charlottereadshistory's reviews
355 reviews

Queen of Fury by Natania Barron

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Queen of Fury is the second in Natania Barron’s Queens of Fate series - brilliant feminist retellings of Arthurian legends. 

This story is based on Gawain and the Green Knight but centres on the princess of Avillion, Hwyfar. She is thrust from being an unwanted sister carousing through Arthur’s court to acting as regent for her failing father as war threatens their farthest border. 

Gawain and his knights are sent by Arthur to support his sister-in-law, but not all is as it seems. What follows is an epic quest with an even more epic love story. 

What I enjoyed most about this book was the emotional connection and vulnerability Hwyfar and Gawain had together, and how that connection supported them to navigate and ultimately overcome loss and pain that they’d suffered as pawns in a hyper hierarchical and patriarchal court. As Barron mentions in her acknowledgement, “patriarchy and toxic chivalry does not just break women, but men, too.” I felt that Hwyfar’s sensuality and her rebelliousness were key elements of her character that weren’t moulded to fit a romantic ideal. 

I also loved the exploration of the agency of women in the story - how so many of the strong women in Arthurian legend worked in the shadows, influencing and weaving the future with their magic but also their knowledge of what had come before and their ability to share with each other. I thought it was key that the women of the story seemed to disregard physical borders - that the lines drawn by men meant little to women sharing working across a different realm to protect humanity. 

I can’t wait to see what comes next as Barron tackles the most famous of the Arthurian women - Morgen Le Fay. 

My thanks to the author and Jess at @rebellionpublishing / Solaris Books for a proof of this epic story. Queen of Fury is out now! 

Black Wood Women by Michael Stewart

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Black Wood Women is a story set in 1649 Yorkshire, and follows Irish immigrant Caragh as she struggles to survive after her parents are killed. Running parallel to this, we see a similar struggle to survive through the eyes of the last wolf in England, pregnant with pups. 

The book explores several interesting themes, but central to the story was the religious persecution of Catholics and the political upheaval of Oliver Cromwell’s republic, and how the lawlessness of that period could provide opportunities or serious threat depending on your social position. 

What I also found was well explored was the impact of an erosion of the human connection to nature and how that was inexorably linked to the patriarchal world view - one that was dismissive but also threatened by women’s knowledge and folklore. 

I would have loved to have seen more development of some of the characters. We meet the Black Wood Women but don’t ever understand them properly- especially their leader Annie, to the extent where I felt like it was a missed opportunity for such an enigmatic character. 

I really enjoyed the chapters from the she-wolf’s perspective. Stewart has a beautifully poetic way of writing about the sensory experiences of the fens and the forest which really came alive for me - a vivid gothic read for a cold autumn evening. 

Thank you to @HQStories and the author for an advanced copy for review. 

A History of Britain in Ten Enemies by Terry Deary

adventurous funny informative fast-paced

4.0

A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is an enjoyable romp across history through the lens of the countries Britain (usually England) has had the most issues with. 

Deary whizzes through the geopolitical history of British conflicts and the idea of ‘Britishness’ from the Stoneage to the present day. As you can imagine, this is no in-depth study, but Deary does present some interesting and less well-known tidbits amongst the generally better known facts, and I thought it was a really interesting thematic take. 

He does this with more than a hint of the humour and grossness of his bestselling series for kids ‘Horrible Histories’ - not missing opportunities to poke fun where it can be found. I particularly enjoyed him describing the Battle of Watling Street as the ‘end of the woad’ for Boudicca - groan! 

A common thread throughout the book was how ridiculous and devastating political posturing and conflict can be. A rousing epilogue rails against misty-eyed patriotism and British nationalism, and the idea that Britain is somehow superior to other peoples and nations. 

I thought the use of the quote by US astronaut Frank Borman was particularly poignant: “Maybe this really is one world and why the hell can’t we live together like decent people?” 

Thank you to @bantambooks and Terry Deary for an advanced proof. A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is out on the 10th October!

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m a massive fan of the Chronicles of St Mary’s series so was really excited to read Taylor’s newest instalment. The series usually focuses on a bunch of historians whose job is to travel back in time to review famous events to see what really happened - but more often than not end up protecting the timeline (in a very chaotic way) from villainous attempts to change history. 

This story is a prequel/origin story of two fantastic side characters from the series - Smallhope and Pennyroyal, bounty hunters who recover anyone who’s somewhere (or perhaps more accurately some-when) they shouldn’t be. 

The focus is on Lady Smallhope’s origin story and how she went from second-born country gentlewoman to enigmatic and extremely competent ‘recovery agent’, as well as exploring her partnership with butler and assassin Pennyroyal. 

Taylor’s writing style is so engaging - she can flip from hilarious to high action to scathing social commentary or a poignant moment so easily. Her characterisation is always superb too - Smallhope and Pennyroyal are flawed and complicated but eminently loveable. 

