Read my #BookReview of Kingfisher (The Kingfisher Series, Book One) by D. K. Marley #HistoricalFiction #TimeTravel @histficchickie @maryanneyarde

 

 

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 Magic and madness. Delusions and enlightenment. A story passed down. A story lived. We all know that bards, before the invention of the biro, wandered from one village to the next telling stories, but did you know that also travelled through time? Kingfisher is a vibrant and refreshing retelling of the Arthurian story from the Lady of the Lake's perspective.

This novel really ticked all of the boxes. The author has created a believable world, relatable characters and storyline that was utterly engrossing. As I was reading, I thought this book would make a fabulous movie; it is a cross between Game of Thrones, The Witcher and Merlin (although perhaps a more grown-up version of the latter). Once I started this novel I knew that it was going to be difficult to put it down.

The story is incredibly appealing, especially if you love quality fantasy. At times it felt like I was living the story, rather than reading it. Everything is depicted with such clarity. I loved the way the author wove the legends into the story, but she also kept the authenticity of this historical setting as well.

I thought this book was brilliant and I cannot wait to get my hands on Book 2!

 

The past, future, and Excalibur lie in her hands.

 

Wales, 1914. Vala Penrys and her four sisters find solace in their spinster life by story-telling, escaping the chaos of war by dreaming of the romantic days of Camelot. When the war hits close to home, Vala finds love with Taliesin Wren, a mysterious young Welsh Lieutenant, who shows her another world within the tangled roots of a Rowan tree, known to the Druids as ‘the portal’.

 

One night she falls through, and suddenly she is Vivyane, Lady of the Lake – the Kingfisher – in a divided Britain clamoring for a High King. What begins as an innocent pastime becomes the ultimate quest for peace in two worlds full of secrets, and Vala finds herself torn between the love of her life and the salvation of not only her family but of Britain, itself.

 

"It is, at the heart of it, a love story – the love between a man and a woman, between a woman and her country, and between the characters and their fates – but its appeal goes far beyond romance. It is a tale of fate, of power, and, ultimately, of sacrifice for a greater good." - Riana Everly, author of Teaching Eliza and Death of a Clergyman

If you would like to read this click on the book's name - Kingfisher - and it will take you to Amazon. Where you can also read this book for Free if you subscribe to #KindleUnlimited

 

 

D. K. Marley is a Historical Fiction author specializing in Shakespearean adaptations, Tudor era historicals, Colonial American historicals, alternate historicals, and historical time-travel. At a very early age she knew she wanted to be a writer. Inspired by her grandmother, an English Literature teacher, she dove into writing during her teenage years, winning short story awards for two years in local competitions. After setting aside her writing to raise a family and run her graphic design business, White Rabbit Arts, returning to writing became therapy to her after suffering immense tragedy, and she published her first novel “Blood and Ink” in 2018, which went on to win the Bronze Medal for Best Historical Fiction from The Coffee Pot Book Club, and the Silver Medal from the Golden Squirrel Book Awards. Within three years, she has published four more novels (two Shakespearean adaptations, one Colonial American historical, and a historical time travel).

When she is not writing, she is the founder and administrator of The Historical Fiction Club on Facebook, and the CEO of The Historical Fiction Company, a website dedicated to supporting the best in historical fiction for authors and readers. And for fun, she is an avid reader of the genre, loves to draw, is a conceptual photography hobbyist, and is passionate about spending time with her granddaughter. She lives in Middle Georgia U.S.A. with her husband of 35 years, an English Lab named Max, and an adorable Westie named Daisy.

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Read my #BookReview of The Curse of Conchobar―A Prequel to the Adirondack Spirit Series by David Fitz-Gerald #HistoricalFiction @AuthorDAVIDFG @maryanneyarde

 

 

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It seems to be a common occurrence that when an author finishes writing a series, they go back and pen a prequel—it's as if they can't let go of the characters and the world that they have created just yet. I am always a little wary of prequels because sometimes they can be very hit and miss. Some that I have read have complimented the series, but I have read just as many that don't. As I have not read any of the books in The Adirondack Spirit Series I thought the prequel would be a safe bet. Hoping this novel stood alone, I tentatively began to read.

The story is about Conchobar, whose life, thus far, has been thwarted by a terrible curse that he had inherited from his mother. Ironically, the curse had been uttered by his father — what a lovely man he must have been! Anyway, wherever Conchobar goes the curse follows him and bad things happen to the people around him (mostly death). Conchobar knows that he is the cause of so much suffering, but there is seemingly nothing he can do about the curse, and his only option is to live a life of banishment.

