Helen Hollick

The author was going for realism with this retelling of the Arthurian legend, so there's no magic, no Merlin, no Lancelot, no round table. Arthur isn't a shining king, he's a warlord who unites Britain against the Saxon through his strength and superior tactics. Okay, sounds good, I'm down with the premise. However, Arthur is not even the remotest bit likeable. He treats women horribly, thinks servants are there to sleep with whenever he pleases and then discard. Even women who are married to people of the same social standing are there to be leered at, flirted with, or possibly even taken against their will. When Arthur (as a child) declares his love for Gwenhyfar but through various circumstances cannot immediately marry her, he acts like a petulant child, decides to marry the daughter of his enemy through a political marriage. But he treats her horribly, rapes her, abuses her, hates her even, and yet, she somehow falls in love with him. Gwenhyfar meanwhile becomes the side piece until Arthur can divorce his current wife, but Arthur ends up getting both of them pregnant. And while he proclaims his true love for Gwenhyfar, it doesn't stop him from eyeballing other women. Oh, and he's also somehow a brilliant warlord, but we don't have that many battles in the book at all. The author did not convince me that Arthur is a worthy leader, or even a skilled leader.… (más)

This is the first in the trilogy Pendragon’s Banner and, if this first instalment is anything to go by it is going to be a great read from beginning to end.

If you are looking for the normal run of the mill rendition of the main protagonist, one that is filled with brilliantly shining armour and evildoings by witches and wizards, then this telling of the Arthurian legend is not the one for you. With a skilful use of words this Author brings to life a living human being in the form of Arthur. He has flaws and faults like the rest of us, and is definitely a product of the Dark Ages he lived in; cruel times that needed, at times, a cruel hand to deal with them that the reader would not find in the books that perpetuate the myth of this man. Unlike the saintly personae given to Arthur in other books, this Arthur is a 100% red-blooded male, he does whatever is necessary to take what he feels is rightly is, pleasures himself with women as and when the urge drives him, lies and cheats. This may seem as if the Author has written him this way to try and dissuade the reader from liking him, but the overall effect is to make him so human the reader actually feels sympathy for him and cheers him on in his endeavours. We are able to walk beside him on his journey thankful that we did not have to live in these times. The penmanship show by the Author is not just reserved for the main character; she treats each of them with as much skill imbuing them with all the traits and qualities that make up our species. The Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) character in this rendition is also totally different from those readers who may remember her from the Camelot movie as being played by Vanessa Redgrave; this Gwenhwyfar is a feisty, strong young woman who definitely knows her own mind; she is not content with skulking in the background weaving her ‘womanly’ plans to ensnare Arthur, she is a typical tom boy that loves the outdoors, adventure with hidden skills that only come to the forefront when needed. Despite all this, she too is given a fallible side, which when bundled up with everything else about her makes her another character in this book that is easily liked; she is all woman as opposed to being a lady.

The elimination of magic in a story that is always surrounded and soaked in it makes this book unique. Not a great deal is known about the time between the departure of the Romans from England and the arrival of the Normans in 1066, but it is apparent from reading this novel that the Author spent a great deal of time painstakingly research this era. It is through this research and the way in which the Author translated it into their novel that lifted a lot of obscurity of the period for me, and for this I am truly grateful. This book is a little slow to get underway, but these first few chapters set the scene perfectly for what is to come; once this book has gripped the reader though it will be hard for them to put aside without finishing it.

At 574 pages, for me this wasn’t a particularly meaty tome, but everyone one of those pages is filled with something that will keep even the most timid of readers when it comes to larger books captivated. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good historical fiction novel and lovers of Sharon Kay Penman, also to those who want a read that will keep them turning the pages long after they should have turned out the light. I have the remaining two books in the trilogy all lined and ready to read, and I would suggest anyone that picks this up grabs the other two at the same time.


Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/04/10/review-the-kingmaking-pendragons-banner-1-...




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If the epitaph "Forever Queen" was to apply to anyone in history, Emma of Normandy would certainly be a top contender. Married at a young age to the Anglo-Saxon King Aethelred the Unready, she managed to maintain her status as the crowned Queen of England after an invasion by forging an alliance with one of the Danish leaders, a man who became her second husband Cnut, and eventually she cleared the way for her sons by Cnut and Aethelred to succeed to the English throne. Emma is key to understanding English history in the decades leading up to 1066 and is one of the rare medieval women about which more than just a few basic facts are known. I appreciated this novelization of her and how it delved into the motivations and emotions of historical figures from so long ago. This book is highly recommended for those interested in medieval English history.… (más)

Pirate Code by Helen Hollick is the second book in her historical fiction series entitled Sea Witch and is set in the 18th Century Caribbean. Pirate Captain Jesamiah Acorne and witch Tiola have come to Nassau to take advantage of the King’s Pardon. He is approached with a proposition to aid the British in their war with Spain. Threatened and forced to comply, he must leave Tiola behind and head Hispaniola.

There are more than a few plots and counter-plots to keep track of for both Jesamiah and the reader. The story slowly reveals the various threads as it also uncovers more secrets from Acorne’s past. Meanwhile Tiola has a final reckoning with her husband and makes deals with the goddess of the sea for Jesamiah’s life.

Pirate Code is another ripping yarn in this pirate series. The addition of a touch of the supernatural comes from Tiola, a white witch. These otherworldly elements are woven throughout the text and help keep this series exciting, colorful and a great escape read.… (más)