G526 Book Review of Heir to a Prophecy by Mercedes Rochelle
Author: Mercedes Rochelle
ISBN: 978-1-78279-754-8
Publisher: Top Hat Books
Type of book: Scotland, England, 1000s-1100s? Macbeth, Harold, Shakespeare, battles, friendships, royalty, conflict, kingdoms, prophecy, witches
Year it was published: 2014
Summary:
Shakespeare's Witches tell Banquo, Thou Shalt Get Kings Though Thou Be None. Though Banquo is murdered, his son Fleance gets away. What happened to Fleance? As Shakespeare's audience apparently knew, Banquo was the ancestor of the royal Stewart line. But the road to kingship had a most inauspicious beginning, and we follow Fleance into exile and death, bestowing the Witches prophecy on his illegitimate son Walter. Born in Wales and raised in disgrace, Walter's efforts to understand Banquo's murder and honor his lineage take him on a long and treacherous journey through England and France before facing his destiny in Scotland.
Characters:
I do feel that I don't think I really got to know the character of Fleance in depth, and same goes for Walter. The only Walter that I have gotten to know is one that is hungry for battle, and loyal to family and friends. However, I did get to know and get to really like the character of Malcolm. Malcolm became king of Scotland after Macbeth, and he is a conflicted soul with a very heavy burden on his shoulders, and sometimes he has to make choices that might go against his feelings. Like Walter, Malcolm is very loyal to friends and family and he inspires that loyalty in those around him.
Theme:
Friendships and loyalty last forever, nothing is just black and white
Plot:
The story is told in third person narrative, some from Fleance's and the rest from Walter's point of view. Last year I got a chance to read 1066 which is about the events on how William became King of England, overthrowing Harold. Its pretty cool to revisit some of that time period and what happened afterwards in this book, and I liked that King Malcolm was painted in shades of gray rather than as either completely white or completely black; he is painted as human and he is made likable for me. The story toys with idea of predestination and free will, and even after the reading, I'm not quite sure what is more important.
Author Information:
(From HFVBT)
About the Author
Born in St. Louis MO with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they built themselves.
For more information please visit Mercedes Rochelle’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.
Opinion:
First of all my apologies for posting and finishing the book so late. Yes, I could mention thousands of reasons, but I think my thoughts will be more interesting than my excuses. I did enjoy reading the story and the book, and it has to mean something when I become interested in reading Shakespeare's play Macbeth when in fact I could never stand Shakespeare. I have vague memories of reading Macbeth as well as watching Gargoyles, and in Gargoyles, from what I remember, after Macbeth was overthrown and the Gargoyle hunter was killed, Malcolm's line becomes Gargoyle hunter. For those who don't have familiarity with Macbeth play, the author provides brief background of what is going on. Also as well, if you are looking for a story where those in charge are humans and struggle with everyday decisions, and where history becomes something to enjoy and to savor and something that should interest young men, then this is a right novel to come upon. The story is set in 11th century, covers numerous battles, has a lot of bromances, some magic and a mystery of how the prophecy will be fulfilled. Why not five stars then? I did feel that in some parts the author tended to rush the battles and in some cases I would have liked for mention of how many years have passed since the battles. Other than that, I'm definitely interested in reading any possible future sequels.
This is a late review for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Heir to a Prophecy Blog Tour
Tuesday, December 16
Review at Book Nerd
Guest Post at Queen of All She Reads
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Review at Book Nerd
Guest Post at Queen of All She Reads
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, December 17
Review at Back Porchervations
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
4 out of 5Review at Back Porchervations
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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