Note from the Managing Editor:

Although the majority of HNR Online reviews focus on self- and subsidy-published books, readers will find reviews of books from small and independent publishers, ebook publishers, as well as books that have previously been released by a mainstream press, but have recently been self-published in order to keep them in circulation.

As you will see in this issue, the field of self- and assisted-publishing has dramatically expanded over the last few years, and the number of submissions we have received has been overwhelmingly gratifying. Too much, in fact, for a single editor to handle any longer. In this issue, HNRO formally welcomes two superb reviews editors from both sides of the pond: Steve Donoghue (US) and Helen Hollick (UK). They bring with them experience, intelligence, and excellent judgment, as you will see in their bios. HNRO is a much more vibrant and inclusive publication today with the blossoming of the field and the addition of more creative minds.

Beginning with this issue, our reviews editors have each chosen a newly published book that illustrates the best in the field of self-publishing—books whose content is riveting; cover, creative and appropriate; and layout, almost indistinguishable from mainstream press publications.

This issue reflects the increased amount and quality of submissions chosen for review, so sit back and enjoy.

Welcome to our new editors, Steve and Helen:

Steve Donoghue is a writer and editor living in Boston. He's the Managing Editor of the literary journal Open Letters Monthly, and he writes for The National, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus, and The Boston Globe. He's the United States/Worldwide (except UK) Reviews Editor of the HNRO, where he enthusiastically welcomes all submissions provided they meet the Society's basic guidelines.

Helen Hollick is published in the UK and the US with her books about King Arthur and the 1066 Battle of Hastings, officially making the USA Today bestseller list with her novel Forever Queen. She also writes a series of historical adventure seafaring books inspired by her love of the Golden Age of Piracy. For four years she was the chair of a local Dyslexia Association and firmly believes that everyone has a talented gift inside them—the difficulty is finding what that talent is and setting it free.

As a firm supporter of independent authors, publishers, and bookstores, she has recently taken on the role of Reviews Editor for the HNRO for self-published historical fiction produced in the UK. Helen lives on the outskirts of NE London with her husband, adult daughter, and a variety of pets, including a dog, cat, and two horses. 

Andrea Connell
Managing Editor, HNR Online

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FEBRUARY 2012 REVIEWS:

WASHED IN THE BLOOD
Lisa Alther, Mercer University Press, 2011, $26.00, hb, 459pp, 9780881462579
    Washed in the Blood is a saga spanning three centuries of the (as one character terms it) “racially ambiguous” descendants of Diego Martin who arrives in the New World in 1567 on the heels of conquistador De Soto. He eventually settles in the region later known as the Squabble Lands, in the Appalachian area of southeastern United States. The book then skips a century to focus on Daniel Hunter, a Quaker who marries Galicia Martin, and then skips another century to present Hunter Martin and her half-brother Will Martin.
    Each skip in time contributes to the ambiguity; no generation can trace its bloodline with exactitude. This not only leads to contradictory beliefs about the forefathers but also to opposing allegiances in the present. The main characters of each book are those who dig beneath what they’ve been told, usually in the face of an ethical dilemma precipitated by lust. Alther presents the magnitude of these dilemmas consistent with each character’s times and religious beliefs. Thus Diego goes to his authority figures for advice, Daniel searches for his “inner light,” and Hunter remembers her father’s antics in church. I was caught up in this book right from the first scene when Diego sees his dog swept overboard, and admired the way that Alther wove the natural progression of his grief with all the other events, impressions, and emotions he was going through. Despite the many sentences beginning with gerunds or the word ‘as’, I found Alther’s style rich and compelling. Recommended.  --Nela Leja

THE DARKEST WALK
Malcolm Archibald, Fledgling Press, 2011, £8.99, pb, 316pp, 9781905916313
    It is 1848 and Scotland Yard have been tracking the progress of the working-class Chartist movement. Worrying new evidence hints at a radical element, who believe violence to be their only option to secure success. The recently promoted Detective Mendick is given the unenviable task of going undercover behind enemy lines in Manchester, the heart of industrial England. Sceptical at first, Mendick quickly becomes impassioned about bettering the lives of his less fortunate countrymen, especially when it involves the mysterious and beautiful Rachel Scott. On discovering there is more at stake than just workers’ rights, the detective battles with an unknown double agent as he tries to prevent a catastrophe that would change the political landscape of Britain forever.
    The Darkest Walk is an accomplished piece of work by Malcolm Archibald. He gives what could be a dark and miserable subject passion and suspense. I felt involved through his account of Detective Mendick’s journey—he was a suitable hero that I found believable, as he acted as I would, and stumbled where I did. This is a bit more intelligent than many books I’ve read in this genre—I enjoyed the fact I couldn’t predict the outcome. Highly recommended.
--Sarah Newman 

A DEATH FOR BEAUTY
Alberto Rios Arias, Freedom Rivers Books, 2011, $16.95, pb, 288pp, 9780578019581
    Loosely based on Fanny Kelly’s Narrative of My Captivity and set during the American Civil War, A Death for Beauty tells the story of Virginia Mae Mercy.  After the death of her husband, father, and twin newborn sons, Virginia decides to move to Idaho with her oldest surviving daughter, eight-year-old Triste, in search of a new beginning and a better life.  Traveling with another couple and only days into the trip, Virginia and Triste are taken captive when the party’s wagons are overtaken by hostile Sioux.
    Overall, the story moves along briskly; however, I was frequently interrupted by the author’s intentional mixing of past and present tense.  The dialogue format likewise stopped me a number of times.  In one disjointed scene, the speakers are identified as though they are in a play, and throughout the novel, incorrect punctuation left me scrambling to figure out which character was speaking.  Instead of enjoying a flowing, seamless read, I was repeatedly forced to stop and start. A Death for Beauty isn't a story toward which I would usually gravitate. However, Virginia Mae Mercy is one character I won't soon forget. --Laura Lloyd

