This is the story of one of the most famous Vikings, Harald Sigurdharson (aka Harald Sigurdsson, aka Harald Hardråde) who will become Norway’s King Harald III. We begin with teenage Harald, fighting alongside his brother, King Olaf II, known as Olaf the Stout. There is an uprising against King Olaf due to his devotion and support of Christianity and Olaf is killed in the skirmish. Harald escapes to Russia and finds work as a mercenary.

Harald finds success, makes many friends in his rough life, and he’ll call upon them as he works his way back to Norway to claim his rightful place on the throne.

Although author Poul Anderson is a noted science fiction/fantasy author, I have not read many works by him, and those I did read were back in the 1970’s.  His writing didn’t make a big (or positive) impression on me and so I’ve mostly ignored his rather large body of work. This reprint caught my eye due to the Viking theme. I was not aware that it was very much historical fiction – all the characters, locations, and battles being actual people, places, and fights according to historical records. Had I known, I probably would have jumped into this read much sooner. My appreciation of the book, however, was not likely to have been very different.

This might have worked better as a history book than a novel. At least it reads very much like the history books that I grew up with – facts and figures, who met with whom, who fought with whom, how did person ‘A’ get to point ‘B’? Ready for the test? Meaning … this was dry.

Some readers and writers just don’t click, and I think Poul Anderson is one of those writers that doesn’t work for me.  Such great material – clearly something I would really be fascinated with, and yet I struggled to get through this. A Viking warrior! One who would become one of the greatest kings in Norway! How do you make this so dull?!

It’s clear that Anderson did a great deal of research and had a passion for the subject. I appreciated the historical perspective, but it almost seems as though Anderson wanted to make sure he was accurate, more than telling a ripping good yarn. That’s just an impression, and I sure could be mistaken.

When I went to Wikipedia to look up some background information on the book I notice that this book (the first book of a trilogy) is co-written with Poul’s wife, Karen.  Goodreads does not mention this on the book page.

I had high hopes, but this didn’t appeal to me.

Looking for a good book? The Golden Horn by Poul Anderson, the first book in The Last Viking trilogy, is historical fiction – strong on history, slow on storytelling.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Golden Horn

author: Poul Anderson

series: Last Viking #1

publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Kindle Edition, 212 pages

I am always interested in fiction that relates to music so when I saw this book in a local used book store, I bought it. It’s been on my shelf for years, but while on an extended vacation, this was one of the books I decided to bring along.

We are in Austria in the 18th century. Nannerl is Wolfang Amadeus Mozart’s sister. Mozart has been estranged from the family, including his sister for many years.  Nannerl received a letter from Mozart’s wife telling her that Wolfang was dead. In the letter, Nannerl learns that before he died, her brother believed he had been poisoned and would, indeed, die soon.

Nannerl goes to Austria to pay her respects to her brother and to learn what really happened to him. She discovers a world of conspiracy and scandal and must walk a careful path so as not to be taken in by unscrupulous rivals or secret police.

The blurb for this book sounds really tremendous. A historical drama with lots of intrigue surrounding one of the greatest figures in music to have ever lived.  Who wouldn’t want to read something like this!?

Well … anyone who actually has read it, unfortunately.

The book suffers from ‘great-idea-but-now-what’ syndrome. Author Matt Rees failed to pick a path to really build a story.  The book is centered around Nannerl, and she comes off as a capable, arresting character.  I liked reading her. But she doesn’t really do anything.  She plays piano.  She charms a few people. She asks questions about her brother.  These are pretty passive actions when confronting a story of mystery and intrigue.

Overall, the book fails to do anything or say anything, which makes it a pretty dull read.

Looking for a good book? Mozart’s Last Aria by Matt Rees struggles to find a purpose and fails to be an enjoyable read.

I bought this book at a used book store.

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Mozart’s Last Aria

author: Matt Rees

publisher: Harper Perennial

ISBN: 0062015869

hardcover, 336 pages

WARNING – POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

When Leonardo da Vinci was just past the apex of his career and Michelangelo Buonarroti was still just a young. upstarting sculptor looking to make a name for himself, the two both lived and worked in Florence, Italy at the same time. Michelangelo is still in awe of the famous master when both men look to be given a famous block of marble (famous for its poor quality and previously botched attempts at getting a figure from it).  Da Vinci, in Storey’s telling, is resting on his laurels, relying on his name and reputation to help him succeed. However, part of his reputation is that he is very slow in finishing his projects (if he finishes them).

