yet, everything is accomplished with such a deft touch that readers will be eagerly turning pages.
    The French Blue is also gorgeously produced by Brunswick House—there are nearly thirty black-and-white illustrations, including many contemporary drawings of the book’s locations and cast, and the paper stock and typefacing throughout are sumptuous. In Tavernier’s time, many books were produced with this kind of care—The French Blue is their worthy successor. -- Steve Donoghue

THE AFFLICTED GIRLS: A Novel of Salem
Suzy Witten, Dreamwand, 2009, $18.95/C$19.96, pb, 440 pp, 9780615323138
    This retelling of the Salem witch trials focuses on Mercy Lewis and Abigail Williams, who travel to stay with Abigail’s newly found relation in 1692. As they settle into their new lives, they meet and interact with a number of villagers, including Tituba, a slave, and Goody Bishop, a woman who helps Mercy come to grips with her secret past using unconventional methods. What follows is vivid and descriptive prose that successfully conveys the hysteria created by the fears, greed, and intolerance of the time.
     This was an interesting telling of the witch trials, although the characters did seem a bit over the top, especially Mercy and Abigail.  Witten spends a great deal of time on character development early in the book, which became a bit monotonous; I just wanted to get on with the story.  But as it progressed, it became evident that each townsperson plays a part, creating a deep and elaborate tale. Overall, this is a decent read, and despite the intricacies of the characters, I was drawn into the lives of these people and enjoyed the tale.
-- Rebecca Roberts