Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: YA Historical Fiction

WAGES Of EMPIRE by Michael J. Cooper – Historical Fiction, WWI, Action & Adventure
Michael J. Cooper’s latest historical fiction novel, Wages of Empire, draws readers into the perilous journey of sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair and his father into WW1. On this path, their lives will intersect with such historical figures as TE Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, the Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann, the Arab nationalist Faisal ibn Hussein, the proto-Nazi and advisor to the German kaiser Guido von List, and Kaiser Wilhelm II himself.

Set in the summer of 1914 we find Evan living in the American southwest where his father moved the family from England for his Oxford sabbatical. Evan struggles to cope with his mother’s death in childbirth and yearns to escape his father’s controlling grip. As war breaks out in Europe, Evan decides to leave home and join the fight, without telling his father.

By the time Clive realizes Evan is missing, the war is in full swing. Clive returns to England to search for Evan and reactivates his commission at the War Office in London. There, Clive uses every means available to find Evan. Meanwhile, Evan has made his way across the Atlantic and into France with the hope of joining the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), but instead he is arrested by the Paris police as a possible German collaborator. He escapes, but by mistake, crosses into occupied Belgium where he barely survives a German artillery barrage with poison gas. Joining the Flemish resistance, he is badly wounded after helping to flood the lowlands, a deciding factor in stopping the German army. After recovering in a BEF hospital in France, Evan begins a romance with a beautiful young nurse just before he is discharged to return to England by hospital ship.

Cooper masterfully weaves a compelling narrative that includes fictional and historical characters with high stakes in the conflict. Wages of Empire takes us from Whitehall in London to the Western Front in Flanders, where we glimpse a world of imperial power where massive casualties result from outdated military tactics in the face of new wartime technologies. Cooper also provides an intimate look into the German Kaiser’s machinations in the conflict and his intentions for the Holy Land.

The Kaiser, who anticipates victory in the war, has sent his agents to facilitate his rule in Jerusalem as Holy Roman Emperor with dominion over Arabia’s rich oil reserves and control of the Suez Canal. And from his throne on the Temple Mount, he plans to extend a vision of German-Nordic racial supremacy throughout the world. Woven into this challenge, we glimpse a covert fellowship of Guardians of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. This mysterious and clandestine community is aware of the Kaiser’s intentions and dedicated to stopping him.

With gripping tension, Cooper keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the stakes are raised with each turn of events. Will Evan and Clive be reunited? Will they survive the war? These questions and more are left echoing in the reader’s mind long after the story’s conclusion.

Michael J. Cooper’s Wages of Empire is a must-read blockbuster for history buffs of all ages. The novel’s masterful storytelling will leave readers wanting more. Available for pre-order now.
November 1, 2023
PLAGUE Of FLIES: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846 by Laurel Anne Hill – Historical Fantasy, Old West, YA Magical Realism

Sixteen-year-old Catalina Delgado’s hopes of marrying her love are troubled by strange, unnatural dangers, in Laurel Anne Hill’s novel, Plague of Flies.

Like every dutiful daughter in 1846, Catalina worries about her reputation. However, she must also gain the approval of Ángelo Ortega’s family. Unfortunately, when three strangers ride onto her family’s small ranch in Alta California, she knows that more than her dreams are at risk. Alta California has just been invaded by the men of the Bear Flag, and Catalina fears what will become of her homeland now that it has been claimed by the Yankees. The nearby ranch owned by the valiant General Vallejo has been raided, owners and their servants terrorized and held captive. Plus Bear Flaggers have murdered additional friends of Catalina’s family on a beach.

In connection with the recent killings, the three strangers are harbingers of a dire prophecy repeated to Catalina by a dying vaquero. Catalina is destined to be carried off by a spirit man riding a black Andalusian stallion. She will be tasked to do the bidding of Coyote, a trickster spirit who is trying to stop the advancement of the Bear Flaggers. Catalina grapples with her uncertainty and disbelief, but she desperately wants to save her family. When Spirit Man appears to her, she must ask herself how far she is willing to go to keep her loved ones alive.

As a teenage girl in a repressed age and society, Catalina should be fearful of everything. And though in many ways she has been sheltered, she has also learned the ways of the vaquero, roping and riding alongside her brothers.

Her strict upbringing is meant to protect her virtue and to keep her reputation spotless until she is given in marriage. Catalina’s mother takes this obligation so seriously that she locks her daughter in her room at night to protect her. Catalina is meant to obey and isn’t even allowed to speak openly with her father or grandfather. As the head of the family, these men wield complete control over Catalina’s life and destiny. But now, this strange prophecy claims her future. She is chilled by the whispers of the dying vaquero who had taught her many of her skills.

His voice seems to remain with her past his death, speaking warnings and wisdom inside of her head.

When the strangers reveal themselves as Oljon natives and close relatives of Catalina, her entire self-image is upended. Thinking of herself as a Costanoan rather than a proud Mexican of Spanish descent makes her doubt her worth and lose hope of claiming the love of Ángelo Ortega, whose father will likely not agree to the match when he hears of her heritage.

