The Fortune Teller of Nice - a historical mystery

This is what I am working on at the moment. It will be published in december 2027.

What a joy to bring to life a city that has had its past numerous times erased by France. I do pride myself on writing historical mysteries that speak of the least spoken.  

The book can be added now to your shelves via Goodreads. 

See you in 2027!

Nice, 1854. The coastal city, governed by Turin, gleams under a pale winter sun. It promises respite for the weary and a leisurely playground for the wealthy who sojourn from all over Europe. But beneath its blue skies and its welcoming hotels, Nizza as it is known, conceals a darker heart.

When detective Maurice Leroux arrives in Nice for the winter, hoping to seduce witty English actress, Madeleine Armstrong, he expects languid days strolling along the promenade by the sea and evenings at the opera. Immersed in a city with a strong Italian heritage, all he has to do is surpass his rival, the young, smooth-talking, Carlo Rocco. Instead, the glitter turns to nightmare when a guest at the lavish Hotel de Rome is brutally murdered.

Among the hotel’s exotic residents are Countess Sofya Smyrnova, a Russian noble who once escaped the flames of Moscow in 1812; Baroness Alexandra Ivanova, a gossip-inclined Russian widow; Antoine Grasset, a French journalist with too many secrets; and Professor Milton Hayward, a linguist whose scholarship conceals a tragic obsession. When death claims them one by one, Maurice is drawn into a grim mystery that stretches from Nice’s stately establishments to the hidden warrens of its underworld, all the way to the candlelit salon of famed fortune teller, Madame Zora.

To unmask the web of deception, Maurice must navigate Nizza’s labyrinth of depravity, its debauched parties, its seedy port, and human markets, and even seek counsel from Giuseppe Garibaldi, the city’s native hero. But as the truth unravels, he discovers that all the victims shared a bond forged long before their arrival… a bond written in fire and betrayal.

A sumptuous, atmospheric mystery where vice, ghosts from the past, and vengeance converge bringing to life long-forgotten Nizza.

Book Launch: The Signare of Gorée

Yay! My new novel, The Signare of Gorée, was finally published on 9 September. For having been born in Senegal, it is a rare delight to be able to say that I have written a mystery set in my birth country.

I am celebrating my book's launch over four weeks with a fantastic blog tour hosted by the excellent Coffee Pot Book Club. They promote high quality historical fiction and I am honored that Cathie Dunn would accept to host The Signare of Gorée.

This post will update weekly with links to the various blog tour stops as they happen. You can find the same links on the official blog tour page. 

Over the tour, I will be sharing: what inspired me to write this historical mystery; the historical background of the powerful women called, signares - who they were and the unique culture they created; the tragic story of Senegal's last warrior queen; the dark and beautiful highlights of my historical research; and the occult practices I witnessed in my childhood and that have seeped into the novel. 

There will be many excerpts and I will try not to bore you with my answers to interview questions!

 

I hope you will visit to learn more about this unique story and the fascinating country where it is set! 

September 12th

When Angels Fly

Let Your Words Shine

Let Us Talk of Many Things

The Historical Fiction Company

The Coffee Pot Book Club 

September 19th

Left on the Shelf

Archaeolibrarian

Historical Fiction Blog 

MJ Porter's Official Blog

Linnea Tanner's Official Blog

September 26th

CelticLady's Reviews

Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion

Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

The Whispering Bookworm

Mary's Bookcase

October 3rd

A Darn Good Read (Review)

Oh look, another Book!

Elizabeth St.John's Official Blog

Wendy J. Dunn's Official Blog

Ruins & Reading (Review)

The Signare of Gorée will soon be available on expanded distribution booksellers worldwide.

The Signare of Gorée - Cover Reveal

Before she could blink, she was 48 years old and pined for glimpses of her hometown. And it was just as well she was deep into 1840s Senegal, a world where few have traveled before, while those that have truly seen it are long gone. But we can make them return with a little imagination, can't we? We can create magical characters and spin a mystery. 

You must know that life is short and time is running out for me. This is why these days, my blog is sparse in content. All my efforts, you see, are poured into writing, researching, keeping myself fed, staying mildly connected to the increasingly narcissistic 21st century, and time-traveling to places that will hopefully inspire my future novels.

Not much to say, still working on honing my upcoming historical novel set in Senegal, but in the meantime, here is the full cover by graphic designer extraordinaire, Ross Robinson. 

I love it and hope you do too.

