It is rare that debut work is this exquisitely polished – more often than not, debut authors are well within the vicinity of great work, but lack either the editorial resources or distance from their own work to give it that final, lustrous sheen. The Miniaturist has a plot filled with splendid characters and superb […]
Tag Archives | Historical fiction
Blood & Beauty By Sarah Dunant A Review by Gareth Robertson Steeped in accusations of greed and nepotism, rich with tales of murder and adultery, the reign of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, stands as possibly the most controversial in the history of the Catholic Church. As Bishop of Rome between 1492 and 1503, the […]
Two Brothers by Ben Elton I don’t usually dip into historical fiction, as the writers often hide poor character-building behind supposed historical accuracy instead. Often the books are unreadable due to their saturation of research and lack of coherent plot or technical ability. But Two Brothers is not ruined by either of these things: instead it manages […]