B Reviews / Book ReviewsEuropean-Historical / Historical / short stories / vampires9 Comments
Judge Dee is back to solve a brand-new case involving the mysterious death of the vampire Count Werdenfels. The mystery? Who killed him. The twist? Three different people are proudly proclaiming to have committed the crime. Dear Mr. Tidhar, When I finished the first Judge Dee story, I said I ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended ReadsEuropean-Historical / Historical / legal hearing / murder mystery / short stories / vampiresComments Off on REVIEW: Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law: A Tor.com Original by Lavie Tidhar
No vampire is ever innocent in Lavie Tidhar’s “Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law”, a Tor.com Original short story The wandering Judge Dee serves as judge, jury, and executioner for any vampire who breaks the laws designed to safeguard their kind’s survival. This new case in particular puts ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviews5th Century / Byzantine Empire / Constantinople / European-Historical / fisherman / Historical / marriage on the rocks / Mediterranean setting / Middle East / political intrigue / slavery / weaver / working class8 Comments
Set in early Christian times, the tale of the weaver Demetrias portrays her entrapment in a treasonous plot against the Byzantine emperor and her fight to protect her family and self as the battle for Constantinople rages. TR – In the past, the heroine was raped (not described). The heroine ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviews1880s / 19th century / European-Historical / Finland / Historical / kisses only / novella / working class2 Comments
Two people. An impossible task. A traitor in their midst. Sofi’s mother desperately needs medicine, and Sofi will do anything to get it—including a one-month stay at the Brunberg mansion in Helsinki, the capital. There she’ll spend her days at the Kangas Tailor Shop, knitting silk stockings and other items ... more >
Book Reviews / C- ReviewsArtist / cartoons / European-Historical / France / French-Revolution / Georgian / Historical fiction / nurse6 Comments
Dear Ms. Coffman, There’s something uniquely disappointing about reading a bad book from a favorite author. I felt this way recently after reading your historical novel, Veronique, after years of reading your wonderful Gothic romances—Moura and The Alpine Coach are wonderful, but my favorite is The Dark Palazzo, a dreamy, ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Reads4th Century / ancient-Egypt / ancient-Rome / Byzantine Empire / chick-in-pants / Egypt / European-Historical / female doctor / Historical / religion9 Comments
In the Fourth Century A.D., independent and determined young Charis is forbidden to become a doctor because she is a woman. Disguising herself as a eunuch, she flees Ephesus and an unwanted marriage for Alexandria, then the center of learning. There she apprentices to a Jewish doctor but eventually becomes ... more >