The Biblio Blogazine

Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley
Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction, 381 pages
B & H Publishing Group

Courtesy of LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program

Sophia, a woman hurt by past loss, guards the famous lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, in order to hide herself away from a world she deems cruel and unloving. But there is no escape. Political turmoil swells as Roman general Julius Caesar and his legion storm the city, and Cleopatra fights to retain her country against both Caesar and bloodthirsty rivals. Sophia is caught in the middle between loyalty to Cleopatra and her maddening interest in Bellus, the Roman soldier whom Caesar has instructed to overtake the lighthouse.

This book surprised me. It is good enough for me to consider reading the others in the series. I have never read Christian Fiction before, and this first foray was a pleasant one.

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The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes
Originally published 1953
Reprint/Re-Release October 2009
Historical Fiction, 336 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

Review copy courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark

 Elizabeth of York, the only living descendent of Edward IV, possesses the most precious thing in all of England – a legitimate claim to the crown. Two princes vie to have Britain’s most rightful heir as his bride. On one side, her uncle, whom she fears murdered her two brothers. On the other, Henry Tudor, who lives in exile. Can Henry save her from a horrifying marriage to a cutthroat ruler?

It is because of the Tudor dynasty I initially became aware of, and eventually fell in love with, historical fiction. I owe this primarily to Margaret George and Alison Weir in introducing me to a new way to appreciate history, even though fictionalized for entertainment’s sake.

However long before these two authors, there were others including Margaret Campbell Barnes. Between 1944 and 1962, she wrote ten historical novels. Many of these were bestsellers, book club selections, and translated into foreign editions. (Information courtesy of the “About the Author” section located in the edition I am reviewing here.)

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