Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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The Dullness of Medieval De’Ath

The Heretics of De'Ath by Howard of Warwick

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Bingo Review 3 (Summer Read): The premise of the Heretics of De’Ath is promising: very medieval medieval monk is accused of murder during an important debate (a Conclave) concerning whether or not Christ got sand in his sandals (Hermitage swears he didn’t do it- the murder that is), a weaver of adult tapestries gets involved, an ambitious younger son of an Earl shows up at the monastery, Church officials are corrupt, the abbot might be crazy, agents of the Vatican are afoot, and the King […]

Trial by Treason by Dave Duncan

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Much like the first Enchanter General novel, Trial by Treason includes a good bit of real history mixed into an adventure involving magic, some good and some bad. Durwin is pretty standard for an underdog hero, but he’s likeable. His new sidekick Eadig could use a little more character, and so could Louise, the love interest. Her and Durwin’s romance is thankfully not overdone, but it does seem a little rushed. The basic premise is that the moment Durwin receives his certification as a sage […]

https://cannonballread.com/2019/06/trial-by-treason-coffeeshopreader/

Human Fallibility, Fathers and Sons, Love and Medieval Politics

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While this novel actually covers a shorter time period than its predecessor, Here Be Dragons, this novel feels even more sprawling.  I think this is partially due to the number of characters and leaders in Wales. While the English part of this narrative is centered around Simon de Montfort, his wife Nell and King Henry III, in that time, the Welsh have three separate rulers: the final years of Llewellyn the Great’s reign, his son Davydd’s short rule, and finally, Llewellyn, Dafydd’s nephew and Llewellyn […]

Grammar Fixing Magic

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Imagine fantasy and historical fiction are fused into a mystery, like what you’d get with a mash-up of Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose, anything by Terry Brooks, and Harry Potter. The result, if it’s decently done, would be Ironfoot (Book 1 of the Enchanter General). There’s a touch of historical reality in the social divisions between the native Saxons and the ruling Normans, which is probably accurate given the setting in 1164 England. The brief cameos by Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II, and a […]



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