THE DEVIL'S DEN
Timothy Ashby, CreateSpace, 2011, $17.95, pb, 502pp, 9781456545246
    There are two parallel stories moving forward in Timothy Ashby's tightly controlled and extremely satisfying novel Devil's Den: the main one is set in 1923, when Seth Armitage (Ashby's compelling main character), working for the Bureau of Investigation (later to morph into the FBI), is assigned to investigate the murder of a Civil War veteran on the eve of the 60^th anniversary of the secondary story running through this book, the apocalyptic Battle of Gettysburg, in which one of the worst slaughter-pens was the location that gives the novel its title. The dead soldier leads Armitage to Peggy Stewart, the daughter of another veteran—and it also leads Armitage to more dead soldiers, and into a conspiracy that only seems to get darker the deeper he probes. The novel is grippingly panoramic in scope, stretching from vignettes involving Abraham Lincoln to the hotspots of the Jazz Era—and of course featuring several harrowing evocations of the Civil War's bloodshed. Romantic sparks fly between Armitage and Peggy, the buried secrets of Armitage's past are laid bare, and Ashby caps the action with a masterfully done courtroom scene. The book's cover shows a sad old soldier superimposed on a fittingly blood-red background, and this is apt: Armitage must wade through a great deal of violence—some of it 60 years old, some of it very much in his present life—in order to unravel the mystery of who's killing the heroes of the Civil War. Highly recommended. --Steve Donoghue

THIS WONDERFUL YEAR
Mark E. Benno, CreateSpace, 2011, $19.99, pb, 562pp, 9781463517021
    Mark Benno's cheerful, delightful throwback of a novel is subtitled The Adventures of Mister Edward Pamprill, and that is exactly what Benno's readers get in the ensuing pages. Young and slightly supercilious Edward Pamprill is on his way to his friend Jeremy Rampton's Honeymoon Masquerade (which “surpassed in debauchery all but the most Bacchanalian of soirees”) when he's pressed into very unwilling service aboard His Majesty's vessel Atlantis through the conniving of his unscrupulous father, Baron Pamprill. Where young Edward had expected to be “pillowed upon the breast of Venus, hours away from a petite breakfast served by an attentive Gibson, immediately followed by a shave made more fragrant with lavender-scented water,” he's instead thrown into an unbroken series of adventures in the Nelson-era navy that would have exhausted such fictional compatriots as Peter Simple or Horatio Hornblower, all narrated by Benno with zest and considerable talent. There are storms, raids, hand-to-hand combat, and since the year is 1805, we also hear rumblings of the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. And through it all, as is customary in this type of novel, Edward proves his mettle in ways he never could have as a pampered baron's heir back home. Readers shouldn't be put off by the incomprehensible cover design; beyond it lies a treasure of a novel. Highly recommended. --Steve Donoghue

BOUND TO SARAH
Craig Brennan, Grosvenor House Publishing, 2011, £8.99, pb, 322pp, 9781908105868
    Bound to Sarah is a large, professionally produced book, although with a few typos and grammatical errors, it would have benefited from an editor’s touch. Patrick Roche grew up in the slums of 19th-century Liverpool, surviving life on his charm and wits and determined to improve his lot, despite his drunken father and the harsh realities of existence. But he is dealt a cruel blow when he is wrongly convicted of a crime and transported to a Tasmanian penal colony. Roche has given up hope of seeing his wife and child again, but events mean that his family are also to suffer, and the cruel fate that had torn them apart intervenes yet again.
    I was disappointed to find myself at page 43 and not devouring the story. The main character wasn’t as interesting as some of the other prisoners—the reason, after thinking about it, was that the story starts by dropping the reader in the middle of a dockyard full of action and confusion, and begins with a ship full of men destined for deportation. If the story had started earlier in Roche’s life, in my personal opinion, it might have made all the difference.
    The story muddled along in places and the dialogue was sometimes slightly clumsy. However, I’m glad I persevered, for I found myself interested in the story, which, although harrowing in places, became quite absorbing. I could see that the author had taken time and effort in his research.
    The lives of the characters were certainly harsh and the laws they were subjected to came across well. The historical detail given to the ships and how they were manned, crewed, and utilized for the deportation of prisoners was fascinating.
    By the end of the story, I’m pleased to say that I cared about the fates of those concerned. All in all, it was a slow start but satisfying and very plausible ending. --Michelle Gent

SONG OF THE FLUTIST
Rosalind Burgundy, iUniverse, 2010, $20.95, pb, 333pp, 9781450256605
    When the leaders of two city-states in ancient Etruria battle each other for dominance—in ways both subtle and otherwise—the common people are those most affected. Song of the Flutist follows Risa Laris, the daughter of an important man in the city-state of Tarchna. When her father and his inventive skills are lured away to the nearby enemy city of Cisra, Risa must pay the consequences of being shunned by all those around her and find a way to bring her fractured family back together.
    For a book set in a time period about which so little is known, the story is filled with details of daily Etruscan life and culture, showing the author's extensive familiarity with her subject. The characters, while drawn in broad strokes, still manage to be engaging; Venu, Risa's younger brother who leaves home to become a sailor, stands out particularly. As someone forever caught between two cultures, his struggle to find his place in the world is among the story's best plot lines. While the book is nicely presented, including maps and cover art that mimics the Etruscan artwork discussed often by the characters, the writing itself can be dull and flat, and the plot often meanders along with no clear purpose. However, for those with a great interest in this rarely seen time and place, this story is worth reading for the details of Etruscan life alone.
--Megan Kitzman