The Signare of Gorée will be released in September 2024 

You can already add it to your to-read shelf on Goodreads, and if you read books on Kindle, it is available for pre-order on Amazon, worldwide.

Folgar...on Gorée island.

  

Review: Order of the Dragon - Book One by Lisa J Yarde

A 15th century illustration depicting an equestrian figure 

previously identified as Cillei Borbála

one of the key founders of the Order of the Dragon

Order of the Dragon : Book One by Lisa J. Yarde is the fictionalised biography and character portrayal of Dracula's father, Vlad II Dracul, also known as Vlad the Dragon. Grand and colourful, this historical novel spans the years 1408 to 1432, from Vlad the Dragon's youth to his early years as a father. Those curious about the real Dracula or Vlad the Impaler might be tempted to skip this book and wait until the other book instalments, but this would be a mistake. The life and times of Vlad the Dragon are so richly fascinating that readers would miss out on a journey of epic scale.

This novel is beautifully written and what lingers most for me is the depth of language and insights. There are many quotes that moved me, like,

“What was life and a man’s existence, except a test of his faith and resolve?”

Because this is after all a novel about a historical male figure, I want to stress that I really enjoyed the accent on Vlad’s character study. A thoughtful quote from an antiquity philosopher introduces each chapter, hinting to the passage’s themes and the life lessons that are to be learned, presumably by Vlad. Our main character begins his arc as a discontented and impulsive youth who has yet to acquire patience, gratitude, and strategic acumen. Throughout many years he will nurse political ambitions over his brothers, deep resentment toward the Turks, and later pay heed to a prophecy announcing his betrayal. He will be wary, not only of his lifelong enemy but also of his best friend. This last trait imbues one of the final scenes with a power I rarely felt in any novel. The passage is extremely well-written in its suspense and the complex emotions it stirs. It was a well-executed climax, drawing together all Vlad had experienced, and rendering his reactions highly plausible. Be ready for a surprise.

Never perfect, but of admirable character is our Vlad. The book’s in-depth study has the quality of reinforcing our curiosity about the son. For what could cause a boy raised by a decent father to eventually become a monster, as hinted by a name like Vlad the Impaler? It is hard not be curious about how events will unfold in subsequent books, if only to answer this question.

But onto the story. It takes place in a period wrought with war between Christendom and the Ottomans and this same tension is palpable in Vlad's intense hatred for the Turks who wage regular attacks into his homeland of Wallachia.

When we first meet Vlad, he is attempting a daring escape from home with his beloved twin sister, Arina. There are many things Vlad reproaches his father, the Voivode of Wallachia, not least that Prince Mircea has sold Arina as a betrothed to secure an alliance with the Turks. Arina's fate will haunt Vlad for many years to come.

Buda Castle from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493

Vlad is sent to Buda Castle in Hungary where begins his lifelong servitude to King Zsigmond. Through training, battles, tournaments, banquets and more adventures, he befriends an incredible cast of historical characters and through his eyes, we live through key dramatic events in Eastern European history.

During his service to King Zsigmond, the wicked queen Cillei Borbála will taunt Vlad and cause him great harm. Yet I found this woman captivating for several reasons, one being that Vlad soon learns of the Order of the Dragon, a secret confederacy of knights at the service of King Zsigmond which according to rumours was jointly formed by the queen. In all, I grew to respect Borbála and hope to read more of her in the next book in the series.

Milena Olivera a Serbian princess, also known as Despina Hatun

 became the wife of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in a bid for peace.

Both were captives of Timur after the Battle of Ankara (1402)

Romance-wise the story delves wonderfully into Vlad’s conflicted relationship with two fascinating women, one of which is no other than Cneajna of Moldavia who is gifted with strange prophetic powers and fated to become Dracula’s mother. Yet what I found most touching was the novel’s reverence toward friendship. Each of Vlad’s friends – the awe-inspiring Polish black knight, Zawisza Czarny, the love-thwarted and later canonized Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the warm and mystical Milena Olivera (Mileva Olivera Lazarević) an ex-consort to an ottoman sultan, and the Bulgarian noble, Fruzhin - are each worth their own novel. They were a treat to discover because Lisa J. Yarde is adept at painting well-rounded peripheral characters.

Stibor of Stiboricz, a member of the Order of the Dragon 

who will train Vlad in combat.