Da Vinci is not pleased when the upstart Michelangelo gets the marble and he, Leonardo, needs to quickly find another commission in order to pay his bills and stay in Florence.  He connects with a wealthy man who appears to appreciate Leonardo’s genius in all things, including his military planning and employs Leonardo to build his ‘tank’ (a spectacular failure) and to reroute an entire river (with horrific effects). Meanwhile, he will meet often with a young housewife and attempt to paint her portrait – a small painting of the lovely Lisa.

Michelangelo, meanwhile, must confront a family who disapproves of his profession in general and more-so once they learn of his sacrilegious behavior of examining dead bodies. And when it is learned that his statue will feature a nude figure …! The young sculptor will also face his own fears about his own skills and how they might be perceived by others.

The two artists, who have had much contempt for each other since the decision of granting the marble to Michelangelo, will feel the awe of the others’ finished work and have mutual respect for the others’ skills.

I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to getting around to reading this book.  Author Stephanie Storey’s writing was direct and compelling and I was pulled into this historical fiction novel quite completely and thoroughly.

Way too long ago, when I was in high school, I had anticipated a career in art, so this story of two of the world’s most famous artists had a great deal of appeal to me.  Add my more recent appreciation for historical fiction and this book seems almost tailor-made for me. Fortunately the writing is strong and carries it off well.

I definitely learned a few things along the way – I ended up doing a lot of Googling – and it seems as though Storey did some really good research for this work. Perhaps most fascinating is the history behind the marble stone from which Michelangelo carved the famous David statue.

The book alternates the POV with each chapter, going from Leonardo to Michelangelo, which generally works quite well. There are only a couple of times when we get to look at the same event from the two different view-points, which I find to be the most interesting reason to use the two-POV device.

There are moments when the characters take on some more modern-day attitudes, which takes away from the ‘historical’ sense for me and serves a reminder that this is fiction. There’s nothing particularly provocative or revealing in the book, but it is a nice way to get some history on these two artists.  I’d recommend this as a really good beach read.  But note that the book does cover a very specific time period and there’s SO much more about these artists and their lives that isn’t even touched on.

Looking for a good book? Oil and Marble, by Stephanie Storey, is a historical fiction tale of two of the world’s greatest artists, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti, whose lives connected briefly. The writing is compelling and the research strong.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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Oil and Marble

author: Stephanie Storey

publisher: Arcade

ISBN: 9781628726398

hardcover, 320 pages

Dr. James Miranda Barry was born in 1789 in Cork, Ireland.

Dr. James Miranda Barry was born female, and named Margaret. But Margaret was tutored by family friends and she had shown to have a brilliant mind. But what can a woman in 18th Century Ireland do? To pursue an education, Margaret begins to change her identity to become James. She attends Edinburgh University (forbidden to women) to earn a medical degree. Although she has practiced how to walk, stand, and talk as a male, and she binds her chest, she still gets some unwanted attention from others because her small frame. Despite her intellect, her teachers, and later those she works with, think s/he is too young to be as accomplished as s/he is.

Despite her small frame and the secret she hides, Dr. Barry is not one to back down from an argument or from attempting to right wrongs. Her biggest concern is the (lack of) treatment and medical care for slaves. She gets a station as physician in Cape Town where she is befriended by the governor.

Dr. Barry and the governor (who learns her true identity) become romantically involved, but despite their best attempts to keep it a secret, rumors begin to fly, and those rumors are of a homosexual relationship. Their lives get even more complicated when Dr. Barry is pregnant and must make some difficult decisions.

This is the second historical fiction novel of a woman doctor having to hide her identity or skills that I’ve read in the past few months. The similarities are obvious – strong, smart women who are driven to study and practice medicine but must hide either their skills or their identity to succeed.

But what is different with The Cape Doctor is that Dr. Barry constantly flirts with danger by her aggressive personality. Rather than blending in and quietly working away in the background, Dr. Barry challenges and pushes the men in power.

She is not genteel and I must admit to a male reader bias – I was looking for ‘signs’ of feminine behavior (personality – not biology).  I did not find her ‘likeable’ and I frankly don’t know if it’s because she didn’t conform to an expectation, or if she was just not a likeable person.

