When other bloggers mention historical fiction, I usually shake my head, convincing them that I never read it. Yet when I look back at the books I have read over the years by Mary Hooper and Celia Rees, it is quite clear that I do read historical fiction and I do enjoy it!
However up until this point I had never read a book by Philippa Gregory. I tended to view her as the Queen of Historical Fiction and I convinced myself I wasn't going to like her YA book. Then from somewhere I caught whispers of paranormal activity and witchcraft -how could I resist?
Oh how I loved this book! I read it in two sittings and struggled to put it down in between. The characters just walked off the page - they were unique and passionate about their beliefs, each standing out as head strong individuals. There were two characters within the book that really stood out for me. The first one was Freize - wow, what a character. He was so sarcastic, yet so humorous with it. One of the best characters I have come across in a long time. His passing comments made me crack up. The way he mocks Luca, not taking anything he says seriously. I also really loved Ishraq - what a woman, courageous and full of spirit! Ishraq has been brought up to live similarly to the women of today; she is way ahead of her time during that era. Trained as a doctor and a fighter, she leaves the men flailing behind. She definitely has a lot hidden secrets, that I am presuming will be revealed as the series progresses.
The book follows the journey of the most unlikely group of travelling companions as they fight to see clearly through the thick density of superstition that sits heavily like fog over Christendom. Through questioning and theory testing, they will discover the truth to determine the appropriate actions. Almost like early day scientists, desperate to discover the truth and banish falsities.
I can seriously see this as a TV series. The characters are just bursting out of the book, desperate to appear in real life. They are well and truly alive in my mind. The descriptions of the era are very vivid, hitting all your sense at once. Knowing the author's passion for history,you know the detailed descriptions are extremely accurate. You trust the author's knowledge of the past.
As I said at the beginning of the post, I haven't read anything by this author, but I am pretty sure I will be delving into her adult books in the near future.