What do you think?
Rate this book
Gideon's Angel
1653. The long, bloody English Civil War is at an end. King Charles is dead and Oliver Cromwell rules the land. Richard Treadwell, Royalist, exile, and now soldier for the King of France, burns with revenge for those who deprive him of his family and fortune. He returns to England in secret to assassinate Cromwell.
But his is not the only plot in motion. A secret army run by a deluded Puritan is bent on the same quest, guided by the Devil’s hand. When demonic entities are summoned, Treadwell finds his fortunes he must save Cromwell, or consign England to Hell...
But first he has to contend with a wife he left in Devon who believes she’s a widow, a furious Parisian mistress who has trailed him to England, and a young Musketeer named d’Artagnan, sent to drag him back to France. It’s a dangerous new Republic, for an old Cavalier coming home.
But his is not the only plot in motion. A secret army run by a deluded Puritan is bent on the same quest, guided by the Devil’s hand. When demonic entities are summoned, Treadwell finds his fortunes he must save Cromwell, or consign England to Hell...
But first he has to contend with a wife he left in Devon who believes she’s a widow, a furious Parisian mistress who has trailed him to England, and a young Musketeer named d’Artagnan, sent to drag him back to France. It’s a dangerous new Republic, for an old Cavalier coming home.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
About the author
Clifford Beal
14 books52 followersClifford Beal, originally from Providence, Rhode Island, worked for 20 years as an international journalist covering defence and security issues for Jane's Defence Weekly. He published his first non-fiction historical work, Quelch's Gold, in 2007 and now writes historical thrillers (under the name Ethan Bale) including Hawker and the King's Jewel, The Lost Prince, and The Knight's Redemption, all published by Canelo Books and set during the twilight of the English Wars of the Roses. He also writes contemporary mystery and suspense, publishing short fiction in the genre. His latest work, a novel of domestic suspense set in New England in 1968, is called Little Sins.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 11, 2013
When Solaris announced Clifford Beal's Gideon's Angel my interest was immediately piqued. Fantasy and historical fiction are solidly in my wheelhouse and with Anne Lyle's
The Alchemist of Souls
I'd had it confirmed that a marriage of the two could be a beautiful thing. Combine that with a setting in an era I discovered in more detail last year and I really couldn't wait to read Gideon's Angel. It even made my most anticipated reads list for the first half of 2013. Happily, the book lived up to my expectations and was a wonderful read.
We start the book in the past, about eight years before the story proper is set, and meet our protagonist Richard Treadwell at the point where his life falls apart—he's fighting a duel to the death to prove his innocence. While a strong start, which is instantly exciting and has you rooting for Treadwell, it also serves up a bit of confusion, as the next chapter starts in 1563 but moves to a flashback set somewhat earlier, co-starring a young musketeer named d'Artagnan. We then move to a different time in the next chapter, but it wasn't clear how much time has elapsed, so by this point I was completely confused as to where we were in time. However, this is also the point the story takes off and I forgot all about the timeline and just sank into the adventure. However, those first two or three chapters did give me pause and made me double check historical stuff to make sense of things, which made the book have a bit of a wobbly beginning for me.
Once the story gets on its way, however, and the action is moved from France to England, after an interview with Treadwell's current employer Cardinal Mazarin, it settles down to business. Treadwell is an old campaigner, who's fought as a soldier of fortune in numerous campaigns, both on the continent and on English soil. As such, he's experienced and one could say rather jaded and cynical. Despite this, he seems a good man, who might not always act honourably, but tries to do right. He's also more than just a soldier, he is a sensitive who has seen some dark things in his time as a fighting man. Things he'll encounter again on his current mission. I loved Treadwell's decisions, especially once he discovers the Fifth Monarchy plot and its consequences. I also liked where Beal takes Treadwell's faith and that in the end his faith seems somewhat restored.
Along the way Treadwell finds allies in unlikely places, the most important of which is the Ranter Billy Chard. Chard is a fantastic character, who reminded me a lot of Blackadder's Baldrick. He makes for a staunch comrade and his courage and steadfastness in the face of darkness is impressive. But what I really loved about him was his irreverence and his temper; Billy has a hard time keeping his mouth shut and is easily insulted, he's also very funny and his banter with Treadwell give some much needed comic relief at times. Treadwell and Billy are joined by Elias Ashmole and Rodrigo da Silva, a Portuguese converso, who both bring different mystical powers to this group of unexpected allies. Rounded out with the expert swordsmanship of d'Artagnan and our band of heroes is complete. All three of the later companions are given believable motivations to stand with Treadwell against the dark forces arrayed against Cromwell and the Commonwealth and are characters in full, not just cardboard cut outs used to fill out the band.
There are only four named female characters, who are all strong in their own way. Treadwell's wife, who was left to fend for herself after his exile, his mistress, who isn't content with being abandoned and decides to make her way to England on her own, da Silva's daughter, unafraid to follow her father into danger, and Anya, a Cunning Woman who Treadwell first met in Germany and whose magic has kept him safe all these years. And while they are interesting, their seeming dependence, except perhaps Anya, on the presence on their men in their life – Maggie, Treadwell's mistress doesn't want to be without him to face the consequences of their liaison alone, while da Silva's daughter would rather die with him in battle, than be left an orphan and alone – bothered me a lot.
Beal puts an interesting spin on the dissolution of the Barebones Parliament and the establishment of the Protectorate. He seems to have a solid grip on not just the historical facts of the era, but the religious underpinnings of its unrest as well. He shows us the various factions and the splintered nature of the Protestant faith in England and the intolerance there was towards those of a different faith, such as Catholics and Jews. But he doesn't just make good use of the mystical teachings of the various faiths and cults, but he also includes the mystical brotherhood of the Freemasons, a society that has fascinated me ever since I researched them for a paper. He interweaves all of these in a tight plot, where faith is shown as a weapon for both good and evil.
Gideon's Angel is an exciting and compelling debut. Beal shows a deft hand at mixing historical fact with fantasy and mimicking the period's language without becoming incomprehensible to modern readers. I really enjoyed the resolution of the novel and the choices Treadwell makes for his future. While Gideon's Angel is a story complete in and of itself, Treadwell's choices and profession leave an opening for more tales of his adventures and I would love to spend more time with him. If you enjoy historical fantasy such as the work of Anne Lyle, you definitely shouldn't miss Gideon's Angel.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
We start the book in the past, about eight years before the story proper is set, and meet our protagonist Richard Treadwell at the point where his life falls apart—he's fighting a duel to the death to prove his innocence. While a strong start, which is instantly exciting and has you rooting for Treadwell, it also serves up a bit of confusion, as the next chapter starts in 1563 but moves to a flashback set somewhat earlier, co-starring a young musketeer named d'Artagnan. We then move to a different time in the next chapter, but it wasn't clear how much time has elapsed, so by this point I was completely confused as to where we were in time. However, this is also the point the story takes off and I forgot all about the timeline and just sank into the adventure. However, those first two or three chapters did give me pause and made me double check historical stuff to make sense of things, which made the book have a bit of a wobbly beginning for me.
Once the story gets on its way, however, and the action is moved from France to England, after an interview with Treadwell's current employer Cardinal Mazarin, it settles down to business. Treadwell is an old campaigner, who's fought as a soldier of fortune in numerous campaigns, both on the continent and on English soil. As such, he's experienced and one could say rather jaded and cynical. Despite this, he seems a good man, who might not always act honourably, but tries to do right. He's also more than just a soldier, he is a sensitive who has seen some dark things in his time as a fighting man. Things he'll encounter again on his current mission. I loved Treadwell's decisions, especially once he discovers the Fifth Monarchy plot and its consequences. I also liked where Beal takes Treadwell's faith and that in the end his faith seems somewhat restored.
Along the way Treadwell finds allies in unlikely places, the most important of which is the Ranter Billy Chard. Chard is a fantastic character, who reminded me a lot of Blackadder's Baldrick. He makes for a staunch comrade and his courage and steadfastness in the face of darkness is impressive. But what I really loved about him was his irreverence and his temper; Billy has a hard time keeping his mouth shut and is easily insulted, he's also very funny and his banter with Treadwell give some much needed comic relief at times. Treadwell and Billy are joined by Elias Ashmole and Rodrigo da Silva, a Portuguese converso, who both bring different mystical powers to this group of unexpected allies. Rounded out with the expert swordsmanship of d'Artagnan and our band of heroes is complete. All three of the later companions are given believable motivations to stand with Treadwell against the dark forces arrayed against Cromwell and the Commonwealth and are characters in full, not just cardboard cut outs used to fill out the band.
There are only four named female characters, who are all strong in their own way. Treadwell's wife, who was left to fend for herself after his exile, his mistress, who isn't content with being abandoned and decides to make her way to England on her own, da Silva's daughter, unafraid to follow her father into danger, and Anya, a Cunning Woman who Treadwell first met in Germany and whose magic has kept him safe all these years. And while they are interesting, their seeming dependence, except perhaps Anya, on the presence on their men in their life – Maggie, Treadwell's mistress doesn't want to be without him to face the consequences of their liaison alone, while da Silva's daughter would rather die with him in battle, than be left an orphan and alone – bothered me a lot.
Beal puts an interesting spin on the dissolution of the Barebones Parliament and the establishment of the Protectorate. He seems to have a solid grip on not just the historical facts of the era, but the religious underpinnings of its unrest as well. He shows us the various factions and the splintered nature of the Protestant faith in England and the intolerance there was towards those of a different faith, such as Catholics and Jews. But he doesn't just make good use of the mystical teachings of the various faiths and cults, but he also includes the mystical brotherhood of the Freemasons, a society that has fascinated me ever since I researched them for a paper. He interweaves all of these in a tight plot, where faith is shown as a weapon for both good and evil.
Gideon's Angel is an exciting and compelling debut. Beal shows a deft hand at mixing historical fact with fantasy and mimicking the period's language without becoming incomprehensible to modern readers. I really enjoyed the resolution of the novel and the choices Treadwell makes for his future. While Gideon's Angel is a story complete in and of itself, Treadwell's choices and profession leave an opening for more tales of his adventures and I would love to spend more time with him. If you enjoy historical fantasy such as the work of Anne Lyle, you definitely shouldn't miss Gideon's Angel.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
October 24, 2013
I received my copy of Gideon’s Angel through the Goodreads FirstReads program. This in no way influences my review, except to ensure that I was able to get ahold of this book and thus review it. I have to say, I really enjoyed this one. I want to describe it as “steampunk,” but my understanding is that steampunk is usually set in the 1800s (or at least that level of tech and society) whereas this work is firmly set in 1653. If there’s already a term for pseudo-historical fiction with a fantasy touch set in that timeframe, I apologize for not knowing what it is and using it accordingly.
