Category: historical fiction

Book Review: Holliday

May 18, 2024

Title: Holliday
Author: Matthew Di Paoli
Genre: Historical Fiction; Western
Book Length: 283 Pages (print)
Book Version Read: Paperback
Year Published: July 5, 2023

Date Started: May 12, 2024
Date finished: May 17, 2024

This is a western story centered around the historical figure, Doc Holliday. Born John Henry Holliday, he was a dentist, a gambler, and gunslinger. He was a close friend of Wyatt Earp and for a short time they teamed up. In this story, Holliday embarks on a quest to find the mineral hot springs in Glenwood Springs, CO in hopes of curing his illness. His journey takes him from his hometown of Georgia through Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and Kansas, ultimately leading him to Colorado where he remained until his death.

This was a well-crafted account of Doc Holliday. Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about him, although I was familiar with Wyatt Earp and some other western stories out there. Doc Holliday’s name wasn’t entirely new to me, but I hadn’t paid much attention to him before. I’m glad I read this book because it has sparked my interest in his story. I also enjoyed the raw storytelling of the setting and side characters. The dangers of being in the wrong place and time could mean life or death, and being a woman meant you were either a wife or a whore. This was a well-worth read and had me wipe a few tears at the end.

Who should read this book: If you’re into western historical fiction or just plain-o western, this book is excellent.

Book Review: A Song of Silence

May 14, 2024

Title: A Song of Silence
Author: Steve N Lee
Genre: Historical Fiction; War
Book Length: 308 Pages (print)
Book Version Read: ePub
Year Published: May 14, 2024

Date Started: May 10, 2024
Date finished: May 13, 2024

This story follows a Polish man running an orphanage during WWII, caught in the middle of the Nazi occupation. He’s stuck between keeping the orphans safe and keeping his composure in the face of a ruthless SS captain. As the situation gets worse, Mirek is faced with a difficult decision.

It’s a heart-wrenching story about courage, love, and suffering. The writing skillfully captures a time when escape was nearly impossible and information from outside was scarce. Mirek is forced to rely on his limited understanding as he grapples with each choice, only to find himself at a dead end.

This powerful story is based on the real-life experience of an orphanage owner in Poland during the war. I found his bravery truly commendable. I’m also grateful for the authors work in researching this man’s story. His extensive research shines through in this beautiful portrayal of a time when freedom was taken away and replaced with fear and torment.

Who should read this book: If you’re a historical fiction, war stories, and/or holocaust stories fan, this one is exceptional.

Book Review: The Porcelain Maker

October 31, 2023

Title: The Porcelain Maker
Author: Sarah Freethy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Year Published: November 7, 2023

Date Started: October 27, 2023
Date finished: October 30, 2023

This story about a daughter looking for the story behind the porcelain maker was beautifully written. While the daughter investigates the history of the porcelain artist, we are taken into the back story of her mother and father’s relationship which takes place during WWII and during the holocaust. Her parents were two lovers, both artists, one a German and one a Jew, who fell in love during a gruesome time in history and refused to let the situation separate them.

There were heartbreaking moments in the story and the tension was well done. I felt like I was rooting for them when the situations got dire. I enjoyed the idea behind the porcelain art. This story really broke my heart because I wasn’t expecting that outcome. This one will stay close to my heart for years to come.

Who should read this book: If you enjoy books about WWII, the holocaust, and something with a little bit of romance, this one is definitely worth a read.

Book Review: The Time Patriot

October 23, 2023

Title: The Time Patriot: Episode One – Hail Mary Pass
Author: Kim Megahee
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction, Sci-fi
Year Published: October 11, 2022

Date Started: September 27, 2023
Date finished: October 7, 2023

The story takes place in 2037 where corruption has ruined the United States. A man named Marc McKnight was tasked with traveling through time to bring President George Washington to 2037 to help guide the country out of corruption. It seemed simple and all, but it was more complex than Marc and his team anticipated. Somehow, Russia found their way back in time as well and they were planning on using modern weapons to destroy America. If that happened, it would change everything about the history of the world.

This was a well written story with excellent storytelling. I was intrigued right from the start and wanted to know the travel method and how they’d be able to bring George Washington to 2037. I was impressed with the time travel method and the tension buildup. It was all executed nicely. This is the first episode of a series, so the story ends in a spot where the next story starts.