HEYERWOOD: A Novel
Lauren Gilbert, AuthorHouse, 2011, $14.97, pb, 247pp, 9781463402525
    Sold into a sham marriage by her greedy father, Lady Catherine, Countess of Heyerwood, is astonished to find herself not just freed by her husband's death but also left in possession of a fortune and a title in her own right. If, as Jane Austen writes, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” then what is a single woman possessed of a good fortune in want of? This is the question Lady Catherine must answer, as she deals with her avaricious father, a family feud, and an attractive widower. The novel is set in the Regency, but it is not a Regency romance. Or if it is, the object of affection is shopping.
    There are two romantic relationships in the story, but they are buried under the detailed discussion of clothes, jewelry, and Regency household husbandry. This can be interesting, but no reader should buy this book thinking it's a relationship romance (there is so little emphasis on sexuality that when apparently nothing happens on Lady Catherine's wedding night, the author gives us no inkling what the bride felt about that). Recommended for people who want to know what it might be like to be the rare independent woman of means in Regency England to be responsible for an estate and to have to maneuver around the conventions of the age in order to achieve what she wants. --Laura Staley

LIONS OF THE GRAIL
Tim Hodgkinson, Lulu, 2011, £11.99, pb, 424pp, 9781447818465
    During the troubled reign of Edward II, former Knight Templar Richard Savage has been left to rot in a dungeon. He is unexpectedly offered a chance of freedom . . . but there are conditions. Savage must travel to his native Ireland and spy for the Crown. Irish lords seem to be planning to ally themselves to Robert the Bruce of Scotland, who has a Holy Treasure to strengthen his fight against the English (and a plan to rule the Irish rather than be their ally). As Savage becomes deeply enmeshed in intrigue, he finds his loyalties tested and his life at risk.
    This is a well-written, tightly plotted, and absorbing story underpinned by what is clearly some rigorous research. There’s plenty to keep the reader interested. Former Knight Templar Savage is heroic, if a little sullen at times. MacHuylin is a great sidekick and there’s real camaraderie between the two men. Dame Alys is fascinating and multi-layered, and there are intrigues, jousts, pitched battles, lepers, witches, religious dissent, Saracen Assassins, besieged castles and even a dangerous shipwreck. Readers will be fascinated by the detailed descriptions of medieval life in all its filth and glory.
    This is such a good read, and it deserves to do extremely well, but as with so many self-published titles it needs better presentation (in particular professional proofreading and typesetting) if it’s to succeed alongside mainstream contemporaries. --Helen Hart

CALL OF A DISTANT SHORE
Corinne Hoebers, 4th Floor Press, 2008, $24.95, pb, 396pp, 9781897530023
    Due to increasing unrest and violence in his birthplace of Hochdorf, Germany in the 1750s, Michael Heber impulsively decides to join his newly married daughter and son-in-law and move his family to the new land of Nova Scotia.  Trusting in the claims of the British government to provide for immigrant families, they set sail for Dartmouth only to be faced with disease, unyielding land, and unfulfilled promises.
    Basing her work on her own family history, Hoebers artfully weaves fact and fiction, giving the reader insight into each Heber family member as they face innumerable trials throughout the ocean voyage and in the harsh northern climate of their new home. A few times, the thick political discussion caused my attention to wander, and the end felt abrupt and confusing.  (In fact, I’ve reread those chapters a number of times to find where I went off course and am still confused.)  Overall, though, the story is brisk, entertaining, and interesting. --Laura Lloyd

WALLS OF JERICHO
Jonathan Hopkins, YouWriteOn.com, 2008, £7.99, pb, 389 pp, 9781849230308
   Jonathan Hopkins’ novel is an engaging Sharpe- or Flashman-style romp. It’s the story of an unlikely friendship between two youths of different classes who become soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars. Despite everything the British class system throws at them, Joshua Lock, a poor but proud blacksmith’s grandson, and aristocratic John Killen, who Lock has saved from drowning, stick together and end up in Portugal fighting the fiendish French.
    I was pleasantly surprised at how the enjoyably pacy writing kept me turning pages. There’s surprising subtlety and compassion in the early depiction of Killen’s grandfather grieving for a son lost in battle, and full of frightened love for his teenage grandson as he prepares to turn soldier, too. From then on, however, I found the book more generic—Killen and Lock are put upon by assorted caricature cads, fops, bullies, and Frenchmen before, briefly, Lock is thought by Killen to have died. But their fine British spirit and mutual loyalty eventually win the day, and Lock does so well at war as to catch the eye of the future Duke of Wellington.
    On the downside, while the cover picture is attractive, the blurb is a little amateurish: it is slightly breathless and confusing, failing to convey the sureness of the story. There’s also a rather labored religious theme behind the title, which I thought could have been taken more lightly. The pace flagged in Part II, in which our two heroes take 50-odd pages to join the army—condensing this would have got us to the wars faster. Part IV is labeled Part VI. Finally, I winced at the mostly incorrect French and Portuguese phrases sprinkling the text. But I would recommend this book to historical fiction fans—and, as the ending leaves the door open to more adventures, I’m rather hoping there may be a sequel soon.--Vanora Bennett

