Spotlight

Solomon’s Crown, Natasha Siegel (2023)

This alternate history reimagines the fraught relationship between King Philip II of France and Richard the Lionheart, Duke of Aquitaine and later King of England, as star-crossed lovers, men destined to be enemies but desperate to be anything but.

This is really well-done. It is far more than just “history but make it gay.” Instead, Siegel uses the ancient rumours about the two men masterfully to highlight the personal nature of European geopolitics in the twelfth century, in which wars were less about the fate of nations than about squabbles between brothers, fathers and sons, and friends. And this in turn turns this into something far deeper than a fun, queer, historical romance: a touching story of two people trying to create a moment joy and peace for themselves before the world gets in the way — as it inevitably will.

Read this if you’re interested in:

• Alternative History
• 12th Century Europe
• LGBTQ2S+
• Complex Families

My Rating: Premise 10, Atmosphere 10, Main Character(s) 10, Plot 8, Intrigue 9, Relationships 10, Success 10, Writing 9, Enjoyment 8, Lasting Impact 10: TOTAL 94

Weekly Roundup

A Drop of the Sea, Ingrid Chabbert (2017, transl. 2018), 92: In this children’s picture book, a young boy travels to the sea to fulfill his aging great-grandmother’s last wish. I mistook this for a graphic novel and wouldn’t have picked it up had I realized it was just a short picture book, but Chabbert writes lovely stories and this is no exception. It’s a great story about family and the depths of love. (Children’s Literature, Picture Books, Family, Love)

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games 2), Suzanne Collins (2009), 88: After people around the country start to rise up against the government, inspired by Katniss and Peeta’s desperate actions at the end of The Hunger Games, the former Tributes are called back into the Games arena in an attempt by the Capital to put the Districts back in their place. This was an enjoyable sequel, even if it lacked the adrenaline rush of the first; additionally, the quieter nature of the book drew attention to the fact that most of the characters aside from Katniss are rather underdeveloped. (YA, Dystopian, Survival, Reality TV, Competition, Symbolism, Control, Defiance)

Murther and Walking Spirits, Robertson Davies (1991), 80: After being murdered by his wife’s lover, a man’s spirit attends a film festival where he witnesses the lives of his ancestors and comes to understand where he comes from and his place in history. I have such mixed feelings about this one. On the plus side, it features Davies’ trademark excellent writing, a great premise, and a more focused plot than many of his better-received works. But, a novel told in interconnected short stories lives and dies on the success of those stories, and far too many of these were incredibly dull and didn’t seem to contribute much to the overall themes. (CanLit, Legacy, Family, 18th C History)

Gone-Away Lake, Elizabeth Enright (1957), 80: Two cousins befriend the elderly remaining residents of a long-abandoned resort town. This was charming in a nostalgic sort of way; it doesn’t really have a plot, but makes up for it in heart and atmosphere. (Children’s Literature, Summer, 1950s, Nostalgia)

All the Right Notes, Dominic Lim (2023), 76: Quito, a pianist with dreams of composing the next great Broadway show, returns home to help his teacher father put on one last choir show before retirement — with the help of his childhood crush and now huge acting superstar, Emmett Aoki. There’s a lot to love here; when he’s not mired in self-doubt, Quito is enjoyable and easy to root for, Emmett is charming, and there are great side characters in Quito’s father and roommate. The unrepentant love for choir and music, and the Filipino representation are also great. But, the book didn’t really work for me; it fell into two of my least favorite Romance plot elements: conflict that have been resolved with a conversation or even a note, and a main character making obviously bad choices. So, I think this could work well for a lot of people, but I wasn’t one of them. (LGBTQ2S+, Romance, Filipino Culture, Choir, Musicals)

Tentacles & Triathlons (Leviathan Fitness 2), Ashley Bennett (2022), 73: Ever since a terrifying childhood encounter, Rhys has been frightened of monsters and is struggling with their newfound integration into society. But when his brother-in-law’s kraken business partner offers to help him train in the pool, sparks fly. This is nothing more or less than good, spicy fun, and that’s all I have to say about it. (Romance, LGBTQ2S+, Fated Mates, Supernatural Romance)

Murder at the Mena House (Jane Wunderly Mystery 1), Erica Ruth Neubauer (2020), 70: While accompanying her aunt on a trip to Egypt, young war widow Jane Wunderly is drawn into the investigation of a murder of a fellow guest at the iconic Mena House hotel. When done well, amateur detective novels rely on the particular charms, skills, and tact of the hero; what made this one not work for me is that Jane relies on nothing but pluck, luck, and the incompetence of the professionals around her. Spending time in the romanticism of the mid-1920s travel set is always fun (especially when books, like this one, don’t erase or whitewash the realities of colonialism), so this was enjoyable, but I won’t be coming back for more of the series. (Amateur Detective, Mystery, 1920s, Egypt)