Those who enjoy culture and travel through literature will find pleasure in Order of the Dragon. It begins in today’s Romania, moves onto Hungary, today’s Slovakia, spends a while in Konstanz in Germany, later in Bohemia or today’s Czech Republic, followed by Poland, depicts a major battle in Serbia, travels to what is now Nuremberg in Germany to finally end in the birth town of Dracula, Sighișoara in Transylvania.

A novel of this breadth and depth is never easily undertaken and this speaks volumes about the author’s talent and historical research skills. When the journey draws to a close, one feels both enriched and curious to know more about the period. Thank goodness, there will be other books in the series.

Calista : A reading by Laura Rahme

I will never be the sort of author that is fond of face to face interviews, writer panels or even book signings. 

The discomfort, exhaustion and overwhelm that I experienced at my own wedding in 2015, despite every intention to have fun, and in spite of the bliss I felt, signal to me that unfortunately, I have a low treshold for public attention, and that as you would expect from someone who is neurologically hypersensitive, writing is my preferred medium.

But even if I might be reluctant to conduct public readings of my novels, I can thankfully capture my own voice in the privacy of my home.

I recorded this reading last year and thought it might make a decent clip to promote my novel, Calista.

This is not my every day tone but it suits the historical setting at least. I hope you enjoy. 

Using Canva to create my book trailers

I had worked with the brilliant tool Canva since 2017, albeit in a professional setting where I was more a passive recipient of mockups lovingly realised by UX designers at my workplace.

After releasing The Secret of Chantilly in late November, then participating in the book’s promotion activities in December and surviving all the Christmas cooking, I decided I needed a purely visual and auditory project. I took on playing with Canva and was pleasantly surprised. What began as social media posters (that I deleted) and fun food menus themed around Christmas and High Tea, soon led to a joyful passion for book trailers. 

I completed two book trailers in late January after upgrading to Canva Pro. One for Calista and one for The Ming Storytellers. I also had loads of fun with a Secret of Chantilly promo to coincide with Talleyrand’s birthday. I’ll eventually work on a trailer for my other books. 

My favorite part of the process was choosing imagery that evoked themes and symbols in my stories — a very rewarding semiotic exercise —  then applying various royalty free sound pieces to set the mood. I also had to avoid modern imagery as my novels are set in the past, and choose video content over photos where possible to avoid that “presentation slide” feel which is not what I wanted.  For the sound in the Calista trailer, I added thunderstorm, ocean and cricket effects and had fun with jarring and downright spooky horror pieces. The addition of sound made me realise just how crucial to the emotional effect sound mixing is and my respect for that discipline of filmmaking has increased like never before. The result is an unsettling little video that captures the contrast in Calista’s life before and after moving to England and creates intrigue. It won’t win an Oscar but I’m very happy. :)

For the Chantilly promo video, my aim was not to convey what the book is about but rather to showcase the essence of my characters : nimble, hardworking chef Carême affairing himself in the Château de Valençay kitchen, and his tasteful and regal master, Talleyrand. All the Valençay photos are my own, taken during a trip to Indre in July 2020 while I was editing the French version of the novel. I also used music that would have been familiar to Talleyrand in his time, so the first piece for example which accompanies Carême’s cooking, is by Mozart, and it worked wonders when I adjusted the pace of the imagery and used lots of dynamics like confetti, butterfly wings, and hand gestures. The cartoonish imagery is befitting because the novel possesses  a fairytale like quality, and these childish finishes also add an element of fun to what is, after all, a birthday celebration video. 

Giveaway ! 📚
How about a trip to the @ChateauValencay for #Talleyrand’s birthday? 🥳 I hear French chef Antonin Carême is cooking up a storm.

If you enjoy foodie historical fiction with heart, The Secret of Chantilly is currently free on Kindle. 🎁♥️ https://t.co/tpWhJXVGTb pic.twitter.com/7zHDcNDAax

— Laura Rahme (@Laura_Rahme) February 1, 2022

The Ming Storytellers book trailer is my greatest joy. It has by far the prettiest music, a melody that wonderfully tugs at the heartstrings while spelling mystery and awe. I remember sighing wishfully years ago, telling myself that I needed a book trailer for my epic story, but I never had the time nor the resources for it, and now, ten years after its release, it finally has one! Thank you Canva!  

Chronique : Abyssinia par Alexandre Page

Grâce au prodigieux travail d'Alexandre Page, j'ai eu l'immense plaisir au cours de l'hiver de me transporter à la fin du 19e siècle et de suivre les aventures d'une mission diplomatique russe en Abyssinie. 

Nous sommes en 1897 et l'empereur Ménélik II règne sur des terres abyssines, progressivement conquises. 

