The Harrowing by James Aitcheson

James Aitcheson is an expert on the Middle Ages with a particular interest in the Norman Conquest of 1066. In his fourth novel, he focuses on the settling in period, when the new King William had to establish control over England, quelling resistance wherever it arose. This is the harrowing of the title – the Norman soldiers marching through the north, where lords and their subjects were last to submit, resulting in the burning of manors and villages, the killing of any who stood in their way.

Into these dark and dangerous times, a noblewoman, Merewyn, and her young maid, Tova, escape into the midwinter night, fearing for their lives, not at the hands of Normans, but their own people. They are rescued by the warrior, Beorn, who offers them protection as they journey north, his aim: to fight in the last Saxon rebellion at Hagustaldesham. The trio are joined by Guthred, a priest, and Oslac, a minstrel, all forming an awkward alliance based on desperation rather than trust.

Most of the story is told from the point of view of Tova. She’s a determined and fiercely loyal young woman and excellent company for the reader. She stands up to Beorn and begs him to take her and Merewyn with him, and even talks him into teaching her how to fight. Blended into her narrative are the stories of each of her fellow travellers and each has a terrible secret to atone for.

The Harrowing is a compelling novel, beautifully written and full of period detail that recreates England of 1070. You know that the past is all set to catch up with our five travellers even if the Normans don’t, so there’s plenty to keep you turning the pages. But be warned: there are quite a few fight scenes and descriptions of violence, so the book is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It's a ripping read, none the less.

Posted by JAM

Catalogue link: The Harrowing

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

“I am a blood soaked girl.”

Right from the first line I was hooked.

The book follows Minnow Bly (obviously) as she finally escapes from the Kevinian cult where she spent the last twelve years of her life. She is promptly arrested for the violent assault on a young man, questioned about the destruction of the community where she lived, the death of its Prophet, and is shipped off to juvie.

Oh, and she has no hands.

We learn right away that they were cut off by someone at the community, but it is through a series of flash backs and interviews that the story of her dark past comes to light. We come see how she was always struggling against ‘The Prophet’ and his strict way of life; she was whipped and beaten for any disobedience, her once close mother became distant and emotionally removed, her sister (born in the community) served the Prophet with religious zeal and would not leave the community no matter how hard Minnow tried, and we finally learn the horrific truth about her hands, and the lengths that the Prophet would go to make sure that his will was followed.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. The Kevinian religion seemed quite ridiculous – God was born in the 1700’s and is a boy named Charlie, and women were forbidden to read or voice their opinions and had no choice over who they would marry. Anyone who questioned the Prophet was punished, in some cases by death. They were incredibly sexist and racist and all the things that most cults are portrayed as being. But Minnow's story was so interesting and heartbreaking that I kept reading. It was horrific, dark and definitely not for the faint-hearted, full of incredible details, allegations of sexual abuse, and a (quite tame) look at what goes on at a juvenile detention centre. I wouldn’t recommend it for those new to the YA section, but it is definitely a book I think you should read.

Posted by Sas

Catalogue link: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

Revelation Road by Nick Page

What an interesting book! Part travelogue, part history lesson and part Biblical exegesis. Nick Page decided to research the background to the book of Revelation by travelling to the sites of the seven churches of the Apocalypse in modern day Turkey, and then to stay on the Greek island of Patmos (where Saint John saw the vision and wrote it down) to write his book. The result is an entertaining, informative and enlightening book.

I enjoyed Nick Page’s style. He is funny and entertaining. His accounts of  historical places, people and times are neither superficial nor too heavy, and his descriptions of the archaeological sites he visits gave me the sense of being there too. His text is accompanied by photos that he took during his visits. Unfortunately, the publishers chose to publish the paperback edition on cheap paper, which means that the photos are very poor quality greyscale. But Google Images came to my rescue. I could google the places and see beautiful colour photos of the places he visited, and view them not just from the angle he chose for his shot, but from every other possible angle as well.

The book is divided into two parts: Part One covers the sites of the seven churches and Part Two describes his time on and his exploration of Patmos. Throughout the book, Nick relates the results of his research about the people and places in ancient times to the images and descriptions in the book of Revelation. He ties the two together in ways that make sense (to me at least). Interestingly, his understanding of Revelation matches quite closely that of New Zealander Graeme Carlé who has so far written three books in a 5-book series on Revelation. (Hastings District Libraries have his books.) To sum up then, I found Nick Page’s book a perfect balance of entertaining armchair travel and historical study. Just a shame about the cheap print job.

Posted by JM

Catalogue link: Revelation Road