THE SEKHMET BED (THE SHE-KING)
Lavender Ironside, e-book (Kindle edition), $5.99, 462 KB (265 pp), ASIN B005EHR1EW
   Amenhotep left only daughters of royal blood, and Egypt never before had a woman pharaoh. When political expediency made the common-born but popular general Thutmose the next pharaoh, it was not the elder but the younger daughter, Ahmose, who was chosen to be his foremost queen.  Ahmose was special.  She was in contact with the gods and spoke with them, and this ability would put her at Thutmose’s side, guiding him.  She would not, however, bear him any sons, which she told him, but a vision he had of her holding a golden child who would succeed him as pharaoh closed his ears to her pleading.    Her sister, also wed to Thutmose, produced male after male children, but Ahmose only produced a daughter, Hatshepsut, who would be the She-King of Egypt.  
   This novel focuses on Ahmose, her fear of childbirth, her vulnerability to her older sister’s nasty tricks, and to her own entirely too forgiving nature.  More than that, it is about Ahmose’s struggle to convince the husband she loves to make his daughter his heir.
    Ironside has delved deep into the history of Ancient Egypt, using the authentic names for cities later renamed by the Greeks, and fitting characters any modern reader will recognize into a believable setting that otherwise might have obscured the very human story of a young woman caught between loyalties.  Ahmose is a serious, earnest character, refreshingly flawed for this type of historical novel; she makes mistakes, feels guilt and doubt, and struggles with moral issues.  Nor are the other characters two-dimensional cartoons: the older sister is not evil, just jealous, and the pharaoh often feels caught in an impossible situation.
    This is not a historical fashion show, like too many historical novels about women.  Only someone like Ahmose could have brought forth one of the great pharaohs of Egypt’s ancient past, the great She-King Hatshepsut.
--Nan Hawthorne

THE WHIP
Karen Kondazian, Hansen Publishing Group, 2011, $15.00, pb, 294pp, 9781601923028
    Charley Parkhurst was one of the notable Old West stagecoach drivers in the days when this means of travel was the most prevalent manner of transportation west. It was a shock, therefore, when at his death, Charley was found to have been a woman. The discovery was especially shocking because this elite stage driver walked, talked, drank, and smoked like a man and was particularly adept at handling a concord stage pulled by a team of six horses—a feat requiring a great amount of physical dexterity as well as a considerable amount of strength. Speculation as to why Charlotte/Charley changed her identity and embarked upon such a career has always been extensive, but very few verifiable facts have been discovered. Karen Kondazian has gathered what exists and allowed her imagination to weave Charley's life into an intriguing pattern. She's done so in a fast-moving tale that quite possibly could be true. The Whip provides an interesting speculative life history for one of the more enigmatic characters of the Old West. Readers familiar with the setting—or who would like to be—will enjoy this tale.  --John Manhold 

VANITY AND VALOR: The Blood of Rome
R. Lynn, Sui Generis Books, 2011, e-book (Kindle edition), $2.99, 509 KB, ASIN B006LVKU2K
    In R. Lynn's debut novel (a well-designed e-book) set in ancient Rome, young Thaddius has recently become the leader of his family upon the death of his father. He's facing a broad slate of new and heavy responsibilities—including perhaps becoming a magistrate or even joining the Senate—and this dismays him, because all he wants to do is continue chariot racing, a sport at which he's the acknowledged master (the crowds in the street sing songs about him). But even more fundamental changes are in the air, especially when he and his beloved family slave, Simeon (a wonderfully drawn character), encounter a fiercely proud young woman named Sellah for sale in the slave market. They save her from the villainous Barachius, who also hates Thaddius for reasons of his own. Lynn's narrative (especially its dialog) can be stiff at times, and Roman history buffs will notice minor gaffes here and there, but these are compensated by the book's exciting action sequences and by Lynn's appealingly unflinching examination of the brutalities of slavery. The process by which Thaddius matures is painful for everyone involved, but it feels very real. Recommended. --Steve Donoghue

THE MINOTAUR’S CHILDREN
Alan McKee, Hudson House Victorian Mysteries Press, 2003, $17.95, pb, 396pp, 9780981352411
    The Minotaur’s Children draws the reader into a nightmare maze where nothing is as it seems. Upright Victorians live in deliberate ignorance of child prostitution and murder. In this world where vice masquerades as virtue, painter Miles Hickenbotham contentedly mingles with his lovely, “modern” cousins Serafina and Julia Winstanly. Miles is anxious to marry Serafina, but she’d much rather pursue her charities and leave him dangling. Then news reporter Julia reads the scandalous scoop she helped break, that of the white slave trade ring, “the great London Minotaur.” Everyone attributes Mrs. Winstanly’s nervous collapse to the older generation’s sensibilities. But was it? With Serafina consistently cool, Miles develops an attachment to an enigmatic Anglo-Asian girl, Katherine Green.  A photographer and psychic, Katherine lives in poverty-ridden White Chapel Road. Liking Miles, she helps try to solve the disappearance of younger sister, Amelia, years ago. As they uncover the clues, Katherine, Miles, Serafina, and Julia find themselves in an emotional maze made even more macabre by the horrendous Jack the Ripper murders. Can Amelia’s disappearance somehow be interconnected with the Minotaur, the White Chapel murders . . . and them? McKee masterly handles mood and tone, not to mention plot twists and turns. The cover, designed by the author, neatly captures the book’s otherworldly photographic sense. The printing, however, leaves one with the impression it was done on a computer. All in all, though, The Minotaur’s Children is a deliciously brooding read.
--B. N. Peacock

COSSACK
Ronald McQueen, CreateSpace, 2011, Currently on UK Kindle £0.77/$15.10, pb, 341pp, 9781463730314
    Cossack is part one in a forthcoming trilogy about the plight of the Cossack people, set around WWII. It is a difficult time for the Cossacks, as they are trapped between the Nazis and the Red Army. Many have to decide where their loyalty lies. The reader follows three characters from different backgrounds as they move through Europe, fighting and fleeing the enemy: the sheltered village girl, Katja; Andrei, the old but steely veteran; and the young, headstrong soldier, Mikhail. 
    I chose this book because I wanted to see WWII from another perspective, but what I didn’t expect was to feel how their experiences affected the Cossacks’ ancient culture. It gave a unique perspective on how traditions had to evolve, and how the displacement of many meant old ways of life died away. It was also fascinating to follow the varied relationships between Cossacks and their enemies. There were some touching moments of camaraderie and loyalty that I didn’t expect, but feel I now understand—they were all in it together. At times it was hard to follow the military manoeuvres, but the more human elements were rich in detail and helped to paint a more vibrant picture. I thought the jacket reflected this and is therefore quite successful in enticing the reader. This book is worth taking time over and I will be interested in future titles from this author. --Sarah Newman

