Knights of Spain

 

I finally did it. I submitted a manuscript for a contest. If all goes well, I'll still be ecstatic about the publication in November of my adventure book for boys, Accidental Pirates, and may forget to be too disappointed if my manuscript isn't well received. On the other hand, because there's always another hand, I remain cautiously optimistic about the manuscript. It's a great story with gobs of action/adventure (which is really the thing I do best, well, except for witty banter--of which there's also a plethora), with a timely subject. I consider it a love note to America and to literature.

Speaking of the boy's adventure book, it's still in editing. My structural edits were well received, so it has moved on to the next phase.

Let's get to the book reviews. I've got two here.

Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun by Charles Hudson provides a fascinating look into Hernando de Soto's exploration of the American south in the mid 1500s. Tremendously well researched, the story follows De Soto and his hundreds in La Florida in the quest for treasure. The journey took the Spaniards from one tribulation to another, from one encounter to another--that's the gist of it--rinse, repeat, rearrange, and repeat again. The pattern with the encounters usually included capturing the chief and getting food and slaves for good treatment of the hostage chief. On more than one occasion the natives recruited the Spaniards into hostile actions against their neighbors. De Soto never did find significant treasure and didn't survive the adventure, surrendering his hit point total gradually before he was twice buried and then dumped into the Mississippi River. All things considered, a good time was not had by all and the survivors gave the new world native B&Bs very low ratings and could not recommend them to friends.

The book, however, is well worth the read. The Spaniards were no soft slouches and the natives they fought often proved to be valiant and skilled warriors. Had the adventures not had the horses, they might've all been slain or forced to depart much earlier. None of the horses made it out. I was impressed with the sheer size of the expeditionary force and especially with the number of hogs they took.

I give it five conquistador helmets out of five. It's full of good information and detail, including archeological evidence about the expedition and the native settlements.

 

In stark contrast to the above review, my thoughts about Joan of Arc's Champion to Sorcerer: The Dark Fall of Gilles de Rais by Thaddeus Shade never rose above disappointment. It's a short work of 65 pages. While Knights was extensively noted, I don't recall a single footnote or end note in Champion. Each chapter begins with an overview of what the chapter will cover, then provides the information promised, recounts what was reported, and finally tells what the next chapter will reveal. As you might guess, it's incredibly repetitive.  I could forgive the wearisome repetition if there had been any substance to the material. It really felt like a summary of wikipedia articles or a term paper without reference notes. You may note Joan of Arc in the title. She was finally discussed near the end. The gist of the information is that Giles de Rais met Joan of Arc and was completely taken by her. He accompanied her in combat and was devoted to her. After she was captured and burned, he sought so deeply for divine power that he pursued alchemy, astrology, and necromancy and eventually died under mysterious circumstances. There's no story and very little fact. Rumor and myth are summarized and repeated. If this book were a meal, it would be a styrofoam plate that had been passed near the aroma of food.

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