Category: Book Reviews

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A review of Soldiers of Christ by Jon Byrne

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bz0eaZ

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=uQnLEQAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/soldiers-of-christ-1

I would like to thank Jon Byrne, the Book Guild, and the Coffee Pot Book Club for providing me with a review copy of Soldiers of Christ. As always, this is an entirely honest assessment, regardless of the complimentary copy. This review contains no spoilers.

This is a rip roaring read following the life of Richard Fitz Simon, an exiled Norman noble who flees England to join a German brotherhood of warrior monks. It is a well researched novel and an exciting, full‑blooded story.

I loved the fight scenes, the rivalry and jealousy among the brothers, the flashes of humour, and Richard’s deadly enemies. I loved to hate Bishop Albert and Richard’s master and Knight‑brother Rudolf, and don’t get me started on the sneaky, treacherous Wolfgang. So much of this felt real as I read it, especially the squabbles, revenge, and corruption. It was all so human and gritty, which is what I enjoy in a novel.

The descriptions of battles and hand‑to‑hand combat made me feel the exhaustion and the pain the characters would have endured. There is plenty of tension, romance, and adventure throughout. It is well written, clearly researched, and full of energy.

I’ve given it four stars because it’s a strong, well researched novel that’s full of action and dark. Which I love.

Blurb:

In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood.

1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies.

Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion and bloodshed.

Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.

Jon Byrne

Author Bio:

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack. He has studied the medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive personal library and a particular interest in the often-overlooked Northern Crusades.

Soldiers of Christ is Book Two of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.

Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.jonbyrnewriter.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JonByrneAuthor

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0DJC6PL8D

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249448581-soldiers-of-christ

Tour Schedule Page:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/06/blog-tour-soldiers-of-christ-by-jon-byrne.html

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A review of Northern Comfort, The New England Baking Tradition by Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald

Northern Comfort

I would like to thank Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald, and NYU Press, for sending a copy of Northern Comfort to review. As always, my thoughts are entirely honest. This title will be released on November 3rd, 2026, and is available to preorder on Amazon.

I have lived in the United States and can honestly say that some of the best food I have ever tasted came from this part of the US. I am a history lover too, so I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Northern Comfort is a thoughtful and well researched exploration of early New England foodways, written with the quiet authority that comes from deep archival work. It is not simply a cookbook but a walk through the lives of early settlers, and a study of food in its full cultural, social, and historical context. For anyone interested in American history, this perspective is essential.

Stavely and Fitzgerald trace how ordinary meals shaped identity, community, and belief in a region often defined by restraint and practicality. Their focus is not on recipes alone but on the cultural meaning behind them: the influence of Puritan values, the tension between Old World habits and New World realities, and the way domestic labour created the rhythm of everyday life.

The authors write with clarity and care, weaving social history, material culture, and culinary tradition into a narrative that feels both scholarly and accessible. They show how food reflected class, religion, and aspiration, and how the simplest dishes carried the weight of a community’s ideals. It is a book for readers who enjoy understanding the past through the details of daily living, and for anyone interested in how identity is shaped not only by grand events but by the quiet rituals of the table.

The recipes are given in both weights and cups, but here are a few tips for readers unfamiliar with American measurements. American recipes often call for butter sticks: one stick is 113 g of butter. All‑purpose flour is the American name for British plain flour, with no raising agents added. Our self‑raising flour is plain flour with baking powder already mixed in, so use this when the recipe is for cakes, scones, muffins, and other bakes that rely on chemical leavening. Molasses is simply black treacle.

It is worth noting that the book is light on photographs, and those included are in black and white. This does not diminish the quality of the research, but readers expecting extensive visual material should be aware.

A solid, intelligent piece of historical nonfiction. Four stars.

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Queen of Shadows by Anna Belfrage

Universal Buy Link: https://myBook.to/QofS

This title is available to read on Kindle Unlimited.