En novembre 1896, apparaissait cette photo dans Le Petit Parisien. Elle y figure les italiens signant la traite d'Addis-Abeba le 26 octobre 1896, devant Ménélik, après leur importante défaite face à l'armée éthiopienne.  

C'est peu de temps suivant ces événements que commence le formidable récit d'Alexandre Page, ABYSSINIA...

"Ménélik descendait du roi Salomon, de la reine de Saba, et ces noms seuls suffisaient à nourrir infiniment des esprits imaginatifs."  - Alexandre Page, Abyssinia : Volume I

Docteur Alexandre Page nous livre une œuvre titanesque qui ne lésine en rien à chaque page.

Ce livre, c'est un trésor historique, un long voyage. C'est une fresque géographique et culturelle vertigineuse. C'est le récit d'une expédition russe en Abyssinie, à la fin du 19e siècle. Nous sommes intimes avec cette expédition. Nous vivons ses épreuves (ah oui, ce n'est pas si facile de se procurer des chameaux et je ne dis rien sur les fourmis géantes...), nous nous émouvons de ses découvertes, ses rencontres et ses échanges, dont certains sont teintés d'humour. La lecture demande du temps, tellement les pages sont riches, mais ce rythme est parfait, car il nous place aisément dans la peau des personnages pour lesquels cette aventure est une véritable épopée, longue de plusieurs mois.

On ne peut qu'admirer la patience et la maîtrise dont fait preuve l'auteur : recherches historiques approfondies sur un sujet difficile (car moins connu), descriptions évocatrices de personnages et de paysages, un style posé qui sied parfaitement à l'époque, et toujours cette retenue pour exposer les faits sans tenter de pencher le lecteur ou la lectrice vers une certaine opinion politique. On y découvre une Abyssinie indépendante (la plupart des pays d'Afrique à cette époque sont sous une emprise coloniale occidentale), puissante, riche, souvent guerrière, une terre peuplée de diverses ethnies — certaines d'elles, conquises — mais toutes aussi différentes, voire fascinantes, les unes que les autres.

Les aspects du livre que j'ai trouvé particulièrement enrichissants sont ses portraits de personnages russes et de leur comportement dans plusieurs situations sociales complexes, ainsi que les descriptions des us et coutumes de chaque ethnie locale.

Sans doute ma citation préférée dans ce très beau livre

J'ai retenu plusieurs passages grâce à ce texte. Je me suis délectée de la manière dont l'auteur crée l'ambiance d'un repas dans différentes contrées. Je garde un souvenir inoubliable des descriptions des villes et des marchés, des femmes, de cette rencontre entre les Russes et des esclaves, et surtout de ces dialogues nuancés qui dépeignent le climat politique de l'époque.

Je vous laisse avec quelques aperçus sur les Français de la part de personnages russes. :)

Calista - my new novel

I am pleased to announce the publication of my Victorian gothic novel, CALISTA, to be released on 25 May 2021. This book combines two long-held obsessions of mine.  Alas, I am sworn to secrecy and it is unfortunate that I cannot share anything of the plot beyond this. 

Despite my lifelong fixation on certain themes, I had not planned on writing this book at all. The idea took shape after a trip to Greece last year, after which I had little choice but to set aside other projects and craft this story. 

Calista is a horror mystery set in both England and Greece. The plot, spanning the years 1835 to 1848 mostly takes place in Alexandra Hall, an isolated mansion in Berkshire. French Inspector, Maurice Leroux, must solve a series of curious deaths not knowing that what he will find will change him forever. 

I can't wait to share this story with you! 

I want to take this opportunity to extend my heartful thanks to graphic designer, Ross Robinson, for Calista's gorgeous book cover.  Ross is based in Queensland, Australia but has worked in Sydney and the UK in the past. His work is exceptional. I've worked with Ross in the past when creating the cover for my novel, Julien's Terror.  Each time, he really understood what I wanted and went above and beyond.  

This book cover for Calista combines all the elements I had in mind and executes it in such a beautiful way.  I long to hold this book in my hands. 

Review: Midnight Fire by P.K. Adams

Having read and enjoyed Silent Water, I felt fortunate to obtain an advanced review copy of P.K. Adams' Midnight Fire, the second book in her Jagiellon mystery trilogy. Out next week, this is one novel you don't want to miss if you are a fan of cosy mysteries and long to time travel to the Polish Golden Age. 

