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A review by paperstainedink
Devil by David Churchill
4.0
*screams* READ IT.
Review from my blog at https://lilypadblogs.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/review-the-leopards-of-normandy-devil-david-churchill/
Oh wow. Oh wow.
This is an earthy, gritty, brutal piece of historical fiction – and I love it.
Characters – realistic. They are so brilliant in their grey morality, and Churchill shows that you can write women well without them having to be strong. The struggles these characters faced broke my heart – I was hoping that certain conflicts would be resolved and happiness gained but I knew it was unlikely to happen. Churchill managed to more than tug on the heartstrings; the first time that happened, I knew I’d started something good. These characters are more than just engaging – they are so very human, and the novel is all the more wonderful for it.
I should point out that this novel is not for the faint hearted. Devil is set in a bloody period of history, and so of course there was going to be violence. And we get it in spades. I have to admit, I quite like gritty violence in literature, so this discovery was excellent. Churchill brings a fairly obscure tale behind William the Conqueror to the table, and manages to make it into something compulsively readable – and easy to read, at that. I flew through this; I will definitely be looking out for the sequel (this is a planned trilogy).
Despite being a medieval history student, I know very little about William the Conqueror and his familial history; Devil has made me more inclined to research more about this, and if you’re a lover of historical fiction, pick this up. It’s great. You’ll love it. Now go read it. It comes out two days (26th February) after I post this review. Plenty of time for you to get excited.
Review from my blog at https://lilypadblogs.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/review-the-leopards-of-normandy-devil-david-churchill/
Oh wow. Oh wow.
This is an earthy, gritty, brutal piece of historical fiction – and I love it.
Characters – realistic. They are so brilliant in their grey morality, and Churchill shows that you can write women well without them having to be strong. The struggles these characters faced broke my heart – I was hoping that certain conflicts would be resolved and happiness gained but I knew it was unlikely to happen. Churchill managed to more than tug on the heartstrings; the first time that happened, I knew I’d started something good. These characters are more than just engaging – they are so very human, and the novel is all the more wonderful for it.
I should point out that this novel is not for the faint hearted. Devil is set in a bloody period of history, and so of course there was going to be violence. And we get it in spades. I have to admit, I quite like gritty violence in literature, so this discovery was excellent. Churchill brings a fairly obscure tale behind William the Conqueror to the table, and manages to make it into something compulsively readable – and easy to read, at that. I flew through this; I will definitely be looking out for the sequel (this is a planned trilogy).
Despite being a medieval history student, I know very little about William the Conqueror and his familial history; Devil has made me more inclined to research more about this, and if you’re a lover of historical fiction, pick this up. It’s great. You’ll love it. Now go read it. It comes out two days (26th February) after I post this review. Plenty of time for you to get excited.