Book Review: “Leonardo’s Swans” by Karen Essex
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Book Review: “Leonardo’s Swans” by Karen Essex

ByAmy

A worthy foray into Renaissance Italy – the political machinations, the art, the inner workings of one of history’s most enigmatic and talented men, the complex relationship between two powerful women, and so much more. This novel about Isabella and Beatrice d’Este offers a lovely blend of historical fact and fiction, sure to please any lover of Renaissance fiction.

Book Review: “The Sugar Merchant” Series by James Hutson-Wiley
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Book Review: “The Sugar Merchant” Series by James Hutson-Wiley

ByAmy

The Sugar Merchant traces the lives of his protagonist Thomas Woodward and his son as they maneuver their ways through the economic and religious turmoil of eleventh- and twelfth-century Europe and Asia in a bid to make a good life for themselves and fulfill their personal missions. History readers should enjoy this though the characters in the sequel could be a little more well-developed.