Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite

As “Book of Pawns” begins, Sir Guy of Gisborne is accompanying Lady Ysabel back to her home in Moncrieff after her mother’s death. This would be a long and adventurous journey throwing Gisborne and Ysabel closely together, forcing a difficult, unwanted relationship between the two of them. Gisborne was a complex, difficult man, not always to be trusted but that didn’t stop the strong physical attraction of passion and lust between the two of them. Wow, this book captured me in the beginning and I was engulfed in its pages until the very end. A true thrilling page turner with characters that will surely keep you on your toes. I enjoyed the visit to the Twelfth century England and the wonderful details and vivid descriptions of the area as well as the life and times of that era. The more I read, the more I really liked Ysabel. Upon returning home, she had to face the reality of her mother’s death and the ruins of her father, which she had only just learned about. And as if that is not enough, Yeabel’s personal life was anything but happy, a devastating marriage to a horrible man, all of the difficult and heart-wrenching things she had to endure, not at all what she hoped life would be for her.

Prue Batten’s “Gisborne: Book of Pawns” is for sure Guy of Gisborne without Robin Hood, without the Sheriff of Nottingham and without Maid Marian. A twisted and enticing tale that you will not want to end, this story will stay with you for a while after you read the last page. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this enticing book to read and enjoy for yourself. This is a book you will be happy you read!

Reviewed by Alice Recker for Readers' Favorite

In Pamela Atherstone's novel ". . . Like Footprints in the Wind" the saga of a family torn apart takes us from unrest in a German-Russian village at the hands of Stalin to their separate destinies. Under Stalin's rule families are uprooted overnight and forced on a journey of unimaginable consequences. Johannes and Katerina pack items they feel can't be left at home and along with their four young children and their two teenage daughters, they begin a trek that ultimately is destined for Siberia. On the treacherous trip Katerina must find a respectable gravesite to bury her baby, Rosina. Eventually they are loaded onto cramped and windowless boxcars and after many days reach their destination. The family is quickly separated and this is the ultimate dagger in the hearts of each of them. Only one daughter is saved and Anya's quest is to find the rest of her family.

Pamela Atherstone's ". . . Like Footprints in the Wind" is a riveting story of a dark phase in history few of us recall. She has the unique ability to tell the tale of the dislocation of German-Russian families in a way that brings home the cruelty of leaders toward their own people. The family Atherstone depicts is like any loving and hard-working family. Their individual destinations end the similarities. Atherstone's talent for telling a story brings the reader to admire the unusual way this particular family learns to cope and the realization of how many others endured unspeakable hardships. My hope is Pamela Atherstone continues her stories to both enlighten and to entertain us all. I look forward to more books coming from this author.

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Elderly Bobby Valentine has his daughter drive him back into the Spanish section of Queens. They park and eat lunch at a cafe which features Italian food and Bobby remembers when a long ago time this cafe was the Starlight Club where Mafia "made" Yip and Red were the owners and ran their illegal businesses out of back private rooms. Yip and Red take really good care of their loyal followers, rewarding Trenchie for his unjust ten years in prison with a restaurant of his own, even letting the young meat deliverer, Bobby Valentine, place discreet bets while they lent him money that he needed for his family. Colorful unforgettable characters pass through these pages like Jimmy the Hat, a handsome hitman who actually succeeds as a movie star. Violence is the norm with rival Mafia organizations like the Gallos and the Profacis looking to move in on Yip's territory. Those were the days.

"The Starlight Club" is an enjoyable, well-written and well-edited book that tells accurately how, decades ago, the Italian Mafia were kings, with connections in politics, police and even Hollywood. Character portrayal is first-rate and the reader will come to appreciate, if not love, Yip, Red, Trenchie, Joey Gallo and the many other "wise guys". Author Joe Corso has created a memorable look into a world long gone as the streets of our country now see not just the Mafia but gangs from countries all over the world. The Prologue and Epilogue with Bobby Valentine looking back on his life as a young man are effective in telling the story. Finally, the plot moves smoothly, if rather violently, to its conclusion making "The Starlight Club" a must read for mystery and Mafia history lovers everywhere.