P.K. Adams is a talented writer who breathes atmosphere and colour to a period that few historical novelists have dared to tread. Employing artful descriptions and an engrossing prose, she effortlessly merges an absorbing plot with her cultural and historical knowledge of 16th century Poland. Once again the astute and introspective Caterina Konarska who almost lost her life in Silent Water, is thrown into the intrigues of the fascinating Jagiellonian court to become our key detective; a treat.

More king than her husband, it is Bona Sforza who in this year of 1545 remains the iron-fisted ruler of both Poland and Lithuania. Officially, her son, Zygmunt August, rules as second king and has setup his court in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many years have passed since Bona first arrived in Poland for her marriage, and now, much like Catherine de Medici — an Italian queen in a foreign land – Bona’s origins have begun to paint her in negative light.  It is no secret that she is strongly opposed to her son’s desire to marry his scandalous Lithuanian lover, Barbara Radziwiłł, and there are those, like the estranged Zygmunt himself, who believe she is ruthless enough to kill to prevent this marriage. Much maligned, Bona’s political instinct is to see that her son marries a Habsburg, forging a powerful alliance with that empire. In a court where her supporters have dwindled to a few, who can she trust to impose her will and prevent Zygmunt from marrying Barbara?  

Newly arrived in Kraków after a long journey from Bari in Italy, Caterina who remembers the prestigious and progressive Polish court, is seeking to consult one of Queen Bona’s physicians in the hope that he can cure her son, Giulio’s mysterious recurring fevers. Bona advises her to travel to the Vilnius court to see one of her Italian physicians.  Much like the readers who have encountered Caterina’s sleuthing and her sharp mind in the first book, Bona recognises a capable woman in Caterina and doesn’t miss the opportunity to entrust her with a delicate mission of dissuasion targeting Zygmunt – the nature of which she hopes will save her son from a disastrous marriage. 

History tells us that Caterina will not succeed. Today we can gaze at the delightful 19th century Jan Matejko painting depicting Zygmunt August as he cradles Barbara Radziwiłł in Vilnius, the two enraptured in a loving embrace. We know that the couple eventually wed, albeit in secret. Then again there is Józef Simmler’s haunting The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł that captures a heart-wrenching scene. Here, an ashen Barbara lies in bed, her lifeless arm dangling to the floor, while a powerless and broken-hearted Zygmunt looks on, knowing he has lost her forever. The painting is a stark reminder that only five months after her coronation, Barbara will find death at only 30 years of age.  

Doomed, the lovers certainly were.  While this book, with its string of ghastly murders linked to Barbara Radziwiłł, and its showcasing of Caterina’s solid detective work, remained a well-paced and engaging mystery, it was the impending tragedy looming over the young couple which captivated my attention - the unsaid narrative. All its elements are present as though fate conspired to tear the lovers apart:  the rampant scorn and gossip of the court; the attack on Barbara’s life; and the forbidding attitude towards August and Barbara’s relationship from various political parties, not least from the Habsburgs and Queen Bona herself.  As it turned out, when the undercurrents of politics could not part the lovers, it was a fateful illness which administered the last blow.  

For cultural immersion, there is much to enjoy about this novel.  I loved following Caterina into Vilnius, and delighted in her vivid observations of the court subjects – both their striking character and attire. During Caterina’s visit to a Turkish bath in Vilnius or when she enters the Radziwiłł palace, the evocative writing was highly effective for transporting the reader into the world of 16th century Lithuania.

P.K. Adams can also be praised for crafting mood, one that is pregnant with danger and gloom. The insidious shadow of death permeates, even beyond the murders that Caterina is called upon to solve in Vilnius. There is first, the memory of the young murderess, Helena Lipińska, who met an unjust fate in the first novel. While her tragic end plagues Caterina with guilt, it is Bona Sforza’s lady-in-waiting, Lucrezia, who seems more affected by it, and whose spiritual decay seems to progress throughout the story.  Emerging through Caterina’s investigation, is the foreshadowing of Queen Bona’s future murder and her betrayal by a court subject twelve years later.  

Jan Matejko's Poisoning of Queen Bona

The novel seems to remind the reader of impending and inevitable death, whether spiritual or physical. In this, the author employs a haunting metaphor – Queen Bona had received five desert camels as a gift but kept them in a tight pen in a cold environment where such animals do not thrive. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that two of the camels have perished, leaving only three who appear desperately ill already. After seeing the animals, Caterina makes an allusion to Queen Bona’s unbending will and her denial of the forces of nature: “there is no cheating nature, no taming its laws. In the end, nature always prevails.”  Proving her right, at the end of the novel, only two camels remain.  Meanwhile Lucrezia is herself more sickly looking than ever, a hint that like the camels, it is only just a matter of time until her soul finally breaks. And last, Queen Bona, as history would have it, could not escape her own murder. 

