Historical Fiction Archives

Book Review:: Circle of Days | Ken Follett

Put yourself in the shoes (or lack of them) of our ancestors. Those tribes of people who came before us. Living in rudimentary societies, living off of the land, shaping the most basic of industries we still have at the foundations of our current societies. What were they like? What was important to them? What did they think about and care about and love? We have so few scraps of information about them, and even less context for who they were and how they lived. Stone circles, for example, in the hills of Great Britain.

Circle of Days by Ken Follett Book Cover

In Ken Follett’s newest novel Circle of Days, he explores a possible answer to those questions with several groups of people who lived back then, and left a monument behind that would outlast them, their children, and for many generations beyond. Their most ingenuitive accomplishment that took major feats of persuasion, teamwork, and problem solving the likes their tribes had never before imagined.

What a story.

The world that Follett paints in this novel is colorful and realistic and obviously based in extensive research (considering the plausibility), and also incredibly creative. He uses the vehicle of these ancient times to discuss many attributes of human nature from cruelty, spiritualism, education, control, and love.

The novel follows several casts of characters from different societies: herders, farmers, and forest folk who gathered. In the book they are quite separate, with their own beliefs, cultures, and structures, usually coming together on certain ceremonial days throughout the year. There is a flint miner, a priestess, a herder, a farmer, men and women, powerful and weak. It’s a grand scope of a novel with life and death, sorrow and love, triumph and tragedy.

I loved it, and I’m happy to have so many of Ken Follett’s backlist still to enjoy. If you like historical fiction, you are in for a treat with this one.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Circle of Days
Author:: Ken Follett
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: Grand Central Publishing
Length:: 704 pages
Audio Length:: 19h 13m
Published:: September 23rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Babylonia | Costanza Casati
Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon
The Hounding | Xenobe Parvis

Book Review:: Buckeye | Patrick Ryan

What can I say about this stunning novel except that it will move you.

It is a story of life, love and war, family and community, marriage, parenthood, independence and dependence, skepticism and mysticism, hope, lies, and truth. It will bring you through lofty highs and the lowest lows as it navigates the intersecting stories of two families drawn together by a moment of celebration, exuberation, and desperation.

It will pull you back into 20th century America with an empathetic eye for those who lived through some of the hardest years of our history.

It will squeeze your heart as you somehow absorb currents of feeling flowing through these characters in such a real and surprising way.

Buckeye is a triumph, and I could not recommend it more highly. What a wonderful, wonderful book.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Buckeye
Author:: Patrick Ryan
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: Random House
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 15h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Correspondent | Virginia Evans
Whale Fall | Elizabeth O’Connor
I’ll Come to You | Rebecca Kauffman
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic

Book Review:: At Last | Marisa Silver

At Last is a new slower-paced saga style novel from Marisa Silver that follows the connecting of two families through the marriage of their children. It’s an interesting dynamic, blending two families together. They each come with their own baggage and motivations.

Helene’s son Tom and Evelyn’s daughter Ruth are starting a family together. The novel explores both of their histories, and follows the fate of them through to the sunset of their lives. They don’t have a lot in common, and honestly get quite competitive with one another, especially once grandchildren become involved. This story explores the theme that love isn’t quantifiable. Loving someone doesn’t mean there is any less available for someone else, even when our human instincts fight against that idea.

It’s an interesting story, but I didn’t find it very engaging. It’s not a very happy story, and there wasn’t much active drama either. I felt like maybe a stronger through line could have been helpful. As it is, it felt quite disjointed. I’m not sure I was the ideal reader for this.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: At Last
Author:: Marisa Silver
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Simon & Schuster
Length:: 288 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 4m
Audiobook Narrator:: Mia Barron
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Accidental Favorite | Fran Littlewood
The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo

Book Review:: The Hounding | Xenobe Purvis

The Hounding is a new novel by Xenobe Purvis full of mysticism, skepticism, and general uproar over rumor and gossip that will have consequences for an entire village.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Book Cover

There’s something strange about the five Mansfield sisters. The village has been plagued by a strange pack of dogs that never seem to be around at the same time as the sisters. When someone claims one afternoon to have seen them transform from girls into dogs, it sets off a chain of events that shrouds the whole village in low key hysteria.

The message this novel shares with The Crucible is an important one, even in our ‘modern’ times. Spreading lies and half truths or things you don’t know for sure has consequences and will have outcomes you won’t see coming.

I loved the telling of this tale. The writing itself was beautiful to read. It was an atmospheric almost fairy tale style read that I found immersive and interesting. It is technically historical fiction being based sometime in the 18th century, but it reads so smoothly I’m convinced readers of all genres will enjoy it.