But while I didn’t care for the character of Dr. Barry, I did find the journey fascinating and engaging, and that this is based on an actual person and events is both sad (that women have been [and still are] treated this way, and empowering that some have been determined enough to find ways to work with their skills and knowledge despite the obstacles in their path.

Looking for a good book? The Cape Doctor by E.J. Levy is a historical fiction novel based on true events of a woman who becomes a doctor in the late 18th/early 19th century. It is very well written and provides an intriguing story, though we never feel as though we get ‘close’ to the protagonist.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Cape Doctor

author: E.J. Levy

publisher: Little, Brown and Company

ISBN: 031653658X

hardcover, 352 pages

Katharine “Kay” Swift was a young woman –  a socialite – married to a wealthy banker but frustrated because she wished to be taken seriously as a concert pianist. In one night her life will change when she attends a concert and hears a stirring new piece. She is determined to meet the brash young composer … George Gershwin.

That meeting would lead to a ten-year affair, ending only with Gershwin’s death. Throughout that time, Kay struggled to gain recognition for her own work, struggled with her conflicting emotions for her husband and her lover, and struggled knowing that Gershwin would never be able to commit to a relationship because he was too busy being adored by the rest of the country.

I’ve lately found that I can really enjoy a well-written historical fiction novel and when I saw the subject … Gershwin, Swift, and the music of the jazz age … I knew I had to read this. Unfortunately, author Mitchel James Kaplan delivers an un-inspiring story.

This is Kay’s story (not Gershwin’s), which is a great idea. There’s so much potential conflict … competing for musical attention while admiring Gershwin for his talent; dual romantic life; etc … that this could be a wild thrill ride, a powerful romantic story, in addition to all the historical data.  But it’s all swept away with a slow, over-written story.  For example:

Returning to George’s apartment after a third meeting with the Theatre Guild, they found the playwright Guy Bolton waiting outside. He had written the books for several successful musicals, including a few of George’s. Although Guy’s parents were American, he had been raised in England and he exhibited his European patina like his gold-and-ruby tiepin, to establish his posh bona fides. At the same time, he offered a wink to those who detected his posturing, as if to imply you and I know it’s silly, don’t we, old chap. The whole culture game, just a socially acceptable way to snuffle each other’s behinds like bloodhounds confirming hierarchy.

Dapper in his linen jacket with shoulder pads, his sky-blue shirt with a maroon and yellow club tie, and high-waisted, pleated, tapered pants, Guy kissed Kay’s hand.

The backfill of information, the detailed description of this man’s clothes (this man who we only meet briefly) just slows down the story. Was it important to know the background of Guy Bolton?  Or was this just some research the author wanted to share.

At one point Kay has a discussion after seeing Al Jolson in his blackface makeup:

“Blackface,” said Zilboorg, nodding. “Is it wrong, do you believe it is wrong, for a person to borrow a mask, an identity, that is not his or her birthright?”

“I don’t know,” reflected Kay. “Cultures borrow. Cultures enrich each other. But it can lead to misunderstandings. Hurt feelings. I guess one has to be cautious.”

This is a very modern sentiment.  I struggle to think Kay Swift would think this way.  Is there documentation that she felt this way, or is this the author imbuing modern mores onto someone who lived and likely felt very differently one hundred years ago?

I could go on with some of the things that bothered me (I have eight highlights in my Kindle edition) but ultimately I simply wasn’t entertained the way a work of fiction should work.

Looking for a good book? Rhapsody by Mitchel James Kaplan is a historical fiction novel of Kay Swift – a composer and the lover of George Gershwin. The historical aspects are fine, but the story as presented is not engaging.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Rhapsody

author: Mitchell James Kaplan

publisher: Gallery Books

ISBN: 1982104007

hardcover, 352 pages

Historical fiction has become immensely popular (or perhaps I’m just becoming more aware of it). For me, I like bringing history a little more into focus – the reminder that events from history are surrounded by people. People who lived, loved, and who did things that changed lives. What I don’t like about historical fiction is the (necessary) blending of fact and fiction to tell a story.  Despite author’s notes letting the reader know where the line was drawn, it can be hard to separate the fact from the fiction in the reader’s memory.  I’ve also found that many of the historical fiction books I’ve read have included a strong romantic angle. Not unusual, I suppose, given that we’re reading and writing about people, but sometimes it seems that this is all people (mostly women in these books) thought about in the past.

