The Master of Verona by David Blixt
This book was a delightful exploration of Medieval Italy, following the adventures of the poet Dante and his children. Set in the city of Verona, the story was full of intrigue and suspense, with mysterious villains and endearing heroes alternately wielding swords and Latin quotations…
I was impressed with the high level of the story’s dramatic appeal; while it did not appear rushed, the narrative was highly riveting. The characters were excellently portrayed and Blixt does a good job of portraying medieval figures in a way that makes them relatable, while retaining elements that allowed me to view them accurately within their historical setting.
I did find that there was some use of modern language, which jarred somewhat with the tone of the work in its historical context, but this was a minor issue that did not occur often enough to detract from the story’s overall splendour.
Highly recommended for those interested in adventure, intrigue and Medieval Italy.
For those looking for strictly clean reads, I would advise that the story contains the occasional crude reference, low level swearing that is Medievalized, and some very brief romantic description. Overall, I thought it was fine...but of course, use your discretion when reading.
A little while ago I finished Hayden Wand's delightful adventure,
Hidden Pearls.
The book is set somewhere between the late 1700s and early 1800s, and (mainly) follows the adventures of Constance Steele, a young woman from a large English family. She and her sister are orphans being raised, along with their cousins, by their grandparents. The book is reminiscent of Jane Austen's work, but has a clear identity and style of its own which makes it by far the best Austen-inspiration I have yet come across.
Hidden Pearls was a delightful read, charming in all aspects.
Charming is indeed the word which springs to mind most prominently when thinking about this story. It is fair to say that I was completely charmed by it; charmed by scoundrelly rogues, noble-hearted gentlemen and dignified (and sometimes undignified) ladies.
The narrative sweeps through a wide range of settings, moving from England to Bermuda, land to sea, from elegant country mansions to cozy town houses. There was an excellently described presentation of period-era families, with a warm setting and nicely-drawn inter-character relationships. I found the pace was reasonably well balanced and the writing was of a high quality.
The themes of Christianity were refreshingly well matched to the story. However, there were a couple of times when their directness came close to seeming out of place in the rest of the story’s setting. This was only a minor note of discordance in an otherwise gripping read.
So, overall, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to those interested in good, clean, but by no means simple romances, families, lost identities, and the soul-feeding themes of honour, truth, self-discovery and faith.
What detains you, good reader? Go forth and purchase Hidden Pearls at once…!