I would like to thank Anna Belfrage, Timelight Press, and the Coffee Pot Book Club for providing me with early access to Queen of Shadows for review. I received this novel for free, but my review is entirely honest

Blurb:

She should have stayed in the shadows—but Leonor de Guzmán yearned for the sun

Castile in the 1330s is a place of constant turmoil. King Alfonso must contend with the incursions from the Muslim Marinids eager to reclaim Al-Andalus while struggling with repeated rebellions against his firm rule.

When Alfonso needs respite, he finds it in the arms of his Leonor—the most beautiful woman in the realm. But while he may love Leonor over all others, his lawful wife, Maria of Portugal, is tired of being constantly displaced by the fair Leonor.

Leonor loves her man. She gives him healthy sons, a place to be himself. But she is only a mistress, even if Alfonso treats her like a queen. Leonor’s enemies watch and hate.

Flying too close to the sun comes at a high price. How much will Leonor’s love cost her?

Based on the true story of Alfonso XI and his complicated relationships to wife and life-long mistress.

My Review:

Leonor de Guzmán is a woman that history has attempted to sideline. Thanks to the author Anna Belfrage, the mistress of King Alfonso XI and fourteenth-century Castile become very much alive in this rich and exceptional novel.

Leonor is not the king’s passing favourite, but the love of his life and the woman he treated as his true partner. She bore him ten children, many of them sons, and held a place in his life that looked very much like queenship.

The difficulty was that Alfonso already had a wife. Maria of Portugal was the lawful queen, the political match, the woman with the crown, but she did not hold the king’s heart.

Alma, a young woman of mixed Castilian and Moorish heritage who serves Leonor, becomes the thread that reveals the deeper tensions of the kingdom. Through her, we see the uneasy coexistence of cultures and faiths, the contradictions people carry, and the quiet strength required simply to endure.

The author is equally skilled at evoking place. She gives us the stark northern plateau and the shimmering southern landscapes, the grandeur of palaces and the small, intimate details of daily life. Food, herbs, travel, the textures of work, and ritual all feel close enough to touch.

This is a story about power and love, about the cost of loyalty, about joy that sits beside fear. It is not a soft or romantic past. At times, it can be difficult to read, but it is an extremely rewarding one. These were people with familiar longings and sorrows, yet shaped by a world whose values can feel utterly foreign to us. The pacing, the tension and the vivid descriptions make this a rich and compelling read. I became utterly engrossed. This is a five-star review.

Anna Belfrage

Author Bio:

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as two equally acclaimed medieval series; The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga ,which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel Times of Turmoil, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

“A master storyteller” “This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com where you will also find her post about Alfonso and Leonor:

Author Links:

Website: www.annabelfrage.com
X: https://twitter.com/abelfrageauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabelfrageauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/annabelfrageauthor
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/abelfrageauthor.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-belfrage
Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG      
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449528.Anna_Belfrage

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A review: The Queen’s Sister by Carol McGrath

Universal Ebook Link: https://books2read.com/u/bzExAq

Universal Paperback Link: https://geni.us/queenssister

Thank you to Carol McGrath, Headline Accent and the Coffee Pot Book Club for my advanced copy of this novel. I received it at no cost, but my review is entirely honest.

This novel follows the life of Elizabeth, the sister of Queen Jane Seymour. It opens in the Yorkshire countryside, where the recently widowed Elizabeth, only nineteen, is already a mother, the manager of Kexby Manor and is becoming an enterprising cloth merchant and employer.

The story gives a vivid sense of what the religious upheavals of the sixteenth century must have felt like for ordinary people and how easy it was to be swept up in the changes and to fall into danger. I also felt the slower rhythm of Tudor life very clearly. Gossip travelled slowly, and the seasons and the church shaped every part of daily existence.

