Templar Silks by Elizabeth Chadwick: The William Marshal series has accompanied me for a while. Templar Silks is the last one in the series and returns to William Marshal and his three years in Outremer or the Land Beyond the Sea. Jerusalem at the time was the ‘Mekka’ for the Christians, where you needed to go to absolve yourself of sins and what not. William had promised the young king, aka Henry the Young after his early death to bring his coat to the Holy Sepulchre and redeem him in the eyes of the Mother of God. The 1180s were the most interesting times in this area with Saladin on one side and the Leper King Baldwin IV on the other. Great storytelling and very fascinating to read!
Bittersweet Melody by Kate Stewart: The last installment in the series ‘The Bittersweet Symphony Duet’ is rather a long winded epilogue. Two years after Natalie and Easton reconnected in a resort in Mexico, they return to it with both sets of parents in tow. More fights, more make-out sessions, and more inner monologue. The problems of these two didn’t get any more interesting and are far from relatable. Thankfully this was the last book in the series. I really need a break from these two.
Come to the Edge by Christina Haag: John F. Kennedy Jr. was quite the heartthrob during the ’80s and 90’s and I remember pictures of him with Daryl Hannah and later his wife Carolyn Bessette. The love story between the author and him never piqued my interest, probably because it happened during my school years. I liked how much she is not telling in her book, still being careful with his privacy, while there’s quite a lot you can take away from what she tells. There’s a lingering sadness in the story and also some hurt. Beautifully written, a bit long sometimes.
Sgiath: Amazon Queen of Skye by George MacPherson: The legend of Sgiath, the ancient warrior queen from the Isle of Skye. The Scottish culture is big on story telling and the author learned this one from his grandfather. Traditionally the stories were told so often until the listener could repeat it by heart. This goes right back to the learning of the druids, their teaching methods also relied only on oral lessons. Sgiath defeated with her band of female warriors all the kings of Skye and united the island under her reign. But her goal was to propagate her teachings and she founded many colleges, which were open to everyone. Very interesting to read something of the ancient ‘Scottish’ history.
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