FLOATING GOLD
Margaret Muir, Grindelwald, 2011, £11.60, pb, 236pp, 9781447670209
    Anyone who knows me will know I devour anything with a Tall Ship theme—so I was excited to receive Floating Gold. Here is an example of how authors who, for one reason or another, no longer have their books in print with a mainstream publisher, decide to self-publish. Margaret Muir used to be published by Robert Hale, but with a backlist out of print, she decided to publish her books herself to keep them alive and in circulation. Good for her!
    Floating Gold is a Georgian treasure hunt adventure. It is 1802 and there is a tentative peace between France and England.  Captain Oliver Quintrell, as with many a sailor during times of peace, is ashore with no command and nothing to do. When he is offered HMS Elusive and a secret mission, he jumps at the chance to accept. He is bound for the Southern Ocean with secret orders, and his crew encounter storms, murder, and various adventures on the long voyage south. They reach their destination—and the treasure hunt proper begins.
    The author knows her ropes when it comes to ships and shipping: the ship-board scenes are accurate and give a real feel of being at sea; her characters are believable—and the action, vigorous.
    My only comment is that the edition I received had been incorrectly typeset with double spacing between paragraphs. While this in no way detracted from the story, it did spoil the look of an otherwise superb book—I believe it has now been re-typeset though, so all new editions reach full mainstream quality.
    Had Floating Gold not been a republished, previously mainstream novel, I would have made this my editor’s choice. HNS rules state books must be newly published, however. So very highly recommended must suffice.
--Helen Hollick

PARIS 1935: DESTINY’S CROSSROADS
Paul A. Myers, Paul A. Myers Books, 2011, $10.99 pb/$2.99, e-book, 261 pp, 9780982596074
     “. . . Art illuminates politics . . .” says Marcelle Lambert, one of the lead characters in Paris 1935. This summarizes Paul Myers’ approach: writing used as a vehicle to understanding period politics. As Marcelle and Dexter Jones meet and fall in love, a world that desperately wants to avoid another world war makes the missteps that will make one inevitable. Upper-level civil servant Marcelle is detailed to the office of the premier and foreign minister of France, Pierre Laval. Dexter, a savvy young diplomat, stands on the sidelines watching senior diplomats from France and England (Laval and his British counterpart, Sir Samuel Hoare) jockey to save Ethiopia from Italy, protect their national interests, and oh, yes, fulfill their League of Nations commitments as well. The result is the Hoare-Laval Agreement, which then (and now) can be alternately viewed as an act of base appeasement or, as Churchill put it, had it been invoked, “a shrewd, farseeing agreement which could have saved . . . Abyssinia (Ethiopia).” Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler watches intently—and re-militarizes the Rhineland. Marcelle and Dexter plan their wedding. But will they marry, for Marcelle vows she will never desert France?
Paris 1935 is a complex book that takes us into the back rooms of high-level officials, writers, and media stars in order to understand why events happened as they did. The book's presentation, both cover and printing, is professional, with the artwork consisting of period reproductions. Involved and intriguing, Myers' work definitely is worth reading. --B.N. Peacock

MARTYRS AND TRAITORS: A TALE OF 1916
Marina Julia Neary, All Things That Matter Press, 2011, pb, 450pp, $19.99, 9780984651740
    The typically romantic approach to the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 is refreshingly missing in this story of Bulmer Hobson, a leader of the struggle for independence from British rule, who said of the Messianic hero Padraig Pearce, “No man has the right to risk the fortunes of a country to create for himself a niche in history.”  Hobson was one of the only people in the movement who saw how poorly prepared they were for their Easter Monday revolution and was villainized for decades for trying to stop it in spite of the fact he was proved right in every way.  In her biographical novel of Hobson, Marina Julia Neary explores his background, his rise to eminence, and his fall from favor, sprinkling the intricate and dramatic tale with his failure to find and maintain satisfying personal relationships.  Ultimately it is a story of passionate people in extraordinary denial, whether of their own motivations, their personal vulnerabilities, their abilities and their disabilities, emblematic of the entire Easter Rising.
    The novel, unfortunately, devolves in the need to trot out historical details and its abrupt shifts in point of view as well as one extraordinary failure to follow through on a cliffhanger.  Nevertheless, Neary has created a fascinating and complex portrait of some remarkable people and how they worked and fought so heartbreakingly for their ideals.  The author asks in the beginning for special attention to the women in the story, caught in a society still backwards in the assignment of gender roles, who despite being marginalized among the rebels, were very central to much of the Rising, including taking their place on the barricades. --Nan Hawthorne

FOLVILLE'S LAW
David Pilling, Musa Publishing, 2011, e-book (Kindle edition), $4.99, 398 KB, ASIN B00669O0BO
      The very grimness of this novel of the last year of the reign of Edward II is one of its best features.  The plot follows several of the players in the events leading to the fall of the Despensers and their king and the mixed benefit of the new regime under the queen, her lover, and her son, the future Edward III—and no character, fictional or factual, is entirely sympathetic.  The result is a novel that tells more of the real story of the time, no glossing over or romanticizing, something this reviewer found rather refreshing.  The central plot concerns Sir John Swale, a Despenser follower sent to discover why justice has not been served on a blatant murder, leading the reader into the decay of Edward II’s base of support and the rise of his enemies’.  Corruption has become the standard, and ironically, it is outlaws and corruption that spell the reign’s doom.  The most admirable of the characters know they must make painful compromises.  Away from Swale’s story, we receive insightful glimpses into the historical figures Isabella, Mortimer, Hugh le Despenser the Younger, and Edward II himself.  No warm fuzzies here. They all are flawed and forced to make compromises as well.  The writing itself is sound and compelling, and for the most part, the research faithful to the events and conditions of the setting. --Nan Hawthorne

