Book Review: Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon

Dark Lanterns is a first novel by Aaron Solomon.  (Disclosure: Aaron is my nephew).

I really liked this book. It's got an unusual setting and a very interesting protagonist.  The setting is 16/17th century France (the era of Cardinal Richelieu and also the Three Musketeers). I found this interesting because it is an era I didn't know that much about - and one that is very different in all sorts of ways from the modern world.

The protagonist is a young woman named Sacha.   She was orphaned as a child and made her way to Paris where she became a sort of employee of Richelieu - but her jobs are unusual, often dangerous and usually illegal. And she has to pretend to be a man to do them. She's utterly devoted to the Cardinal because without him she probably would have starved on the streets of Paris. She's devoutly religious but conflicted because her jobs (although done in the service of a cardinal) often involve violating the law or one of the ten commandments.  She breaks into buildings, she steals, she fights. But she's also very clever.

I hope this is the start of a series!

Book review: The Devils of Cardona by Matthew Carr

Date finished: August 22, 2016
Year published: 2016
Genre: Mystery, historical fiction
Rating: B+

Review:  It is 1584 and Fernando Mendoza, a magistrate in Spain, is sent to Aragon to investigate the murder of a priest. He winds up digging into a complicated nest of intrigue in which nothing is what it seems and everyone is being scapegoated by someone else.  The Inquisition is in full force; the Moriscos (Moors who accepted Baptism) are being persecuted and prosecuted; the murdered priest was a bad man; there is suspicion of what would now be known as terrorist activity; one of the main characters is a lesbian who has to desperately hide it.. 


Strong characters, good writing and a plot that keeps moving are all good things and I like novels where I learn something. The only flaw is that, at times, I got lost in the complications of the plot.


About the author: Matthew Carr is a writer and journalist. He has previously written several history books (including Blood and Faith which is about  the same period as Devils of Cardona) and a memoir. Devils of Cardona is his first novel.

Source: http://thenewpress.com/authors/matthew-carr