The Girl in His Shadow, by Audrey Blake (coauthors Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois), is a thoroughly researched novel about orphan girl Nora Beady in 1840’s London. Nora was adopted by surgeon Dr. Horace Croft – a talented but unconventional man. Nora grew up in a home where it was just natural for her to watch what her father did, and where she would practice suturing and anatomical drawings of dissections. Hardly a normal upbringing, but Nora, an intelligent girl, became a better physician than most trained men.

This comes to light when Croft takes on a new surgical resident at his private clinic – Dr. Daniel Gibson. Gibson quickly recognizes that Nora’s skills are stronger than his own, and, out of respect for Croft (for whom he admires, which is why he took the position) he tries to keep Nora’s skills a secret.  1840’s England is not a place where women are allowed to take on a role such as doctor.

When it is Nora’s skill and her study of a new gas that can possibly be used in a medical procedure – ether – saves a life, the very fact that she ‘practiced’ medicine brings contempt and legal charges against Nora and the doctors who allowed it.  The biggest concern?  That she must have seen the man’s genitals while performing surgery.  Gasp!

The only bright light is that news of Nora’s skill elicits a visit from a physician from Europe.

I found the book to be very readable and engaging. We have clear, well-defined central characters and a story that is set-up nicely and builds well, holding our attention the entire way. We learn a fair amount about medicine – advanced medicine – in the mid 1800’s, which sometimes reminds us how far we’ve come and how grateful we should be for today’s advancements.

The medical portions of the story were really interesting and I liked how natural it felt for Nora and how almost un-natural it was for the male doctors in her life.  Croft was pretty genius, if unconventional, but he still seemed to work hard at it while Nora took to it naturally.

The romance in the story just never worked for me. It felt added on much too late in order to use it for some last-minute drama. I never bought into it. Nora’s interest seemed wholly on medicine until the last possible moment.

Still, a very good read and worth looking in to.

Looking for a good book? The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake is a well-written, well-research historical fiction  story of a woman in 1800’s London who was a better medical practitioner than most trained male doctors but who, because of her gender, had to live in the shadows.  Worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Girl in His Shadow

author: Audrey Blake

publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

ISBN:  1728228727

paperback, 378 pages

J. P. Morgan was looking for someone to curate and oversee his the library he was building – a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork. He hired Belle de Costa Greene – a woman of Portuguese descent. She had all the knowledge necessary of the important rare works, and with Morgan’s finances and support she became fierce competitor in the rare antiquities market, intimidated by no one (other than Mr. Morgan).

But Belle had a secret.  She was not of Portuguese descent.  She was black.  A negro. And in the 1920’s a black woman was not allowed to be so educated or rubbing elbows with the rich and famous (unless it was as a servant).  But Belle’s light shade of skin allowed her to pass as a white woman. To do so, however, meant turning her back on who she really was, as well as constantly being wary of saying or doing the wrong thing or having someone uncover her secret.

I am quite new to the world of historical fiction books, but I’ve really come to appreciate a well-written tome in this genre. And The Personal Librarian is very well written.

Authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray have clearly done an incredible amount of research but they have not only presented a great deal of fascinating history, they’ve presented a very believable series of raw emotions of a woman who is both in her element (extremely knowledgeable about rare art antiquities) and out of her element (a black woman who has the absolute trust and support of one of the world’s wealthiest men of the time).

There is a brief section dealing with a romance and the consequences of that romance that feels out of place with the rest of the book. This may be historically accurate and I recognize that some of the emotional trauma comes in to play much later in the book, but this felt like pandering to a particular readership and I didn’t think it was necessary.  If it were not included in the book, I would not have missed it as everything else about Belle and her work in the library and her secret as a black woman isn’t impacted by the romance.  For me, the suggestion and hint at a possible relationship with J.P Morgan was enough (and that’s all I’ll say about that).

I am not familiar with either author so I can’t speak to recognizing who wrote which parts. This blended well and these two authors most clearly worked well as a team.

Looking for a good book? I very much enjoyed learning about Belle da Costa Greene, the librarian for the J. P Morgan library of rare books and art through the historical fiction novel, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, and you will, too.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Personal Librarian

authors: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

publisher: Berkley Books

ISBN: 0593101537

hardcover, 341 pages