A SPURIOUS BROOD
Phil Revell, Ascribe Publishing, 2011, £8.00, pb, 320 pp, 9780956962607
    Fact wrapped up as fiction is presented here in A Spurious Brood.  This is the story of the four children of Katherine More, herself the youngest daughter of an old Shropshire family, land but not cash rich. As was typical of the time, Katherine was forced into a marriage neither she nor her husband desired.  However, less typical is the way in which the marriage plays out. It is the true story of her four young children who are sent as foundlings to America as passengers on the Mayflower.
    There is so much cruelty at play here simply for the sake of saving face and keeping reputation, and the pain caused over legal aspects of a marriage that should never have taken place. All of this is set against a backdrop of a changing Great Britain under the unification of James I—or VI, depending on your viewpoint.  This story is so well-written it’s impossible not to find yourself angry at Katherine’s treatment as well as your heart breaking for her. 
    If there were any drawback to A Spurious Brood, it would be a question as to why the cover picture is a wooded glade rather than a picture of the Mayflower, perhaps. Not a criticism, more of a wondering, as this could help attract further readers.
    A Spurious Brood is not a book I would have usually read.  It’s not the period of history I usually delve into, neither is it battle-ready and full of the sounds of clanking armour, but I am extremely glad this was sent to me.  This is a story I absolutely recommend, and I would go as far as to say that it’s one that needs to be ordered from libraries or Amazon immediately.  Don’t let this book pass you by. --Rachel Malone

THE FRENCH LADY'S COWBOYS
Bud Rudesill and Sheila Bolt-Rudesill, Moonstrike Press, 2011, e-book (Kindle edition), $3.99, 438 KB (322 pp), ASIN B004K1F1XG
    Angele Morisot knows that her life in 1860s France is ruined at the tender age of sixteen when a friend of her father rapes her. Her fury over the injustice that she will be blamed for her own victimization galvanizes her into starting a new life on her own terms in America. Her skill with horses gains her the confidence of two quite benign cattle drovers, and she winds up working as a wrangler and general ranch hand in what will be the Wyoming Territory. She meets Tom, who is half Irish and half Spanish nobility, and after traveling with him to California to be married, she returns to Wyoming, where they establish a thriving ranch. The novel follows Angele's life from sixteen to old age, recounting her adventures, her joys and sorrows, and, more than anything, her relationships with several colorful and enjoyable characters.
    The French Lady's Cowboys is entertaining and full of appealing pioneers, though its rather romantic notions of the Old West (where everyone respects Angele's willingness to do the hard and dangerous work right alongside the men) stretches credulity. Her abilities are perfectly plausible, but the generous support less so, especially in light of the story's theme of how racial and ethnic prejudices come to dominate people's lives. In spite of some tragic events, Angele's path is much easier than seems likely, though this may be the fault of the book's first-person narration and resulting paucity of dramatization. In this idealized West, a young woman's sexual self-assertion is a nice fantasy, but if you can suspend your disbelief, you will enjoy getting to know and follow the adventures of Angele and her family and friends. --Nan Hawthorne

THE GOOD MAN’S DAUGHTER
Roger Stokes, Matador, 2011, £8.99, pb, 285 pp, 9781848766662
    “In the dark feudal days of the 12th century, there was a part of France where the light of renaissance shone like a beacon . . . ”
    A historically educated reader could be forgiven for flinching at this opening line from the prologue of A Good Man’s Daughter. What follows, however, is an engaging human tale of a young woman’s coming of age in southwest France, set against the background of the Cathar persecutions. The story follows Elouise’s changing relationships with the three men in her life: her father, Jean, a Cathar parfait or holy man; her best friend, Michel, a shepherd (who seems to do remarkably little shepherding); and the knight, Guillaume de Quillan, who becomes her lover. Intriguingly, the story is set not at the high point of the Albigensian Crusade, when the persecutions were conducted by powerful barons with active royal and papal support, but fifteen years later (1243–44), when they had passed into the hands of local clergy and nobility and were fuelled by those with personal scores to settle against their neighbours.
    Whilst the four main characters are very believable, those cast as villains (a brutal, sadistic knight and a corrupt and venal priest) seem somewhat two dimensional. There are also some historical anachronisms (characters wearing “cotton shifts” long before cotton became available and, worst of all, Elouise’s skill at cooking “the crispiest roast potatoes”). Sometimes the descriptions of the landscapes put one more in mind of the woods and hills of Southern England than the garrigues and gorges of Languedoc.
    Those reservations aside, the plotting is taught, the main characters are sympathetically drawn, and the dialogue is convincing. It offers a somewhat frosted window onto 13^th- century France, but it is, nonetheless, a pretty good read. --Mark Patton

THE HARPIST OF MADRID
Gordon Thomas, Olympia Publishers, $13.99, 2011, pb, 384 pp, 9781848971547
    The main character in Gordon Thomas' richly detailed and thought-provoking book, Juan Hidalgo, is a talented musician, a harpist at the court of King Philip IV in 17th-century Madrid. As that setting will instantly suggest, Juan is soon entangled with the Spanish Inquisition but largely unaware of how close he himself sometimes comes to their scrutiny (he says he will never be a heretic, but he's not sure about God, or the Virgin Birth, or all those miracles). His main passion is music, and the many evocations of his musical work and experiences are the strongest strand running through the book. As Juan begins to work on operas, we learn the day-to-day mechanics of creating an art form in the midst of reinventing itself. Juan's work is backgrounded not just by the Inquisition but also by love, family problems, and tragedy, all of it told by Thomas in a scrupulous if sometimes flat prose (at one point when a character dies, Juan actually responds by pointing out, “It is as tragedy”). Olympia has crafted The Harpist of Madrid into a beautiful paperback that fits wonderfully in the hand, and Thomas has crafted a solid, engaging story to warrant it.
--Steve Donoghue