Talking of complicated - how Taylor keeps track of all the series’ characters and their thoughts and feelings over time - when the timeline literally flexes all over the place - is a feat in itself. There are Easter eggs galore in all of her books, references to other characters as well as insight into other scenes or mysteries from the series. 

This book in particular is slightly ‘history light’ in terms of content - Smallhope and Pennyroyal aren’t historians themselves so there’s no big trip to specific famous events in time like other books in the series- but my love for the characters and their universe in general kept me going. I’d urge other history nerds like myself to check out the series if you haven’t already, as there are so many books you can get your teeth into and they’re all a joy to read. 

Thanks so much to @joditaylorbooks and @headlinebooks for an advanced copy of the book - The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal is out now!

The Lady Thief of Belgravia by Allison Grey

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Susanna Kearsley’s The Kings Messenger is a historical fiction with a hint of fantasy set in the turbulent reign of James I. The death of his eldest son Henry plunges the nation into mourning, but the rumours around suspicious circumstances of his demise are rife. 

The story follows two main protagonists who live on the same street as both families are in the king’s service - Andrew Logan is a King’s Messenger and Phoebe Westaway’s father is a court scribe. Both are sent north to apprehend Sir David Murray, the Prince’s closest confidant and potential suspect - but everyone quickly realises the truth may not be so simple. 

The historical setting and the world building were immersive and detailed - there were so many little details about the environment, clothes and the political and culture structures of the time. I liked that the main characters were tangential to court life rather than being immersed in it which is more usual in historical fiction. 

There was also an element of fantasy to the story which is typical of Kearsely’s books, but it wasn’t fantastical and didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story - Andrew Logan’s family is from the Highlands and has the gift of the Sight and could see flashes of the future. It added depth to the exploration of Andrew’s thoughts and feelings about those around him, and how he sometimes struggled to handle the responsibility of such knowledge. 

I also really enjoyed the themes of found family and the characterisation of all of the main protagonists. No one was perfect and everyone had their own struggles to navigate as well as dealing with the significant issues at hand! 

Thank you to the publishers Simon and Schuster and the author for a #gifted advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel

adventurous emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch

adventurous challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Le Fay is the second instalment of Sophie Keetch’s trilogy that unravels the life and myth of Morgan from Arthurian legend. 

I’m a big fan of retellings of myths and legends from the women’s point of view, seeking to breathe life into characters that have often been maligned or less explored in favour of male heroes. I have especially enjoyed stories that centre ‘difficult’ women - Hera by Jennifer Saint springs to mind as a recent example - and Le Fay is no exception. 

Keetch has fantastic skill at creating a depth of character in Morgan that vividly paints her as complex, flawed, principled and passionate. Morgan is no 2D villain - she is misunderstood and betrayed, protective of those she loves and unapologetically powerful.

This part of the trilogy also explores Morgan’s increasingly complicated and difficult relationship with her brother Arthur as she tries to navigate the political machinations of those surrounding him like his queen Guinevere and - of course - Merlin. 

Morgan makes excellent decisions and terrible ones too, and grows into her power and anger in ways that will make you in turn thrilled or despairing, but Keetch’s skill with characterisation means there is no choice but to take your heart with Morgan each step towards her destiny. 

I can’t wait to find out how the story develops in what will surely be a stunning end to this series. 

Thank you to @oneworldpublications and @sophiekeetchauthor for an advanced copy of this book for review. Le Fay is out on the 18 July! 

The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Ghost Ship tells the story of Louise and Gilles, two lost & restless souls thrown together by tragedy and fate who find solace on the ocean. 

This is the third book in the Joubert family series - it absolutely works as a standalone but I’d urge everyone to read the Burning Chambers and City of Tears too as they are fascinating stories that follow Minou and Piet as they try to navigate the tumultuous religious civil wars between Catholics and Huguenots in France in the 16th Century  - which led them (like many families) to flee as refugees to the Dutch Republic. 

The story picks up with Louise, Minou and Piet’s granddaughter. Tragedy from her childhood continues to haunt Louise both psychologically and physically, whilst Gilles’ complicated relationship with his abusive and manipulative mother alongside his secret identity weigh heavily on his soul. 

I have always loved Mosse’s unrivalled ability to create such believable characters and relationships that are deep, complicated and often flawed - that reflection of the human condition is key to the huge investment I often feel for her protagonists and peripheral characters - and it’s no different for me in The Ghost Ship. 

Somewhat heavy themes of grief, guilt, loss, enslaved peoples and empire, gender identity and sexuality were so sensitively handled and explored by Mosse, who also didn’t shy away from exploring contemporary attitudes at the time whilst still centring acceptance and kindness within the characters that mattered most. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Louise and Gilles on their quest to find their purposes in life and  peace from their pasts - with a huge amount of action and adventure along the way. 

The Ghost Ship by @katemossewriter is out in paperback now - thanks to @panmacmillan and @randomthingstours for a #gifted advanced copy in return for a review.