Things are not going well for Richard Treadwell. The English Civil War is over, the King’s Cavaliers lost to the forces of Parliament and Oliver Cromwell, and Charles I has been executed. Treadwell has managed to escape the destruction of his cause, and has spent the past eight years in exile in France, performing a delicate balancing act between loyalty to his exiled king* and his employer, Cardinal Mazarin. When Mazarin informs him that someone is using the forces of Hell to tip the balance in their favor and asks him to spy on the exile court to find out if it is one of the king’s supporters, Treadwell decides that it’s time to get out of Paris. He accepts a mission for one of the king’s more militant supporters that will take him back to his beloved England–to lead a Royalist uprising, one last try to oust Cromwell and his Puritan cronies. Treadwell has other business to tend to as well, including a wife who by now probably considers herself a widow. Unfortunately for Treadwell’s simple worldview, it soon becomes clear that Cromwell’s power is the only thing preventing the more radical Puritan elements from running roughshod over the whole country. Worse still, a demon from the pits of Hell has appeared to a radical Puritan sect masquerading as an angel of light and ordering the death of Cromwell so that the Kingdom of God may be fulfilled. Now instead of assassinating Cromwell Treadwell will be forced to save him–if he can find a way to fight the forces of Hell, gain some allies in his quest, and avoid d’Artagnan, a young Musketeer dispatched by the Cardinal to bear him back to Paris….
I really enjoyed this book. It’s not exactly “high literature,” but I think I’ve very well established that I care far more about a work’s entertainment value than whatever it is critics look for. The world Beal creates here feels very real, slipping in background historical information without making you feel like you’ve been lectured. Some readers will probably wish for more background on the English Civil War, and that’s fine. If they care that much, there are numerous good books on the subject. If they don’t, there’s a Wikipedia article that should give you a good rundown on what happened. Beal manages to evoke seventeenth-century London in all its grimy glory, much as it would have actually been aside from the fact that all the magic we dismiss as superstition is actually going on behind the scenes. Moreover, this magic very much resembles what you would find depicted in the folklore of the era without obvious modern embellishment. I’m not really all that well versed in the history of the Freemasons, so I can’t accurately speak to how they were portrayed here except to say that I very much doubt their claim to date back to the builders of the pyramids. Then again, I doubt they have the tools to summon demons too, so maybe I shouldn’t be too critical. Secondary characters generally proved to be interestingly complex, especially Billy Chard, but I am seeing criticism of how the female characters in the book act. They aren’t weak characters by any means, but they are constrained by their roles in society. Treadwell’s wife has pragmatically joined her fate to that of the officer who took over Treadwell’s land when he was banished and is pregnant with his child. Is she weak for this? Or is she a strong female doing what she has to in order to protect what is left of her family? Treadwell’s Parisian mistress follows him to England rather than stay in Paris and face the scandal of their liasion alone. Weak, for needing Treadwell by her side? Or strong, for following him into whatever dangers he may be facing? Finally, Isabelle decides to follow her father and the rest of Treadwell’s band into battle against the forces of Darkness, deciding that it would be better to fall by his side than live on without him. Possibly a sign of weakness, but look at her situation realistically. She and her father were driven from Spain for their Jewish heritage, her mother dying along the way. Jews do not fare well in the Christian world of the seventeenth century, not even in England. The lot of a young woman alone in the world is already hard enough in this time without adding the burden of religious and ethnic persecution. She would have no respectable means of supporting herself, and could conceivably find herself forced into prostitution–on her own if she was lucky, as no more than a slave if she was not. Is preferring death in battle to such a fate a sign of weakness or of strength? She certainly has no trouble speaking her mind, and in fact berates Treadwell severely for endangering her father when they first meet. I suppose I can understand where some people would find these characters and their portrayal to be weak and sexist, but I respectfully disagree. I submit that instead they are strong characters reacting realistically to a world where women are not treated equally–in fact, I would have more of a problem with them if they demonstrated anachronistic modern sensibilities.** The ending was a little deus ex machina, but on the whole I didn’t mind. I would say that I want to read a sequel, but I don't think the author could come up with anything to top this in terms of personal impact on the characters--Treadwell's internal conflict between hating Cromwell and having to save him is very well done, and I fear Beal would prove unable to find something equally interesting as a follow up. We never really got to find out what happened to Treadwell back during the Thirty Years War that introduced him to the world of angels and demons, so I could see maybe writing that up....I'd buy it, anyway.
CONTENT
R-rated language, occasionally harsh but I would argue not gratuitous. Moderately explicit sexual content, as you would expect from a work in this vein.*** A fair amount of violence, from both man and demon. Not usually too gory in its description. There is also a good deal of occult content, as the villains are summoning a demon they believe to be an angel. This demon’s lesser minions dog Treadwell and his friends, and there are multiple encounters with them. One is implied to be a golem, others appear as strange amalgamations of beast(s) and man. For me, this is adequately balanced by the recognition that, as powerful as the forces of Darkness are, God is far more powerful than they. Bottom line: if you’re mature enough to handle the other content, I don’t believe the occult elements should prove to be an issue.
*Charles I was executed, while his son Charles II went into exile. Just in case you were concerned with the historical accuracy of the book. So far as I can tell, this is pretty accurate. You know, aside from the demons and fictional characters roaming London…..
**Please understand, I’m neither defending nor endorsing the inequality of the seventeenth century. Neither is Clifford Beal, for that matter. I’m simply pointing out that it was how it was, and this was the world the characters would have come from. I’m all for equality, but to whitewash history and pretend it was different from it was….that way lies dangerous waters.
***This evokes more than anything a supernatural-tinged Alexandre Dumas novel for me….and you know how bawdry his musketeers could be when they wanted to be.
Things are not going well for Richard Treadwell. The English Civil War is over, the King’s Cavaliers lost to the forces of Parliament and Oliver Cromwell, and Charles I has been executed. Treadwell has managed to escape the destruction of his cause, and has spent the past eight years in exile in France, performing a delicate balancing act between loyalty to his exiled king* and his employer, Cardinal Mazarin. When Mazarin informs him that someone is using the forces of Hell to tip the balance in their favor and asks him to spy on the exile court to find out if it is one of the king’s supporters, Treadwell decides that it’s time to get out of Paris. He accepts a mission for one of the king’s more militant supporters that will take him back to his beloved England–to lead a Royalist uprising, one last try to oust Cromwell and his Puritan cronies. Treadwell has other business to tend to as well, including a wife who by now probably considers herself a widow. Unfortunately for Treadwell’s simple worldview, it soon becomes clear that Cromwell’s power is the only thing preventing the more radical Puritan elements from running roughshod over the whole country. Worse still, a demon from the pits of Hell has appeared to a radical Puritan sect masquerading as an angel of light and ordering the death of Cromwell so that the Kingdom of God may be fulfilled. Now instead of assassinating Cromwell Treadwell will be forced to save him–if he can find a way to fight the forces of Hell, gain some allies in his quest, and avoid d’Artagnan, a young Musketeer dispatched by the Cardinal to bear him back to Paris….
I really enjoyed this book. It’s not exactly “high literature,” but I think I’ve very well established that I care far more about a work’s entertainment value than whatever it is critics look for. The world Beal creates here feels very real, slipping in background historical information without making you feel like you’ve been lectured. Some readers will probably wish for more background on the English Civil War, and that’s fine. If they care that much, there are numerous good books on the subject. If they don’t, there’s a Wikipedia article that should give you a good rundown on what happened. Beal manages to evoke seventeenth-century London in all its grimy glory, much as it would have actually been aside from the fact that all the magic we dismiss as superstition is actually going on behind the scenes. Moreover, this magic very much resembles what you would find depicted in the folklore of the era without obvious modern embellishment. I’m not really all that well versed in the history of the Freemasons, so I can’t accurately speak to how they were portrayed here except to say that I very much doubt their claim to date back to the builders of the pyramids. Then again, I doubt they have the tools to summon demons too, so maybe I shouldn’t be too critical. Secondary characters generally proved to be interestingly complex, especially Billy Chard, but I am seeing criticism of how the female characters in the book act. They aren’t weak characters by any means, but they are constrained by their roles in society. Treadwell’s wife has pragmatically joined her fate to that of the officer who took over Treadwell’s land when he was banished and is pregnant with his child. Is she weak for this? Or is she a strong female doing what she has to in order to protect what is left of her family? Treadwell’s Parisian mistress follows him to England rather than stay in Paris and face the scandal of their liasion alone. Weak, for needing Treadwell by her side? Or strong, for following him into whatever dangers he may be facing? Finally, Isabelle decides to follow her father and the rest of Treadwell’s band into battle against the forces of Darkness, deciding that it would be better to fall by his side than live on without him. Possibly a sign of weakness, but look at her situation realistically. She and her father were driven from Spain for their Jewish heritage, her mother dying along the way. Jews do not fare well in the Christian world of the seventeenth century, not even in England. The lot of a young woman alone in the world is already hard enough in this time without adding the burden of religious and ethnic persecution. She would have no respectable means of supporting herself, and could conceivably find herself forced into prostitution–on her own if she was lucky, as no more than a slave if she was not. Is preferring death in battle to such a fate a sign of weakness or of strength? She certainly has no trouble speaking her mind, and in fact berates Treadwell severely for endangering her father when they first meet. I suppose I can understand where some people would find these characters and their portrayal to be weak and sexist, but I respectfully disagree. I submit that instead they are strong characters reacting realistically to a world where women are not treated equally–in fact, I would have more of a problem with them if they demonstrated anachronistic modern sensibilities.** The ending was a little deus ex machina, but on the whole I didn’t mind. I would say that I want to read a sequel, but I don't think the author could come up with anything to top this in terms of personal impact on the characters--Treadwell's internal conflict between hating Cromwell and having to save him is very well done, and I fear Beal would prove unable to find something equally interesting as a follow up. We never really got to find out what happened to Treadwell back during the Thirty Years War that introduced him to the world of angels and demons, so I could see maybe writing that up....I'd buy it, anyway.
CONTENT
R-rated language, occasionally harsh but I would argue not gratuitous. Moderately explicit sexual content, as you would expect from a work in this vein.*** A fair amount of violence, from both man and demon. Not usually too gory in its description. There is also a good deal of occult content, as the villains are summoning a demon they believe to be an angel. This demon’s lesser minions dog Treadwell and his friends, and there are multiple encounters with them. One is implied to be a golem, others appear as strange amalgamations of beast(s) and man. For me, this is adequately balanced by the recognition that, as powerful as the forces of Darkness are, God is far more powerful than they. Bottom line: if you’re mature enough to handle the other content, I don’t believe the occult elements should prove to be an issue.
*Charles I was executed, while his son Charles II went into exile. Just in case you were concerned with the historical accuracy of the book. So far as I can tell, this is pretty accurate. You know, aside from the demons and fictional characters roaming London…..