INNOCENCE & GOLD DUST
Frances Webb, Eloquent Books, 2010, $19.95, pb, 456 pp, 9781609113407
    Eutropius, the main character in Frances Webb's novel, is a eunuch, and this may remind some readers of Mary Renault's great masterpiece, The Persian Boy, also narrated by a eunuch. Luckily for the readers of Webb's utterly fantastic Innocence & Gold Dust, the similarities don't end there: this book shares all the strengths of Renault's work—extensive research lightly worn, deftly drawn characters of all kinds, a pitch-perfect ear for dialog, a sure hand for plotting—and adds one big thing too often missing from Renault's works: a wry, twinkling sense of humor.
    Eutropius has grand ambitions, and he pursues them by becoming the beloved prop and mascot of the Emperor Theodosius. His goal is to become indispensable to the great powers in the latter half of the fourth century, and although Eutropius takes his rise to power very seriously, Webb is smiling the whole time, the wry smile we save for the actions of a friend who happens to be a bit of a fool. And Eutropius isn't the only fool in these pages by a long shot. We get foolish emperors, foolish generals, foolish bishops of the rapidly growing Christian church, and Webb gives almost every one of these characters some memorably snarky lines, as when one of them observes, “Nektarius has died. What a prissy thing for him to do.”
    But for all the understated humor in Innocence & Gold Dust, there's a stout heart as well. When Eutropius, thinking about becoming a Christian (as a career move, of course), reflects, “It seemed to him that he should believe something a lot harder than he did,” readers will nod in agreement, fond of this character despite their own better judgments. Webb has crafted a superb and entertaining story—highly recommended. --Steve Donoghue

FLOWERS OF VITRIOL
John Wheatley, Hulme Hall Books, 2010, £9.99, pb, 214pp, 9780956734204
    1817. On the streets of Amlwch, the copper capital of the world, discontent amongst the poor, hungry, and disaffected is about to break out into open violence. Mine Superintendent, Thomas Kendrick, brings his bride, the beautiful Cornish girl, Alys, twenty years his junior, home to Amlwch. The arrival of O’Donell, an Irish sea captain, sets off an intriguing tale of love, jealousy, treachery, and blackmail. . . throw in a smuggling operation and you have the key elements of the story which come together in a dramatic way.
    The book is based on real events and the added historical note was welcome and interesting—doubly so because the book ends rather abruptly, and we are left with the historical note to work out how it all ended for ourselves. I am of two minds about this. Part of me wanted to read what happened, and part of me was intrigued by the way the story was left hanging.
    When I received this book for review, I was initially unenthusiastic as it is not the type of book I would usually consider. I am happy to say I enjoyed the read. The layout was good and well-presented, but the cover could be more exciting—a women on a headland looking out to sea might be more dramatic.
    The recreation of the Industrial era is done well, with descriptions of the mine authentic and well-researched. There was a little too much description of the industrial processes in the early parts of the book, but the addition of George Barncroft's diary entries were a good way of describing events.
    It is a novel with a brooding, moody feel, with behind the scenes plotting and manipulation. I would recommend this to those who enjoy historical romance and the day-to-day life of normal people. --Richard Denning

FATFINGERS
Charlie White, Good Ink Books, 2010, e-book (Kindle edition), 421 KB (215 pp), 9780578057743
(received paper copy for review)
    Fatfingers, the name of the unlucky protagonist whose professionally wielded hammer struck his hand more than it did a nail, is the story of Etienne Gaspard and his travels in America. Ousted by the British, Garpard makes his way from French Arcadia to New Orleans. Fatfingers contains a slew of characters, and the plot moves very quickly; at times it is difficult to keep track of everything that is happening. The novel paints a good picture of late 18^th-century America, with accurate depictions of the interactions  Native among Americans, French, and British. The British antagonist Cudgel, an evil and cruel man, continues to appear as a well-named leitmotif throughout the novel at unfortunate times for Gaspard.
    Fatfingers has some drawbacks. Profanity, not in itself problematic, is here used to excess. The continual swearing distracts the reader from the plot, especially when it is not necessary. The roughness of the character can equally be conveyed in other ways. There are also many passages that are long on dialogue, but short on either scene or context. While a few of these help to convey the rapid pace of events, the number of them in this novel becomes frustrating. This also contributes to the confusion of both what is happening, as well as who is doing it. --Steve Shaw

MY ENEMY'S TEARS
Karen Vorbeck Williams, Wheatmark, 2011, $20.95, pb, 450pp, 9781604946284
    Mary Bliss (Parsons) moves with her family from England to the colonies to escape religious persecution and the King’s tyranny.  We watch the intelligent, beautiful and observant Mary grow up in the harsh environment of Puritan New England. Throughout her life, from sleepwalking child to serving girl to wealthy wife, Mary is confronted with her neighbor’s jealousies and superstitions.  She is accused more than once of witchcraft, and we see the story through all the way to her trial in Boston.
    This book is an interesting mix of novel and biography, a format that works here extremely well. There are no gaps in the story, characters are consistent and well-developed, and I grew to love Mary and her family—and to resent the petty suspicions of her neighbors. Mary's story is told with the careful attention to detail of an author who obviously cares deeply for the story, and consequently, the reader also cares deeply. When I reached the last page, I would have been content to read 450 more pages of Mary's life. The book is very professionally printed, the cover is a beautiful dark matte finish, and I found no misprints. This was an excellent read.  --Cynthia McArthur