There is a lot of story packed into these 171 pages— there is tribal conflict, violent battles, death, love, but also a little hope. The supernatural side of this story was depicted with a nerve-tingling realism and this historical setting has been superbly researched. I really thought this story was great. Now I can not wait to get my hands on the rest of the series. 

 

Banished by one tribe. Condemned by another. Will an outcast's supernatural strengths be enough to keep him alive?

 

549 AD. Raised by monks, Conchobar is committed to a life of obedience and peace. But when his fishing vessel is blown off-course, the young man's relief over surviving the sea's storms is swamped by the terrors of harsh new shores. And after capture by violent natives puts him at death's door, he's stunned when he develops strange telepathic abilities.

 

Learning his new family's language through the mind of his mentor, Conchobar soon falls for the war chief's ferocious daughter. But when she trains him to follow in her path as a fighter, he's horrified when his uncanny misfortune twists reality, causing more disastrous deaths and making him a pariah.

 

Can Conchobar defeat the darkness painting his steps with blood?

 

The Curse of Conchobar is the richly detailed prequel to the mystical Adirondack Spirit Series of historical fiction. If you like inspiring heroes, unsettling powers, and lasting legacies, then you'll love David Fitz-Gerald's captivating tale.

 

Buy The Curse of Conchobar to break free from the fates today!

 

If you would like to read this book then there are several shops where you can purchase the novel. They are as follows:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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Amazon AU

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David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing.

 

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Read my #BookReview of 'Tho I Be Mute by Heather Miller #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @HMHFR @maryanneyarde

 

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‘Tho I Be Mute, as the blurb suggests, is a story that shows how everyone belongs somewhere, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you can speak to those around you, as long as you take the time to stop and listen. I was a little worried that I may not understand this book, for I do not know much about the Cherokee nation and, in my experience, some books demand that you are already an expert on the subject if you want to keep up with the storyline. My concerns were completely unwarranted. This is not the kind of book to cast you adrift in a foreign sea, instead, it draws you closer, sits you down, and explain things to you.

This novel follows three different storylines, and they all tie into each other perfectly. Two of those are the storylines of John Ridge and Sarah Northrup, a Cherokee and a white woman who fall in love, despite the concerns of their families and the criticisms of the general public. The third storyline is that of Clarinda Ridge, over thirty years after John and Sarah’s story starts. Clarinda is a healer, living in the woods with her dog, and she has the knowledge to give the backstory and to explain the eventual outcome of things that Sarah and John would not have known was to happen. Clarinda’s chapters clarified certain aspects of the history that I would have been utterly clueless about without her.

This story is not a fast-paced action that you can get through in an evening, but a book that you have to read slowly and savour. The amount of detailing that has gone into this book makes you slow down, to stop and smell the roses, one might say. This is not a book that you should rush, for it deserves every word to be read and appreciated.

‘Tho I Be Mute is an utterly enthralling novel, and I will be recommending it to everyone!

 

Home. Heritage. Legacy. Legend.

 

In 1818, Cherokee John Ridge seeks a young man’s education at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut. While there, he is overcome with sickness yet finds solace and love with Sarah, the steward’s quiet daughter. Despite a two-year separation, family disapproval, defamatory editorials, and angry mobs, the couple marries in 1824.

Sarah reconciles her new family’s spirituality and her foundational Christianity. Although, Sarah’s nature defies her new family’s indifference to slavery. She befriends Honey, half-Cherokee and half-African, who becomes Sarah’s voice during John’s extended absences.

Once arriving on Cherokee land, John argues to hold the land of the Cherokees and that of his Creek neighbors from encroaching Georgian settlers. His success hinges upon his ability to temper his Cherokee pride with his knowledge of American law. Justice is not guaranteed.

Rich with allusions to Cherokee legends, ‘Tho I Be Mute speaks aloud; some voices are heard, some are ignored, some do not speak at all, compelling readers to listen to the story of a couple who heard the pleas of the Cherokee.

 

 

You can pick up your copy over on Amazon.

 

Heather Miller

 

As an English educator, Heather Miller has spent twenty-three years teaching her students the author’s craft. Now, she is writing it herself, hearing voices from the past.

 

Miller’s foundation began in the theatre, through performance storytelling. She can tap dance, stage-slap someone, and sing every note from Les Misérables. Her favorite role is that of a fireman’s wife and mom to three: a trumpet player, a future civil engineer, and a future RN. There is only one English major in her house.

 

While researching, writing, and teaching, she is also working towards her M FA in Creative Writing. Heather’s corndog-shaped dachshund, Sadie, deserves an honorary degree.

 

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