Tag: 19th Century England

Admiring The Barrister and the Letter of Marque

Title: The Barrister and the Letter of Marque
Author: Todd M. Johnson
Published by Bethany House Publishers
Year: 2021
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 407
Language: English
ASIN: B08LG91Y95
Dates Read: 2024, April 16 to May 15

This novel was mentioned on a blog that I randomly visited. The premise sounded interesting enough so I decided to read it. What a fortunate find! I loved reading this book. I don’t think that I’ve ever read a fiction novel that is categorized as not only historical fiction, but also legal thriller and Christian fiction.

There are so many things that I appreciate about this book. I love that the protagonist is an older man (late 30s during the main thrust of the novel) who is single and that the main female character is past the typical marrying age for the novel’s time period (Regency). I like how the story moves forward at a rewarding pace with enough details to be realistic and ignite the imagination. However, it’s great that there are not too many technical details. The characters convey helpful information. They are introduced and incorporated into the plot smoothly.The plot’s suspense is not stalled by unnecessary quests and information. Every chapter moves along, flows well, and I am grateful that the story stays on track. The language and dialogue are witty and feel early 19th century without many anachronisms or even dense, archaic words. I felt that a reader can enjoy this novel without extensive knowledge of that century or the legal field.

The novel’s suspense was so gripping that I did not want to put the book down. When I had to stop reading, there was a bit of anxiety, tension, and striving inside me for the time to read and finish the novel. At the same time, I did not want the story to end because I had a sensation that I might not be able to find another novel quite like this one again. I don’t know many authors yet that write Regency legal suspense with somewhat of a Christian worldview. Although one of the work’s categories is Christian fiction, I do not recall a very strong evangelical gospel message being preached. What you have instead is at least one strong Christian character who has friendship and influence on the main character, and there are some devout or cultural Anglicans trying to make moral decisions. I think these elements work well with the country and time period.

So when I finished the book, I thought that it was awesome, but then I became curious about negative reviews. While many people liked this novel, others could not seem to get past the historical inaccuracies. I was completely unaware of the historical inaccuracies while reading because there was nothing extreme that stuck out like a 20th century invention or something. I do not have extensive knowledge about the story’s time period. Apparently, some of the real historical figures that the author has in this story would not have been alive or around at the time of the book’s main setting: Regency England, year 1818. Another criticism is that the author uses the wrong titles for certain characters, and they would have been called something different for that time period. Also, a few reviewers criticize details that seem like an alternate reality, and they criticize the mention of inventions that have not been invented yet in the story’s main year. So perhaps the author should have added an author’s note to discuss the historical liberties. Overall, I liked the novel, but I now feel conflicted due to the criticisms from people who are more acquainted with this time period and historical fiction. I would love to find a novel like this with the historical era worked out better.

A Review of Illusionarium

Title: Illusionarium
Author: Heather Dixon
Published by Greenwillow Books
Year: 2015
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 368
Language: English
ASIN: B00M70YWS2
Dates Read March 29 to April 8 2022

This is probably my first steampunk novel. The book was mentioned on a few blogs so I decided to read it. The author has some other novels that seem exciting, so I may read those later. After reading this fantastic story, I was surprised that there were less than 100 reviews on Amazon. It was a deep and fascinating story with wonderful worldbuilding. Reading this book was almost like watching a movie- not all novels can make me feel this way. Also, I never knew what to expect next, and it was a quick read. The world is based on 19th century England with detailed steampunk elements such as airships and unique technology. I appreciated Dixon’s innovative words and concepts such as orthogonagen, polarage, fantillium, the Venen, Illusionarium. The book is in first-person, and the protagonist Jonathan Gouden narrates the story. The narrative voice is realistic; you can tell he is a teenager, very intelligent, a bit awkward, and still trying to figure out some sentiments. I enjoyed his footnotes, an extra creative touch. To me, all of the other main characters have vibrant and unique personalities as well. Some of the characters are based on real people from 19th century England. Not only does the writer build the steampunk world that I just described, but also she builds an alternative world as well which is a derelict and dysfunctional version of Jonathan’s world. This is the world that the villain who brings the Fantillum comes from, along with the Venen. That world serves as a warning, and the characters have to make moral choices. There is a lot of meaning packed into the plot of this original young adult novel. There are a few twists and not all are happy, but eventually the main heroes find the right way, and it is a good ending.