In large part due to the massive amount of Fantasy and history fiction that I’ve been reading the last couple of months, this has made me crave to read a heavy duty scholarly (some people call it dry-reading) history book. King Alfonso VIII of Castile: Government, Family, and War has completely fulfilled this itch for […]
I’ve read many historical fiction novels about the Reconquista, and I’ve begun to notice a recurring trend in this type of storytelling: the events are often presented through the perspective of a secondary character, giving the narrative an almost memoir-like approach. José Ángel Mañas’s ¡Pelayo! is no exception. The title of this book is Pelayo, […]
The second novel in epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time series. What in the Eye of the World alluded too, now in the The Great Hunt we finally get see this epic world at a large scale. Although the world is certainly massive, and the book contains a large array of characters, I personally […]
Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus is hands down the best book that I’ve read that’s completely focused on al-Andalus (Muslim controlled territory in the Iberian Peninsula) and not The Reconquista or the Christian realms. I really liked that the majority of the sources were primarily from Arab primary sources. This book […]
This is the seventh book that I’ve read regarding the mythical Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid. This is an excellent scholarly book regarding El Cid, which I think the author job gives the reader a clear view of era during the time of El Cid’s existence. Practically half of the book is laying the […]
Aside from the beautiful medieval illustrations, The Knights Templar: Their History and Myths Revealed felt like a another cookie cutter Knights Templar history book. Not surprising this is the typical English medieval book that someone portrays all of Western Europe as England and France. Given that this is a book regarding the Templars, it hardly […]
After over a decade of being in my “to be read list”, I finally took the leap and decided to start reading the entire Wheel of Time saga. Throughout all this time, I’ve managed to somehow avoid any possible spoilers. So I came into this fantasy series not knowing anything about it, other than it […]
Peregrinatio (“Pilgrimage” in Latin) is a interesting book. The story itself is fascinating. It takes place in early fourteen century in medieval Spain. This book is essentially a pilgrimage guide to from a father to his son, who is about to become a knight and therefore will be going on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. […]
As one of the many books that I originally read during the Covid lockdowns, and having re-read it early this summer again, and as a self-respected Hispanic medievalist. I had to write a review about this amazing book. Originally written in medieval Catalan in the late thirteen century, by Ramon Llull, this book is the […]
Alfonso VI: Señor del Cid, Conquistador de Toledo (Alfonso VI: The Lord of El Cid and Conqueror of Toledo) is a history book about the life and legacy of this really important king in Spanish (and Portuguese) history. Arguably considered to be one of greatest kings of medieval Spain, Alfonso IV is most famous because […]