Reviewed by Jorja Davis for Readers' Favorite

Craig Ridgway leaves his well-educated home at the age of fifteen because he cannot imagine being in school another year. He moves from Philadelphia to Lancaster where he apprentices himself to the master-gunsmith Jakob Wetzel. When Jakob dies in January 1811, twenty-one year-old Craig loses his mentor. Grieving Wetzel’s death and the end of his job and his home, he decides to move west to Pittsburgh. There he stokes coal in one of the town’s new foundries. Craig needs the wide open spaces he fell in love with as he made his way over the mountains of Pennsylvania in the snows of January. He moves on down to the Ohio River to the rich farmlands of Kentucky. He disembarks at Widder’s Landing, deathly ill with pneumonia. The Widder nurses him back to health, extracting his promise to continue through the planting and harvesting seasons. So starts ten months of back-breaking labor. Craig has much to glean from one of Cottonwood Bend’s infamous outcasts. He can do little more than notice Mary, the beautiful daughter of the neighbor whom the Widder curses. Farming suits his restless spirit. Mary Catherine McDonnell suits his tender spirit. Life and love rest on a few hundred acres on the edge of the Ohio River. Setting the life and love on the Kentucky frontier in the years 1811 to 1815 provides a good window into the American history of the period. The years of initial statehood for Kentucky, the Comet of 1811, the New Madrid Earthquakes, and the War of 1812 provide the backdrop where Craig wins and loses and hopes to win again. In the process, he grows to love the land and its people. The small town of Cottonwood Bend bears intentional resemblance to the small town of Cloverport in Breckinridge County.

Price’s vivid descriptions draw on all the senses and paint a vivid picture of a vivid time. His characters are all unique and will continue with the reader long after the 568 pages have flown by, like the great flocks of geese and passenger pigeons that show the change of seasons on this edge of the frontier. The characterizations are all well-rounded as the author develops them in the ways they relate to one another, and to the times in which they live. Eddie Price’s love of history and the scope of his research will make the reader want Price to have been their history teacher when they studied the Great Westward Expansion, the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, crops of Kentucky, and the mighty river systems that were the first roadways of America. Starting with a real farmhouse built in 1802 on the western edge of Breckinridge County, Price helps us visualize, taste, smell, hear and feel “What stories this old house could tell!” His research is well-grounded and presented in the Introduction and Acknowledgments. This book makes history come alive. Readers will match Price’s book with renowned epic novels like Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth, Morgan Llywelyn’s Brian Boru, or Mary Renault’s epic historical novels of the 1960’s. The reader will come away not only with a book they will need to share and read again, but one that will stand the test of time, and teach more history than one could understand any other way.

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

"Scent of Triumph" is a well-written novel that captures the drama of World War II and the people who lived and loved back in those threatening years. The main character Danielle Bretancourt has been raised in Paris as the daughter of a Jewish mother and Catholic father. Her marriage to a much older German aristocrat, Max, has produced a son, Nicky, and, shortly into the story, a daughter named Jasmin after one of the floral scents that the Bretancourt family uses to make perfumes in their home in the south of France. Max fights against the Nazis who are ruining his beloved homeland and Nicky is stranded in Poland with his grandmother Sofia. Surrounded by death and horror, Danielle takes Jasmin, her niece Liliana and her shell-shocked mother, Marie, who has also witnessed death, and flees to America and to Los Angeles where they are impoverished but free from war's harm. Can Danielle survive the horrors she has witnessed? And where does Jon Newell-Gray fit into her complicated life?