Who should read this book: If you enjoy time travel stories with great writing, I’d definitely recommend this.

Book Review: Thomas Jefferson Survives

May 3, 2023

Title: Thomas Jefferson Survives
Author: C.J. Hayek
Genre: Alternate Historical Fiction
Year Published: March 4, 2020

Date Started: June 30, 2022
Date finished: July 2, 2022

This is a story about an alternate history where Thomas Jefferson, through a special type of mushroom, slumbers waking up two centuries later to a world very different from what he is familiar with. He learns that his home is now a museum where people tour and learn about who he was and how he lived. He learns that some of the “facts” were not true and other “facts” were stretched a bit. The plot thickens when a group of criminals attempt to use technology to take over humanity thinking it would be wise to use Jefferson’s story to benefit their cause.

This was an interesting read. I found the historical facts throughout the book enjoyable. I also enjoyed the direction of the story. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I just couldn’t imagine how anyone could write an alternate world about Thomas Jefferson, but I’ve learned it can be done and done well. The writing style felt sort of mystery thriller and sci-fi military, which I found fit this type of storytelling perfectly. My only issue is that there were a lot of telling that could have either been eliminated or at least written as a monologue or something else. Other than that, it was a excellent.

I’ve always been a fan of alternate history and this one didn’t disappoint. Also, keep in mind that the story is not meant to be completely facts. It touches on facts but it’s fiction, so you have to take the story lightly. It’s meant to be enjoyed.

Who should read this book: Anyone who enjoys a little fun with alternate histories.

Book Review: Savage Wounds

April 22, 2023

Title: Savage Wounds
Author: Sam Knupp
Genre: Historical fiction; alternate history
Year Published: August 29, 2022

Date Started: September 19, 2022
Date finished: September 21, 2022

This story takes place during the American Civil War in an alternate history. The war and characters are the same but there are new characters with new names. The story follows a colonel named Goliath Entwistle as well as a man named Optimist/Optimus.

This was a very interesting read. I’ve read alternate historical fictions before and have always liked them. This one is up there with my favorites. I enjoyed the flow of the story and just how savage the characters were. It’s a pretty sad read just revisiting that period of history but made even sadder by this new storyline. The author puts the reader right into the story so it feels as though you’re not just watching from afar, but you are right there with the characters and could literally walk over and stop an incident.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. The writing pulls you in. It’s fast-paced but with a lot of important information. I loved the quotes in the chapter openings and the “wisdom says” at the end of the chapters. The characters were well developed with depth and really made you feel for them and/or detest them. Since the story took place during the Civil War, specifically during the Battle of Gettysburg, the world building was already set for the period. However, the author created his own version of the specific scenes to his story which made it pretty amazing.

Who should read this book: I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a love for historical fiction with an alternative timeline. You won’t be disappointed.

Book Review: To Dream of Shadows

April 16, 2023

Title: To Dream of Shadows
Author: Steve N. Lee
Genre: Historical Fiction; War Story; Romance
Year Published: April 16, 2023

Date Started: April 10, 2023
Date finished: April 14, 2023

This is a story about bravery, compassion, and love. Two people, an SS soldier and a Jewish woman transferred to his camp, are put in a tough place and the soldier must make decisions that could put him and everyone he cares about in danger.

This story was wonderfully written. It hooked me from the get-go. I’ve read many holocaust and labor camp stories and this one was right up there with my favorites. The difficulties the Jewish people dealt with during this period was horrendous and the German soldiers were truly cruel. However, I believe that in everything that is evil, or made to appear extremely evil, there is some good hidden within, and this story showcases just that. This was a powerful, heart-wrenching read that tore at my soul.

I also really enjoyed learning that the story was based on researched facts. The extent the author went to find as much as he could about the two main characters and the setting is amazing. Well done.

Who should read this book: If you’re looking for a book to really tear at your heart and soul, this one will do it.

Book Review: Light to the Hills

April 4, 2023

Title: Light to the Hills
Author: Bonnie Blaylock
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Year Published: December 1, 2022 (physical book)

Date Started: November 20, 2022
Date finished: November 23, 2022

This is a book about the women during the Great Depression when jobs were scarce, and the men were already struggling to care for their families. The main character is named Amanda and she found a job delivering books to families that lived in the countryside. Her story is about bravery and perseverance during a time of hardship.