**Please understand, I’m neither defending nor endorsing the inequality of the seventeenth century. Neither is Clifford Beal, for that matter. I’m simply pointing out that it was how it was, and this was the world the characters would have come from. I’m all for equality, but to whitewash history and pretend it was different from it was….that way lies dangerous waters.
***This evokes more than anything a supernatural-tinged Alexandre Dumas novel for me….and you know how bawdry his musketeers could be when they wanted to be.
March 5, 2014
Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
In the masses of releases last year, the attention of Gideon's Angel kind of escaped me. Whenever there is the mentioning of the supernatural esepcially in the backdrop of historical fantasy I always try to be at the frontline. Luckily the fine people of Solaris kindly provided me with a review copy. Gideon's Angel is written by Clifford Beal who has been the former editor-in-chief of Jane’s Defence Weekly in London and has worked as an international journalist for over 20 years. Gideon's Angel is Clifford Beal's first book out by Solaris, it is set in an alternate history of Engeland where a supernatural element, read: Demons and the likes make an appearance, this book could only turn out for the better, and it did! I am having my fingers crossed to see more of his works to be published.
Gideon's Angel opens up with a direct focus on the main protagonist Richard Treadwell in a fight for his survival and to proof his innocence. Richard has a past within the English court, he once a trusted and loyal officer to King Charles right until the moment that Cromwell staged his coup where he assassinated King Charles. After this Richard was sent into exile to France, where he is no currently fighting for his life. Soon after this though Richard is contacted by Cardinal Mazarin, Mazarin has one task for Richard, try to finds out a who has closed a deal with the Devil. Richard finds himself now torn between a lot of decisions but decides to travel to England, he does have his own mind set on getting rid of Cromwell. However things do soon start to change as Richard is confronted with the supernatural side of this story. The synopsis might deliver a pretty straightforward story, but eventhough it's a short book, Clifford Beal nicely broadens the whole story of Gideon's Angel as soon as Richard sets foot on English soil. Since Richard has been exiled and if he is captured on English soil will make his life forfeit. His situation is utter precarious and his partly hot headed nature doesn't make it that much easier to stay unnoticed. Richard does draw the attention of certain people, Gideon Fludd, that make his life that more difficult but this also offered a new view upon Richard's task. Maybe he fighting for the wrong ideals as he starts to realize who Gideon or actually what Gideon is... Clifford Beal has managed to create a very powerful and very interesting storyline in Gideon's Angel. I was very impressed that with the beginning of the story it look rather natural and ordinary with the historical backdrop but then all of a sudden he spins his story in the supernatural direction, good stuff.
As for the main protagonist in Gideon's Angel, Richard Treadwell, I think Clifford Beal couldn't have written up a better one. Richard is a man with a past, he has fought numerous battles on either the British soil or on continental Europe and this has left him with a lot of experience and somewhat weary of it all. But Richard still has that spark of determination going on to seek justice for his exile. These explanations might paint him as a die-hard soldier only with the muscle, but when Richard sets foot on in England, he is confronted by his wife and this added a nice few layers of complexity to his character, broadening the scope of the story and showing that Richard is more than just a sword for hire. He feel partly obliged to his wife and perhaps wishes that certain things hadn't happened the way they did. Richard is painted for me in the lines of an antihero, he came to kill a king, but now has to safe his life to stop the End of Days from dawning. Along his journey Richard meets up with many different characters, both fictional and based on true facts. For starters there is Billy Chard, Clifford Beal weaves a great sense around this character, Billy is a very strong secondary character that at certain moments even starts to overshine Richard's character. BIlly is a determined companion to Richard and even though they don't know each other through and through like old friends there "young" friendship should say enough, and if I were ever in a nasty situation I would like to see Billy have my back. With the addition of Billy, Clifford Beal also introduces a more humorous aspect to the book in terms of dialogues and witty remarks. Another addition to the secondary cast is one that we know of the Three Musketeer d'Artagnan, but he is far from shown in the way that we have come to know him from other popular media, he is a bit more on the pessimistic side in terms of his character but still his expertise with the blade does come to show in full artistical fights.
What for me makes or breaks alternate history books is how the author brings over the setting of his story. I must say that I was impressed with how Clifford Beal executed his story. It reads away very easily and I only later found out that this is his second book... It feel like I am reading the words of an veteran author (not to talk it down in anyway, but it is very fine writing). Gideon's Angel is one of those books that pulls you in and doesn't let you go until you finish the last page and then you wish there was more to read. Clifford Beal writes his story in in a clear and crisp manner but allowing for a lot of exploration in side tracks and even with writing to the point you aren't missing out on any details at all. The whole English War setting with the Militia was brought over in clear detailing, I have to admit that I aren't 100% familiar with all the details but it felt like I was present in the 1660's.
Now what separates Gideon's Angel from the rest of many different Alternate History books is the supernatural element. From the synopsis of the book you can make out that Richard finds himself in the dealings with the Devil. I have read some UF stories in which dealing with the devil were made that turned out to be standard stuff, not really giving much extra to the story, but in the case of Gideon's Angel this supernatural threat works full color. Especially when you consider the earlier proposed premise with just RIchard Threadwell that now finds himself batteling the supernatural, in setting up to introduce the Devil, Clifford Beal carefully layers his story revealing bit by bit more as to who is the possible individual that is in league with the Devil. Nearing the ending of the book it comes down to one spectacular finale and everything falls into place, with the help of a flaming sword though! This last scene really brought me to the edge of my seat and it was written in such a cool way that I read it 4 times directly after each other and I can still imagine the details in the back of my mind, really, really cool.
With Gideon's Angel, Clifford Beal shows that he is definitely an author to look out to in the feature. Gideon's Angel isn't just another alternate history book, it is much more. Clifford Beal perfectly blends in the natural with the supernatural and shows that the Devil and other of his demonspawn can also feature in alternate history and doesn't only have to make an appearance in urban fantasy. Clifford Beal introduces the reader to an well fleshed out character cast, both the protagonist of Gideon's Angel, Richard Treadwell as well as the secondary characters feel fully developed and aren't just simple husks, the great characterization combined with the interesting story and plottwists (though the major one is revealed in the synopsis, you are still in for quite a surprise nearing the ending of the book) make this book a sure-fire winner. And lets not forget to stress out the cool thing once again blending the natural with the supernatural and final showdown, superb.
In the masses of releases last year, the attention of Gideon's Angel kind of escaped me. Whenever there is the mentioning of the supernatural esepcially in the backdrop of historical fantasy I always try to be at the frontline. Luckily the fine people of Solaris kindly provided me with a review copy. Gideon's Angel is written by Clifford Beal who has been the former editor-in-chief of Jane’s Defence Weekly in London and has worked as an international journalist for over 20 years. Gideon's Angel is Clifford Beal's first book out by Solaris, it is set in an alternate history of Engeland where a supernatural element, read: Demons and the likes make an appearance, this book could only turn out for the better, and it did! I am having my fingers crossed to see more of his works to be published.
Gideon's Angel opens up with a direct focus on the main protagonist Richard Treadwell in a fight for his survival and to proof his innocence. Richard has a past within the English court, he once a trusted and loyal officer to King Charles right until the moment that Cromwell staged his coup where he assassinated King Charles. After this Richard was sent into exile to France, where he is no currently fighting for his life. Soon after this though Richard is contacted by Cardinal Mazarin, Mazarin has one task for Richard, try to finds out a who has closed a deal with the Devil. Richard finds himself now torn between a lot of decisions but decides to travel to England, he does have his own mind set on getting rid of Cromwell. However things do soon start to change as Richard is confronted with the supernatural side of this story. The synopsis might deliver a pretty straightforward story, but eventhough it's a short book, Clifford Beal nicely broadens the whole story of Gideon's Angel as soon as Richard sets foot on English soil. Since Richard has been exiled and if he is captured on English soil will make his life forfeit. His situation is utter precarious and his partly hot headed nature doesn't make it that much easier to stay unnoticed. Richard does draw the attention of certain people, Gideon Fludd, that make his life that more difficult but this also offered a new view upon Richard's task. Maybe he fighting for the wrong ideals as he starts to realize who Gideon or actually what Gideon is... Clifford Beal has managed to create a very powerful and very interesting storyline in Gideon's Angel. I was very impressed that with the beginning of the story it look rather natural and ordinary with the historical backdrop but then all of a sudden he spins his story in the supernatural direction, good stuff.
As for the main protagonist in Gideon's Angel, Richard Treadwell, I think Clifford Beal couldn't have written up a better one. Richard is a man with a past, he has fought numerous battles on either the British soil or on continental Europe and this has left him with a lot of experience and somewhat weary of it all. But Richard still has that spark of determination going on to seek justice for his exile. These explanations might paint him as a die-hard soldier only with the muscle, but when Richard sets foot on in England, he is confronted by his wife and this added a nice few layers of complexity to his character, broadening the scope of the story and showing that Richard is more than just a sword for hire. He feel partly obliged to his wife and perhaps wishes that certain things hadn't happened the way they did. Richard is painted for me in the lines of an antihero, he came to kill a king, but now has to safe his life to stop the End of Days from dawning. Along his journey Richard meets up with many different characters, both fictional and based on true facts. For starters there is Billy Chard, Clifford Beal weaves a great sense around this character, Billy is a very strong secondary character that at certain moments even starts to overshine Richard's character. BIlly is a determined companion to Richard and even though they don't know each other through and through like old friends there "young" friendship should say enough, and if I were ever in a nasty situation I would like to see Billy have my back. With the addition of Billy, Clifford Beal also introduces a more humorous aspect to the book in terms of dialogues and witty remarks. Another addition to the secondary cast is one that we know of the Three Musketeer d'Artagnan, but he is far from shown in the way that we have come to know him from other popular media, he is a bit more on the pessimistic side in terms of his character but still his expertise with the blade does come to show in full artistical fights.
What for me makes or breaks alternate history books is how the author brings over the setting of his story. I must say that I was impressed with how Clifford Beal executed his story. It reads away very easily and I only later found out that this is his second book... It feel like I am reading the words of an veteran author (not to talk it down in anyway, but it is very fine writing). Gideon's Angel is one of those books that pulls you in and doesn't let you go until you finish the last page and then you wish there was more to read. Clifford Beal writes his story in in a clear and crisp manner but allowing for a lot of exploration in side tracks and even with writing to the point you aren't missing out on any details at all. The whole English War setting with the Militia was brought over in clear detailing, I have to admit that I aren't 100% familiar with all the details but it felt like I was present in the 1660's.