It’s a lingering sort of tale – the type of story that will live in your mind far longer than the time it takes to read. The kind that makes me think I’ll get something new out of it no matter how many times I read it. Brilliant.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Hounding
Author:: Xenobe Purvis
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: Henry Holt & Co.
Length:: 240 pages
Audio Length:: 6h 24m
Audiobook Narrator:: Olivia Vinall
Published:: August 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Haunting of Maddy Clare | Simone St. James
The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo

Book Review:: Greenwich | Kate Broad

Greenwich is a bit of an odd book that isn’t easy to slot into conventional genre conventions. As a millennial, it’s hard for me to call this historical fiction, as it takes place in 1999, but take that as you will. There is a heavy dose of suspense, as we know the summer ends in tragedy from the beginning with no idea of what it might be. But more than anything, this is a coming-of-age story.

It’s a difficult time for Rachel, and for the summer her parents ship her off to live with her aunt, uncle, and 3-year-old cousin in Greenwich. She’s not a babysitter, but she’s also not not a babysitter (even though they technically have one of those, too). Their posh lifestyle is a bit of a shock to Rachel’s system, and she’s left feeling like she doesn’t exactly fit anywhere, an echo of her problems back home. She’s also exposed to new things there that pique her curiosity.

I felt a little unsettled reading this book. The focus was unsure, the pacing was quite slow and exploratory, and it didn’t end when I expected it to. It stretched on quite a bit longer than I’d have guessed, in fact. I’m not sure how Kate Broad evoked that same feeling that lived inside Rachel that summer as a reader in this story, but actually it’s quite brilliant in retrospect.

A lot of this story is very dark. It’s not something to read to feel good or when you need a pick-me-up. There are drugs, pornography, allusions to illegal practices…it’s also a reminder that young folk (it feels strange calling an 18 year old a kid) notice everything, and are constantly forming their opinions about things they’re exposed to.

The feeling of suspense was quite high as I read. Knowing that something big was coming, something that would change everything, was always in the back of my mind, and not knowing what it might be had my mind on over-drive through everything.

My instincts tell me to rate this at three stars because that suspenseful feeling wasn’t very comfy and that’s not exactly my taste, but I recognize the brilliance of this novel, and kudos where kudos are due.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Greenwich
Author:: Kate Broad
Genre:: Historical(ish) Suspense
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 304 pages
Published:: July 22nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Greatest Possible Good | Ben Brooks
The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo

Book Review:: The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch

If you have any interest in exploring some of the earliest practices of modern criminology, this is the mystery for you! Oliver Potzsch’s newest release, The Gravedigger’s Almanac, is a twisted historical mystery that will remind you of the late great Sherlock Holmes.

The Gravedigger's Almanac by Oliver Potzsch Book Cover

Leo is a new resident of Vienna, having fled his hometown in shame. He’s got some money and an interest in an emerging realm of study that is criminalistics. Photography, deductive reasoning, logical fallacies…he’s putting all of the strategies to use on a new case of brutal murders in the cultured city.

I love a good mashup of historical fiction and mystery. This will teach you something while keeping you hooked into a quite sinister string of killings. It is quite a complex case that will have Leo and his associates chasing down lead after lead to solve the heinous crimes. The Gravedigger’s Almanac has the perfect balance between interesting historical facts and compelling narrative. I was enthralled!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Gravedigger’s Almanac
Author:: Oliver Potzsch (Translated by Lisa Reinhardt)
Genre:: Historical Mystery
Publisher:: HarperVia
Length:: 404 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Rupert Bush
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Bone Garden | Tess Garrison
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
The Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon

Book Review:: Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame | Olivia Ford

Bake off, but make it bookish!

Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame is the cozy adventure of a lithe septuagenarian ready to take a little piece of the world for herself for the very first time.

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford Book Cover

Jenny Quinn bakes every day. She uses antique scales to weigh her ingredients, and recipes passed down to her from the women in her family. Recipes tell their own stories, you know, of the women who wrote them down, and the time they recorded them. One day on a whim, she decides to enter a televised baking competition, but she’s so unsure of herself (and specifically her bread baking skills) that she keeps her application a secret from her beloved husband. It’s only the second time she’s kept something from Bernard, and the guilt starts to rise like her nemesis: yeasted dough. Remarkably, she gets through to audition after audition and eventually, she can’t hide it any longer, and she realizes she doesn’t want to keep her other secret anymore either. She’s just not sure how to tell it.

Okay seriously, this book gives all the cozy feel-good vibes of Bake Off. Jenny is patient and kind and so sincere it hurts a little bit, but in a good way…? Somehow Olivia Ford has really captured the essence of that British baking competition and infused it into this story perfectly.

Some of the book focuses on some flashbacks to a young Jenny, who finds herself in a very difficult situation. The world was different in those days, especially for women, and I found that storyline so heartbreaking and emotional.

The writing was so engaging and compelling it was easy to connect to the story. A delight all the way through. Like a hug in a book!

5 stars, no notes.

Details

Title:: Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame
Author:: Olivia Ford
Genre:: Cozy General Fiction
Publisher:: Pamela Dorman Books
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 12m
Audiobook Narrator:: Melanie Crawley
Published:: January 30th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife | Anna Johnston
The Christmas Inn | Pamela Kelley

Book Review:: Whale Fall | Elizabeth O’Connor

In the years between the Great Wars, two unexpected things happen on a remote Welsh island: a whale washes ashore, and two English stenographers arrive. For a young girl who knows nothing outside of her island, it seems like the chance of a lifetime.

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor Book Cover

Manod is an island native, along with her sister and her father. Life on the island is hard, but the people there are not afraid of hard work and difficult conditions. This is what the visiting ethnographers seem to be most interested in, and Manod agrees to help them understand her island and her people.

This is a beautiful, concise novel about the converging of cultures, exploitation, and the possibility of The Unknown.

I thought it was a very powerful story about a young woman coming into herself and deciding what it is she wants from life, sometimes trusting where she naught ought, and helping others where she’s able.

Elizabeth O’Connor comes from a background in short stories, and I feel like it shows, in the best way. It is written in a way that is clear and detailed, while also using symbolism and allusion to keep some things open to interpretation. This is her debut novel and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

Details

Title:: Whale Fall
Author:: Elizabeth O’Connor
Genre:: Historical Literary Fiction
Publisher:: Pantheon
Length:: 224 pages
Audio Length:: 3h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Dyfrig Morris, Gabrielle Glaister, Gwyneth Keyworth, Jot Davies, & Nick Griffiths
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: May 7th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristen Vukovic
Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon
What the River Knows | Isabel Ibanez
The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo

Book Review:: Babylonia | Costanza Casati

Ancient history fascinates me. Getting to read such vibrant and extensively-researched fictional interpretations like this one is such a treat.

Babylonia by Costanza Casati Hardcover Book Cover

Babylonia is the story of a girl who came from nothing. Less than nothing, some might argue. Semiramus was born into shame, but by mercy of the gods, she survived. She became a young woman beaten down by hardship with only her own wits to rely upon. They serve her well as she navigates her fate in the ancient Assyrian Empire.

Because of her hard upbringing, Semiramus never takes anything for granted. She knows what it is to suffer and to live in squalor, so when she comes to the greatest city in the Empire and gets to live in a palace, she doesn’t get complacent. She also has no fear. She befriends slaves and wild leopards. She does not let the King’s mother or the court’s spy master intimidate her. She trains with weapons like a soldier with her husband, and then by herself.

Babylonia by Costanza Casati Paperback Book Cover

When the army comes home from their siege at Balkh begging for more troops, Semiramus volunteers to come as one of the climbers. She does not take no for an answer, her husband and her King need help, and she is not one to sit idly by. Then, when there, she sees an opportunity the King’s advisors did not, and it leads them to great success. This clever act of bravery is yet another turn in her story that leads her down a more complicated and treacherous path she could never have anticipated.

This novel is beautifully immersive and speckled with immaculate detail. The names, the rituals, the exhibitions, battles, the dramas…I loved every minute of it. She is an example of making lemonade out of a few raggedy lemons and the importance of taking control of your own destiny. She is a strong woman in a time of strong women, and an absolute pleasure to read about.

I am so grateful to the publisher and netgalley for granting me an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: Babylonia: A Novel
Author:: Costanza Casati
Genre:: Mythological Fiction
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Landmark
Length:: 448 pages
Audio Length:: 16h 21m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ayesha Antoine
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vokovic
The City in Glass | Nghi Voh

Book Review:: The Haunting of Maddy Clare | Simone St. James

What a perfect read for spooky season-a historical ghost story mystery, The Haunting of Maddy Clare.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare Simone St. James Book Cover. A decrepit barn with the sun setting behind it and a murder of crows surrounding it.

Ms. Sarah Piper is recruited by an eccentric world war veteran needing an assistant for his latest project: hunting a ghost who’s been haunting an old barn. He’s an academic writer searching for solid proof of the otherworldly, and Sarah rapidly agrees. The spirit is very much alive, and vengeful, especially of men. Sarah turns into an integral part of the investigation into what happened to Maddy Clare, and how they might be able to help her spirit settle.

What is there not to love about this book? Okay, the subject matter is pretty dark. Maddy Clare was horrifically traumatized before she died, and that subject matter is very heavy. I feel like it was brought to justice in the end though, which helps to pacify the discomfort of reading about such difficult events.

I loved the mid-century setting, the ghost hunting characters being respectable (albeit damaged) gentlemen, the supernatural phenomena, the ongoing mystery, and the slow burning romance that simmers beneath it all. I ate it up. I can see myself returning to this book every fall in the future. What a way to set the tone for the season!

What is your favorite ghostly mystery book?

Details

Title:: The Haunting of Maddy Clare
Author:: Simone St. James
Genre:: Historical Ghost Mystery
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 318 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Billie Fulford-Brown
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: October 4th, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: #-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2.5?

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca (ghost story rom-com)
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (murder mystery)
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline (murder mystery)

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