Author Garth Petterson provided me with an ecopy of The Sea's Edge for review. 

I have had the pleaser of reading now, three of the four books in The Atheling Chronicles. Somehow I missed the first (I have to fix that). My review site is titled "Books are Theater of the Mind" and author Garth Petterson's work lives up to that claim admirably. 

Set in medieval Engla-lond and its environs, this story chronicles the continuing tale of a somewhat reluctant warrior hero,  Harald, son of King Cnute. Author Petterson paints a vivid picture of a harsh yet beautiful landscape. Woven in among storylines of ruthless warlords and intricate political schemes is a love story. Harald, not one to shirk his duty as the son of a king, still focuses on his love for Selia his wife. We read the story of a man struggling to maintain balance in his life. As a historical novel, The Sea's Edge probably takes liberties with the actual history and I am certainly not qualified to comment on its historical accuracy. Frankly I don't care. I do know, from perusing a lengthy bibliography of source material, I'm inclined to think it pretty historically accurate. The point of a novel is to be entertaining and The Sea's Edge achieves this goal without question.

The action and intrigue are riveting. It keeps the reader enthralled and engaged while the love storyline provides relief from becoming overwhelmed and possibly numbed by too much graphic violence. In addition to the main love interests (my view as the main characters) we have lust driven players, women who use men's lusts to political advantage and feckless wimps in positions of leadership. Spies, allies and warriors of varying degrees of loyalty. I encourage lovers of historical fiction, medieval fiction or political intrigue to give The Sea's Edge a read. I think you will find it is a good way to pass some time in another time and place. Enjoy! 

                                                                                     

I received an ecopy of Duties and Dreams from author John A. Heldt for review.

If you are the reader who want short down and dirty reviews, I offer this: WOW! Read this book! There you don't need to read any further.

For those of you who want a bit more, please continue.

As the final installment of the Second Chance series Duties and Dreams concludes the story of the Carpenter clan. Once again we see the growth of an author who is developing into a story teller with few peers. I say in many of my reviews of his work that Mr. Heldt sets the bar of excellence higher for himself with each new book. With this story he clears that bar with ample room to spare.

Readers of my reviews know I don't give away a lot of the story, that's why you read the book. You don't need me to tell you the story. I will share though that Duties and Dreams, set before and during WWI, is so detailed and engrossing. But don't think it is a "war story". It goes way beyond. The level of character development and story building is sublime. Mr. Heldt has always had the ability to draw in the reader and elicit an emotional reaction to the story. This time that ability was on display in spades. The last quarter of the book was, for me, an emotional roller coaster. A truly exhilarating ride. The personal crises each character faced, as well as the family complications demonstrated the authors deft handling of complicated and intertwined storylines. No character is given short shrift here, even more ancillary characters. It is overall one of the most satisfying conclusions to a series that I have had the pleasure of reading.

A bit off topic here. I have read books offering the premise that when authors put pen to page, they are actually building a world in another dimension or plane. The world Mr. Heldt has created is a seriously interesting place. Just imagine a world where time travel is an everyday option, people would be popping in and out everywhere. How bizarre.

Forgive my somewhat lengthy review but this book did blow my mind. I always know I am in for a fun read with Mr. Heldt's books. But truly Duties and Dreams sets a new standard. I strongly encourage you to read this series and to prepare yourself for an unforgettable adventure.

Enjoy!