Now what separates Gideon's Angel from the rest of many different Alternate History books is the supernatural element. From the synopsis of the book you can make out that Richard finds himself in the dealings with the Devil. I have read some UF stories in which dealing with the devil were made that turned out to be standard stuff, not really giving much extra to the story, but in the case of Gideon's Angel this supernatural threat works full color. Especially when you consider the earlier proposed premise with just RIchard Threadwell that now finds himself batteling the supernatural, in setting up to introduce the Devil, Clifford Beal carefully layers his story revealing bit by bit more as to who is the possible individual that is in league with the Devil. Nearing the ending of the book it comes down to one spectacular finale and everything falls into place, with the help of a flaming sword though! This last scene really brought me to the edge of my seat and it was written in such a cool way that I read it 4 times directly after each other and I can still imagine the details in the back of my mind, really, really cool.
With Gideon's Angel, Clifford Beal shows that he is definitely an author to look out to in the feature. Gideon's Angel isn't just another alternate history book, it is much more. Clifford Beal perfectly blends in the natural with the supernatural and shows that the Devil and other of his demonspawn can also feature in alternate history and doesn't only have to make an appearance in urban fantasy. Clifford Beal introduces the reader to an well fleshed out character cast, both the protagonist of Gideon's Angel, Richard Treadwell as well as the secondary characters feel fully developed and aren't just simple husks, the great characterization combined with the interesting story and plottwists (though the major one is revealed in the synopsis, you are still in for quite a surprise nearing the ending of the book) make this book a sure-fire winner. And lets not forget to stress out the cool thing once again blending the natural with the supernatural and final showdown, superb.
February 5, 2013
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Clifford Beal's Gideon's Angel was a pleasant surprise for me. It's entertaining and immersive historical fantasy, because it's a well written combination of historical fiction, fantasy and adventure elements. This book is a first rate adventure story.
Gideon's Angel is a story about Richard Treadwell who lives in exile in France. He secretly returns to England to kill Cromwell, but finds out that he has to change his plans or England will be doomed. This isn't his only concern, because his Parisian mistress follows him to England and causes him trouble. He also has to deal with d'Artagnan who wants to take him back to France to Cardinal Mazarin.
Before I write more about this book, I'll mention that the name of this book comes from the entity that one of the characters (Gideon Fludd) summons. I won't write more about this subject, because I want to avoid writing spoilers, but I'll briefly mention that it was thrilling to read about the entity, Gideon Fludd and their plans for England.
I enjoyed reading about Richard Treadwell, because he was a realistic and believable character who wanted to avenge what was done to him and his family. Reading about Richard's predicaments and adventures was fun, because he got into all kinds of trouble.
Clifford Beal writes fluently about minor characters, which is good. Gideon Fludd, Richard's wife, Billy, Maggie and other characters are fascinating characters, so it's a pleasure to read about them. Maggie is an especially interesting character, because she's Richard's mistress and doesn't want to be left behind when Richard returns to England.
When I read this book I noticed that Clifford Beal knows a lot about history and pays attention to historical details. His view of England in the 17th century feels believable, because he has a way of making the reader feel like he or she is right there in the middle of the happenings with the main character. This book brings the gritty substances and nuances of the happenings to life in an engaging way.
I think it's good to mention that knowledge of history isn't necessary to understand what's happening in this book, but it may help readers to enjoy the story even more.
Clifford Beal handles magical elements amazingly well. He writes about them in a realistic way, which brings a lot of excitement to the story. For example, the scenes in which Richard sees what's following him are handled fantastically.
Because I'm a big fan of dark fantasy and horror stories, I noticed that this book contains a couple of dark fantasy and horror elements which were connected to magic (summoning and summoned entities). These elements were wonderful and they added a charmingly sinister atmosphere to the story.
It's good that the author knows how to write about romantic scenes in an interesting way. He doesn't dwell on them so the story doesn't become tiresome (the romantic scenes are an important and entertaining part of the story).
I loved the fight scenes, because they were surprisingly realistic. I think that the author's experiences about rapier and dagger fighting have a lot to to with the realism in the fight scenes, because first hand experience about these things explains why the scenes are so good and realistic.
This book contains several good and fluently written scenes, but I'm not going to write about all of them (I'll only mention a couple of examples). One of my favourite scenes is where Richard meets his wife after the exile. I like the way the author writes about what happens at that moment, because the wife's reaction is handled perfectly. It was also great to read what happened to Richard afterwards, because his plans didn't go exactly as planned.
In my opinion Clifford Beal's prose is amazingly good and smooth (it's great that there are debut authors who know how to write fluent prose). The story moves fast forward, so there aren't any dull moments in this book, which is very nice, because every once in a while I've read historical fantasy books in which it seems to take forever for the story to start and when something finally happens, you'll notice that there aren't any pages left to read. Fortunately this book is different and the author keeps on delivering plot twists and action scenes, which keep up the reader's interest in the story.
I think it's possible that old adventure stories may have been an inspiration to the author, because this book has the same kind of timeless charm as certain old adventure books (for example, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas came to my mind when I read this book). I also think that Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series and other similar books (and perhaps even Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane stories) may have been a source of inspiration to the author.
Because I enjoyed this book and think that it's a fine achievement, I hope that Clifford Beal will write more historical fantasy books. I noticed that he has written Quelch's Gold, which is a true story of an early 18th century Anglo-American pirate, so I think I'll try to read it in the near future.
Clifford Beal's Gideon's Angel is a good historical fantasy romp, which offers entertainment, swashbuckling, plenty of action and even romance for fans of historical fantasy and adventure stories. If you're looking for an immersive and well written historical fantasy adventure, you won't be disappointed by this book.
Gideon's Angel gets full five stars from me for its entertainment values. It's one of the most entertaining and engaging historical fantasy books I've ever read, because it's pure fast-paced escapism from start to finish. It's one hell of a good and enjoyable book.
Good entertainment!
Clifford Beal's Gideon's Angel was a pleasant surprise for me. It's entertaining and immersive historical fantasy, because it's a well written combination of historical fiction, fantasy and adventure elements. This book is a first rate adventure story.
Gideon's Angel is a story about Richard Treadwell who lives in exile in France. He secretly returns to England to kill Cromwell, but finds out that he has to change his plans or England will be doomed. This isn't his only concern, because his Parisian mistress follows him to England and causes him trouble. He also has to deal with d'Artagnan who wants to take him back to France to Cardinal Mazarin.
Before I write more about this book, I'll mention that the name of this book comes from the entity that one of the characters (Gideon Fludd) summons. I won't write more about this subject, because I want to avoid writing spoilers, but I'll briefly mention that it was thrilling to read about the entity, Gideon Fludd and their plans for England.
I enjoyed reading about Richard Treadwell, because he was a realistic and believable character who wanted to avenge what was done to him and his family. Reading about Richard's predicaments and adventures was fun, because he got into all kinds of trouble.
Clifford Beal writes fluently about minor characters, which is good. Gideon Fludd, Richard's wife, Billy, Maggie and other characters are fascinating characters, so it's a pleasure to read about them. Maggie is an especially interesting character, because she's Richard's mistress and doesn't want to be left behind when Richard returns to England.
When I read this book I noticed that Clifford Beal knows a lot about history and pays attention to historical details. His view of England in the 17th century feels believable, because he has a way of making the reader feel like he or she is right there in the middle of the happenings with the main character. This book brings the gritty substances and nuances of the happenings to life in an engaging way.
I think it's good to mention that knowledge of history isn't necessary to understand what's happening in this book, but it may help readers to enjoy the story even more.
Clifford Beal handles magical elements amazingly well. He writes about them in a realistic way, which brings a lot of excitement to the story. For example, the scenes in which Richard sees what's following him are handled fantastically.
Because I'm a big fan of dark fantasy and horror stories, I noticed that this book contains a couple of dark fantasy and horror elements which were connected to magic (summoning and summoned entities). These elements were wonderful and they added a charmingly sinister atmosphere to the story.
It's good that the author knows how to write about romantic scenes in an interesting way. He doesn't dwell on them so the story doesn't become tiresome (the romantic scenes are an important and entertaining part of the story).
I loved the fight scenes, because they were surprisingly realistic. I think that the author's experiences about rapier and dagger fighting have a lot to to with the realism in the fight scenes, because first hand experience about these things explains why the scenes are so good and realistic.
This book contains several good and fluently written scenes, but I'm not going to write about all of them (I'll only mention a couple of examples). One of my favourite scenes is where Richard meets his wife after the exile. I like the way the author writes about what happens at that moment, because the wife's reaction is handled perfectly. It was also great to read what happened to Richard afterwards, because his plans didn't go exactly as planned.
In my opinion Clifford Beal's prose is amazingly good and smooth (it's great that there are debut authors who know how to write fluent prose). The story moves fast forward, so there aren't any dull moments in this book, which is very nice, because every once in a while I've read historical fantasy books in which it seems to take forever for the story to start and when something finally happens, you'll notice that there aren't any pages left to read. Fortunately this book is different and the author keeps on delivering plot twists and action scenes, which keep up the reader's interest in the story.
I think it's possible that old adventure stories may have been an inspiration to the author, because this book has the same kind of timeless charm as certain old adventure books (for example, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas came to my mind when I read this book). I also think that Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series and other similar books (and perhaps even Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane stories) may have been a source of inspiration to the author.
Because I enjoyed this book and think that it's a fine achievement, I hope that Clifford Beal will write more historical fantasy books. I noticed that he has written Quelch's Gold, which is a true story of an early 18th century Anglo-American pirate, so I think I'll try to read it in the near future.
Clifford Beal's Gideon's Angel is a good historical fantasy romp, which offers entertainment, swashbuckling, plenty of action and even romance for fans of historical fantasy and adventure stories. If you're looking for an immersive and well written historical fantasy adventure, you won't be disappointed by this book.
Gideon's Angel gets full five stars from me for its entertainment values. It's one of the most entertaining and engaging historical fantasy books I've ever read, because it's pure fast-paced escapism from start to finish. It's one hell of a good and enjoyable book.
Good entertainment!
February 21, 2013
I read "Gideon's Angel" within days after I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway, but it has taken me a few months to write a review. The main reason is I wanted to see if the timeline (which stretches from the 30 Years War to the latter days of the English Protectorate) checked out. I could never quite get around to doing this, and I didn't think it should hold back my review any longer. However, authors should realize that people who enjoy "secret histories" usually have a strong background in known history: its jarring for them if dates are off, and a paucity of date cues raises their suspicions, messes with their suspension of disbelief, and causes them to drop your book in favor of weeding through reference books to verify dates.
