Historical Fiction Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Sitting on Top of the World by Cheryl King

Sitting on Top of the World by Cheryl King

A novel straddling middle grade and young adult fiction, Cheryl King’s Sitting on Top of the World tells the story of the Great Depression through the eyes of a spunky young girl from Tennessee, magnificently blending a story of misfortune with an inspiring tale of human ingenuity.

June Baker is twelve years old when the stock market crash hits the small town of Maynardville in 1930. All of a sudden, banks are out of money, store shelves are practically empty, and men who’ve lost their jobs are traveling west to find paying work. June’s family starts having a tough time […]

Review: On the Precipice of the Labyrinth by Brian Snowden

On the Precipice of The Labyrinth by Brian Snowden

1930s Charlottesville graduate William Benning embarks on an inspired mission to reach Spain in On the Precipice of the Labyrinth by Brian Snowden, an ambitious road story exploring romanticism versus reality.

Like many Americans, Benning is connected to Spain by ancestry, and is taken with the language. He secures passage to Spain by taking menial work on the ship across the Atlantic. A series of fortuitous encounters with friendly locals sees him landed in various lodgings and gigs, leading Benning to find himself in Civil War-era Spain, across the Pyrenees into beleaguered Basque country, hitching rides and trying out various […]

Cate Baum2022-04-11T04:13:11+02:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, International Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment by John Spearman

FitzDuncan's Enlightenment by John J. Spearman

Author John Spearman offers a whip-smart installment to his sword-swinging series with FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment, a savagely clever and entertaining adventure.

Still reeling from his last adventure with the broken nose and bruises to show for it, Casimir FitzDuncan plunges directly into his next job, one that will also involve Lucy, his “betrothed and beloved.” Caz’s reputation as a finder of lost things and a messenger of unusual retribution has spread to the highest halls of power in Aquileia, including the king, queen, and crown prince. Far superseding the status of his birth, they royally task him to accompany the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-08T09:30:40+02:00February 14th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews, Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation by Alice McVeigh

Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation by Alice McVeigh

Harriet Smith boldly catapults herself into the delicate world of high society in Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation, another masterfully penned homage by Alice McVeigh. Youthful passions, fanciful romance, and shifting social dynamics make this an entertaining drama, a peek into the past, and a subtly modern treat.

Casting herself in the role of Emma Woodhouse’s protege, or live-in pet project, in an effort to move herself into a new sphere of society, Harriet cuts a strong, fearless, and authentic figure. Austen fans will be familiar with Emma’s character, from the novel of the same name, but this variation […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-03T05:42:59+02:00February 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Nelson’s Folly by Oliver Greeves

Nelson's Folly by Oliver Greeves

A character-driven period drama that shines with eloquent prose, historical detail, and gripping suspense, Nelson’s Folly by Oliver Greeves is nothing short of masterful.

Initially, Captain Horatio Nelson is a captain without a ship, disliked by far too many in the British Navy for his career to progress any further. However, as the French Revolutionary Wars rage on, men of Nelson’s undeniable skill and experience are essential, and thus he finds himself freshly helming the Agamemnon, and quickly finding success on the high seas.

Horatio begins the story as a slightly jaded, yet confident husband, a man who commands interest […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-11T04:14:20+02:00February 1st, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: FitzDuncan’s Alchemy by John Spearman

FitzDuncan's Alchemy by John Spearman

Another well-crafted adventure by John Spearman, FitzDuncan’s Alchemy is the second installment of this medieval series, where the titular character – a reliable finder of lost things – must use all his wits and wiles to unravel a lucrative cargo scam, in a clever, character-driven caper.

Navigating the pitfalls of new love, and avoiding the manipulative clutches of the royal court, Caz schemes and sneaks and supplicates with charm and grace, making it hard not to root for the book’s roguish hero, even with his roving eye and soft spot for beautiful women. Executing a clever plan that could cost […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-31T09:06:03+02:00December 13th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews, Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: All That Will Remain by Richard Snodgrass

All That Will Remain by Richard Snodgrass

An epic American drama, All That Will Remain by Richard Snodgrass is a stunning portrait of small-town life suddenly revealed by the lights of the broader world.

This is not the first time the author has proven his ability to gracefully transport readers across time and space – his body of work is an homage to eras long past, linked through themes of industry, resilience, power, and the murky, ever-shifting idea of the American dream. This latest offering is an intimate and revealing peek into a temerarious family of rugged survivors as they navigate the rapidly changing landscape of war […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-18T09:14:58+02:00December 5th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Lilly Of The Mountains by D.L. Yoder

Lilly of the Mountains by Daniel Yoder

Tragedy, greed, desire and freedom collide in Lilly of the Mountains by D.L. Yoder, a 1940s period novel of Colorado homestead life and the sweet satisfaction of self-discovery.

The fearless widow at the heart of this story is unrelenting in her quest for independence and true liberation – from money, from men, and from societal expectations. The forces that conspire to control her, woo her, or continue the patriarchal reign of her recent years, are no match for the cleverness and sheer will that this entrancing protagonist brings to every scene.

From the gossipy nature of small mountain towns to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T07:33:56+02:00October 5th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|