Romans were notorious for their sandals (and for anyone who ever visited Italy, still are). Felix has been known to talk about how private investigators wear out their shoes only slightly less legionaries, pounding pavement day in and day out. The whole series, in a homage to swords-and-sorcery, have been called ‘swords and sandals.’ When […]
Historical Fiction
Book Review: Dead Men’s Sandals, by David Wishart
I love the Corvinus mysteries, so was excited to see a new one out. What to Expect Straight off the boat on his return from the last case in Carthage, Corvinus’ is summoned by a gangster boss (a favourite recurring character) and a favour he owes is called. Now he finds himself going to Brundisium, […]
Book Review: Alexander at the World’s End, by Tom Holt
I loved Holt’s more fantasy works (especially under his KJ Parker pen-name), so was eager to try his pure historical fiction. What to Expect This is a story about the world Alexander the Great lived in (or left in ruins, depend on how you look at it), rather than about Alexander himself. It reads alomst […]
Book Review: What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank, by Krista D. Ball
I can’t remember exactly when What Kings Ate floated past me, but given my love of both fantasy and historical foodstuffs I knew it was going to be a hit. What to expect A non-fiction that’s still light-hearted, both informative and entertaining. The author covers many aspects of food throughout history as a way to […]
World-building Historical Fantasy (or, of Unicorns and Icebergs)
The Historical Fantasy Book Club is one of my favourite FB groups (shocking, I know), and back in June they invited me for an “author takeover”. I thought rather than talking about my usual topics (Romans, and their obsession with fantastical beasts and how to cook them), I’d try to create a broader discussion, one […]
All in a Name: Romans, Russians, and Fantasy
A character’s name will be the trait most often referred to in a book, so today I’d like to talk about historical and fantastical names, as well as literary usage. We’d start with a quick review of some interesting naming conventions from history (Romans, duh, but also others), then touch on fantasy and science fiction […]
Cost of Living (in Ancient Rome)
I recently received the map on the left from my fellow author Eric Klein (click to enlarge it — it’s beautiful). This is a classic configuration for a Roman-era house, at least for those who could afford it. It’s quite similar to what I have in mind when I describe Felix’s own house (the only […]
Book Review: Reasons to Kill God, by I.V. Olokita
Having grown up in Israel, I was drawn to this book by the subject matter of Nazi war criminals, especially considering the author and unique point-of-view used. What to expect The story is told by a Nazi war criminal, Klaus Holland, hiding in Brazil post WW2. When he’s found out and sent to trial, he’s […]
Book Series Review: Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart
Whenever someone asks me about my all-time favourite books, I invariable whinge about not being able to choose just one. But if I’m pressed further, Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds is amongst the first books I’ll mention. The novel tells of the first adventure of Number Ten Ox (the villager who’s telling the story) as he’s […]
Book Review: Memento Mori, by Ruth Downie
This is probably my most-favourite Roman-era mystery series. I have previously interviewed both protagonists and was proud to be a part of the global launch of Memento Mori (you can read the first chapter here on my blog). So the short version is: unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I enjoyed it so much […]