That said, I enjoyed "Gideon's Angel" as a light supernatural romp set in my favorite period of history, the 17th century. To be honest, it probably deserves 3 1/2 stars as a work of literature, but I realize I'm a bit over-powered as a reviewer since my graduate degree focused on that era of history, and I have read many, many, many (possibly all) books of this genre. My standards may be too high. I've also had an itch to write 17th-century clockpunk myself, and I have a box of notebooks containing character sketches and random notes. However, a lot of great talents write this genre of book - Kara Dalkey, Mary Gentle, S.J. Parris: it's hard to say something new. A recent TV show, "Da Vinci's Demons", tried to cash in on the clockpunk fandom, and it found myself automatically naming the authors where I had seen those elements and plot moves before. "Gideon's Angel" is trying to make its way in a genre that's been around long enough to fold into a reliable set of conventions. Codes, symbols, maps, angels, demons, ancient aliens, secret societies, scheming Popes, mysterious books of magic, End of Days...yada, yada, yada. Then again I think there are few readers who have had my level of engagement with this genre, so what strikes me as cliche might be completely fresh for general readers.
The author of "Gideon's Angel", Clifford Beal, hits almost all the beats: his hero Richard Treadwell shows off his rapier fencing skills as well as his rapier wit before getting tangled up with spies, revolutionaries, religious radicals, bodice-rippable women, cabalists, Freemasons, mysterious objects and symbols, angels and demons, and the encroaching apocalypse. Honestly, I didn't see anything new, but the conventions were well-executed.
I wanted "Gideon's Angel" to be richer and more original, but I also realize that these days authors aren't being rewarded for that level of commitment. They need to crank books out to make a living. Still, both authors and publishers should realize that clockpunk readers are after "edutainment": they want to learn something new about a culture or historical periods. If the characters make use of unusual resources or historical details in the course of their adventures, the "facts" will be memorable and become part of the reader's own cultural knowledge.
Beal is not careless as an author. He had a lot of ideas to weave into a short book that includes a cattle call of real historical figures, and he managed to stay on track. Along the way there are interesting alternative explanations of the emancipation of the Jews in England, the suppression of radical religious sects, and Milton's inspiration for "Paradise Lost". In my opinion, bringing in the 30 Years War stretched out the window of action too much: there was plenty of action on the Continent (and around the world) in the 1640s that could have provided the same kinds of character-forging events. The 30 Years War back-story also aged the characters too much (the reader demographics for this genre is under 40). If Beal was having thoughts on vampires or other immortals, that's another book all together.
I also wonder if Beal ever considered making the Billy character a girl. That one small change would have raised a host of new questions and added layers of tension. One of the most interesting things about the religious radicalism of the 1640s was the voice given to women.
Aside from the question of whether the dates jived, I was also confused by imaginary characters with historical or well-known literary names interacting with real historical characters. Is d'Artagnan *that* d'Artagnan from "The Three Musketeers"? Is the villainous character Fludd related to the historical master of the arcane Robert Fludd? Milton, Ashmole, Thurloe, Mazarin, Milton, and Cromwell are part of the real cast of history. Is Tradescant the historical naturalist or character using a 17th-century-sounding name? I suffered from quite a bit of cognitive dissonance trying to figure out whether a character was meant to be "real" or not.
In short, this is a solid, if light, entry in the crowded "secret history" field. I only got hung up on the authenticity of the dates and historical characters because the author did not provide enough time code. He may have removed a lot of this information to avoid bogging the reader down with too much "info dump", but I hope he will reconsider that decision in future books. Hooking events to a real chronology grounds the reader and enhances verisimilitude. One last thing I'd like to mention is I appreciated the extra attention given to the printed book as product: the typeface used on the cover, the chapter ornaments, the esoteric illustrations. Solaris did right by
Beal as a publisher, and that makes the paperback version of the book worth buying.
That said, I enjoyed "Gideon's Angel" as a light supernatural romp set in my favorite period of history, the 17th century. To be honest, it probably deserves 3 1/2 stars as a work of literature, but I realize I'm a bit over-powered as a reviewer since my graduate degree focused on that era of history, and I have read many, many, many (possibly all) books of this genre. My standards may be too high. I've also had an itch to write 17th-century clockpunk myself, and I have a box of notebooks containing character sketches and random notes. However, a lot of great talents write this genre of book - Kara Dalkey, Mary Gentle, S.J. Parris: it's hard to say something new. A recent TV show, "Da Vinci's Demons", tried to cash in on the clockpunk fandom, and it found myself automatically naming the authors where I had seen those elements and plot moves before. "Gideon's Angel" is trying to make its way in a genre that's been around long enough to fold into a reliable set of conventions. Codes, symbols, maps, angels, demons, ancient aliens, secret societies, scheming Popes, mysterious books of magic, End of Days...yada, yada, yada. Then again I think there are few readers who have had my level of engagement with this genre, so what strikes me as cliche might be completely fresh for general readers.
The author of "Gideon's Angel", Clifford Beal, hits almost all the beats: his hero Richard Treadwell shows off his rapier fencing skills as well as his rapier wit before getting tangled up with spies, revolutionaries, religious radicals, bodice-rippable women, cabalists, Freemasons, mysterious objects and symbols, angels and demons, and the encroaching apocalypse. Honestly, I didn't see anything new, but the conventions were well-executed.
I wanted "Gideon's Angel" to be richer and more original, but I also realize that these days authors aren't being rewarded for that level of commitment. They need to crank books out to make a living. Still, both authors and publishers should realize that clockpunk readers are after "edutainment": they want to learn something new about a culture or historical periods. If the characters make use of unusual resources or historical details in the course of their adventures, the "facts" will be memorable and become part of the reader's own cultural knowledge.
Beal is not careless as an author. He had a lot of ideas to weave into a short book that includes a cattle call of real historical figures, and he managed to stay on track. Along the way there are interesting alternative explanations of the emancipation of the Jews in England, the suppression of radical religious sects, and Milton's inspiration for "Paradise Lost". In my opinion, bringing in the 30 Years War stretched out the window of action too much: there was plenty of action on the Continent (and around the world) in the 1640s that could have provided the same kinds of character-forging events. The 30 Years War back-story also aged the characters too much (the reader demographics for this genre is under 40). If Beal was having thoughts on vampires or other immortals, that's another book all together.
I also wonder if Beal ever considered making the Billy character a girl. That one small change would have raised a host of new questions and added layers of tension. One of the most interesting things about the religious radicalism of the 1640s was the voice given to women.
Aside from the question of whether the dates jived, I was also confused by imaginary characters with historical or well-known literary names interacting with real historical characters. Is d'Artagnan *that* d'Artagnan from "The Three Musketeers"? Is the villainous character Fludd related to the historical master of the arcane Robert Fludd? Milton, Ashmole, Thurloe, Mazarin, Milton, and Cromwell are part of the real cast of history. Is Tradescant the historical naturalist or character using a 17th-century-sounding name? I suffered from quite a bit of cognitive dissonance trying to figure out whether a character was meant to be "real" or not.
In short, this is a solid, if light, entry in the crowded "secret history" field. I only got hung up on the authenticity of the dates and historical characters because the author did not provide enough time code. He may have removed a lot of this information to avoid bogging the reader down with too much "info dump", but I hope he will reconsider that decision in future books. Hooking events to a real chronology grounds the reader and enhances verisimilitude. One last thing I'd like to mention is I appreciated the extra attention given to the printed book as product: the typeface used on the cover, the chapter ornaments, the esoteric illustrations. Solaris did right by
Beal as a publisher, and that makes the paperback version of the book worth buying.
November 17, 2014
http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/2...
Every book that is presented to me as a mix of historical fiction and fantasy gets me very excited. I love reading both genres and mixed together they mostly make an exciting story. It came as no surprise to me then that I enjoyed this book very much.
We are transported back to France and England in the Seventeenth century, just after the Civil War. Richard Treadwell, a royalist, is banned from England facing a death sentence if he ever tries to return. Against better judgment he does return to seek out his family, but most of all, to murder Cromwell, who won the war and executed the King. What starts out as a plan to aid an uprising takes an unexpected turn when he makes the worst decision ever when undercover in a land you’ve been exiled from: he murders someone. The victim’s twin brother, Gideon, sets out to hunt him and reclaim the two mysterious items Richard stole. But what Richard finds in Gideon’s wake forces him to changes his plans completely. All of a sudden it’s very important to save Cromwell.
The group of characters Clifford has thrown together to fight the evil that has come to England couldn’t have been more varied. All of them have their own quirks and value that added the right amount of entertainment to the story. There are even some familiar names that give the story more authenticity: Oliver Cromwell of course, but also d’Artagnan, a haughty French musketeer, sent by the Cardinal to stop Richard’s initial plan. The Freemasons and the Ranters also get a mention, with the lodge playing a subtle role in the unfolding of the events.
Da Silva and his daughter, Portuguese Jews, who are hiding their true beliefs in fear of retribution are of great importance for their knowledge about the more mystical parts of their religion. These two characters, who represent an oppressed part of the population, may be the key to saving them all. I loved reading about these two. Da Silva’s belief is unwavering and he’s willing to do anything to save everyone. His daughter is a fierce, but caring woman that, though she was opposed to the plan at first, stands by her father ‘till the very end.
Margueritte, Richard’s Parisian mistress, follows him to England in fear of being left behind. Though Richard is far from happy about this, because this obviously complicates his mission, he does see that she must truly love him. I liked her character, she’s a very softhearted woman with that spark of defiance in her. I might have wanted to see her some more in action throughout the story, she might have made a strong addition to the little group that set out the fight evil.
Clifford’s writing is superb. He writes fluently and makes the story come to life with ease. The dialogues sound just right: with that bit of the old language in there, but not too much, making sure that it still reads fluently. His descriptions of characters and places were detailed and delightful to read. Not over the top, as many others make the mistake of doing but just the right amount to create a vivid image.
The fights Clifford describes were fantastic and his knowledge of 16th-17th century rapier combat really shone through in these passages.
Religion and especially the Good vs Evil, God vs Devil, Heaven vs Hell plays a central role. Religion is often a core plot device and I’m not always a big fan of it, but I didn’t mind at all here. It fit the story and it was executed really well. The demons that were summoned from hell even gave the story a bit of a horror twist, which I thought made the book even better.
‘Gideon’s Angel’ is a great book for everyone that likes Historical Fantasy. Clifford seems to have a solid knowledge of the Historical facts and gives them that extra spin of the fantastical that makes this a very interesting and most of all, a very entertaining book. I look forward to reading more of his work!
Every book that is presented to me as a mix of historical fiction and fantasy gets me very excited. I love reading both genres and mixed together they mostly make an exciting story. It came as no surprise to me then that I enjoyed this book very much.
We are transported back to France and England in the Seventeenth century, just after the Civil War. Richard Treadwell, a royalist, is banned from England facing a death sentence if he ever tries to return. Against better judgment he does return to seek out his family, but most of all, to murder Cromwell, who won the war and executed the King. What starts out as a plan to aid an uprising takes an unexpected turn when he makes the worst decision ever when undercover in a land you’ve been exiled from: he murders someone. The victim’s twin brother, Gideon, sets out to hunt him and reclaim the two mysterious items Richard stole. But what Richard finds in Gideon’s wake forces him to changes his plans completely. All of a sudden it’s very important to save Cromwell.
