REVIEW: Song at Dawn; 1150 in Provence (The Troubadours) by Jean Gill

Blurb:

Book 1 in the Troubadours Series

1150 in Provence, where love and marriage are as divided as Christian and Muslim.

A historical thriller set in Narbonne just after the Second Crusade. On the run from abuse, Estela wakes in a ditch with only

her lute, her amazing voice, and a dagger hidden in her petticoats. Her talent finds a patron in Alienor of Aquitaine and more than a music tutor in the Queen's finest troubadour and Commander of the Guard, Dragonetz los Pros. Weary of war, Dragonetz uses Jewish money and Moorish expertise to build that most modern of inventions, a papermill, arousing the wrath of the Church. Their enemies gather, ready to light the political and religious powder-keg of medieval Narbonne.

Winner of Global Ebooks Award for Best Historical Fiction

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading “Song at Dawn” by Jean Gill. Any book that has something to do with Eleanor of Aquitaine grabs my interest right away. I also thought the author’s writing style had a nice flow to it, which made it easy to read. The intrigue within the novel between the characters was also interesting,and  the suspense kept me reading to find out what would happen next. There were some really great and unexpected twists within the novel, which was great, but I did feel a little lost at times when new characters or twists were introduced without enough background information.

The sexual tension that existed between Dragonetz and Estela was great. It definitely piqued my interest and kept me rooting for them to get together!

The author did a great job with imagery and descriptions in the novel, especially when describing the troubadours music, as a reader you could almost imagine you could hear the clear tunes from Dragonetz’s voice.

I’ve read several books which focused solely on Eleanor of Aquitaine, so it was great to read a book that focused on the “normal” people who surrounded her on a daily basis. I love getting a look at what life was like during the time that Eleanor was alive, and this novel really brought it to life for me. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction.

I give this novel a FOUR out of FIVE stars.

BUY SONG AT DAWN HERE!

The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn

Blurb:

One powerful family holds a city, a faith, and a woman in its grasp—from the national bestselling author of Daughters of Rome and Mistress of Rome.

Rome, 1492. The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous—or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web…

Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham, and she is to be given as a concubine to the ruthless, charismatic Cardinal Borgia: Spaniard, sensualist, candidate for Pope—and passionately in love with her.Two trusted companions will follow her into the Pope's shadowy harem: Leonello, a cynical bodyguard bent on bloody revenge against a mysterious killer, and Carmelina, a fiery cook with a past full of secrets. But as corruption thickens in the Vatican and the enemies begin to circle, Giulia and her friends will need all their wits to survive in the world of the Borgias.


My Review:

"The Serpent and the Pearl" by Kate Quinn exceeded all expectations. I was drawn in from beginning until end, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series! I’ve been drawn to anything to do with the Borgia family for years, because of all the scandalous information I’ve read about while doing research or reading about this family, so I was excited to see another book about them. 

This book really brought the family to life, and I liked that the author, Kate Quinn, doesn’t make them completely unlikable, like many authors tend to do with the Borgia’s. I mean, face it, it’s pretty easy for an author to paint them as an immoral, greedy, scandal ridden family. The characters were obviously well researched, and well rounded. The novel was told through a couple different points of view, and I love when authors use this style of writing. I especially enjoyed the two fictional characters point of view,Carmelina and Leonello. Reading from the point of view of these two characters allows the reader to get a good look at the Borgia family from an outside perspective. These two characters are flawed, as are all people, and their mishaps and adventures in this book definitely help to make the story more interesting. I also liked reading Giulia Farnese's, the pope’s concubine, point of view. Often, in other books about the Borgia’s, she is painted negatively, so it was nice to see her from a different perspective.

Any lover of historical fiction will enjoy reading this book. I have four month old twin boys, and I found it hard to put the book down at times, and also found myself staying awake to read the book rather than getting much needed sleep! I cannot wait until January, when the next book in this series, The Lion and the Rose, will be available. I will be purchasing it as soon as it is available!

This novel definitely receives a FIVE out of FIVE stars from me! 

Buy The Serpent and the Pearl HERE!!