Glen CraneyBesprekingen

A Tightly Wound Tautological Thriller

Start with a little genetic engineering, add in ancient DNA, combine it with Meteors and Molecular Biology and an insanely fanatical evangelical Christian and you've got a book you cannot put down.

Marly McKinley is a professor of science with a rather strange hobby. She collects and sells pieces of meteorites for big money on the side.

Cas Fielding is a "retired" field agent, former intelligence ops Captain who is more than a little strange. He can't seem to keep his mouth shut and, when approached by his former employer, reluctantly agrees to reengage with the agency.

Trotting the globe from Texas to Istanbul, from Mecca to Jerusalem, Cas and Marley are assaulted, kidnapped, shot,knifed and jailed in the pursuit of the truth behind a malevolent scheme.

Although The Lucifer Genome starts out a bit slowly, once it gets going, the action never stops. Racing to an unforseen conclusion, you'll find yourself looking up at the clock to find you've read all night long.

I've read about 14% and unfortunately will not be continuing on. This is just my personal opinion, but I was really hoping for a more accurate depiction of the South, and the States in general, during this time period. It seems more than a bit oversimplified to me, not living up to the "Gone with the Wind" comparison as far as historical accuracy goes.

I went back and forth between really enjoying this book and wanting to throttle the author. In the end, I liked it well enough to buy my own copy after returning my reading copy to the library.

I've put this on my "historical fiction" shelf here on GoodReads, but the story is actually a myth: one person's vivid reconstruction of what might have happened to central figures in an evocative but myseterious sacred story. There is truthfulness in the tale, even if many of the facts are lost to history and even -- as one Amazon.com reviewer accused -- the author took significant liberties with the known facts.

The positive elements of the book are its strong characterizations, gripping story, and vivid writing. I cared about these characters and was deeply moved by their suffering.

The negative element is also the writing. Craney obviously put a great deal of effort into being descriptive, but he went overboard. I don't have the book in front of me to give specific examples, but when someone with a graduate degree has to pick up a dictionary to know what color a character's eyes are, the author has gone too far. Likewise, a description of a sunrise does not need three different, unrelated metaphors in a single sentence. The manuscript could have been pruned of these excesses and been stronger for it.

In 1856, Nannie Colquitt Hill makes her debut in a plantation in Georgia amidst Southern Senators. Meanwhile, Wisconsin farmer Hugh LaGrange is brought into the Abolitionists cause and made a conductor on the Underground Railroad while fighting to ban slavery in Kansas. When the Civil War begins, Hugh and his brother join up and Hugh leads the First Wisconsin Cavalry. Nannie's husband joins the Confederate troops leaving Nannie and the other women of the town alone. Nannie decides to form a brigade, The Nancy Hart's, to help defend their town. With the help of Nannie's cousin, Gus, the women become skilled and fierce defenders as The First Wisconsins come to town.

The Cotillion Brigade is not a typical Civil War novel, focusing less on the battles and more on the stories of Nannie and Hugh. Written with rich historical detail, Craney has brought to life the enigmatic Nannie Colquitt Hill, the real leader of the Nancy Hart Brigade in LaGrange Georgia. Nannie is fiercely determined and once she sets her sights on something, she does not back down. These qualities helped her to lead this amazing group of female militia. While Nannie believed in the Southern ideals of the time, her story is important in remembering the women who were willing to fight. Through Nannie's eyes we also see the devastation and destruction of war as well as the emotional toll on those who were left behind. Hugh LaGrange was also the real leader of the First Wisconsin Cavalry. Hugh is a pragmatic problem solver whose nature helped him to win battles without losing more lives than necessary. The beginning of the story, before the war broke out was a little slowly paced as we learned the backgrounds of both characters and what made them into the people they became. Overall, a detailed and character based story of courage, bravery and foraging relationships during the Civil War.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

There are many stories that come out of war that are often surprising and unexpected. Oftentimes those stories involve women. In the case of The Cotillion Brigade we have the tale of Southern Belles basically who do what they need to do because it needs to be done.

The book opens with a joyous time in a young girl’s life as she is being introduced to society at a ball. But times are changing – lifestyles are changing and the world she thought she was entering is not going to be the world she finds. War is coming and that war is going to upend everything.

As the women find their world becoming more and more dangerous they come together to do something about what is going on. They form their own Brigade; learning how to handle a gun, how to work together. The women never actually fight but they develop a level of confidence they didn’t have before and are ready whatever the future might bring.

This was an utterly fascinating book about an aspect of history that I have not bumped into in my Civil War reading. Women of the time were expected to be ladylike, Southern belles who need their men but there is a core of strength that is kept hidden from those men. Little do they know.

I found this to be a fast paced, well written book that told an utterly fascinating story.½

My Thoughts:

Several reasons why I love The Cotillion Brigade:
1. It is a history I’ve not heard of before.
2. It is not dual time periods. Bravo! The story is told in a linear or chronological form.
3. There is tension, internal and external conflicts, controversy, and extra-ordinary characters.
4. One of my favorite points about this story is the wonderful dialogue. I love the Southern phrases. I love the specific word usage by the different characters down to their humor and sarcasm. Several times I laughed out loud at the comic moments. The Cotillion Brigade is a serious story of war. In a serious story it is important to have moments when the reader can take a breath. Those comic moments are a benefit.
5. Through Nancy’s eyes I saw the destruction and devastation of the war on the people, the towns, and the land. It is especially moving during the part of the story where she tends the wounds of soldiers.
6. The story moves between the women involved in the Brigade and Colonel Hugh LaGrange. His parts in the story are mainly the events of the war. He is a Colonel in the Union Army. I am able to understand his experiences during the war. His decisions and feelings about the South.
7. The descriptions of the people, land, buildings, homes, and the aftermath of war is brought to life on page. I especially love reading about less significant things like the characters facial expressions and mannerisms.
8. The Cotillion Brigade has a solid ending. A satisfying ending. The devastation of the war on the land and people is a fact. I like characters to have a resolve of some kind. I like to see a transformation. I am pleased with the ending.
9. I can think of one point that is not something I cared about in the story. The beginning of the story is focused on the pre-Civil War years of Nancy Colquitt Hill and Hugh LaGrange. I do not care about house parties and clothing. I do not care about who has a bonnet set on a particular man. I did enjoy reading about LaGrange. These years gave me an idea of his beliefs and convictions.
10. The Cotillion Brigade is not a story with the aim/focus of telling about the injustices of slavery. The emphasis is on the Brigade, Nancy, and Hugh. The characters have opinions and during the telling of the story it is obvious their feelings.

Themes in the story: honor, courage, bravery, grief, compassion, injustice, perseverance, power of love, sacrifice, romance, loyalty, death and dying, survival, suffering, and heroism.

Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from the author. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Historical fiction readers of the Civil War era.

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Cotillion Brigade: A Novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History by Glen Carney tells the story of the Nancy Hart Rifles from Georgia, Confederate and pro-slavery sympathizers, and Oscar Hugh La Grange, and colonel in the Union Army. Mr. Carney is a published author and journalist.

Nancy “Nannie” Colquitt Hill is a strong-minded young woman, living on a plantation in LaGrange, Georgia, awaiting her future in the antebellum society. The American Civil War, however, has halted her plans and Nancy forms a women’s militia to prepare for battle in case the Union attacks their small town.

Oscar Hugh LaGrange, preferred to be called by his middle name, from Wisconsin joins the Abolitionist cause, focusing on making sure that the new territory of Kansas joins the Union as a free state. Several years later, Hugh, now a Union Colonel, is a hardened soldier dueling Confederate generals Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest across Tennessee and Alabama.

I have read The Yanks Are Starving: A Novel of the Bonus Army by Mr. Carney previously, and enjoyed it very much. To be sure, I was already half sold when the opportunity came up to read The Cotillion Brigade: A Novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History.

I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would, which is always a nice surprised. The author goes to great lengths to build a coherent picture of life during that period, antebellum society, and soldering.

Glen Carney does not mince words when it comes the views of the Southern Confederate sympathizers about slavery. He does not sugarcoat their views, nor tries to justify them by today’s standards.

By the same token, the Nancy Hart Rifles and their motivation come through clear as daylight. He ladies were afraid of rumors, innuendos, and news of Union soldiers burning towns, and raping women. With the men away fighting to keep other humans enslaved, they took it upon themselves to protect the town, and their honor.

On the other hand, we get the story of Hugh LaGrange, the name ironically coincides with LaGrange, GA where the Nancy Hart Rifles reside. LaGrange, an abolitionist, joined the Union Army and worked his way to Colonel, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general.

In this instance, Mr. Carney builds a narrative around how difficult soidiering was, and the Abolitionist cause. Col. LaGrange, commanding the Army of the Cumberland took part in many battles, and was even taken as a prisoner of war. After the Battle of West Point (in Georgia), he encountered the Nancy Harts.
During his time in the state, Col LaGrange also discovered his fondness of Georgia women, as his later marriages seem to suggest.

I was fascinated by the descriptions of the army at the time, the decisions made by LaGrange, his capabilities, and attitude. I understand that much of these narratives are fictional, but I found them gripping nonetheless.

This is a well written, well researched book about the American Civil War. I have not heard of the Nancy Harts Rifles before, and only read a bit about Col. LaGrange. If you enjoy reading stories which are often overlooked in a large historical narrative, this book will certainly fit the bill. The end of the book has some information, pictures included, of the historical characters mentioned in the story – which I found to be a wonderful addition.

http://authoralliance.net/yanks-starving/

The Yanks are Starving: A Novel of the Bonus Army by Glen Craney is a novel set in the pivotal decades of the opening of the twentieth century. Craney is a graduate of Indiana School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. As a member of the Washington Press Corps, he covered the Iran Contra Trial for Congressional Quarterly magazine. Previously Craney practiced trial law.

World War I is my favorite period of history to read about because so much of what the twentieth century became can be directly tied to the war. From standing armies, communism, mechanized warfare, alliances, and the rise of the United States are a result of the war. By the end of the century the Serbs would draw Europe into limited fighting, Russia would become a country again, and artificial borders created after the war would vanish. It was the beginning of the modern times.

Initially, I was expecting a short novel covering that single page in history books about Hoovervilles and McArthur facing off against the WWI vets protesting in Washington DC. Admittedly, this incident is barely mentioned in history books and probably has escaped most American's historical memory. There is a reason for this. Not only is it part of the deep depression, it is also a national embarrassment. Probably the first in a long line. I remember the treatment Vietnam veterans received coming home and how problems reintegrating into society were ignored. I also remember Gulf War Syndrome being called a hoax, and I don’t seem to see many “I Support the Troops” flags or car magnets any more. The Bonus Army was the first of many lessons in the disposability of military veterans after they served their purpose.

I was a little surprised to see this book had nearly six hundred pages to cover a single event. The surprise, it turns out, was very pleasant. The Yanks are Starving covers three decades through the eyes of eight major characters and a few supporting ones. There are supporting characters like a young Eisenhower, Smedley Butler, George Patton, and James “Big Jim” Reese Europe. Of the main characters, Herbert Hoover is a compassionate man who reminds me much of Jimmy Carter both as during and before his presidency. Douglas Macarthur is shown on a personal side much different than his image in World War II and Korea. There are two common working class characters Joe Angelo and Walter W Waters who are drawn together by WWI. Anna Raber, a Mennonite, experiences WWI as a nurse in Europe. Ozzie Taylor, a black street musician, and Pelham Glassford, a West Point plebe, round out the sexes, races, and classes of America.

Reading advance praise for the book I saw a glowing review by a Marine veteran. As a Marine veteran myself, that peaked my interest since Marines are mostly interested in Marine Corps history. I found out quickly the Marines had their role in this story. The book opens with Smedley Butler in China during the Boxer Rebellion and the Marines role expands through the last major character in the novel Floyd Gibbons, a reporter from the Minnesota Star. It was only last year I found out about Floyd Gibbons. He is responsible for immortalizing the second most important Marine Corps’ event after the raising of the flag at Mount Suribachi -- The Battle of Belleau Woods.

One problem I typically find in historical fiction is that the author will take an event and choose and discard events that he wants to include and exclude from history. Basically uses what he needs to fabricate a good story. In the end, many novels end up no more accurate than a “based on a true story” television movie. Craney manages to keep history honest and, although a few characters are fictional and conversations cannot be verified, there is little need to fact check his work.

As I mentioned above the history is accurate, but it is the storytelling that pulls you in. The writing, flow of the story, and characters make The Yanks are Starving very difficult to put down. Craney does an outstanding job at bringing the history to life and keeping it alive. There isn’t that usual long dry spot in the middle of the novel that the reader feels obligated to trudge through. The Yanks are Starving is event and character driven. When some of the characters are having down time the reader is quickly switched over to another character or group of characters, and there is no filler in nearly six hundred pages of the novel.

Although the book centers around mostly the army and army veterans, there is enough Marine Corps in this book to keep any Marine veteran reading. I will admit to being drawn into this story and thoroughly enjoying it, although I usually avoid military novels that do not center around the Marines. This is also much more than a military book. It is about American classes, race, the sexes, and the role of government and the military. It is also a story about threats to America, real or imagined, and the changes in American culture. Craney has written an outstanding social and military historical novel of the United States covering the crossing over from the nineteenth century mentality into the twentieth century. Simply put, an outstanding novel.

Outlander and Braveheart fans, this is your next read. Those of you who were able to keep all of the characters straight in Outlander will have no issue in this storyline. Albeit there are a lot of characters, the author graciously listed them out to help with following the lines of connection and give insight before jumping into this in depth historical novel.

This novel is written from the view point of James Douglas, also more known as Black Douglas and his love interest Belle MacDuff. The two meet during the vying for the crown, and unfortunately Belle is trapped in an unwanted marriage, which was not uncommon back then, and James has to then head to France. He soon becomes the symbol his country looks to, for defeat of the English.

James has a reason to hate the English, as they killed his own father. He is out for vengeance and blood, and will hold nothing back to help get his right hand friend, Robert the Bruce on the throne. The battle that James and Robert fought against, only proved the loyalty they had for their cause. During this, James is also fighting a battle within his emotions for his love of Belle. He often has to make decisions of either Belle or Robert.

Belle whoever, can also hold a candle all on her own. Having been born as a MacDuff, they chose who is to King of Scotland. Is Belle willing to risk her own livelihood and name for her lover and his crusade against the English? She quickly learns the battle that she will have to ensue to support James and prove her love and ally towards him. Will imprisionment break her, or does love always prevail in the end?

The novel is not for the faint of heart, and the author did a very good job of going in depth with scenes. Often I felt I was right there in the midst of battle with James, or was enduring the terrible things that happened to Belle.

This is the next chapter after Braveheart, for those who loved that movie and often wondered what happened next. Although this novel was long and I had to do a lot of googling of words and events- I learned a lot! It gave me more knowledge to build upon from Outlander and Braveheart.

I want to thank the author for providing me a free ebook copy for my honest review.

Like any good historical fiction book (at least the ones I’m accustomed to reading) they tend to jump back and forth between stories. How else are you to know the distinct connection between past and present? Craney’s book jumps between present day and Spain starting around 1455 AD. What does an Ethiopian tomb and a tale of 3 mariners have in common? Find out in my book review at:

https://quitterstrip.wordpress.com/2016/08/04/an-ancient-hide-and-go-seek/

The Fire and the Light is a fictional account of the Cathars and the fall of Montsegur. It is the time of the Courts of Love, originated by Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the troubadours. Mr. Craney has taken an aggregate of several women named Esclarmonde and created Esclarmonde de Foix, an Occitan noblewoman who becomes intrigued by the new religion sweeping the south of France. He weaves her story into the history of the Cathars ending with the fall of Montsegur, a fortress occupied by the Cathars just north of the Pyrenees near Carcassonne.
The author concentrates on the love story between his heroine and a renegade Templar knight named Guillhelm though he also covers the story of the wars the French king and the Catholic Church wage against the Cathars. Elements of the Cathar's secrets covered by books such as The DaVinci Code are also covered here. The writing is dense and covers a lot of material. It is a good fictional account for readers who don't know much about the Cathars and want some background.

An absolutely brilliant and captivating tale of love, war, daring, and sacrifice. From the very moment you turn to the first page and begin reading, you will be unable to put this book down. So craftily is the story woven that you will be caught up as a fly in a spider's web. You will find a new appreciation for history within the pages of this book.

Received in exchange for a fair and honest review

I loved this book. I think the author researched the period and the characters. He filled the gaps beautifully with what could have happened and also a touch of Celtic supernatural/spirituality.

While investigating the death of her fiance in Ethiopia, State Department newbie Jacqueline “Jac” Quartermane stumbles upon a mysterious word puzzle in an underground church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Determined to solve the puzzle, she finds herself thrown into an ancient Christian mystery. Her investigations spark a wide ranging race to resurrect the Temple of Solomon. Running parallel to this, we travel back to 1452, where a Portuguese secret society seeks to avert the Spanish crown’s designs to bring about judgement day.

If you’re thinking that this sounds very like The Da Vinci Code, you’re not alone. The promise of an interesting mystery tied to a historical thriller sounded like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the main character, Jacqueline Quartermane, is a literalist, born-again Christian. Her mentor is a megachurch pastor with most of the GOP in his pocket. Forgive me for saying this, but I find the idea of cheering for someone like Jac to be repellent. The historical portions of the plot were interesting, although the time jumps did get confusing at times. It was the modern-day portions, with Jac at the helm, that ultimately turned me off this book. Perhaps I’m letting my personal feelings have too much sway, but especially in this day and age I find I have no patience for the religious set. If this book had been more secular, like The Da Vinci Code, it would have been much more palatable for me.

So, this book was entirely not to my tastes. For those who don’t mind the overly-religious bits, you may still enjoy it. One person’s tastes are not the be-all and end-all (which is the whole point of this blog). But for myself, I had to say no.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Virgin of the Wind Rose grips you in its teeth and whirls you through history and around the world. As soon as State Department employee, Jaq Quartermane, is told of the tragic death of her fiancé in Ethiopia she is dragged into a terrifying investigation rooted in the tales of the Knight Templars and the voyages of the explorers sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator.

Finding herself in peril inside an ancient rock hewn Ethiopian church, does she trust to her deep Christian faith or to Elymas, an agnostic rascal? And it is trust and conspiracy which underline this thrilling adventure, taking Jaq from Rome to France, Portugal and Israel.

While Jaq and Elymas try to solve the SATOR square, an ancient palindrome, their travels are paralleled by the story of three young 15th century Portuguese boys. Meeting in alarming circumstances, Pero, Zarco and Dias form a bond which carries them through their difficult training at the Tomar observatory and sustains them in their navigational test at Prince Henry’s fort in Sagres. Split apart by the different missions they are given, their friendship is maintained and their actions will have repercussions throughout history.

I was fascinated by the details of early exploration, which has always interested me, and the further involvement of Christopher Columbus add to the intrigue. At the same time, I was anxious to continue following the mysteries and dangerous situations explored by the present day couple. Glen Craney has made their relationship suitably prickly and intense, given their very different backgrounds, but he has allowed their humanity and understanding to shine through.

I loved Craney’s acerbic wit in comments such as, “The priest was obviously one pew short of a full congregation.” Naturally this novel will be compared to the books of Dan Brown but the quality of writing in The Virgin of the Wind Rose has the edge for me. Almost the best part is the last chapter with so much promise and fascinating clues.

The Yanks Are Starving, by Glen Craney is a poignant look at a piece of American history that is an embarrassment to the nation. The story (I would ‘almost’ call it historical fiction, although most of it is factual) tells of the Bonus Army, a contingent of nearly 20,000 First World War veterans who marched, with their families, on Washington DC in 1932, trying to collect on a bonus promised by the federal government. Because of the economic hardship of the time caused by the Great Depression, they hoped to receive their money early (it was technically only payable in 1945), as nearly all of them were having great difficulty finding employment, with some on the brink of starvation. Considering that the bonus included compound interest, it would have been in the government’s favour to actually pay them out early. President Herbert Hoover however, blundered through the situation, with the help of his advisors and steadfastly refused to pay the veterans.

If I had read this book, without knowing that the premise behind the story was actually true, I would have credited Craney with having a slightly over-active imagination. Sadly however, the story is true, and even sadder still, some of the United States’ most popular military leaders played a large part in it. After being ordered to remove the veterans from certain areas of the city, General Dougal MacArthur, made a horrific decision to attack the veterans and expel them completely. He was supported by, and it pains me to type this, Major George S. Patton, one of my military heroes, who during the conflict with the veterans, ignored a man who had saved his life in France. In the ensuing carnage, lives were lost, the veterans understandably, lost all hope, and their families lost almost all of their meager belongings.

A short time later Franklin D. Roosevelt became President and some of the veterans, hoping for a better outcome, marched on Washington again. That is when we see the kind of man Roosevelt was, and why to this day he is loved by so many. He couldn’t afford to pay the bonuses then, but unlike Hoover, he ordered the veterans taken care of, given proper meals, and put nearly all of them to work on the many projects he created to bring the United States out of the Depression.

The Yanks Are Starving is well written and researched. Craney has done an excellent job of interweaving the stories of real people with the few fictional ones he created to bring a balance to the narrative. I like that his creations are based on people who probably were there, and who did the best they could to help this ‘army’ of men who had risked everything for their country, only to find that country wanting in the end.

www.daniellittle.com

This is one of the best historical fiction novels I have read in a long time. The characters are so real that I found myself getting angry with them, crying with them and loving or disliking them. At first I was worried when I saw the long list of characters at the beginning - a little daunting BUT Glen Craney did a remarkable job of creating all the characters that I didn't get lost as to who was who. We all have been there - when there are so many characters that we get lost. That is definitely not the case here.

The story takes place in the 14th century. Scotland is in turmoil within itself and England is invading. A young boy who is puny and mocked by his piers wins a race and falls in love all in a day. James Douglas grows to be a very important part of Scotland's history. Black Douglas as he is eventually called is responsible for much of Scotland's successes during this period of time. I won't go into more because that would be revealing spoilers.

The Spider and the Stone is a wonderful weaving of history, adventure, love, conflict and more. I highly recommend it to all readers even if historical fiction is not one of the genre's you read often. This book just might change your mind.

I received this book from the author for review purposes. To find out more about Glen Craney and his books check here http://www.glencraney.com/

The Yanks Are Starv­ing: A Novel of the Bonus Army by Glen Craney is a his­tor­i­cal fic­tion book telling the long for­got­ten story of the Bonus Army of World War 1 vets and how they were treated.

The Yanks Are Starv­ing: A Novel of the Bonus Army by Glen Craney is a long book, but is very enjoy­able for his­tory buffs and those who enjoy his­tor­i­cal fic­tion. I have heard of the Bonus Army before read­ing this book, it is one of those events we don’t like to talk about very much, but never read any­thing about it besides and arti­cle or two.

From my lim­ited read­ing about the World War 1 and the Bonus Army, it seems that the events depicted are based on facts and is worth read­ing. From the treat­ment of our vet­er­ans, to that of con­scious­ness objec­tors. While some of the main char­ac­ters are fic­tional, I found them to be most inter­est­ing and engag­ing, even more than the one who did exist.

This is not a “war” book, even though there is plenty of that as well. The book talks about the strug­gles of vet­er­ans which par­al­leled the strug­gles of the coun­try. The com­plex rela­tion­ships of the peo­ple, the com­man­ders, and the coun­try are well illus­trated in this book.

When I fin­ished the book I was very impressed with the scope of what it cov­ered and the author’s won­der­ful effort to cover it. You can cer­tainly tell that the author picked a side, but he han­dles the sub­tleties gen­tly and elegantly.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

I couldn't put this amazing historical novel about the Albigensian Crusade down. It has everything: adventure, romance, poetry, mysticism, theological debate, and, of course, history -- as close to what must have happened as possible. Highly recommended.

3.5 Stars

You want epic? Look no further than this book. You want a definitive novelization about the Scottish War of Independence? Look no further than this book. From the beginnings with William Wallace to the great battle of Bannackburn, this book covers all sides of the conflict and really gets into what made the war tick. The reader will be kept spellbound as the Scottish nation vies for independence and at how that conflict impacted the lives of the individuals who fought and survived it (or who didn't survive it as was sometimes the case). The author has a way at making the epic, truly epic, without losing his readers. It was at times intimate and at others, truly grand. Me'thinks I hear a Howard Shore-esque soundtrack in the works...

I have to give the author incredible props for the amount of research that went into this. There is so much historical detail in this work that it almost reads as a textbook at times, but in a good way. The reader learns so much, all while being sucked into this powerful story of survival and independence fighting. And the historical detail involves the grand battles and the intimate daily lives at the English court and Scottish countryside with equal fervor. Either way you look, grand or intimate, the author shows his historical chops with this novel.

The one area this book falls a bit short in is characterization. Not to say that it's horrid. But at times secondary characters do become one-dimensional (thinking Robert Bruce and Edward II here), with their personalities falling back on stereotypes or not really changing at all from the beginning of the book to the end. And at times the grand scope of the story seems to almost pull a curtain over the intimate connection the reader has with the characters. So I'll be reading about that battle scene or that death scene and it'll just be a jumble of words to me; I won't be invested into whether this or that character survives or not.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable novel on Black James Douglas and the encompassing Scottish War of Independence. It's epic and grand. It carries the reader away into a fascinating struggle for survival and freedom. The historical details are superb. The only problem is with characterization. That did get in the way at times of total enjoyment. Yet, I'd still recommend this novel the historical fiction lover anywhere, especially if you enjoy fiction in late medieval Scotland.

Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for honest review.

I have a raging fascination with the history of religions so when presented with books, fiction or non fiction, I dive right in. The historical fiction tomes send me off to the google to figure out the reality from the story but when it comes to a sect like the Cathars who tried to co-exist with the might and power of the Catholic Church at the height of its reign well – we all know that history is written by the victors and what they write is often skewed. So what do we really know about this band of religious rebels? Not nearly enough to truly understand them but certainly enough to create a novel worth reading.

The author admits in his note that he extrapolates from history and from what I could learn he does play a little fast and loose with timelines and real people but that is the purview of “poetic license” I suppose. The book is part love story part war story as Pope Innocent III embarks on the destruction of a sect he feels is a danger to his power base.

The book is well written with engaging characters. There’s a lot of war and the subsequent description thereof but you can’t have war without it now can you? History tells us the outcome of the Cathars but Mr. Craney gives them life for another century to appreciate.

In the 14th century, England and Scotland clamor over land. The Scottish clans struggle to fill an empty throne while Edward ‘Longshanks’ Plantagenet seeks to take their land from under their noses. Amid the chaos, one Scotsman stands out as a leader. Named ‘The Black Douglas,’ James Douglas emerges as the hero to his people over the English. However, his story is not that simple. As a young man, James fell in love with Isabelle MacDuff, the MacDuff clan crowns monarchs as the Stone of Destiny sings. James also befriends Robert the Bruce, an enemy of the MacDuff clan. Fated to fight for the friend who will be King and the woman he loves, James’ decisions will determine Scotland’s independence.
An epic story filled with war, love, magic and history, The Spider and the Stone tells the incredible tale of Scotland’s War of Independence. I didn’t really know much about this time in history going into the story, so everything was very informative and interesting to me. I was immediately intrigued and felt the most pull towards Isabelle MacDuff’s story. I especially liked that a recurring theme was that the women of Scotland would have to prove stronger than the men in order for Scotland to succeed. Isabelle’s story surely portrayed this. Much of the story was political, which can get a little tedious for me, but never boring. The action scenes were well done, very exciting and realistic. I was intrigued by James’ ingenuity on the field and the tactics he used. I also enjoyed the incorporation of the legends and magic into history.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Jacqueline (Jaq), a lawyer working for the state department, is thrown into a religious escapade when her fiancé is found murdered in Ethiopia. Traveling to retrieve his remains she realizes once there that the story does not prove sound and when she stumbles across a travel stub for Italy amongst his belongings and a news clipping about ancient Jewish relics she realizes her fiancé was not there for pleasure. She begins to investigate on her own starting with the church where her fiancé was found murdered; while there she comes across a man, Elymas (later known as Boz) who makes her aware that this was no random murder. Together and separate they begin a journey to retrieve lost religious relics and ultimately find the Ark of the Covenant before the rapture but there is someone who is always one step ahead of them.

The other half of the story takes place mostly in Portugal during the time where new routes to India were being explored and the discovery of a New World by Columbus. This part of the story was filled with myths and what I would call today conspiracy theories. The two stories do collide perfectly together and the relevance of each is revealed.

The story is impressive in that the research that went into telling this story is intense. However, I found it a bit unbelievable and extravagant. The story moves incredibly fast from point to point with all the clues being readily available at just the right moment. The ease of how Jaq and Boz are able to go from point A to point B is unrealistic. I did find the story intriguing but too implausible for my taste.½

4.25 Stars
An adventure end-of-the-world epic that spans centuries. This historical mystery is told in two separate storylines, one during the Age of Exploration and the other in contemporary times. Religious fanatics, spies, government conspiracies, and beautiful landscapes are included throughout. The author did some serious research. Perfect for Dan Brown or Steve Berry fans.

LT Member Giveaways½

Review of The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

This novel intertwines the story of two groups of seekers, one historical and one in the present day, who foresee the End Days. Craney's research into history, geography, religions, mythology, and cryptography is mind-boggling in its scope, but his efforts to bring it all together into one thriller required more than this reader's “willing suspension of disbelief” could manage. The ideas and locations are intriguing, but the speed at which his protagonist must calculate, translate, travel, repeat is not believable. One palindromic square provides clue after clue, each discovered at just the right moment and in just the right circumstances. The protagonist herself is a lawyer working in the upper echelons of Washington, but who is also naive and gullible, yet capable of making mental leaps and bounds in the twinkling of an eye when it comes to codes, all while failing to grasp what is going on in her own life.
The thriller was provided to me by Library Thing as a Member Giveaway, in exchange for an honest review. All in all, The Virgin of the Wind Rose is an impressive collection of research and imagination that becomes too convoluted to work as a novel.