She prays for courage in her meeting with Spirit Man, not yet realizing she already possesses more courage than any of the men in her life. Again and again, she rides with the magical being who forces her to find Coyote’s gold. Though she constantly fears Spirit Man’s abilities, she faces him, even questioning his directives and, at times, refusing to do as he commands. She believes her role in the prophecy will save her land from Bear Flaggers, and even though she has difficulty reconciling her religious beliefs with the Spirit Man’s appearances, she continues with her mission.

Catalina even risks her life and Spirit Man’s anger to rescue Ángelo when he joins the army and is taken by the Bear Flaggers. Regardless of the danger and the fear, Catalina accepts the rapid changes in her fate and future.

Plague of Flies surrounds Catalina with questions of destiny, and her place in it.

Catalina’s well-laid plans are wiped out by a series of events that seems relatively unconnected to her life. Just like falling dominoes, these events collapse Catalina’s dreams and fulfill a prophecy older than Catalina herself. The question, however, is whether the future of her homeland is likewise connected. Catalina must decide whether to follow the prophecy as an inevitability, or to chase her own dream of a simple ranch life with a husband and children. If Catalina refuses the call of Spirit Man, will all of Alta California suffer? Is she willing to save the land while losing herself?

Plague of Flies by Laurel Anne Hill won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction.

January 12, 2023
VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne – Y/A Time Travel, Y/A Historical Fiction, Y/A Historical Romance

There isn’t much to do in Little Current, Abby Parker’s hometown. Desperate to escape her alcoholic mother and absentee father’s drama, Abby Parker takes her dog Riley for a walk near the local tourist attraction, Victorian Town, a restored settlement from the 1800s. When Riley unearths a silver filigree ring engraved with the initials “BB,” Abby doesn’t hesitate to slip the ring onto her finger. In a haze of white, Abby is transported back to 1876.

Abby’s strange clothes and unfamiliar words quickly warrant a visit to the town doctor, Albert Edgecombe, where she meets Martha, his teenage daughter. With Martha’s kindness and easy nature, the girls form a fast friendship despite Abby’s confusion and constant questions. Soon she realizes when the ring is removed from her finger, she returns to her own time. Though warned repeatedly by her modern friend Jess, Abby cannot resist returning to 1876 and Martha’s family. Martha’s older sister, Elizabeth, seemingly left town though no one can confirm her leaving. The mystery of the missing Edgecombe sibling and a connection to the local blacksmith, Ben Dunstone, piques Abby’s interest until she can’t resist defying the laws of nature and returning frequently. However, the ring’s power is draining, and Abby will soon have to choose between the twenty-first century and the new family she has found.

The place of women in 1876 creates an issue for Abby and a theme within the novel. Abby is clearly a modern girl, independent and opinionated. In typical late-teen fashion, she arrives unabashed and uncensored in the quiet Victorian town. Even after she finally understands her “transport,” she refuses complete conformity, continuing instead to both shock and scandalize Martha Edgecombe. Her struggles exemplify most women’s lives and are symbolized in many ways by the simple task of dressing to fit in. In a time of corset, pantalettes, and bustles, Abby is a “shorty-short” girl. Just as she fights her garments in what should be an easy task–dressing for the day–she fights the notion that women should settle, not in their attire and certainly not in their life choices. When Martha mentions women’s roles, those of mother and wife, Abby scoffs and is even disgusted by the suggestion that that should be a good life for a woman. Repeated references to the fairytale Cinderella and Abby’s refusal to want the rescue of a handsome prince highlights her feelings and her appreciation of the place of modern women.

Friendship is another important notion within the novel. Jess, Abby’s modern bestie, is a significant part of Abby’s life. Abby has little to no family support; her mother is an alcoholic, while her father stays gone most of the time. Even Abby’s brothers, who are adults, are absent from Abby’s life. Other than her sheltie, Riley, Abby is alone. Jess is her only real human connection until she develops a close bond with Martha. Both friendships mean more to Abby than anything. She turns to Jess for advice in her time travels. Martha becomes a sister to her when the Edgecombe family welcomes Abby into their family after her abrupt arrival in 1876.

Abby’s closeness to Martha keeps her returning to the past, though her chances of being stuck there increase with each trip. Moreover, she is hurting Jess by venturing into the past. This pull keeps bringing Abby back to the present even when she begins to feel drawn to the past. Though she must eventually choose between Jess and Martha, both girls have a firm claim on Abby’s heartstrings and give her the family she chooses instead of the one into which she was born.

Abby’s sense of purpose is an admirable trait that gives her character a strong, heroic feel. Abby cannot let go of Elizabeth’s disappearance. She refuses to stay safely tucked into her own time when a possible murderer is wandering around in the distant past. Nearly from the first trip, Abby feels she was “chosen” for a reason and beyond determined to discover what that might be even at significant physical and mental risk to herself. What begins as a mystery becomes a rescue mission when Abby finds her friends’ fate through historical documents. Abby cannot leave the fate of Martha and Ben to chance.

Victorian Town won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult fiction novels.

January 15, 2021