Historical Fiction

CJ Wray’s (pseudonym for Christine Manby) The Excitements is a textbook case of a publishing firm doing a fantastic job of marketing and writing a synopsis for a book that is considerably more interesting than the actual book itself. The Excitements has a lot of different elements that feels like they’re going in all different directions with little thematic cohesion or planning. Worse, the actual story is bland, consistently underwhelming (when it’s not being comically unrealistic), and overall poorly crafted. I don’t remember how this ended up on my to-read list (perhaps because it features senior female characters, an accidental trend I’ve been on this year), but I certainly am questioning my past choices and do not recommend this one at all, even if you like cozy historical fiction books. Perhaps it partly on my end for reading too far into the synopsis, but I truly feel like I was betrayed by The Excitement’s marketing that summarizes “Scandal and crime… veterans intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers”. To be frank, the “scandals” and “crimes” are used very loosely here, with the scandal…

This one of those rare books that made me think “how does someone come up with this?” The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a difficult book to describe or categorize due to how many different elements and themes it incorporates, but one thing that is easy to summarize is how ambitious and beautiful V. E. Schwab’s writing is. And by that I don’t mean flowery lyrical language or awe inspiring visuals (which the book does feature at times), but by its poignant pondering and wistfully quiet tone coupled with incredible portrayals of emotions. This is all on top of a wildly creative premise that takes the common plot of an immortal person and devil deal and runs in a completely new direction. I will attempt to review just why I found this book to be brilliant in execution shortly (i personally was in awe of the book despite not necessarily being emotionally attached to it like many other readers were), but know that this is easily one of the most impressive and critically strong books I’ve read since getting back into reading. I initially had mild reservations about the premise on paper considering it vaguely sounded like some other…

The Ministry of Time is an ambitious, creative, and wonderful blend of different genres that could’ve easily ended up as a convoluted misfire if not for Kaliane Bradley’s thoughtful and carefully executed prowess with the various elements involved. Despite the obvious science fiction time-traveling elements, when you strip the story of its otherworldly themes, The Ministry of Time feels like a straight contemporary fiction drama novel that heavily explores the immigrant experience and assimilating into the Western English lifestyle. The five individuals pulled into the 21st century across time is a clear metaphor for the immigrant experience. TLDR, you do not have to be a fan of science fiction to enjoy this book. On a more basic level, The Ministry of Time was a homerun for me with a tone and sophistication I’ve been severely missing in most recent trending booktok novels (not that I would consider this one booktok’s norm). Right from its synopsis, the summary highlights its genre-bending elements well. The Ministry of Time is 100% part historical Fiction due to Commander Graham Gore being a real-life figure who was deemed lost as part of John Franklin’s Lost and tragic 1845 expedition to the arctic. Familiarity with the…

A haunted- or rather “enchanted” house on a private undeveloped island, a mysterious institute tasked with managing said properties in question, a budding and free-spirited writer teaming up with a prim and proper housekeeper; oh and there’s a dangerous magic-stealer on the loose. Charlie Holmberg’s Keeper of Enchanted Rooms has a lot of great elements working for it that should’ve culminated in an enchanted and dreamy experience. Unfortunately for me these pieces weren’t assembled in the most effective manner which made the overall reading experience feel underwhelming and a missed opportunity. With its diverse plot threads, the Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a lot of things. Taking place in New England in 1846, it’s sort of a historical fiction novel (more on that below) with a fantasy and magical theme. However in actuality, the story is better described as a cozy fantasy of sorts; I’m not sure how to describe it beyond being slow-paced and comfortable. The fantasy elements are beyond magical realism, the romance isn’t strong enough to be considered romantasy yet the magic is not development enough to be pure or hard fantasy. The book feels like it’s intended as an adult novel due to the age of…

Tom Hazard has been alive for four hundred and thirty nine years and over the course of history has spent many of them caught up in the past, protecting himself and loved ones from potential harm in the future, all while rarely truly living in the present. How to Stop Time is a unique read that presents the reader vignettes across Tom’s life (sometimes in and out of chronological order) loosely divided between five arcs that each focus on a particular theme and state of his life. While there are a lot of fun cameo appearances by famous historical figures that pop-up in the narrative (my personal favorite is William Shakespeare, I wish I was more cultured to have appreciated other cameos more), most of the bulk content involves Tom in a state of existential crisis. The overall story reminded me a lot of the 2015 movie Age of Adeline in concept while executed in a more introspective manner. While Age of Adeline was firmly focused on a romance drama, How to Stop Time’s romance serves more as a foundation and event pushes Tom to be the person that he is… hundreds of years later. This is first and foremost…