Elizabeth is still reeling from the news of the sudden arrest of Anne Boleyn when news arrives of the queen’s execution. Elizabeth was once Anne’s maid of honour, and the moral injustice of her former mistress’s fall feels very real. The shock of that moment is powerfully drawn. We know it is coming, reading in the comfort of the twenty‑first century, but Elizabeth has no such luxury. For her, it is a seismic event, made even more astonishing when she learns that her sister Jane will be the next queen of England.

Soon, news comes from her brother, Edward Symour, who encourages her second marriage to the son of Thomas Cromwell Gregory. It is a delicious second marriage for Elizabeth, and the joy she shares with her new husband shines through every scene. She sits for a painting with Hans Holbein, a moment that underlines just how elite her new family is.

But her marriage brings her into the shadows of courtly plots and secrecy, at the same time as religious change across the country threatens the traditions and values she has always lived by.

This is an exceptionally well written and well researched novel, and it stands out as a work worth reading. This is a five Star novel.

Portrait of a lady, probably a Member of the Cromwell Family, perhaps Elizabeth Seymour. c. 1535-40, Hans Holbein the Younger

Blurb:

A mother, a wife, a woman of substance… At nineteen, Elizabeth Seymour is already a mother, has been recently widowed, and seen her Queen, Anne Boleyn, lose her life. Against the wishes of her father, she heads North, away from Wulf Hall and the court in London to Yorkshire, determined to establish a new beginning as a landowner and business woman. As her family in Wiltshire curry favour with King Henry, aided by Thomas Cromwell, Elizabeth makes Kexby Manor her home, finding loyalty among her people there.

Soon, news comes to Elizabeth of the King’s desires for her sister, Jane and while her brother, Edward, encourages her own betrothal to Gregory Cromwell, son of Thomas. It is a happy second marriage for Elizabeth, but it brings unwanted involvement in the dark plots and secrecy of the court, while in the wider country, changes in religious practice threaten to alter the traditions and values of all she has known…

THE QUEEN’S SISTER vividly imagines the story of the woman possibly portrayed in Hans Holbein’s beautiful painting ‘Portrait of a Lady,’ and is a colourful, meticulously researched novel of Tudor life behind the scenes.

What readers say about Carol McGrath’s novels:

‘Another beautifully crafted, well-researched work of historical fiction from Carol McGrath’

‘Brimming with intrigue, tension and adventure, The Lost Queen is a powerful Medieval tale full of atmosphere, danger and emotion and transports the reader to another world’

Carol McGrath

Author Bio:

Following a first degree in English and History at QUB, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London. She is published by Headline.

The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAs in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy. Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020. The Silken Rose, first in a Medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and July 2024 The Lost Queen about Berengaria of Navarre and The Third Crusade. The Queen’s Sister, sequel to Mistress Cromwell sees publication in June 2026.

Carol writes historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022 by Pen & Sword. She speaks at Conferences and gives interviews.

Find Carol on her website: www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.

Subscribe to her newsletter via her website (use the drop down on her web-site Home Page).

Author Links:

Website: www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk

Twitter / X: https://x.com/carolmcgrath

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolMcGrathAuthor1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carol.mcgrath.58/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/swanneck.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carol-mcgrath

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Carol-McGrath/author/B00D0K5YI0

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6942793.Carol_McGrath

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Fool, by Mary Lawrence

Link to Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8

Today I’m reviewing Fool, the latest Tudor novel by Mary Lawrence. My thanks to the Coffee Pot Book Club and to Mary for the review copy. As always, my thoughts are entirely my own.

Fool is a delicious, dark, intimate and surprisingly tender portrait of life on the margins of Henry VIII’s court.

Told through a narrator who is both invisible and indispensable. Kronos is the type of character that historical fiction rarely gives centre stage to, and that’s what makes it so compelling. Kronos is found on a midden heap, literally thrown out with the excrement at birth because of his disabilities. He is taken in by the monks at Thetford Priory and taught the basics of healing the sick in the infirmary.