A highly recommended, satisfying mystery, Midnight Fire is out on 6 October 2020. 

Review: Silent Water by P.K. Adams

Set in the depths of winter, during the Polish Golden Age at the time of the Jagiellonian dynasty, Silent Water is a deeply satisfying and engrossing historical mystery.

Often stellar plots are those that are simple, but richly executed, with penetrating human insights and unforgettable sets. Silent Water falls in this category. The narration is in first person with a tone that often borders on the melancholic, hinting to the tragedies that will soon be revealed.

Newly arrived in Poland, Contessa Caterina Sanseverino is part of Queen Bona Sforza's entourage.  Bringing with her the fashions and social mores of her native Italy, Queen Bona has married King Zygmont I, ruler of Poland and Lithuania.

Wawel Royal Palace, Kraków

Through Caterina's eyes and voice, we are transported to 16th century Kraków in the Wawel Royal Castle.  As Lady of the Queen's Chamber, to her falls the overwhelming responsibility of safeguarding the honour and righteousness of the other ladies of the court - ladies of both Italian and Polish origin. Not an easy task when Lucrezia Alifio is an inveterate flirt, Magdalena Górka is no better, and who knows what the flamed-head Helena Lipińska is up to.

Through Caterina, we learn of the fascinating political climate of the period, and meet wonderfully described characters including the womanising diplomat, Jan Dantyszek. The intrigues at court make for great entertainment and the author has deftly incorporated her knowledge of the culture into the narrative.  One highlight for me was the grand sleigh rides or sanna, on the day before New Year's Eve.

Sanna by Wasilewski Czesław

But over the course of feasting and the traditional celebrations that unravel during Christmas, New Year and the Epiphany, one by one, a series of grizzly murders will rock the royal palace.  Suspicions fly, political conspiracies are on the rise, gossip is ever rampant, a suspect is arrested, and more and more, Caterina is convinced that the imprisoned suspect is innocent. She has her own ideas.

A natural sleuth, Caterina finds herself the primary detective in this series of murders that soon reaches its chilling climax with a suspenseful, Gothic sequence.  For many readers who may guess the 'who' along the way, the conclusion offers satisfaction around the 'how' and the 'why', while posing new and haunting moral questions. 

The female gaze dominates this novel. It is a gaze imbued with the morality and social concerns of the period. Caterina is an observant woman who misses nothing of her charges' flirtations and social games. At least, she believes she has missed nothing. And that is her tragedy.

The author vividly paints the Kraków courtiers together with their costumes and clubs; there is mention of Italian artists invited by the Queen,  Polish writers and academics, including the now famous physicist, Nicolaus Copernicus. It was fascinating to learn just how much influence Italian art and architecture had on Poland at the time of Bona Sforza.

Bona Sforza

The book's portrait of a determined queen was faithful to history. I enjoyed learning about her proposed agricultural reforms and was astounded by her willpower in taking on the remnant Teutonic Order.

The Jagiellonian dynasty is not as well known as the English Tudors or the French Bourbons. Its first ruler, Władysław II Jagiełło - Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland by marriage - defeated the German Teutonic Knights in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald. It is a pity that there are not many authors with the courage to create stories in this unexplored landscape. We are thankful to P.K. Adams.

Battle of Grunwald by Jan Matejko  (1878)

What is worth noting is that Poland is not just underrepresented in historical fiction; its recent economic growth (it is now the 7th largest economy in the EU) has gone unreported despite it being touted by the World Bank as a new "Golden Age".  Personally upon reading Silent Water, I was eager to visit Poland if only to step back in time to that first Golden Age.

I will be looking forward to that, and to the other two books in this series.

Review: Sultana - The Pomegranate Tree by Lisa J. Yarde

For those with an interest in Spain’s history and who have visited the magnificent Moorish city of Granada, Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree is a must read. It is a compelling and meticulously researched novel that deserves attention.

This is the story of the last queen of Granada, Aisha al-Hurra, the very woman whose son surrendered to the Christian alliance led by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile; the Moorish ruler, who you may have heard, told her son, “Do not weep like a woman for what you could not defend like a man.”