The group of characters Clifford has thrown together to fight the evil that has come to England couldn’t have been more varied. All of them have their own quirks and value that added the right amount of entertainment to the story. There are even some familiar names that give the story more authenticity: Oliver Cromwell of course, but also d’Artagnan, a haughty French musketeer, sent by the Cardinal to stop Richard’s initial plan. The Freemasons and the Ranters also get a mention, with the lodge playing a subtle role in the unfolding of the events.
Da Silva and his daughter, Portuguese Jews, who are hiding their true beliefs in fear of retribution are of great importance for their knowledge about the more mystical parts of their religion. These two characters, who represent an oppressed part of the population, may be the key to saving them all. I loved reading about these two. Da Silva’s belief is unwavering and he’s willing to do anything to save everyone. His daughter is a fierce, but caring woman that, though she was opposed to the plan at first, stands by her father ‘till the very end.
Margueritte, Richard’s Parisian mistress, follows him to England in fear of being left behind. Though Richard is far from happy about this, because this obviously complicates his mission, he does see that she must truly love him. I liked her character, she’s a very softhearted woman with that spark of defiance in her. I might have wanted to see her some more in action throughout the story, she might have made a strong addition to the little group that set out the fight evil.
Clifford’s writing is superb. He writes fluently and makes the story come to life with ease. The dialogues sound just right: with that bit of the old language in there, but not too much, making sure that it still reads fluently. His descriptions of characters and places were detailed and delightful to read. Not over the top, as many others make the mistake of doing but just the right amount to create a vivid image.
The fights Clifford describes were fantastic and his knowledge of 16th-17th century rapier combat really shone through in these passages.
Religion and especially the Good vs Evil, God vs Devil, Heaven vs Hell plays a central role. Religion is often a core plot device and I’m not always a big fan of it, but I didn’t mind at all here. It fit the story and it was executed really well. The demons that were summoned from hell even gave the story a bit of a horror twist, which I thought made the book even better.
‘Gideon’s Angel’ is a great book for everyone that likes Historical Fantasy. Clifford seems to have a solid knowledge of the Historical facts and gives them that extra spin of the fantastical that makes this a very interesting and most of all, a very entertaining book. I look forward to reading more of his work!
February 12, 2014
Sir Richard Treadwell, a royalist knight, has returned to England following a five year exile to lead a coup against Oliver Cromwell. But after stumbling on a plot to assassinate Cromwell by an agent of Satan, he sets out instead to save Cromwell, and in doing so prevent the End of Days.
Richard Treadwell was an officer in King Charles army, until Cromwell took over and had the King assassinated. Now, Richard sells his sword wherever it is needed. But then Cardinal Mazarin contracts Richard's services to identify an individual who has made a pact with the Devil for some nefarious cause. Haunted by events of his past and disturbed by the passing of one of his oldest friend, Richard tries to escape the Cardinal's commission by returning to England, disguised as his deceased comrade. If he is captured, he risks execution, but he is desperate to see his family and escape the fate of dying an old man in his bed. In England, Richard quickly falls foul of a militia leader, Gideon Fludd, when he kills the man's brother in self-defense. He is captured and taken prisoner by Gideon, only to find that Gideon is the person consorting with powers beyond human comprehension and is planning on bringing about the End of Days by killing Cromwell. Richard is rescued by d'Artagnan, a musketeer in the Cardinal's employ. But things only get stranger from this point on, as Richard finds himself being hunted by roundheads, Gideon Fludd and demonic forces.
The story is written in first person, from Richard Treadwell's perspective, who is painted as an Errol Flynn type, with a deep sense of justice and integrity that has become somewhat buried under the weight of his experiences and his disappointment with life. He comes across a whole host of characters who either try to aid or heed him in his mission, the most prominent of which is a former soldier who fought against the royalists, but has since fallen from grace. The musketeer d'Artagnan doesn't resemble the character we have come to know through the various adaptations of Dumas's The Three Musketeers. Here, he seems to be an older and more cynical version, who still respects loyalty and camaraderie but now places duty first. There are also cameos by a stoic Cromwell and a flustered John Milton too, but they feature late in the novel and the latter hardly impacts the plot at all, beyond Beal perhaps alluding to the events of his story being the source of inspiration for Paradise Lost.
The historic setting is well rendered with a good amount of description that brings 17th century France and England alive. The writing also has a period feel to it, with Beal making use of some of the vocabulary of the time and affecting a similar style to swashbucklers like Captain Blood by Rafael Sabitini. What Beal does really well is writing fight-scenes, with a good use of historical weaponry and gritty choreography. Disappointingly, the main bulk of the story is swashbuckle free, with a little at the beginning, a little in the middle and a chunk of it at the end.
The tone of the book has a definite Gothic feel to it, with brooding descriptions and an impending sense of something dark growing within the periphery of your vision. Some readers may find Beal's Gothic style off-putting, but it really does lend itself to this cross-genre story, which is broadly historic fiction, but has strong elements of horror and fantasy thrown into the mix.
Richard Treadwell was an officer in King Charles army, until Cromwell took over and had the King assassinated. Now, Richard sells his sword wherever it is needed. But then Cardinal Mazarin contracts Richard's services to identify an individual who has made a pact with the Devil for some nefarious cause. Haunted by events of his past and disturbed by the passing of one of his oldest friend, Richard tries to escape the Cardinal's commission by returning to England, disguised as his deceased comrade. If he is captured, he risks execution, but he is desperate to see his family and escape the fate of dying an old man in his bed. In England, Richard quickly falls foul of a militia leader, Gideon Fludd, when he kills the man's brother in self-defense. He is captured and taken prisoner by Gideon, only to find that Gideon is the person consorting with powers beyond human comprehension and is planning on bringing about the End of Days by killing Cromwell. Richard is rescued by d'Artagnan, a musketeer in the Cardinal's employ. But things only get stranger from this point on, as Richard finds himself being hunted by roundheads, Gideon Fludd and demonic forces.
The story is written in first person, from Richard Treadwell's perspective, who is painted as an Errol Flynn type, with a deep sense of justice and integrity that has become somewhat buried under the weight of his experiences and his disappointment with life. He comes across a whole host of characters who either try to aid or heed him in his mission, the most prominent of which is a former soldier who fought against the royalists, but has since fallen from grace. The musketeer d'Artagnan doesn't resemble the character we have come to know through the various adaptations of Dumas's The Three Musketeers. Here, he seems to be an older and more cynical version, who still respects loyalty and camaraderie but now places duty first. There are also cameos by a stoic Cromwell and a flustered John Milton too, but they feature late in the novel and the latter hardly impacts the plot at all, beyond Beal perhaps alluding to the events of his story being the source of inspiration for Paradise Lost.
The historic setting is well rendered with a good amount of description that brings 17th century France and England alive. The writing also has a period feel to it, with Beal making use of some of the vocabulary of the time and affecting a similar style to swashbucklers like Captain Blood by Rafael Sabitini. What Beal does really well is writing fight-scenes, with a good use of historical weaponry and gritty choreography. Disappointingly, the main bulk of the story is swashbuckle free, with a little at the beginning, a little in the middle and a chunk of it at the end.
The tone of the book has a definite Gothic feel to it, with brooding descriptions and an impending sense of something dark growing within the periphery of your vision. Some readers may find Beal's Gothic style off-putting, but it really does lend itself to this cross-genre story, which is broadly historic fiction, but has strong elements of horror and fantasy thrown into the mix.
December 11, 2013
I absolutely loved this novel. It’s set in the Seventeenth Century following the English Civil War. King Charles I has been executed, his son is in exile, and Oliver Cromwell has become the Lord Protector of England. The story’s protagonist is Colonel Richard Treadwell, a Royalist and veteran of many wars, who is exiled to France, working in the service of Cardinal Giulio Mazarin and his agent, Monsieur d’Artagnan (a real life character and the hero of The Three Musketeers). The cardinal has learned that someone in the English court is dabbling in the black arts, and may be preparing to unleash a great evil into the world. The cardinal believes Colonel Treadwell possesses “a skill for finding the Underworld like a pig finds truffles,” and wants him to discover this Satanist among the English court. But Treadwell, has other ideas, planning instead on joining a rebellion to overthrow Cromwell.
Treadwell travels to England, only to find the rebellion is being led by fools, but that the threat the cardinal warned of may be all too real. He soon earns the enmity of Major Gideon Fludd, a member of a secret society called the Fifth Monarchy. Fludd believes he can commune with an angel, and by doing the angel’s bidding, he will usher in the second coming of Christ, even if it will take the murder of Oliver Cromwell to make that happen. Suddenly, Treadwell finds himself on a quest to save Cromwell, the man he vowed to overthrow, and to stop Fludd and his supernatural minions to prevent the End of Days.
Treadwell is accompanied by an unlikely sidekick, a young rapscallion named Billy Chard who is so likeable he quickly became one of my favorite characters. Meanwhile, Treadwell’s Parisian mistress, Maggie, has followed him to England, accompanied by d’Artagnan, who is hell-bent on returning the rogue colonel to Cardinal Mazarin. Along the way, Treadwell is also aided by a mysterious gypsy, a group of Freemasons, and a Spanish rabbi, who is a master of Jewish mysticism.
The story’s “magic” is based that mysticism and includes some of its legendary artifacts, such as the Seal of Solomon and the Key of Solomon. There are abundant supernatural elements, including a host of demons – imagined in the truest medieval sense – and the “angel” that gives the book its title. All these magical elements work well together, blending seamlessly with a swashbuckling action and adventure tale that kept me turning the pages. I loved all of the religion and mysticism, and ended up really caring about the characters. Also, the well-developed historical setting made me feel as if I was roaming through Seventeenth Century London (especially London Bridge, where a lot of action occurs). In all, Gideon’s Angel is historical fantasy at its best, and I highly recommend it!
Treadwell travels to England, only to find the rebellion is being led by fools, but that the threat the cardinal warned of may be all too real. He soon earns the enmity of Major Gideon Fludd, a member of a secret society called the Fifth Monarchy. Fludd believes he can commune with an angel, and by doing the angel’s bidding, he will usher in the second coming of Christ, even if it will take the murder of Oliver Cromwell to make that happen. Suddenly, Treadwell finds himself on a quest to save Cromwell, the man he vowed to overthrow, and to stop Fludd and his supernatural minions to prevent the End of Days.
