THE PLOT: ‘Daughter of Black Lake’ by Cathy Marie Buchanan is a historical novel set in Iron Age Britain. Hobble is a young woman with a lame leg, but she is blessed with the gift of prophecy. Her mother, Devout, blames … Continue reading Review: Daughter of Black Lake
THE PLOT: ‘Theatre of Marvels’ by Lianne Dillsworth is a historical novel about a mixed-race actress in Victorian London. Zillah has left the slums of St Giles to star as ‘The Great Amazonia’ – a savage from deepest, darkest Africa. However, … Continue reading Review: Theatre of Marvels
THE PLOT: ‘Cecily’ by Annie Garthwaite is a historical novel set during the Wars of the Roses. It follows Cecily, Duchess of York, throughout her marriage to Richard of York – de facto heir to the English throne. Though Cecily’s mother … Continue reading Review: Cecily
THE PLOT: ‘She Who Became the Sun’ by Shelley Parker-Chan is a historical fantasy novel about the origins of the Ming Dynasty. Set in Southern China in 1345, it re-imagines the life-story of one of the most powerful emperors in … Continue reading Review: She Who Became the Sun
THE PLOT: ‘Katheryn Howard: The Tainted Queen’ is the fifth book in the ‘Six Tudor Queens’ series by Alison Weir. Starting with her mother’s death, it follows Katheryn’s tumultuous upbringing as she’s shunted between different family members. She ends up … Continue reading Review: Katheryn Howard
The Plot: ‘At Night All Blood is Black’ by David Diop is a literary novel set during the first world war. It centres two Senegalese soldiers who are fighting for the French in the trenches. The novel opens with Alfa as … Continue reading Review: At Night All Blood is Black
THE PLOT: ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a gothic mystery set in 1945. The story opens in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War, when a ten-year-old boy visits the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’. The boy … Continue reading Review: The Shadow of the Wind
THE PLOT: ‘The Mirror & the Light’ by Hilary Mantel is the final novel in the ‘Wolf Hall’ trilogy. Set in England between 1536 and 1540, it chronicles the downfall of Henry VIII’s principal advisor – Thomas Cromwell. Born the son … Continue reading Review: The Mirror & the Light
THE PLOT: Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets is the fourth book in the ‘Six Tudor Queens’ series by Alison Weir. Starting with Anna’s life as a princess in the German duchy of Kleve, it follows her short-lived marriage to … Continue reading Review: Anna of Kleve
THE PLOT: Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession is the second book in the ‘Six Tudor Queens’ series by Alison Weir. Starting with Anne’s early life at Hever, it follows her move to Burgundy to serve Margaret of Austria and then … Continue reading Review: Anne Boleyn
Amina's Bookshelf 