Reviews
"The realistic treatment of the subject matter is what sets this book apart. " - Books are my only friends, "I happened to really enjoy The KingMaking and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Grade A+." -- Musings of a Bibliophile, "A complex story full of intrigue, drama, emotion, and more, I was swept away by the story as Ms. Hollick brought this legendary figure to life." -- Jennifer's Random Musings, "Hollick has a deep understanding and love of her characters -- and one of the most exciting parts about reading the novel is that you can never guess what's going to happen next. Hollick does a tremendous job of keeping the story unpredictable. " - Medieval History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Writing Fiction, "Hollick's complex character development, plot pacing, and attention to historical details while any afficianado of Athurian legend should appreciate this original vision of the myth. This is first-rate writing, indeed." - A Reader's Respite, "Helen Hollick has made it pretty clear that she's thrown out the Arthurian legends and attempted to re-imagine this as it really would have been, using the original Welsh poems. I think that's awesome. " - Medieval Bookworm, "I found Helen Hollick's more realistic approach to this beloved legend refreshing and eye-opening." -- Library Queue, "I found myself drawn back to the text anytime I put it down, anxious to read further, to discover what happened" -- A Hoyden's Look at Literature, "If you're looking for an engrossing Dark Ages tale with action and romance or you'd simply like to take another look at the legend of Arthur I highly recommend this book! " -- RhiReading, "The Kingmaking was a fabulous novel, hard to put down and Helen Hollick's writing is fantastic." -- Passages to the Past, "If you are looking for an engaging read with great characters and plot, plenty of backstabbing and a dash of romance, you will enjoy this book. " -- The Bookworm, "Here you will find rich, multi-layered characters, breathtaking drama and aching sadness. A complex, compelling story and a refreshing look at the origins of a legend." -- The Tome Traveller, "I found myself drawn back to the text anytime I put it down, anxious to read further, to discover what happened" - A Hoyden's Look at Literature, "Lots of darkness, fighting, betrayal and war...all the great elements of historical fiction." -- My Friend Amy, "Hollick's writing is smooth and beautiful. She seamlessly transports her readers back to the Dark Ages." -- So Many Precious Books, So Little Time, "I liked the depiction of the characters daily lives in a down to earth way, the familiar family dramas such as sibling rivalry and the conflicts between paganism, Christianity and the monarchy. " -- Susan's Art and Words, "Lots of darkness, fighting, betrayal and war...all the great elements of historical fiction." - My Friend Amy, "Most impressive of all is Hollick's ability to lose the reader in her craft of storytelling. Scenes come alive, jumping off the page and engaging the reader. " - Carpe Libris Reviews, "The Kingmaking was an amazing read that any fan of historical fiction will enjoy, even those unfamiliar with Arthurian lore. Despite its size, readers will race through the novel, eager to discover what happens to Arthur and Gwenhwyfar. The only disappointment comes in the fact that it ends." -- S. Krishna's Books, "It is a journey filled with blood and battles, love and redemption, and so many other things that make up a great novel. I mean this is historical fiction at its' best and I was entranced." - Sam's Book Blog, "If readers are engaged by books with intrigue, battles, and strategy, this novel will not disappoint." - Savvy Verse and Wit, "Hollick's writing is smooth and beautiful. She seamlessly transports her readers back to the Dark Ages." - So Many Precious Books, So Little Time, "With Hollick's imagination, knowledge and apparent passion, the author pulls the reader into the whirl of life, warring, revenge, loyalty and love. " -- Reading Extravaganza, "Hollick's complex character development, plot pacing, and attention to historical details while any afficianado of Athurian legend should appreciate this original vision of the myth. This is first-rate writing, indeed." -- A Reader's Respite, "If readers are engaged by books with intrigue, battles, and strategy, this novel will not disappoint." -- Savvy Verse and Wit, "I liked the depiction of the characters daily lives in a down to earth way, the familiar family dramas such as sibling rivalry and the conflicts between paganism, Christianity and the monarchy. " - Susan's Art and Words, "Most impressive of all is Hollick's ability to lose the reader in her craft of storytelling. Scenes come alive, jumping off the page and engaging the reader. " -- Carpe Libris Reviews, "A complex story full of intrigue, drama, emotion, and more, I was swept away by the story as Ms. Hollick brought this legendary figure to life." - Jennifer's Random Musings, "If you're looking for an engrossing Dark Ages tale with action and romance or you'd simply like to take another look at the legend of Arthur I highly recommend this book! " - RhiReading, "Helen Hollick has made it pretty clear that she's thrown out the Arthurian legends and attempted to re-imagine this as it really would have been, using the original Welsh poems. I think that's awesome. " -- Medieval Bookworm, "I found Helen Hollick's more realistic approach to this beloved legend refreshing and eye-opening." - Library Queue, "With Hollick's imagination, knowledge and apparent passion, the author pulls the reader into the whirl of life, warring, revenge, loyalty and love. " - Reading Extravaganza, "I happened to really enjoy The KingMaking and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Grade A+." - Musings of a Bibliophile, "Readers who enjoy historical romance with a hefty dollop of warfare stirred into a setting of barbaric splendor will find much to relish." -- Historical Novels Book Review, "The realistic treatment of the subject matter is what sets this book apart. " -- Books are my only friends, "The Kingmaking was an amazing read that any fan of historical fiction will enjoy, even those unfamiliar with Arthurian lore. Despite its size, readers will race through the novel, eager to discover what happens to Arthur and Gwenhwyfar. The only disappointment comes in the fact that it ends." - S. Krishna's Books, "The Kingmaking was a fabulous novel, hard to put down and Helen Hollick's writing is fantastic." - Passages to the Past, "Readers who enjoy historical romance with a hefty dollop of warfare stirred into a setting of barbaric splendor will find much to relish." - Historical Novels Book Review, "It is a journey filled with blood and battles, love and redemption, and so many other things that make up a great novel. I mean this is historical fiction at its' best and I was entranced." -- Sam's Book Blog, "Hollick has a deep understanding and love of her characters -- and one of the most exciting parts about reading the novel is that you can never guess what's going to happen next. Hollick does a tremendous job of keeping the story unpredictable. " -- Medieval History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Writing Fiction, "If you are looking for an engaging read with great characters and plot, plenty of backstabbing and a dash of romance, you will enjoy this book. " - The Bookworm, "Here you will find rich, multi-layered characters, breathtaking drama and aching sadness. A complex, compelling story and a refreshing look at the origins of a legend." - The Tome Traveller
