*Many thanks to Frank Harrelson, Booklogix and Netgalley for providing me with arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I had high expectations when I requested this title, however, my final feelings were close to a bit of disappointment. My main concern is the the Author tried to write a factual account of the fate of the Huguenots and a historical novel at the same time ..... For me it did not work, alas. Just when I got involed in the story, I came across a paragraph describing the facts behind the plot. I was unable to relate to any of the characters, and a book that leaves me indifferent is never rated high by me. This was somehow unnerving for me, and stopped me from fully enjoying Twisted Fate. I read non-fiction and historical fiction, but I cannot accept both these ingredients in one book.

I think, with hindsight, the author should have stuck with either a fictional account OR a factual account; and the editor / publisher should have stepped in here. For an historical novel, it is heavily annotated. Just reading a note I had written down " reads like a genealogy lesson" - and maybe a family tree might have been a more welcome addition or even a list of characters. No, on second thoughts, this should have been a "family history" type book rather than a fictional / factual account, with the historical facts then interspersed, which would have made much more sense.


Fuller account @ Melisende's Library

Twisted Fate tells the saga of families in France caught up in the Protestant Reformation begun in the sixteenth century by Martin Luther in Germany and John Calvin in Switzerland. The Reformation caused great conflict between the Catholic Church in France and the Huguenots, who desired religious toleration from the church and from the government. The reader gets involved in the lives of the families filled with political intrigue, murder, suspense, persecution, survival, and ultimately enduring love. The past is made vibrant in a story of faith by bringing together historical and fictional people and events from Renaissance France. Finally, Twisted Fate, as the little implies, is filled with twists, turns, and surprises that promise to keep the reader spellbound.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found the mix of drama and historical information blended well.

Until reading this title I had no knowledge of the Huguenots so this was a great way to learn about their persecution in catholic France.

The story was captivating and flowed well in most parts. The characters were well developed and overall this is a good read.

My only problems with the book were that there were parts where the narative regurgitated facts that we were already fully conversant with - for example the retelling of the aborted trip to Paris whilst in the prison. The use of french words as greetings felt a bit out of place as the rest of the book was in plain english and I felt it was not necessary to remind us we were in France.

The last point is the overuse of the word hearty when describing meals - not a major problem but one that is easily solved in the edit.

I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in history or France and also someone who loves a good story. without the modern trend for complex twists and turns in the plot.