The writing was beautiful especially the description of the countryside. It was a very calm story about situations that were harsh so at first, I wasn’t sure what to think of this story. As the story progressed, the tension began to build up, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere. For the most part it was due to poor character development and conflict. None of the characters stood out.

I did like that the story took place during the depression and that there were traveling libraries. That was a really cool thing FDR offered and something I don’t remember learning about.

Who should read this book: If you enjoy books about the Great Depression, you might like this one.

Book Review: The Peaceful Village

June 7, 2022

Title: The Peaceful Village
Author: Paulette Mahurin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Year Published: May 27, 2022

Date finished: June 5, 2022

This is a story that takes place in a small village in France called Oradour-sur-Glane. Marguerite is the main character. She’s an older woman and married. She lives a simple and quiet life with her family. As the story moves along, SS soldiers start showing up in the village. They’re a little rough and tough but the villagers don’t back down. They’re not afraid of these soldiers and fight back but fighting back created more anger from the soldiers. Marguerite just wants the soldiers to leave but she knows it wasn’t going to happen and she finds her way to help those who were injured, putting herself in danger.

Overall, this was a good story. I loved the writing and the opening description of this small village. I was surprised at what happened to the people in this village since they kept to themselves. It was unfortunate and sad. The story itself moved a little too fast pace with too much going on and with lots of characters thrown in that I felt a little confused as to who each character was. I would have liked to know more about Marguerite’s husband, their youngest daughter, and the priests. I think the tension buildup wasn’t very strong and thus it lost me a little, but it’s definitely a story to check out.

What I found unique about this story was that SS soldiers infiltrated a laid-back, peaceful, small village. When we think of WWII and what Hitler did, we tend to focus on the big cities. This was a great way to show that even small towns were attacked.

Who should read this book: If you’re into WWII historical fiction, this is a good read to add to your list.

Book Review: Terror on the Deseret Trail

January 21, 2022

It’s been awhile since I posted a book review. I’ve been reading and reviewing on Amazon, just not on my blog and Goodreads. Those reviews were only requested on Amazon. I am extremely backed up so I won’t be able to take anymore request at this time.

This book I just finished, “Terror on the Deseret Trail,” was a shocking read, but it was written so well that I couldn’t resist sharing the review. Let me know what you think if you get the chance to read it. Be warned though. It’s over-the-top gruesome, gory, and just foul.

Title: Terror on the Deseret Trail
Author: Jack Hazen
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure Thriller
Year Published: March 13, 2021

Wasn’t sure exactly what to expect but what a wild ride! This story is about a bunch of people. The main ones being Reuben Taz and a paleontologist named Hannah Monroe, and her group. At first, you’d think this was your average wild west story, but the further you get into it, the more you realize it’s one really crazy grown-up story with a bunch of strange and unique characters. Everyone has somewhere to go, and out in the west there’s a lot of land and a lot of bad things going on. It’s wise to travel in a group or at least with someone who knows how to shoot a gun or use a knife.

Reuben Taz is the most interesting character in the story. He has an agenda, and it’s to find and kill his father’s killer. However, he’s not anything you’d think him to be. He enjoys eating a good set of dainty toes. Aside from traveling with a whore named Rhonda for some time, a Mark Twain joins them and then a couple of other men later on. The group with the paleontologist consists of assistants, a handicap named Tiny Tim, an Arapaho princess named Sweet Water, and a few others. There were dinosaur bones out there in Utah and Paleontologist Hanna wanted to find them first. Helen James, a Pinkerton detective and a trans, later joins Hannah’s group. The detective was on a case about a kidnapped Mormon daughter and was set to find her. With all the chaos in the Utah and Nevada lands in the late 1800’s it was a very scary time to be traveling, but somehow these people were brave enough to do it.

I loved everything about this story. It was dirty, gruesome, disgusting, there was satire, dark humor, etc., and I enjoyed it all. I wanted so bad to give it five stars but there were so many missing open/closed speech quotes that I struggled somewhat as to when someone was speaking and done speaking. There were also a few misspells but not enough to distract from the story (definitely should get it edited though, it’s such an extraordinary story that I’d love to see it turn into a movie!). Definitely give this book a read if you enjoy settings in the wild west and deep dark themes and conflicts.

Who should read this book: If you’re into super crazy books with no limits, go for this one. Once in a blue moon, I simply just dig this stuff. This kind of book is meant to be taken lightly because it pokes fun at humanity.