Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Historical Family Life Fiction

At the Far End of Nowhere by Christine Davis Merriman centers around a young girl by the name of Lissa Power as she narrates her life from pre-kindergarten to young adulthood. I grew up in the 50s, and this historical fiction carried me along memory lane to a different time when life was simpler but also more challenging. The flow of the storytelling is never stagnant but drifts like a river compelling the reader onto the next page. Sometimes gently with pleasant reminiscing and other times with turbulence. But it is never stagnant. It holds the attention and engages heartfelt emotions as the reader experiences life through the eyes of childhood innocence as Lissa navigates her financially needy home life which is also emotionally deficient but demanding. 

Far End of Nowhere

Her mother is a hard-working plain woman who long ago settled for her lot in life. Her older brother Spence is close to his mother and is often unengaged because of the critical need for perfection from his obsessive-compulsive father. Lissa’s relationship with her “Daddy” is at the heart of the story. He is in his 70s when she is born; an inventor and watchmaker. Lissa thinks the world of him. He in turn wants his daughter to be “perfect like his other inventions.” This highlights the crux of the issue between father and daughter as time goes on. He does love her but it is a stifling love. And she does love him unselfishly, but always questions if she is making the right decision.

At age twelve Lissa loses her mother to breast cancer. Household responsibilities like cleaning the house, doing laundry, and making meals fell on her shoulders along with going to school. By this time her Daddy is 84 years old and they live in a rundown farmhouse that belonged to Lissa’s grandparents before they died. Daddy is lonely and still has two young children to provide for and he becomes even more restrictive limiting where Lissa can go and what she can do in his effort to protect her.

 


Book review: At the Far End of Nowhere

The setting for this fictional autobiography traverses three decades with a narrative arc that provides the framework for a cohesive engaging path to follow. It’s a good-old-days story that reveals the good old days weren’t always “happy days.” At the Far End of Nowhere navigates topics including hidden pasts, sexual trauma, losing a parent, living in poverty, loneliness, caring for an aging parent, and death. I enjoyed Merriman’s storytelling and am happy to give At the Far End of Nowhere 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to baby boomers, people who read coming-of-age historical fiction, or who enjoy familylife fiction.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites

 

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Historical time travel fiction set in exotic Ancient Egypt

I’m a time travel fan and a historical fiction fan so I looked forward to reading A Time to Seek (The Time Travel Journals of Sahara Aldridge Book 1) by Tracy Higley with a double dose of expectation. For me, this Ancient Egypt time travel romance seemed to get off to a slow start as Higley lays the foundation for this captivating adventure, but it wasn't boring. It just set the scene for the past and present to collide in this captivating tale.

A Time to Seek


About the book: A Time to Seek 

The story starts in 1922 and is told in the first person by protagonist Sahara Aldridge, an Egyptologist whose parents were also Egyptologists. At the start of A Time to Seek she works in Egypt on a dig, in search of an undiscovered Pharaoh's tomb. Her parents disappeared on a trip to Venice when she was 15 and with no family ties, her life is devoted to her work. Then an attractive young reporter by the name of Jack Moretti shows up on the scene. She’s not the trusting sort, but he wins her over enough to have dinner. The story spirals with secrets uncovered from Jack’s past and her own that I won’t divulge here to spoil the read. The plot is multi-layered and I enjoyed Tracey Higley’s unique rules of time travel that offer a bit of regulation with a twist that makes things more and more intriguing as the story progresses.

Book review: A Time to Seek

A Time to Seek introduces engaging characters including a strong, daring, female protagonist. The world-building stays true to history and offers Ancient Egyptian tidbits that tie into the plot. Once I made it to chapter eight, it turned into a real page-turner filled with mystery, intrigue, and dangerous high-stakes conflicts amid skillfully drawn settings of ancient Egypt. I loved it. 

A Time to Seek is book one in a trilogy and can be read as a stand-alone, but I, for one, look forward to what happens next in the life of this young heroine. I’m happy to give it a strong 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction, fiction set in exotic Ancient Egyptian locales, action and adventure, a budding romance, and elements of revenge all couched amid the ability to time travel

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I received a free review copy of this book from the author but was not compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Emotionally charged historical fiction

The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman is a suspense-filled, edge-of-your-seat historical fiction that opens in a WWII Russian village at a time in history when the German Army, military, SS, and German police units took an active part in authorized mass murders of Jews in the Soviet Union. The story opens with a young man by the name of Samuel Val, attending synagogue on the Sabbath with his family and neighbors in the quaint Jewish village of Khruvina.