ROSIE
Ted York, Troubador, 2011, £7.99, pb, 332pp, 9781848764460
    This is a large book and looks, in my opinion, professionally produced. It is a very readable book but what lets it down is the grammar and punctuation (especially the possessive and plural apostrophes, which are mixed up). I think if the book were to be edited professionally, it would raise the story up a number of notches.
    Rosie is a likeable character and has a very exciting life even from early on in the novel. The reader can warm to her and her family so it’s easy to read in that respect.
    Rosie’s rise from her humble beginnings was enjoyable to read and the writer weaves a tale of a number of interesting events that the character could well have attended. The famous people of the era were all in context and the meetings with Rosie were plausible.
    In some places I do feel that the writer has gone a little too far with facts and details, for example, Rosie’s potential father-in-law is proud of his family history and goes to great lengths to tell Rosie all about it, but it feels as though the writer has taken true historical facts and written them all straight into the story. I feel that it would have been better had he told of Rosie’s utter boredom at the enforced history lesson rather than put it all out for the reader to be bored with, too.
    The writer has obviously researched his subject at great length; the reader certainly feels as though he or she is in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but I did spot some of the plot twists from quite a way off.
    Having said all of that, I enjoyed reading Rosie. --Michelle Gent

CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT TITLES

TOMORROW’S GUARDIAN
Richard Denning, Mercia Books, 2011, £8.99, pb, 361pp, 9780956483560
    “Time Travel is fun until you try it . . . ” Tom Oakley is 11. He can travel through time into the past. To save the world he must sacrifice his family—a good enough hook for any teenage reader, I think!
    Tom is an ordinary boy who has ordinary problems (if you can call being bullied at school and worrying about a best friend, ordinary) But he has a nightmare on his birthday—and then the not-so-ordinary stuff starts. He experiences déjà vu-type moments when time seems to get muddled, then things get more complicated when he meets Septimus Mason and learns the truth about these historical flashbacks into times past. He must make a choice between normality or power and responsibility, while travelling to different eras in time, from the Zulu Wars to the Great Fire of London.
    The time travel aspect of this excellent story is well thought out and very believable, as is Tom himself and the main characters; the reader is uncertain, in places, just who are the good guys and who are the baddies—and on occasion a bit of both—just as in real life. There is a lot of adventure here to satisfy any 10+ teen reader, especially the boys, and snippets of historical action will fit many a school curriculum with just enough history to gain interest, but not so much to be too daunting. This is a book to go on every school library shelf, I think.
    My only comment (being pedantic) would be that maybe the opening couple of chapters could be a little faster paced, but this is from an adult perspective; I don’t think teenagers will agree. This is the first in the Hourglass Institute Series and I look forward to reading more. --Eliza Bryan

KINMERS LEA
Gloria Morgan, Callie Co Books, 2008, £7.99, pb, 182pp, 9781844265459
    Twelve-year-old Edwin goes to stay with his Gran at Kinmers Lea, her old house near Hastings. Somehow he and Gran travel through time and end up back in the aftermath of 1066, where kidnappers are hatching their devious plans.
    This is an imaginative tale, well-told, packed with fun. It brings to mind those old “Mr. Ben” cartoons, where he goes into a changing room in his own time and emerges into a world of dinosaurs or cowboys or mermaids. The book feels as if it might have series appeal, with Edwin and Gran visiting other time periods important to history (and to the National Curriculum which would allow Callie Co Books to market to schools and do author visits).
    As with so many self-published books, the jacket design, typesetting, and general presentation fall a little short of where they need to be in order to compete on a level playing field with those published by the mainstream presses. In particular, the type is far too small and could prove off-putting to children and young teens who are used to reading larger type books from authors such as Jeremy Strong and Helen Moss. That would be a shame, as this is a charming story that deserves success. --Helen Hart

THE WHITE WITCH OF SPITON AND THE STONES OF DESTINY
Tracey Rolfe, Jake Boy Publishing, 2010, £7.99, pb, 237pp, 9780955702020
    The third in the White Witch of Spiton Series sees a young witch transported back in time to 1066.  That’s about as far as it gets for the historical aspect of this wonderful fantasy—for as much as we would all love to believe the Disney side of things, Harold couldn’t have lived in the fantastically turreted castles mentioned.  Putting that aside, however, we do have here a wonderful young adult fantasy book.
    Take a pinch of Harry Potter, add a touch of The Sword in the Stone, together with a generous helping of British wheel pagan goddesses and you have the recipe for an adventurous story aimed very squarely at girls. 
    Bearing in mind this is the third book in the series and I haven’t read the others, I didn’t feel at too much at a loss for not being aware of the other instalments, so this is a good stand-alone book.  One small area where I think I may have missed out on information was in relation to the character of Grimble. It can only be assumed that his story was fleshed out more in previous volumes. 
    It is extremely clear that the author enjoys writing these stories; the love she bears her characters overflows on the pages and engages the reader, captivating them to read to the end.  I’m sure the White Witch of Spiton series will continue and flourish. --Rachel Malone

THE CHOOSING TIME
Donna Tesiero, eBookIt.com, e-book (Kindle edition), 2011, 370 KB, $8.99, ASIN B0063MVY86
    This is a charming and simple look at young love amidst religious tensions in 16^th-century France. Gisele de Bonnerot comes to the court of the king to serve his son's new wife, Catherine de Medici. She meets and falls in love with a young Breton lord, Jean d'Estienne, who comes under suspicion of heresy in a time when the Catholic Church and the authority of the King of France are threatened by the rising Reformation. When Jean is arrested and likely doomed to be burned at the stake, Gisele, whose father has betrothed her to a cruel and vindictive man, takes it upon herself to free Jean so they can flee to Brittany and be married.
    The novel offers a look at a time of conflict and uncertainty that included the stirrings of a break with traditional authority, including the utter lack of rights for a young woman. Gisele is an admirable and cleverly determined young woman who chooses to be with a man she loves and who loves her, rather than agreeing to be the pawn her father and the king's court expect her to be. Teens, young adults, and adults will all find this book suitable and entertaining.
--Nan Hawthorne