Treadwell is accompanied by an unlikely sidekick, a young rapscallion named Billy Chard who is so likeable he quickly became one of my favorite characters. Meanwhile, Treadwell’s Parisian mistress, Maggie, has followed him to England, accompanied by d’Artagnan, who is hell-bent on returning the rogue colonel to Cardinal Mazarin. Along the way, Treadwell is also aided by a mysterious gypsy, a group of Freemasons, and a Spanish rabbi, who is a master of Jewish mysticism.
The story’s “magic” is based that mysticism and includes some of its legendary artifacts, such as the Seal of Solomon and the Key of Solomon. There are abundant supernatural elements, including a host of demons – imagined in the truest medieval sense – and the “angel” that gives the book its title. All these magical elements work well together, blending seamlessly with a swashbuckling action and adventure tale that kept me turning the pages. I loved all of the religion and mysticism, and ended up really caring about the characters. Also, the well-developed historical setting made me feel as if I was roaming through Seventeenth Century London (especially London Bridge, where a lot of action occurs). In all, Gideon’s Angel is historical fantasy at its best, and I highly recommend it!
May 11, 2014
I finished The Raven’s Banquet Friday morning and because Beal had left me hanging off a cliff I dove straight into Gideon’s Angel and managed to finish it just as quickly. They are both reasonably short novels by fantasy standards ie around the 250 page mark, but Beal has done a great job of filling them out, of making the most of the space. I found Gideon’s Angel in particular well paced and like its prequel, compelling.
In fact I think I enjoyed it more.
The supernatural element definitely comes to the forefront in Gideon’s Angel, it’s much harder to explain happenings away as the result of a drug induced vision or the effects of epilepsy. It’s hard to deny the reality of a hound of hell making mince meat of your leg.
Beal has been rather clever though in the way the story unfolds, much like an episode of Doctor Who deals with the Doctor’s appearance in historical England, the vast majority of people in the world of Gideon’s Angel are oblivious to the dark happenings.
And like a good Doctor Who episode Beal has given us some fan service, with everyone’s favourite Musketeer D'Artagnan making a lengthy appearance and for the poets amongst us, a certain Mr Milton is privy to the dark happenings, inspiring him no doubt to write a certain epic poem.
Now Beal is a trained swordsman and he has managed to let this training influence his fight scenes rather than overwhelm them. I have read other works where the author’s expertise and display of such can throw you out of the text but Beal gives us the flavour without bogging down in description. If you’re reading a work featuring swordplay who want it to feel like sword play is happening and not like you are reading a technical manual by one of the European masters.
So, excellent footwork Mr Beal.
So too on the gender front. We have two female characters in Gideon’s Angel who get a reasonable amount of page time and who do have quite a bit of agency, Isabel the daughter of a Rabbi in hiding (whose knowledge of the Talmud comes in handy) and Treadwell’s mistress Marguerite. We meet also with Anya the Gypsy fortune teller but all in all, I felt like their was more gender diverse participation in the story. It must also be stressed that for Cromwellian England the central cast of heroes was also ethnically and religiously diverse.
If I were to be picky, I have a small issue with the ending, which I won’t reveal but I will say it should have been problematic from the standpoint of resolution but for some reason it wasn’t. I guess I felt I’d had my fill of action.
In any case I hope Solaris have signed Beal up for another book after these two, I’d really like to read the further adventures of Sir Richard Treadwell.
This book was provided by Solaris publishing.
In fact I think I enjoyed it more.
The supernatural element definitely comes to the forefront in Gideon’s Angel, it’s much harder to explain happenings away as the result of a drug induced vision or the effects of epilepsy. It’s hard to deny the reality of a hound of hell making mince meat of your leg.
Beal has been rather clever though in the way the story unfolds, much like an episode of Doctor Who deals with the Doctor’s appearance in historical England, the vast majority of people in the world of Gideon’s Angel are oblivious to the dark happenings.
And like a good Doctor Who episode Beal has given us some fan service, with everyone’s favourite Musketeer D'Artagnan making a lengthy appearance and for the poets amongst us, a certain Mr Milton is privy to the dark happenings, inspiring him no doubt to write a certain epic poem.
Now Beal is a trained swordsman and he has managed to let this training influence his fight scenes rather than overwhelm them. I have read other works where the author’s expertise and display of such can throw you out of the text but Beal gives us the flavour without bogging down in description. If you’re reading a work featuring swordplay who want it to feel like sword play is happening and not like you are reading a technical manual by one of the European masters.
So, excellent footwork Mr Beal.
So too on the gender front. We have two female characters in Gideon’s Angel who get a reasonable amount of page time and who do have quite a bit of agency, Isabel the daughter of a Rabbi in hiding (whose knowledge of the Talmud comes in handy) and Treadwell’s mistress Marguerite. We meet also with Anya the Gypsy fortune teller but all in all, I felt like their was more gender diverse participation in the story. It must also be stressed that for Cromwellian England the central cast of heroes was also ethnically and religiously diverse.
If I were to be picky, I have a small issue with the ending, which I won’t reveal but I will say it should have been problematic from the standpoint of resolution but for some reason it wasn’t. I guess I felt I’d had my fill of action.
In any case I hope Solaris have signed Beal up for another book after these two, I’d really like to read the further adventures of Sir Richard Treadwell.
This book was provided by Solaris publishing.
November 1, 2014
Review originally posted at the SFF forums: http://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/...
The Raven's Banquet serves as a prequel to Gideon's Angel, so after enjoying the former, I finally got the opportunity to delve into the latter...
The plot
Richard Treadwell exists at the French court, exiled from England, his home, and his family. As a staunch Royalist, he remains dedicated to returning the Stuarts to the English throne, and removing that one main obstacle - Oliver Cromwell.
The promise of an English revolt draws him back to familiar shores, despite the sentence of death on his head - all the time pursued by Lieutenant D'Artagnan, to bring this loose cannon back to Cardinal Mazarin.
However, it all soon becomes clear that Richard Treadwell has stumbled into something much bigger - a supernatural plot to open the gates of hell itself upon England...
Reaction
What I love most about Beal's writing is his sense of time and place - he makes the 1600's seem real and authentic beyond what most writer's achieve.
There's nothing archaic about the text, which at times I found simply wonderful - quite a few times I found myself imagining the voice of Richard Burton reading out passages.
There's also a keen sense of tension and mystery that grows through the book that kept me engrossed.
Although the story is a kind of historical fiction/supernatural horror hybrid, it doesn't sink to the depths of splatterfest and gore I might expect from the horror genre, and the book is free of sexual violence and torture, which was a relief.
But I wasn't entirely satisfied, especially with the ending - which seemed to lose pace and clarity, and then conclude with deus ex machina. Although many writers employ the same tactic, not least in supernatural horror, I really felt this story could have risen above that.
The journey there, however, was immensely enjoyable. I continue to be a fan of his writing style (which I previously commented on here) and very much look forward to Clifford Beal's next novel.
The Raven's Banquet serves as a prequel to Gideon's Angel, so after enjoying the former, I finally got the opportunity to delve into the latter...
The plot
Richard Treadwell exists at the French court, exiled from England, his home, and his family. As a staunch Royalist, he remains dedicated to returning the Stuarts to the English throne, and removing that one main obstacle - Oliver Cromwell.
The promise of an English revolt draws him back to familiar shores, despite the sentence of death on his head - all the time pursued by Lieutenant D'Artagnan, to bring this loose cannon back to Cardinal Mazarin.
However, it all soon becomes clear that Richard Treadwell has stumbled into something much bigger - a supernatural plot to open the gates of hell itself upon England...
Reaction
What I love most about Beal's writing is his sense of time and place - he makes the 1600's seem real and authentic beyond what most writer's achieve.
There's nothing archaic about the text, which at times I found simply wonderful - quite a few times I found myself imagining the voice of Richard Burton reading out passages.
There's also a keen sense of tension and mystery that grows through the book that kept me engrossed.
Although the story is a kind of historical fiction/supernatural horror hybrid, it doesn't sink to the depths of splatterfest and gore I might expect from the horror genre, and the book is free of sexual violence and torture, which was a relief.
But I wasn't entirely satisfied, especially with the ending - which seemed to lose pace and clarity, and then conclude with deus ex machina. Although many writers employ the same tactic, not least in supernatural horror, I really felt this story could have risen above that.
The journey there, however, was immensely enjoyable. I continue to be a fan of his writing style (which I previously commented on here) and very much look forward to Clifford Beal's next novel.
November 27, 2013
1653: Two plots to kill Cromwell. One to restore the King. The other to set the devil on the throne.
I didn’t need to read any further, that did it for me, and the fact that Clifford Beal was sat on the opposite side of the table to sign Gideon’s Angel was just a bonus. I’ve never read any of his work before but the plot sounded epic and then I learnt that a young musketeer named d’Artagnan featured within as well. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up and read on.
Gideon’s Angel is a superbly written piece of fiction set within the seventeenth century and a time when England was recovering from the bloody civil war. He paints such a vivid picture but at the same time dispenses with the long descriptive text that could have bogged the story down and lost its momentum. The characters are so alive that they almost jump from the page and I could imagine that I was there with them, living the adventure. Also the story gives a slight hint of the strained political struggle between democracy and monarchy, where Charles II and his royal court find themselves as guests in France biding their time to return to English soil. I particular liked the part when Treadwell arrives in Devon and visits old haunts where he meets up with his steadfast companion, Billy Chard. Beal writes a good villain as well but on that I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to give anything away.
All in all this is an excellent tale that has it all and you won’t be disappointed. Beal has been added to my list of favourite author’s and I can’t wait to read some more of his work. Incidentally, if he’s listening, I’d love to read about a young Cromwell and his rise to power amongst the ‘Roundheads’ that preluded the war!
I didn’t need to read any further, that did it for me, and the fact that Clifford Beal was sat on the opposite side of the table to sign Gideon’s Angel was just a bonus. I’ve never read any of his work before but the plot sounded epic and then I learnt that a young musketeer named d’Artagnan featured within as well. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up and read on.
Gideon’s Angel is a superbly written piece of fiction set within the seventeenth century and a time when England was recovering from the bloody civil war. He paints such a vivid picture but at the same time dispenses with the long descriptive text that could have bogged the story down and lost its momentum. The characters are so alive that they almost jump from the page and I could imagine that I was there with them, living the adventure. Also the story gives a slight hint of the strained political struggle between democracy and monarchy, where Charles II and his royal court find themselves as guests in France biding their time to return to English soil. I particular liked the part when Treadwell arrives in Devon and visits old haunts where he meets up with his steadfast companion, Billy Chard. Beal writes a good villain as well but on that I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to give anything away.
All in all this is an excellent tale that has it all and you won’t be disappointed. Beal has been added to my list of favourite author’s and I can’t wait to read some more of his work. Incidentally, if he’s listening, I’d love to read about a young Cromwell and his rise to power amongst the ‘Roundheads’ that preluded the war!