About the book: The Vengeance of Samuel Val

This Historical fiction hits the ground running with action as the normal Sabbath gathering is visited by the Nazi SS led by Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belourussia. Samuel is the only survivor. He witnesses the smells and sounds of his family and friends being burned alive. As a teen, he is shot and left for dead but is rescued by an anti-Nazi group known as the Black Foxes. He joins their tanks but harbors a thirst for vengeance. His true mission is killing Victor Naden to avenge his family. His cares about nothing else.

That mission is put on hold when he must escort a Jewish refugee to a safe house. All is going according to plan until he realizes that the safe house brings him to within reach of Victor Naden. Samuel has decisions to make. At what cost will he fulfill his quest to kill Naden? Will he sacrifice innocents to accomplish his goal?

Book review: The Vengeance of Samuel Val

This story reads like a slow-burning fuse of suspense and uncertainty. Each emotionally charged chapter hooks and urges the reader to go one more chapter. The unforgettable characters are flawed and easy to care about. I admit I am a fan of Hoffman’s Paranormal WWII fiction including The Book of Uriel, and Where David ThrewStones: A Haunting WW2 Tale of Courage, Love, and Redemption. As I picked up this gripping drama, I wondered if I’d feel the same. This short read did not disappoint. It took me on an unpredictable coming-of-age journey with a conclusion I did not expect. I recommend this book to fans of WWII fiction, historical fiction, and historical Jewish fiction. The Vengeance of Samuel Val is book 1 in a series, and while this story is a satisfying standalone, it left me hungry to find out what happens next. I’m happy to award it four stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with Black Coffee Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.  

Author Elyse Hoffman

 

About the author: Elyse Hoffman

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Exciting coming of age historical Viking fiction

When The Viking Gael by J.T.T. Ryder opens, the protagonist, a teen by the name of Asgeir, lives on the family farm in Norway with his mom, aunt and older brother, Odd. His father is a famed Viking warrior but missing. The last known whereabouts of his father reported him serving as a Huskarl of the King of Lothlend, but he’s been gone long enough, that his family isn’t sure if he is alive. 

The Viking Gael Book Tour

About the Book: The Viking Gael

Quiet life on the farm is shattered when Ulf the Old visits and claims a debt owed by Asgeir's father. His older brother, Odd, steps up to challenge Ulf in a duel and loses his life. Ulf claims Asgeir’s father’s sword, Gael Kisser, and Asgeir is conscripted to serve as a deckhand upon Ulf’s ship to pay off the debt. As he does, he imagines the day he will once again hold his father’s sword, as thoughts of revenge percolate in his heart. Not thoughts of murder, but to kill Ulf in an honorable way.

The Viking Gael Book Review

 

BookHookup Book Review: The Viking Gael: An immersive and exciting historical Viking adventure (The Viking Gael Saga Book 1)

I enjoy historical fiction, and The Viking Gael is a quick read that delivers a unique coming-of-age adventure that plunges the reader back in time to the Viking age with superb world building details. It is well-written, fast paced, and portrays interesting elements about the lifestyle of Viking warriors, their customs, and weapons.

The protagonist is a teenage Viking lad forced to sail as a deckhand for the man who killed his brother. Now he must serve to pay off his father’s debt. It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I familiarized myself with the historically correct Viking jargon and culture but it didn’t take long for me to be rooting for Asegir to survive, fall in love, and find his way home while living the Viking way of life.

I recommend this exciting Viking novel to those who enjoy Viking history, historical fiction, and coming-of-age sagas. Battle scenes are a little gruesome, but not overly so and in my opinion might be labeled PG13 if it were a movie. I do think the story could be fleshed out a little more, but the plot makes sense and the story moves along at a steady pace. While this is the first book in the series, the story does standalone but opens the door for the journey to continue in book 2. I’m happy to give The Viking Gael 4 stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Black Coffee Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

J. T. T. Ryder
 

About Author J.T.T. Ryder 

Joseph Thomas Thor Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods. 

https://oldworldheroism.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oldworldheroism/

https://twitter.com/JTTRyder