The Alhambra, 1999 visit

When I read this quote many years ago, while exploring the wonders of the Granada palace, I longed to learn more about the plight of the kingdom in its last days. Who was this powerful Aisha who spoke so reproachfully to her son? What was her story? I wished that more had been written about this strong woman in the same way the life of her political nemesis, Queen Isabella, had been covered with great detail. This novel answered my wishes and much more.

Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree traces the journey of a wilful and ambitious Sultana, a descendant of the Nasrid dynasty, and her ascent to power as Queen of the Kingdom of Garnatah – or Granada, through marital alliances. From a young age, Aisha demonstrates an innate mastery of political intrigue, an unflinching sense of duty and a profound love of the kingdom. Watching her evolve through the key historical events leading to the fall of Granada is fascinating, and provides a rare glimpse into the lives of Granada’s rulers in that period. The novel is a well-executed biography.

The Slaying of the Abencerrajes

Painting by Mariano Fortuny, 1870

                                    

Without revealing too much of the plot, Aisha will face dramatic upheavals in her life, and extricate herself from numerous dangers within the palace and beyond. As a character she was well-rounded and likable, allowing the reader to feel each moment. One particular scene had me gutted, and its aftermath, which dealt with the combined feelings of loss, mourning and revenge, were well-treated. The intrigue around Aisha’s twin sister, Fatimah, the tragic story of Aisha’s mother and the engaging romance with Aisha’s first husband were all fascinating.

The banquet scene, which saw the nobles of the Abencerraje family massacred by Muley Hacén, unravelled with great suspense, and would make a fantastic film sequence.

The treatment around Aisha’s real life rival, Isabel de Solis was complex, with a highly satisfying twist. Due to the aura of mystery around de Solis, she became my favorite character. Second place would go to Aisha’s second husband and ruler of Granada, Muley Hacén, who is entirely believable in his romantic and historical behavior.

So much to admire about this beautifully crafted novel. Attention to historical detail is outstanding. The prose and dialogue are evocative and cinematic. Anyone who reads historical fiction for the pleasure of being swept away into others worlds will not be disappointed – the novel paints Moorish Spain with a creative flair that is both enchanting and historically informative.

Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree is a penultimate novel in a mind blowing series of six. Its plot concludes in the year 1482, the year before Aisha engineers her son’s ascent to the throne, leaving no doubt that the final book deals with this and more, culminating in the climatic surrender of Granada.

The Sultana series no doubt crown this trailblazing author as an unsurpassed master for this unique period of history. Thank you, Lisa J. Yarde.



Want more from this author? You can find a past interview with Lisa J. Yarde here.

Review: The Embroiderer by Kathryn Gauci

James Michener, one of my favorite authors, could have written a tale set in an Ottoman world, for he was fond of complex human identities. He even spoke of mixed ethnicities, for which he coined the term Golden Men in his best-selling novel, Hawaii.

Kathryn Gauci's The Embroiderer has much of the Golden Men in it - but here though, we should speak of Golden Women. Eleni Stephenson, the first woman we meet in the novel, is after all an impressive blend of Greek, French, Russian and English. Meanwhile, her Greek heritage bears an undeniable Ottoman influence.

James Michener never wrote The Embroiderer. But he could have. It is perfect.

A vivid, cinematic tale, The Embroiderer is a richly woven family saga beginning during the Ottoman Empire through to its downfall and ending in the 70s. On the light side, it is a tale that travellers and those who seek culture, and oriental history will love. But it is also a tale of love, survival, loss, revenge, and the search for one's identity. It unravels the lives of four passionate women: Eleni Stephenson, her aunt, Maria, her grandmother, Sophia, and her great-great-grandmother, Dimitra.

Most of the story centers on the talented and shrewd Sophia who lives in the cosmopolitan Smyrna (modern day Izmir) during the early 20th century. Following in the footsteps of her embroiderer grandmother, Dimitra, Sophia runs a successful fashion boutique catering to an elite clientele, both Turkish and Greek. In a world where both Greeks and Turks have over centuries, inherited deeply felt resentments, Sophia becomes swept up in a complex and dangerous political climate, spanning the Balkan Wars, the Great Fire of Smyrna, the genocidal crimes that pitted Turks against Greeks and Armenians, and the dramatic emigration of Greeks from Turkey to Athens.

Through Sophia's life, we meet a vast cast of touching and fascinating characters. Even the minor characters are so well-portrayed that their fate keeps the reader interested.

Both Dimitra and Maria were intriguing to me. Dimitra was my favorite character because of her enigmatic and old world quality. As for Maria, given the hostility and romantic disappointments she had to face in her life and her desire to be loved and admired, I thought that her psychology was well-executed.

The Embroiderer was a fantastic, entertaining read with much depth. There is never a moment where the story loses momentum or wavers. There are two mysteries to keep one reading - what happened to the baby we learn of in the first chapter? And will the fortune-teller's prediction come true and how? Yet even without those two questions, the reader is enthralled by this hybrid Ottoman-Balkan world of romance, glamour, espionage, political turmoil and family drama.

When dealing with the political, The Embroiderer offered a well-balanced view of both Greek and Turkish sides, never judging or aligning itself to an ideology. It was more focused on the theme of revenge. Revenge is explored both at the individual level and on a mass social level. Both times it is portrayed as senseless, a series of actions that reap no rewards. The rich quote that accompanies this theme opens the story, and resurfaces later, where it makes a high impact.

Smyrna by Ahmet Ziya Akbulut

I learned so much from this novel. After reading it, my mind wandered to Smyrna and what it must have looked like before the Great Fire. I read up about the great famine that overtook Greece during World War II - a part of history I ignored and which this story touches on. The author's knowledge of the secret societies was intriguing while the historical detail on the whole was exceptional without being overwhelming or tedious.

Kathryn Gauci is a gifted storyteller whose passion for her subject showed. I am ever grateful that she has penned this masterful tale. Some stories change you. This is one of those.

Turkish Cafe in Smyrna 

by Johann Michael Wittmer the younger

Review: Falling Pomegranate Seeds by Wendy J. Dunn

They say good writers are those who can reach the reader's heart. Wendy J Dunn possesses this gift. Few novels have moved me to tears. Hugo's Les Misérables is one of them. The last time I cried was after reading Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Marina.

Falling Pomegranate Seeds achieved to do the same.

Set in Spain at the time of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand's reign, and covering key historical events, from the fall of Granada, Christopher Columbus' funding and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, Falling Pomegranate Seeds is a touching account of Catherine of Aragon's childhood told from the perspective of her educator, Beatriz Galindo. A scholar, and one of the most educated women of this period, Beatriz is tutor for the family and advisor to the Queen. The novel ends as Catherine - Catalina, as she is called in her home country - departs for England to be wedded for the first time, leaving the reader eager for the novel's sequel.

The novel is an intimate journey into the heart of the House of Trastámara, recounting its joys, conflicts and sorrows. We are there, in their bedroom, their hidden world. We feel what they feel. The novel unfolds with beauty, its descriptive passages artfully woven rendering each scene as vivid as though it were a painting.

There is no mistaking the emotional trauma suffered by this fascinating royal family and Wendy's superb writing plucks at every heart string and unravels every secret. On two counts we witness marriage and romantic love thwarted by betrayal and then tragic loss. The selfish and scheming, King Ferdinand, tormented by his more powerful wife, is also a lustful beast. Queen Isabel, burdened by royal duty is at once frightening in her determination against Jews but also pitiful in her recurring mother's loss. Princess Joanna's relationship with her father speaks of abuse and dysfunction. It is a disturbing dynamic which, for those aware of Joanna's future fate, remains psychologically satisfying. We also see the seeds of Catalina's religious piety and her inner strength.

Characters are revealed in all their complexities and inner conflicts as when Catalina unveils her father's true motives and temporarily despises him only to cherish him later. But most of all, it is Juan who, at least for me, steals the light. The young prince - a poet, free-spirit and gentle soul who was never to be king, is captivating and utterly lovable. It is he who had me weeping.

Doña Beatriz de Galindo

Falling Pomegranate Seeds is also the story of humanist and writer, Beatriz Galindo who for years suffers torment at the hands of the King and conceals her secret from the Queen for fear of losing her employment with the family she has learned to love.

Falling Pomegranate Seeds is well researched, but its historical details are carefully chosen while its creative liberties only make the novel more enjoyable, letting the reader speculate over truth. Through Catalina's schooling and the reflections of Beatriz, the novel also explores the literature and thinking of the period and achieves to paint Beatriz as a profound and intelligent woman.

But feeling remains the motor for this novel. There are passages that will remain with me always. I wait eagerly for the other books in the series and recommend this book highly for Tudor fans with a genuine interest in Catherine of Aragon's life.

The trial of Catherine of Aragon

Maybe in Wendy J. Dunn's future books...