H is for historical

I know — in my defining the genres post, I established that historical and epic are different. Thus, this one is cheating for me. I don’t care.

Inhuman creatures, good vs. evil, main character with a dark past, sword fights, a story that takes place across two continents — Alchemist of Souls sounds perfectly like epic fantasy until you throw in that it takes place in an alternate version of Elizabethan England. Besides, I love Anne Lyle’s book, and if you enjoy fantasy or Elizabethan tales (including the requisite cross-dressing), you should check it out.

Mal Catlyn is a character who draws you in. He’s down on his luck, and you get the feeling from the very outset that he’s done things and seen things. When the guards come looking for him, even though he can’t think of anything he’s done that’s illegal, he runs, which tells you that even if he tries to stay on the right side of the law, he might not stay on the right side of everyone in power. Then there are all his thoughts about the skraylings, and you want to keep reading just to find out what they have to do with his murky past.

Also be sure to stop by her Website, where she has goodies like desktop wallpaper and deleted scenes.


This is a post for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. My theme is epic fantasy, and blog posts will cover authors, books, tropes, themes, or anything else I can think of to fill the alphabet. Check out some of the other bloggers participating or follow my blog by e-mail if you like what you’ve read.

This entry was posted in A to Z 2012 and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to H is for historical

  1. Tonja says:

    I haven’t read it. I agree, there’s a huge difference between epic and historical fiction. I like them both though.

    • Erin says:

      It’s a new release — it’ll have been out two weeks tomorrow. I’m already looking forward to book 2’s release.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

  2. Laura Eno says:

    I prefer genre blending. It gives an added edge or flavor to a story and elevates it from feeling formulatic.

    • Erin says:

      I love genre blending! I agree with you completely. Even when I’m writing something in one genre, I often add in bits of others to freshen it up and make things more detailed.

      Thanks for the comment!

  3. Anne Lyle says:

    Thanks, Erin! I have occasionally been accused of epic fantasy but you’re right, mine’s more firmly in the historical camp, with maybe a nod to sword-and-sorcery – the book has been compared to both Fritz Leiber and Ursula Le Guin, which indicates how hard it is to pin down!

    • Erin says:

      Love things that hard to pin down. So . . . when’s the release date for book 2?

      • Anne Lyle says:

        I don’t have an exact date for Book 2 yet – spring 2013 is as close as I can say at the moment. I hope to get something more definite out of my editor soon!

  4. Bish Denham says:

    This one is new. So many new books to consider. So many old ones too.

    • Erin says:

      I know! I could easily get depressed about how easy it is to add books to the TBR pile and how hard it is to actually make headway reading them (because it’s a longer process). Hope you’re finding things you’ll enjoy!

  5. DL Hammons says:

    Alternate reality historicals is actually a genre that interest me. There is so much fodder to play with, and when its done well its riveting! 🙂

    • Erin says:

      Yes! Do you have a favorite series you could recommend? The other series I’ve been planning to pick up recently is by Mark Chadbourn.

      Thanks for commenting!

Comments are closed.