In Pyramid of Skulls: A Novel of Timur, Warrior and Emperor, David is Timur’s court doctor and vizier, who witnesses the intrigues of court and the carnage of the battlefield. While ostensibly a historical novel, I found reading Pyramid of Skulls akin to reading a Warhammer 40K novel or a book from R. Scott Bakker’s epic fantasy series. Continue reading CCLaP Mini-review: Pyramid of Skulls, by Martin Fruchtman
Back in May, I reviewed The Duke Don’t Dance, by Richard Sharp. It is a historical novel focusing on the lives of several men and women from the Silent Generation. In this interview, I ask Mr. Sharp about the burdens of speaking for a generation, plausible deniability, the writing process, and his favorite writers. Continue reading An Interview with Richard Sharp
Mexico has been in the news lately. It has also been part of the literary tsunami following the publication of Roberto Bolaño’s epic 2666. In the section entitled “The Part about the Crimes,” Bolaño brings us into a world of chaotic violence against women in Santa Teresa near the US-Mexican border. The free flow of capital and drugs turns Santa Teresa into a zone of relentless murder, brutality, and violation. But to understand the violence of modern Mexico, one must also understand the violence of 19th century Mexico. C.M. Mayo’s historical romance, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, brings … Continue reading Book Review: The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, by C.M. Mayo
The Driftless Area Review 