Jan Moran has created a novel of a young woman's triumphs after numerous setbacks and missteps that will recall the writings of Danielle Steele and Barbara Taylor Bradford. Danielle, her husband Max von Hoffman and addicted but charming Cameron Murphy, her true love Jon Newell-Gray, her family and friends like Abigail Newell-Gray and Lou Silverman are believable and seem real products of those wartime years. The plot line moves with resolvable twists and turns to the story's happy ending. I am sure "Scent of Triumph" will be a popular book for readers everywhere to place on their "must-read" lists.

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

"The Year of the Horsetails" was first published in 1967. It is a brilliant historical novel that is most probably set in the vast Eurasian steppe, during the early Dark Ages, or late Middle Ages. The novel unfolds as Bardiya, a Saka tribesman, escapes from the feared Tugar army. He encounters some members of the Drevich tribe, in the rugged steppe landscape, and ends up living with them. Subsequently, he falls in love with Marissa, a beautiful tribeswoman. Under the threat of invasion from the dreaded Tugars, Bardiya trains the pastoral Drevich tribe in war techniques that he learned from the Tugars themselves. He has been a soldier in the Tugar army and was sentenced to death for desertion when he escaped. The description of the battle between the mighty army of the Tugars and the peace loving Drevich tribe is certainly the highlight of this novel.

Written by R. F. Tapsell, "The Year of the Horsetails" is a historical fiction novel that surely belongs to the list of timeless classics. There has been a lot of speculation about the time frame of this story and it is believed to be between 406 AD and 1162 AD, which is between the birth of Atilla the Hun and the rise of Genghis Khan. Those were interesting times when ancient warfare was perfected by great warriors. The author's amazing description of the steppe landscape and the battle scenes can bring the reader back to these interesting times. The plot of the story may not be that original but the author's descriptive style is nothing short of brilliant. There is no doubt that R. F. Tapsell is a gifted writer with a rich imagination, as he brings the reader to a time when survival and victory almost always belong to the strongest tribes. This is a book that not only provides the reader with important lessons in history, it is also a highly entertaining read.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

In “Blood Shinobi” Edmund Kolbusz tells the story of a boy called Naki. He is the only survivor of an attack on his home village. The attack was ordered by Oda Nobunaga and the young boy swore revenge. He would not rest until Nobunaga would die at his hand. As the story progresses, he often comes close to his goal; however, he has to learn that you often will only succeed if you also can show patience and wait for the right moment – but can he wait? Naki has to learn a lot and slowly turns into a more responsible young man – mainly because he meets people who help him along that way, for example, the beautiful Sai, the daughter of a Ninja Chunin. While staying with her family, he learns more about his past and discovers a truth that explains a lot about his life.

“Blood Shinobi” uses many events in Japanese history to tell the story and moves the characters in those events without compromising actual history too much. I chose the book because I love Japanese history and novels that use it as a background without ruining it. Edmund Kolbusz is one of the authors who manage to combine fiction with history. You could almost believe that Naki really existed – and who knows, there might have been a boy just like him. The story is well written even though some events are a bit predictable but they are balanced by some that are quite a surprise. The number of characters is just right and they all have believable motivations and background stories. If you know a few things about Japanese history, some of the events will ring a bell and characters like Oda Nobunaga will be familiar to you. If you don't know much about Japan and its history or culture, then some things might be a bit confusing for you and there might be a few terms that are unfamiliar but it shouldn't have too much of a side-effect on your enjoyment of the story. I certainly enjoyed it a lot!

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

This is an entertaining, occasionally humorous and always delightful story of Galveston, Texas, in 1900. Before the Great Hurricane of that year tore this coastal city to shreds, Galveston was an elegant place to live and thrive, at least it was if a family was wealthy. But the author introduces the reader to the alley people of Galveston, the misfits, the blacks, the prostitutes, the nuns and the ninety orphans in their care. These people, Maxwell, Newt, disgraced Dr. Frank the vet and his raccoon Lucy, Fanny and her son Cody, Bishop, Elma and their three children, Sisters Ruby and Mary, Marbles and Burly Horse are delightful, believable and not totally perfect people who struggle daily against racism, prejudice, and the poverty to which they were consigned. Maxwell, one of the main characters, takes a stand against the corruption and greed of those in power in Galveston, and learns that his love of long ago wasn't quite as honorable as he thought. The people of Galveston's alley are beaten up, shot at, whipped, raped, and are forced to endure terrible things but they show their bravery and their frontier spirit when the Great Hurricane of 1900 struck without mercy.

