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Permalink Reply by Beck Valley Books Blog on
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Book Review
VIII by H M Casto
About the Author
H. M. Castor has been obsessed with the Tudors since primary school. She studied
Tudor History at Cambridge University, and despite spending time after that
doing a variety of jobs - including teaching English in Prague. The Tudors have
never lost their hold on her. In particular she has been fascinated by the story
of Henry VIII. I've read a great deal about his life,A" she says, but still a
huge question has remained: just how does this extraordinary boy become one of
the most villainous kings in British history? He is hugely talented, has
astonishing warrior skills, and is said to be a model of virtue. So what turns
him into a monster? In writing VIII I've set out to answer that question.A" H.
M. Castor has written many younger fiction and non fiction titles for
HarperCollins, A&C Black, Carlton, Puffin and Usborne. VIII is her first
novel for teenagers. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters.
Book Description
Destined for greatness; tormented by demons… VIII is the story of Hal: a young,
handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people.
But he is tormented by the ghosts of his family's violent past and, once he
rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII. The
Tudors have always captured the popular imagination. In VIII, Henry is presented
afresh for a new generation of teenage readers.
Book Review
A descriptive and historical novel that not only kept me wanting to read it but it also taught me a lot more about one of our most famous monarchs. The author writes as if she is Henry VIII himself, giving you a great insight into how his life was shaped for him, by the neglect of his father and the love from his mother.
His early life was always full of conflict between love and hate, but more importantly his belief in the prophecy and demons that haunted him. Reading the novel you feel as if you are in the court and you can actually visualise the young king learning his trade, by watching him drawing the longbow, practising his jousting and seeking appreciation and love from all of those around him. The trials and tribulations that faced him as his older brother was killed and the way that he was treated, shows how and why he reacted when he became King Henry VIII.
Although classed as a book for teenagers, I found it a must read for all royalists and people interested in the Tudor period. Anyone who wants to try and explain this king to their children, will definitely benefit from this. Really enjoyed reading this book.
Our rating
More information can be found here: http://www.templarco.co.uk/fiction/index.htm -
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Fantastic Gift for the Kids
The Jack Christie books are an action series for 10 to 14 year olds (and many
adults!) which have a time travel theme involving modern teenagers in real
historical events (e.g. the assassination in Sarajevo in 1914, the Battle of
Britain and defeat of France in 1940, Elizabethan England and the Armada in
1588). This backdrop is used to explore 'turning points' in history'.
Meet the Author
Johnny O’Brien was born in Edinburgh and studied history at Cambridge
University. He got the idea for the Jack Christie Adventures when he
came across his grandfather’s medals from World War I. He lives in Surrey,
England, with his family.
http://www.jackchristieadventures.com/
Check out the Facebook Site
Book Reviews
Imagine finding out that your school and the village you live in, is being protected by Secret Agents. Why? Because it has a time machine in it. There are two forces at work - one called VIGIL, who have to not only protect the machine but also history as it stands and the second - Revisionists, who want to go back in time and change the course of history. building a rival time machine, TAURAS.
DAY OF THE ASSASSINS - Book 1
In the first instalment, Jack and his friend Angus not only discover the time machine, they are transported back to 1914, to try and stop the assassination of the Archduke Franz Joseph and therefore stopping World War I and changing the course of history. Jack discovers on the trip why his dad left him - he is working for the revisionists. On the trip Jack realises that he needs to make a decision - does he stop the assassination and change not only history but his own existence, or does he let the assassination happen?
Our Rating
DAY OF DELIVERANCE - Book 2
In the second instalment Jack and Angus are transported back to 1587 as the revisionists are going to kill Queen Elizabeth I, in order for the Spanish Armada to defeat England and rule the world thus averting England's dominance over the rest of the world, which eventually leads up to the unrest and revolutions throughout Europe. Facing sea battles, sword fights and working as undercover agents to survive. With the Queen on edge and suspecting everyone being a spy, Jack and Angus not only have to fight the revisionists but also for their life. Can they save the Queen and themselves?
Our Rating
.5
DAY OF VENGEANCE - Book 3
The year is 1940, Jack and Angus have to escape their school through the time machine as the revisionists have broken into the school and the Vigil security agency in order to try and take control the time machine. They arrive in Paris and are captured by the secret army to protect them from the Nazis. Soon after realising that the secret army and the revisionists plan to assassinate Hitler. Do they let Hitler be assassinated or not? During this instalment Jack finds out what his dad has been fighting for and why he left him as a young child. Do Jack and Angus survive? Are they Rescued? Or is history changed forever?
Our Rating
Overall Thoughts
Exciting, enthralling adventures., X-box meets HG Wells. Re-enacting what they have learnt in the computer game as they are transported into earlier times. The author provides a great journey through history which will hopefully provoke a genuine interest in major events that have shaped the world as it is, including the secrecy and betrayal of Elizabethan England and the hatred and injustice of Hitlers reign. -
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BloggerPermalink Reply by Nikki-ann on -
Velvet by Mary Hooper
Velvet is an orphan. With nobody else to care for her, Velvet must get on with life and that means doing exhausting and back-breaking work in a steam laundry, struggling to make ends meet.
Just when she thinks she’s lost not only her parents but the very job that’s keeping her from the workhouse, Velvet’s life is turned around by Madame Savoya, a famous medium. Brought to live in a grand London house and given elegant clothes to wear, Velvet enters the mysterious world of a spiritual medium.
However, Velvet soon begins to realise that her new life and that of her new employer is not quite all that it seems. And her realisation could put her own life in danger…….
Read the rest of my review at http://notesoflife.co.uk/2011/11/velvet-the-review/
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Permalink Reply by Stefan Fergus on -
New review: THE RED DUKE by CL Werner (Black Library) - interesting horror/vampire fantasy, set in the Warhammer world.
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Permalink Reply by Gina on -
NOW at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers....
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The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak - Southern literature reminiscent of that infamous work by one Harper Lee....
REVIEW: http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com/2011/11/cailiffs-of-baghdad-g...Happy reading!
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Permalink Reply by Vicki on -
Read my review of "Bonjour 40" by Karen A. Chase
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AuthorPermalink Reply by Sammy Sutton on -
Sammy's Review: The Fire in Fiction By Donald Maass
Writers and authors, I highly recommend this guide. It is simply an invaluable tool. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I give this guide a 6 star review.
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BloggerPermalink Reply by The Girl from the Ghetto on -
Check out my latested featured item in my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide--Your Life in Comics by Bill Zimmerman. http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/your-life-in-...
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Permalink Reply by Stefan Fergus on
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New interview: HOWARD ANDREW JONES, author of The Desert of Souls (Thomas Dunne) - fantasy with an Arabian Nights flavour.
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