April 17, 2014
This book is the precise written equivalent of all those BBC teatime TV shows like 'The Three Musketeers', 'Merlin' or 'Robin Hood'. If you enjoy that type of thing (and there's nothing wrong with that) then this is definitely the book for you.
Generally, I really don't enjoy that sort of thing - the history nerd in me has no desire to see action hero types running around in studded black leather, spouting anachronistic quips - so I was surprised at how much I actually did enjoy this book. Call it a guilty pleasure. It really isn't historically accurate, at all, and the frequent modern phrasing really jarred me (wouldn't have been so jarring if it hadn't been written in the first person, which is really just making it difficult for the author!) There are so many things that made me wince that at some points I was practically reading through my fingers and a lot of the characters range from pointless (Isabel - the missed opportunity of her being 'pure of heart' at the end really sums up the missed opportunity with every female character, who basically exist, quite typically, to be damsels in distress) to irritating (Billy, who is basically Baldrick, but without the depth).
That said, I couldn't look away and it was an entertaining read that did at least portray the nuances of the time (ie none of the 'Cavaliers bad, Roundheads good' or vice versa nonsense).
In short - a gripping, fun read if you don't peer too closely at the history element.
Generally, I really don't enjoy that sort of thing - the history nerd in me has no desire to see action hero types running around in studded black leather, spouting anachronistic quips - so I was surprised at how much I actually did enjoy this book. Call it a guilty pleasure. It really isn't historically accurate, at all, and the frequent modern phrasing really jarred me (wouldn't have been so jarring if it hadn't been written in the first person, which is really just making it difficult for the author!) There are so many things that made me wince that at some points I was practically reading through my fingers and a lot of the characters range from pointless (Isabel - the missed opportunity of her being 'pure of heart' at the end really sums up the missed opportunity with every female character, who basically exist, quite typically, to be damsels in distress) to irritating (Billy, who is basically Baldrick, but without the depth).
That said, I couldn't look away and it was an entertaining read that did at least portray the nuances of the time (ie none of the 'Cavaliers bad, Roundheads good' or vice versa nonsense).
In short - a gripping, fun read if you don't peer too closely at the history element.
March 1, 2013
Swordplay. Muskets. A sprinkling of heaving bosoms. Black magic. Brawls in taverns. Clifford Beal's novel has a generous helping of tropes from roistering fiction, as Col Richard Treadwell, a Royalist exile at the court of Charles II in Paris, intrigues across both France and England. Treadwell is enmeshed in the politics of the exile Court, and furthermore works for Cardinal Mazarin. When things become a little hot he agrees to lead a rebellion against the force of Parliament.
However it turns out that Treadwell's rebellion is the least of Oliver Cromwell's concerns - and that something far, far worse than a restored Monarchy is plotting against his rule.
This was a fun read. I enjoyed the idea of London under the Commonwealth as a playground for the unholy, a kind of 17th century urban fantasy, I suppose. Beal seems to have done his homework on the period of the Commonwealth (although I'm not sure that the soldiers would have been called "redcoats" - didn't that come a bit later?) and he also drops real people and events in to good effects
It's possibly made a little easy for Treadwell as he was given a backstory that included previous encounters with the occult, and an alley who just happens to have ended up in London. But still entertaining for all that.
However it turns out that Treadwell's rebellion is the least of Oliver Cromwell's concerns - and that something far, far worse than a restored Monarchy is plotting against his rule.
This was a fun read. I enjoyed the idea of London under the Commonwealth as a playground for the unholy, a kind of 17th century urban fantasy, I suppose. Beal seems to have done his homework on the period of the Commonwealth (although I'm not sure that the soldiers would have been called "redcoats" - didn't that come a bit later?) and he also drops real people and events in to good effects
It's possibly made a little easy for Treadwell as he was given a backstory that included previous encounters with the occult, and an alley who just happens to have ended up in London. But still entertaining for all that.
April 26, 2013
Solaris books have in the last year or two become one of my 'go to' publishers, I am lucky enough to get a lot of theirs for review but if ever caught short I always look on the shop shelves for the S on the spine as a guarantee of something quality and different, this novel is no exception from what I have come to expect as standard, set at the end of the civil war in the 1600's with Cromwell in charge 'Gideon's Angel' is a bit of a blend of 'Sharpe' style historical fiction and H.P. Lovecraft-esque superstitious occult and fantasy. Very slick writing, really deep intrigue and action sequence played out second to none. From the end it does not seem like there is going to be any follow on for 'Gideon's Angel' which is a bit of a shame, but I do really hope this one see's it's way onto the screen as it is perfectly set up for it.
April 27, 2013
The book wasn't at all what I expected. In fact, I was a tad misled by the first scene too, in thinking that the book would be action-packed and fast paced. While a decent story with some interesting characters, I found it to be a bit slow moving and for the main to make some odd choices - they worked out for him in the end but they certainly didn't seem right at first.
I did like how the main ended up growing and learning a bit from his mistakes and I certainly agreed with his affable acceptance of all sorts of people, not considering them below him or anything of the sort.
I did like how the main ended up growing and learning a bit from his mistakes and I certainly agreed with his affable acceptance of all sorts of people, not considering them below him or anything of the sort.
May 13, 2013
A historical fantasy I'd love to have written. The protagonist is a Royalist from the English Civil War, returning home to lead an uprising only to discover a fanatical cabal, the Fifth Monarchy Men (who believed overthrowing King Charles would bring about the Second Coming) have been duped by a demon into targeting Cromwell. A bit deus ex at the end, but first-rate overall.
April 25, 2013
A good pot boiler of a fun read. it has all the requisite elements: good characters and plot fast paced and interesting. As James Lovegrove said in his cover blurb:
"splendid... Seventeenth-century Britain in all its sweaty,superstitious, blood-soaked savagery, with the bonus of added demons."
"splendid... Seventeenth-century Britain in all its sweaty,superstitious, blood-soaked savagery, with the bonus of added demons."
August 24, 2013
Mike Moorcock recommend this book and it is damn fine rollicking read. Colonel Treadwell is a cavalier and lost in a miasma of intrigue and slowyly by the occult. The only thing I found about this book is that is too short or better still first in the occasion series.
October 25, 2013
Good historical novel, full of suspense.
February 9, 2014
A rattling good yarn. I really enjoyed this a good mix of history and the supernatural.
August 28, 2019
Gideon leaves England when Cromwell becomes the not-king (Lord Protector) of England. He returns to England planning to kill Cromwell who has caused him so much pain and loss. Only he discovers another man had the same plan, and that man's being helped by the Devil himself. So Gideon must save Cromwell instead of killing him, because if the other man succeeds, all of England will be dragged down to hell. In addition, there's the problem of his mistress in France, who angrily trails him to England and who may spoil his plans, and then there's his wife in England who thinks she's a widow, and to top it off, the man Cardinal Mazaran sent to bring him back to France, a young musketeer call d'Artangion
January 11, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Historical fiction with plenty of the paranormal. It was violent, romantic, thrilling and brought history to life in a way only a person passionate about the subject can do. Loved it.
November 24, 2020
Hace unos meses reseñaba precuela de esta novela, Raven's Banquet, y destacaba lo que me gusta encontrar novelas de aventura sobrenatural histórica, el complemento perfecto para las partidas de Solomon Kane. El número de novelas ambientadas entre los siglos XVI y XVII es enorme, especialmente en España, donde los émulos de Alatriste se multiplican, pero desgraciadamente suelen ceñirse al realismo y a las tramas políticas que también, es cierto, tienen su interés pero en las que echo en falta el toque de lo fantástico.
En este caso la novela se sitúa en el año 1653, cuando el ya veterano Coronel Richard Treadwell, ahora un expatriado en Francia, es enviado de vuelta a su país para llevar a cabo lo que parece una misión aparentemente sin esperanza: levantar al pueblo contra Cromwell y provocar la restauración de la monarquía de los Estuardo. Sin embargo, pronto descubre que hay males mayores que los simples enemigos políticos y que hay fuerzas oscuras implicadas en la lucha de facciones que divide a los vencedores de la guerra civil inglesa.
http://aventurasextraordinarias.blogs...
En este caso la novela se sitúa en el año 1653, cuando el ya veterano Coronel Richard Treadwell, ahora un expatriado en Francia, es enviado de vuelta a su país para llevar a cabo lo que parece una misión aparentemente sin esperanza: levantar al pueblo contra Cromwell y provocar la restauración de la monarquía de los Estuardo. Sin embargo, pronto descubre que hay males mayores que los simples enemigos políticos y que hay fuerzas oscuras implicadas en la lucha de facciones que divide a los vencedores de la guerra civil inglesa.
http://aventurasextraordinarias.blogs...
April 4, 2013
I liked this book, but it could have been a lot more than it was. The author had the plot, an excellent well developed back history for his protagonist and his trusty(?) sidekick, and an historical time frame that made it easy to associate with.
He had clearly done his research, read around the subject, alluded much yet never explored it further, where others regurgitate fact by the page load, the author held back, to me the reader, a case of less was definitely not enough. But it was his blending of historical and fictional that he came unstuck in my opinion, these characters, perhaps because they were well known were not fully developed/used more, became paper thin and sadly one dimensional, mere spring boards to move the hero along his bumpy road.
It was the characters reluctant return to England and his journey to London, not the books beginning and conclusion, that was of the most interest and enjoyment, tragic, comic, with a nice pace of action and plot development it far eclipsed the rest of the book, especially the overworked epilogue.
He had clearly done his research, read around the subject, alluded much yet never explored it further, where others regurgitate fact by the page load, the author held back, to me the reader, a case of less was definitely not enough. But it was his blending of historical and fictional that he came unstuck in my opinion, these characters, perhaps because they were well known were not fully developed/used more, became paper thin and sadly one dimensional, mere spring boards to move the hero along his bumpy road.
It was the characters reluctant return to England and his journey to London, not the books beginning and conclusion, that was of the most interest and enjoyment, tragic, comic, with a nice pace of action and plot development it far eclipsed the rest of the book, especially the overworked epilogue.
June 8, 2019
This book took me literally two and a half years to finish. Can't say that's positive.
I have a lot of complicated feelings about this but I don't know how to explain any of it concisely, so this quote straight from the book sums it up pretty well for me:
I have a lot of complicated feelings about this but I don't know how to explain any of it concisely, so this quote straight from the book sums it up pretty well for me:
"I don't understand!" I said, my voice betraying my impatience.
Read
December 10, 2014Got bored with it, really.
June 1, 2015
Hmmm not sure. Didn't really like it all that much, but I didn't hate reading it either. Need to think about how I feel about this one...
March 27, 2017
I'm giving it a 5 star for the fact that is was a superb, fast-pace read that just captivates you from the first page. The characters are so believable and I feel like these events really did occur. Absolutely brilliant I say!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews