Here is an excerpt of a summary of the book from the publisher’s website:

In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology, and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who survived two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established authority on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love; and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor.

In the introduction, Gregory writes revealingly about the differences between history and historical fiction. How much of a role does speculation play in writing each? How much fiction and how much fact should there be in a historical novel? How are female historians changing our view of women in history?

The book is divided into three parts – each part about a different woman by one of the authors.   Nearly half of the book is devoted to Jacquetta and is written by Gregory.  Baldwin writes about Elizabeth Woodville in the second part of the book and Jones finishes the book with writing about Margaret Beaufort.  I believe all three parts are well-written and contain more information than I ever knew about the role these women played in shaping English history.

Gregory’s part on Jacquetta is longer because I think there is more primary source material on her.  However, as Gregory so adeptly mentions in the introduction to the book, there is not much primary source material on women in general from this period.  Writers and historians from the Wars of the Roses period do not give much attention to women because they were considered unimportant.  Military and political men dominated the writings of this time period.

As mentioned in the summary above, Gregory has a fairly extensive discussion of the role of historical fiction compared to history.  I found this part of the book the most interesting.  She brings forth the many challenges and benefits of writing historical fiction.  The one challenge is to write in a way that is creative, but accurate.  It is good to humanize historical figures in historical fiction, but the author must stay within the historical record (if the record is known).

The king of a Northern land, having refused to marry off his beautiful eldest daughter and deed some of his holdings to a nearby chieftain, is now at war. He sends Harald, his youngest child and heir to the throne, along with Asa, the eldest daughter, and his middle daughter, Solveig, to a remote land to keep them safe. The king also sends a handpicked group to accompany them. As the novel opens, they await supplies before winter freezes out any vessel’s passage by water. A ship eventually arrives with the king’s personal guard–20 hearty berserkers wrapped in animal skins, led by Hake, a giant to rival Thor, and the king’s skald, Alric. When someone poisons the berserkers, everyone suddenly becomes a suspect.

Solveig, the only one of the king’s children who feels she has no purpose, narrates the story. At Alric’s urging, she begins to cultivate her gift for weaving a tale–and her narrative holds us in her spell. Her recurring nightmare suggests that she may also have the gift of foresight, in addition to her skills as a keen observer and storyteller. Matthew Kirby’s story peels away like layers of an onion. Two-thirds of the way into the book, Solveig reveals a structure to the novel that serves a dual purpose. Every piece of this puzzle, infused with Norse lore, fits together.

Young adult fiction tied to myths and stories? Yep, that’s me.  And it turned out to be a gripping and imaginative story with great characters and a unique setting. Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).

Three reasons you should read this one:

1) Great characters. Starting with Solveig this story is a mix of great characters. As noted above, Solveig struggles to find her place in the world. She is plain and has no clear place in the hierarchy of her community. Her sister is the beautiful princess who reminds everyone of her beautiful mother and whose beauty brings status to her father the king. Her brother is the young heir to the throne full of youthful energy and already showing signs of strength and courage.  But it turns out she does have gifts and these will play a more important role in the life of the community than anyone would have predicted.

In addition you have Alric the sklad who is mentoring Solveig but who seems to lack any clear allegiances or commitments except his own safety. And Per the warrior Solveig idolized – who she thought was different from all the rest – but who is revealed to be all too human; and like everyone else with suspect motives and desires. Or Hake the frightening berserker who of all people seems worthy of trust. The interaction of these, and a number of interesting side characters as well, makes for fascinating reading.

2) Great setting. The tension starts from the very beginning with the idea that the ice flow will trap this party in place over the course of the winter. As the harsh winter descends Kirby ratchets up the tension with intrigue and violence. Trapped between the fjord and the glacier, and forced to live and eat in one building, the royal family shares space with warriors and servants.  Soon nerves are frayed and friendships are threatened.  This also serves as a great stage for the story elements as Solveig struggles to come to terms with being a skald and her gifts and identity. The sense of being trapped; the picture of a community pushed to the edge; the harsh reality of the Norse world are all captured here.

3) The power of story. Kirby not only weaves a great story himself but artfully explores the power of story in “real” life. He shows how we use stories to find our place in the larger world and to make sense of ideas, emotions, history and relationships.  Stories can alter our mood, change our perspective and unite a community - among other things.   kirby both shows this with his own skillful narrative and highlights it within the story using the Norse myths and the stories Alric and Solveig tell.

As should be clear from the above, Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more.  And of course, there is a climatic conclusion.

A great story for readers young and old.

Related articles

• The Big Idea: Matthew J. Kirby (whatever.scalzi.com)

Queen of Kings

It did – sorta.

Basic Plot (short version): Cleopatra in death reborn as world threatening vampire.

Basic Plot (longer version): As the Romans prepare to conquer Egypt, and trick her husband Marc Antony into suicide, Cleopatra desperately seeks the help of an ancient goddess. But insted of simply adding a powerful ally to her side she inadvertently unleashes a monster she can’t control, loses her soul and turns a traditional war into a supernatural one.

Sounds interesting, no?

The book gets off to something of a slow start as we are introduced to Cleopatra and the cast of characters: The Roman Emperor Octavian (Augustus); Marcus Agrippa – general and friend of the emperor; former Roman general and husband to the queen Marc Antony, Nicolaus the Damascene – historian and tutor to the queen’s children, etc.

What makes the book awkward at times is its position between literary and genre fiction. Without getting into that age old debate, the book doesn’t seem sure which conventions it wants to utilize. This type of genre-bending, and mixing of history and fantasy, can be well done, and entertaining, but it takes some skill not to have it turn out choppy and confusing. Headly holds it together in stretches but it has fits and starts where things are less than smooth.

She wants to both tell an epic tale and a thriller all while describing things in detail and exploring the internal worlds of her characters. This is a lot too take on in one book.

There is a long section which basically sets up the battle that underlies the entire story: Octavian’s paranoia about Cleopatra and his resulting gathering of witches and warriors and Cleopatra’s search for vengeance.

This section drags in spots but the action really picks up once Octavian has his supernatural allies and Cleopatra beings to hunt him in Rome. What slows the story down in the middle section is the complexity of the plot and the multiplicity of characters. Headly clearly wanted to jam in as much mythology and characters/subplots as she could. Some are clever and interesting while others seem less so.

Once all the characters have been in a sense brought on stage and their mythological background told and motives explored the last battle is ready to start. And it is quite the battle!

This is one of those books that is hard to get a handle on.  In many ways all this messiness really got in the way of what is a good story. And at times you are asking yourself: where is all of this going? And the sort of Gothic romance aspect frequently seemed corny.  But despite all of this there is just enough interesting myth and action to make it entertaining.

If you are interested in mythology played out in fantasy, or like stories that blend styles and genres, this would make for good beach reading this summer.

Related articles

• Book Notes – Maria Dahvana Headley (“Queen of Kings”) (largeheartedboy.com)
• Video: Queen of Kings Trailer (collectedmiscellany.com)

In this epic and stunningly imaginative blend of history, fantasy, romance, and the supernatural, Queen of Kings entwines the true and timeless story of Antony and Cleopatra with a supernatural narrative in which the Queen of Egypt sacrifices her soul to save her fallen husband and in return is transformed into a vampiric shape-shifter bent on vengeance against the Roman Empire.

Publishers Weekly

Set in 1933, Atkins’s winning fourth history-based novel focuses on two figures who, as the author explains in an introduction, have been undeservedly lost in the shuffle of Depression-era gangsters: George Kelly, who ironically gets saddled with the nickname Machine Gun, and his wife, Kathryn. The fast-moving narrative spans a three-month period, starting with a fatal ambush in a parking lot outside Kansas City’s Union Station in which hoods gun down several lawmen and the prisoner they were about to drive to Leavenworth. This massacre leads to the FBI obtaining the authority to make arrests and carry weapons. The bulk of the action concerns the Kellys’ kidnapping of Charles Urschel, a wealthy Oklahoma oilman, and its aftermath. Atkins (Devil’s Garden) brings to vivid life the henpecked George and the bloodthirsty Kathryn as he convincingly conjures up a past era. Not just for crime fans, this should appeal to a wide readership.

Publishers Weekly:

At the start of Drake’s superlative middle book in his ancient Egypt trilogy (after Nefertiti), Rahotep, the chief detective in the Thebes police force, visits a horrific crime scene. Someone has mutilated a young man and removed his eyes—and possibly pacified him with narcotics during the assault. When the killer strikes again, Rahotep wonders if the murders may be connected with efforts to destabilize the regime of the young Tutankhamun. The ruler’s foes include Ay, the regent who effectively runs the country, and Horemheb, commander of the country’s armies. Rahotep must tread carefully to identify the parties behind both the killings and the threats to Tutankhamun without jeopardizing his life and the lives of his family members. Drake seamlessly introduces a serial killer plot line into his vivid evocation of the past. Admirers of such great historical novelists as Robert Graves and Mary Renault will hope that he continues working in the field after concluding this series.

My Take:

The second book in this series is much like the first, an interesting historical mystery that too often – at least for me – gets bogged down in description and language to the detriment of pace and plotting.

Rahotep is a melancholy poet turned investigator who gets pulled into the intrigue of the palace during the reign of the famous Tutankhamun.  What seems a simple investigation into mysterious objects found in the palace turns into a mystery that may cost Rahotep everything and puts the future of Egypt at risk.

The characters and backdrop are interesting but too often Drake – a poet and playwirght – insists on detailed descriptions of both interior (ie emotional) and exterior scenes to the point that the story loses its pace. Rahotep is supposed to be a unique perspective – agnostic when it comes to the gods, introspective and prone to question everything – too much musing and description means less tension and action.

Those who like historical mysteries with lots of details may disagree.

Nefertiti: The Book of the Dead; 352 pages; Harper Paperbacks (February 26, 2008)

Publishers Weekly

Rai Rehotap, the complex sleuth of this excellent mystery debut from British poet and playwright Drake (The Man in the White Suit), is very much a creature of his time—ancient Egypt—but is possessed of investigative instincts that will be familiar to readers of classic whodunits. The author artfully places his plot during a time of great significance to ancient Egyptian society—the reign of King Akhenaten, whose reforms included an effort to do away with the established religious order, and who consequently evoked the wrath of powerful figures vested in the status quo. The king summons Rehotap to track down the ruler’s powerful and charismatic partner, Queen Nefertiti, whose disappearance weeks before a great festival threatens the stability of the new regime. Drake displays great mastery of period detail, and if some readers are able to anticipate the identity of the person behind the novel’s chaos, they’ll still find themselves swept away to a far-off time with contemporary echoes.

My Take:

Interesting first book in a historical mystery trilogy set in ancient Egypt with an intellectual/poet cop as a lead character. I had to read it in small doses due to my schedule, and that might have affected my reading, but the language seemed a little verbose and the mindset seemed very modern to me – like the author was trying a little bit too hard to be both artsy and philosophical. This bogged down the story at times from my perspective.

But the setting makes for a fascinating backdrop and the characters are strong. If you are fascinated by ancient Egypt or enjoy historical fiction check this series out.

Publishers Weekly

At the start of Drake’s superlative middle book in his ancient Egypt trilogy (after Nefertiti), Rahotep, the chief detective in the Thebes police force, visits a horrific crime scene. Someone has mutilated a young man and removed his eyes—and possibly pacified him with narcotics during the assault. When the killer strikes again, Rahotep wonders if the murders may be connected with efforts to destabilize the regime of the young Tutankhamun. The ruler’s foes include Ay, the regent who effectively runs the country, and Horemheb, commander of the country’s armies. Rahotep must tread carefully to identify the parties behind both the killings and the threats to Tutankhamun without jeopardizing his life and the lives of his family members. Drake seamlessly introduces a serial killer plot line into his vivid evocation of the past. Admirers of such great historical novelists as Robert Graves and Mary Renault will hope that he continues working in the field after concluding this series.

Publishers Weekly

Penicillin operates as the source of romance, murder, and melodrama in Belfer’s (City of Light) evocative WWII–era novel. When Life magazine sends strikingly beautiful photographer Claire Shipley to report on a promising new medication made from green mold, Claire, 36, the single mother of a young son, who lost her daughter to blood poisoning eight years before, is moved by the drug’s potential to save lives. She also becomes smitten with resident doctor James Stanton, a man with two interests: penicillin and bedding Claire. But as the war casualties pile up, penicillin becomes an issue of national security and the politics of the drug’s production threaten to disrupt the pair’s lust-fueled romance, especially when James is sent abroad to oversee human trials of the drug. The pharmaceutical companies—including one owned by Claire’s father—realize the financial potential in penicillin, which leads to a hodgepodge of soapy plot twists: suspicious deaths, amnesia, illness, exploitation, and espionage. Belfer handily exploits Claire’s photo shoots to add historical texture to the book, and the well-researched scenes bring war-time New York City to life, capturing the anxiety-ridden period.

Kirkus Reviews

The second installment of the Crusades Trilogy by Swedish author Guillou (The Road to Jerusalem, 2009, etc.). In his native country, Guillou is well-known as a journalist and as the author of a popular series of spy novels. His Crusades Trilogy features the fictional Swedish knight Arn Magnusson. The Road to Jerusalem chronicled Arn’s youth and his forced entry into the Knights Templar as a teenager. This second installment opens with Arn in the Holy Land a decade later, circa 1177. During the next several years he takes part in major battles of the period, including the brutal Battle of Hattin, and gets to know the powerful sultan Saladin, the leader of the Muslim armies. The novel also follows the complex story of Arn’s betrothed, Cecilia, who, after becoming pregnant by Arn before marriage, was confined to a convent. The prose style is reminiscent of ancient sagas, and the battle scenes are grand. A fine second volume in an original trilogy.