Mary Lawrence builds the story around a simple but clever idea that the person who everyone overlooks can see everything.

Kronos’s voice is the novel’s greatest strength. He is sharp, observant and deeply wounded in a superstitious age when a disability is seen as bad luck or as a sign of sin. His perspective makes the Tudor court feel more claustrophobic and dangerous than the usual descriptions of pretty gowns and shallow conversations often found in Tudor novels.

The plot moves between Krono’s brutal past and the political crisis he is dragged into when he learns a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard. The author handles this with restraint, never leaning on shock value. Instead, tension is built through the character of Krono, his fear, his passion, and his anger. What stands out is how human the story feels. Kronos is not a caricature or a novelty despite being a person with dwarfism.

He is a man shaped by trauma, humour and a lifetime of being underestimated. His resilience is quiet but powerful, and the emotional beats especially around abandonment and identity land with real weight.

The Tudor setting is richly textured without ever becoming a history lesson. The royal court is used as a pressure cooker and not just a glittering backdrop. The result is a novel that feels historically grounded and emotionally immersive.

Fool is a thoughtful, character-driven Tudor novel that succeeds because it dares to centre the person everyone else ignores. It’s tense, humane and unexpectedly moving. It’s a fresh angle on the Tudor era, and it’s a story that lingers long after the last page.

It’s a five star novel!

My trip to Thetford Priory:

These are the images I took on my trip to the ruins of Thetford Priory after reading the novel. The first two are of the infirmary where Kronos worked. It was amazing to stand here and think about Kronos and Brother Ulric clattering around in here and curing the sick. The third is an image of the buttery where ale and beer would have been stored. It later became the kitchen where the fire burned, and cauldrons bubbled, tended by the fictional Brother Trelli, who made the pottage. In the background, you can see a small part of the enormous Abbot’s house.

The fourth picture shows the steps that once led to the monks’ dormitory, which was destroyed during the reformation. The fifth picture shows an artist’s impression of what the abbey looked like in its prime. The last photograph is of the monks’ refectory, where they ate. Entry is free, and the paths are gravel. I had no issues using my mobility scooter here.

Buy Links: Author’s Universal Buy Link: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com/linktree Amazon Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8

A Story of Secrets, Survival, and the Power of Being Overlooked

If you love historical fiction filled with tension, courtly intrigue, and characters who refuse to stay in the place the world assigns them, this novel delivers. Fool introduces a hero who has been ignored his entire life, only to discover that invisibility can be the sharpest weapon in a dangerous court:

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool. 

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

What others have said about Fool:

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.“–Goodreads Ecostell

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he’s ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory.

Praise for Fool:

 “Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, Fool captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII’s court.”

~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue

 “A masterclass in immersive storytelling.”

~ Tony Riches, author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy

“A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.”

~ Megan Parker for IndieReader

A Snippet :

The monks had warned me that the secular world outside the priory could be unkind. Not just to men like me, but to anyone possessing half a heart of compassion. There is a coldness that comes with age and experience. To survive means to outwit.

 Never should one take advantage of another’s weakness. After all, exploitation is human nature, and it is our struggle with evil not to take advantage of those less clever, less handsome than ourselves. However, it is better to outwit oneself—to be able to suppress one’s susceptibility in taking offence and feeling wounded. How well one builds his suit of armour determines his ability to endure the barbs of insult and misfortune. I would get plenty of practise.

 My visit to London helped me realise that the breadth of human experience was immeasurable and I had seen only a little piece. Where would I find my corner of existence? Viewing the king’s opulent palaces of Whitehall and St. James only made me more determined that I should find my way inside one of them. 

Mary Lawrence

Author Bio:

 Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist. Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017.

 Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast. When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market.

 Author Links:

 Website: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylawrence.author

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marylawrence.bsky.social

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-lawrence

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Lawrence/author/B00N7JSO5Y

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence

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