"The Last Paradise" is a brilliant story of what life was like in the South in 1900 with the prejudice, the racism and the indifference to poverty that existed quite clearly back then. It is well-written and well-edited with characters that are totally believable and true to them throughout the entire story. The plot flows to the end of the book with moments of glory and also of horror. Maxwell and Fanny find love, Newt discovers he loves the local Catholic orphanage and cannot do enough to help, and Burly Horse and Marbles are deficient mentally but abound in love for those around them. The reader will love them all, but hate the bad guys, and will rejoice in their sorrows and celebrate their good times. "The Last Paradise" is a book to be remembered. It teaches the history of Galveston, Texas, in an unforgettable period of time but in a readable way that the reader will not soon forget. A book for everyone!

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Readers' Favorite

William Wordsworth wrote five poems inspired by a young woman named Lucy. Scholars have long speculated as to the identity of Lucy. Was she real? Could she have been a fantasy of William’s imagination? "William and Lucy" is a fictional work speculating on the identity and relationship of Lucy and William. Author Michael Brown used the clues provided in Wordsworth's poetry to piece together the fragments of the mystery, such as the location of Somerset. Michael Brown’s romantic tale is set in 1798 during a time of war between England and France. When we meet William Wordsworth it is a time of turmoil in his life. He seems to lack the inspiration to write, the crown suspects he is a spy for France, his landlord is evicting him, and his inheritance is tied up in the courts.

William is twenty-eight when he meets seventeen year old Lucy Sims. The two young people are drawn to each other. In Brown’s version of the myth, Lucy is a governess, plagued by her employer's unwanted advances, who eventually forces himself on young Lucy. The mistress of the home is angered and accuses Lucy of theft. The drama continues as William faces poverty, treason, and the threat of death by hanging.

Michael Brown is a brilliant author, whose style reminds me of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austin. He allows the plot to form at its own pace and never attempts to lighten the desperation of the era. Brown brings depth and dimension to both the characters and the plot. There is an atmosphere of romance as well as a sense of desperation in the relationship of the characters. Wordsworth’s art was devalued in his lifetime; however, I suspect that will not happen with the works of author Michael Brown.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

"The Other Alexander: Book One of The Bow of Heaven" was written by Andrew Levkoff. This is a historical novel with a touch of romance, mystery, suspense and intrigue. The setting is 20BCE, Siphnos, Greece. Alexander was taken captive and given to Crassus. Alexander faces the many humiliations that come with the role of a slave. The former Greek philosophy student was intelligent and compassionate; he came to terms with his plight and came to care for his master. The master’s house was filled with intrigue and murder. Alexander had a difficult decision to make and either way he could be the one to pay the price. Levkoff draws on an actual person in his account. I was curious about the “real” Crassus and did a little research. Marcus Lionius Crassus was a Roman General and a politician. He was famous for his role in the Battle of the Colline Gate. Crassus crushed the slave rebellion that was led by Spartacus. He also financed Julius Caesar. The author has created a multilayered character in Crassus. This tale is told from Alexander’s point of view giving the reader a unique opportunity to see the real nature of the great emperor.

Levkoff is an expert at character development. I found the bits of Greek life fascinating. The author utilizes philosophy and history throughout this tale. The cast of characters could have gotten out of control but the author wisely stuck with a small group. Levkoff is a very talented author. He has plans for 'The Bow of Heaven' to be a trilogy. If the next two books are as well done as Book 1, Levkoff’s name will soon be rolling off the lips of the fans of historical fiction.