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Showing posts from October, 2021

#HistFicThursdays - Teaching Gothic Horror to the Next Generation

Of course, when I volunteered to write a blog for #HistFicThursdays, it was bound to be Gothic-based. All the pupils at school know now that, if they get me for English, they will be studying some Gothic Horror at some point! I have just taught my first full year of National 5, and the text I selected for the pupils’ Critical Essay (worth 20% of the overall grade) was A Warning to the Curious by the great M. R. James. There are so many fascinating things which can be said about the text: Paxton as a tragic hero; the setting of the First World War and how that is woven in throughout the text; the themes of revenge and respect for beliefs; the many examples of foreshadowing throughout… But teaching a group of teenagers to love (or, more realistically, to understand) M. R. James is not without its challenges. He writes in that wonderfully lyrical style which is key to the Gothic genre and, even for his time, he was using language which was perhaps slightly old-fashioned. Therefore, some ...
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#HistFic Thursdays - Welcome Aboard the Ultimate Time Machine

Hello Reader! I just thought I'd introduce myself, as well as explaining what is happening here on the Crowvus Book Blog every Thursday. My name is Virginia Crow and I've been writing historical fiction for the best part of a decade. History is not just an interest for me, it's a fascination. In the past few years, I've been delighted to discover such a fabulous network of historical fiction writers and I look forward to sharing some of their books and writings with you right here on the Crowvus Book Blog. On the weeks when there is no visiting author, I will be posting my own musings and adventures relating to the realms of historical fiction. You can find all my novels through the Crowvus website , or on my own website . I'm told they make for a great read! So ready yourself for the most amazing time machine in existence: Historical Fiction! Prepare for adventures and enjoy exploring the realms of the past. "You get to recognise a well-researched and written ...
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The Skirmish Which Cost the Throne?

If you asked people what happened in Scotland in the eighteenth century, most would make some reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Especially if you said mid-eighteenth century. Narrow it down to the year 1746 and some will make reference to the aftermath of the final Jacobite uprising. Cut it down to April and they will mention Culloden. But there was another conflict occurred in April 1746, one which was claimed shortly afterwards to have cost the throne: Littleferry. Very little is taught and discussed surrounding the events of the Jacobite uprising north of Drumossie, where the battle of Culloden was fought. It is almost as if the north of Scotland had no part to play. People sing about “over the sea to Skye” and suppose that, between Inverness to the east and Skye to the west, this was the furthest reach of the Jacobites. But that is not the case. The Jacobite funds, carried by French and Spanish ships, had been blocked in the Kyle of Tongue far to the north only a month earlier, w...
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#BookReview of Spirit Sight (Last of the Gifted, #1) by Marie Powell

  This is a fascinating book, blending history and fantasy in a way which makes each seem somehow more believable. Marie Powell uses historical figures and settings to give an expert voice to her work and makes the reader believe that they could be reading an exciting history of Welsh culture rather than simply a work of fiction. Powell’s descriptive writing is beautiful and evocative, although sometimes I feel a Young Adult audience may have preferred a slightly different descriptive to dialogue ratio. Overall, a clever mix of fantasy and history to shed new light on a dark period of British history.
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It's Launch Day! Honour's Rest by Judith Crow - Character Interview with Pendragon Devon

We at Crowvus are delighted to bring our newest story to the market! Honour's Rest is a young adult magical realism, filled with danger and adventure, with a good dollop of self-sacrifice on the side. We were lucky enough to persuade the main character of the book, Pendragon Devon, to come and answer some of our questions. Perhaps, after you've read the book yourself, you have a question for him too. Feel free to write your questions in the comments below. Here's a bit of background on the Rite, for those who are unsure: The Rite is definitely not  magic (but really, it is, just don't tell Napier we said that). There are 2 ways of channelling the Rite, each having their own pros and cons, and it's not so clear-cut as to be good vs bad. But that's enough from us...let's hand over to Pendragon. What is a Rendelf, and why is the job so important? Because there are two different forms of the Rite, I think the Rendelf was set up to make sure peace was kept betwee...
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