Ash, the largest single fantasy work ever longer even than the lord of the rings combines the authentic details of bernard cornwell and the magical storytelling of terry goodkind. A secret history seems to suggest the latter, visigothic, divergence while ilario includes a passage indicating the earlier, hannibalian, divergence. A secret history is a 2001 fantasy alternate history historical fiction science fiction novel by mary gentle. Mary gentle for ash, life has always been arquebuses and artillery, swords and armour, and the true horrors of handtohand combat. Its the nimbler, more terrifying sibling of martin and hobb. A secret history is that its probably the apex of the epic fantasy genre or at least, the best thing written in the genre since the lord of the rings. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artiller.
The story begins when, at the age of eight, ash kills two men who attack her in the mercenary camp where she lives. A secret history is a fantasy novel by british author mary gentle, published in. I will read anything that is compared to it, and while i have never found a book that i would say is just like it, there are a few books that do entertain in the same way. Aug 20, 2015 that sudden disappearance of burgundy from history is the historical seed for ash. Set in the 15th century, the novel blends elements of fantasy, alternate history, and secret history. The book of ash novel series written by mary gentle is comprised of four books in total, which were released between the years 1999 and 2000. Its almost literally a stunning book it left me overwhelmed for a while.
The debut novel of this series is entitled a secret history. If you create a free account and sign in, you will be able to customize what is displayed. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle book cover, description, publication history. Apr 17, 2018 as someone who recommends books for a living, i would say the readalike i am most frequently asked for is a book like the secret history. A secret history are for those who comprehend quantum theory. Gentle uses secret history, alternate history, and the moldability of history to explore a 15th century that wasnt but perhaps once was. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Series was designed to cover groups of books generally understood as such see wikipedia. Id liked it, but not got around to reading any more of her work. A secret history were published in four volumes as the book of ash. A secret history is an enormous book, both literally in its shelfdestroying size and in terms of its scope, which takes in two separate narratives unfolding in completely different styles and formats in two different timeperiods.
Aug 21, 2018 and thresholds are interesting places to be. Recently discovered after centuries hidden away, it reads in story format i. A bunch of eversomandarin college kids in a small vermont school are the eager epigones of an aloof classics professor, and in their exclusivity and snobbishness and eagerness to please their teacher, they are moved to try to enact dionysian frenzies in the woods. The story follows a 15thcentury female mercenary captain, ash, as she gets involved in literally worldchanging events.
A secret history was published in the united states as four separate volumes. A secret history is actually two stories in one, though you wouldnt know it by reading the description on the back. A secret history by mary gentle 1feb2001 paperback paperback 1600 book 1 of 4 in the book of ash series see all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. However, if the character intrigues you, or you want to read every alternate history book ever written, by all means go for it. A secret history is a fantasy novel by british author mary gentle, published in 2000. This is an alternate history series and is set in the medieval burgandy. A secret history is that its probably the apex of the epic fantasy genre or at least. A secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, and lost burgundy. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read ash.
A secret history is an enormous book, both literally in its shelfdestroying size and in terms of its scope, which takes in two separate. A good rule of thumb is that series have a conventional name and are intentional creations, on the part of the author or publisher. A secret history by mary gentle is an amazing book recounting several important months in the life of ash, a fictional medieval female mercenary captain who plays a key role in the fate of her world. We are dropped into this 15th century that, even with the framing device of the book. In the united states, it was published in four paperback volumes. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986. A secret history has been released in the uk as a single volume of over 1100 tightly packed pages, while the books american publishers are putting it out in four parts, with the last part due before years end the book of ash. A secret history is a book that proceeds along two lines. Ratcliffs story unfolds purely in reproduced emails between him.
The secret history is the first novel by donna tartt, published by alfred a. Ive heard great things about ash, but not read it myself but am bumping it higher on the list based on all this chat. When ash ketchum was merely 5 years old, his mother delia enrolled him in an elementary schoolesque prep school for children who enjoy pokemon. Ashs secret history chapter 1, a pokemon fanfic fanfiction. It was donna tartts the secret history, and i hated it. A secret history has 3 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. A secret history by gentle, mary and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The first thing that should probably be said about ash.
Sometimes almost too much so, but never enough to push over into tedium. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artillery, swords and armour and the true horrors of handtohand combat. The brat pack meets the bacchae in this precious, waytoolong, and utterly unsuspenseful townandgown murder tale. Then i had to put it aside while i read the book club book, the luminaries, which is merely 832 pages. I would have preferred more candor about this im not taken enough with the character or the writing to bother with more of this, so that truly made this partial tale a waste of time. Scarred and ravaged, but still beautiful, she rose up to lead a great mercenary army before the age of twentyand followed a sacred voice wise in the bloody ways of battle to a pinnacle unattainable to even the most potent of legends. For everyone else, its a great and gruesome tale of well researched history.
The first is purported to be the modern translation of ashs autobiography. I have enjoyed some of her other books, but not this one. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle fantastic fiction. Like many concepts in the book world, series is a somewhat fluid and contested notion. Nov 23, 2015 i would have enjoyed the way the secret history unfolded in the modern day which was such an appealing concept. And if theres a perfect example of that, its the best fantasy novel of 2000. Dec 14, 2015 this was the arrival of ash a secret history notice the connection. It was released in the year 1999by the eos publication. A secret history is a 2001 fantasy alternate history historical fiction. Ratcliffs story unfolds purely in reproduced emails between him, his editor and a couple of other.
While the book itself is stamped fantasy on the spine, all the topics above apply at one time or another. Mary gentle is one of the worlds most acclaimed writers of fantasy and science fiction. Jan 01, 1999 a secret history is actually two stories in one, though you wouldnt know it by reading the description on the back. A secret history by mary gentle is an amazing book recounting several important months in the life of ash, a fictional medieval female mercenary captain. Martins a storm of swords, with which is shares a great deal but its pretty straightforwardly better in every respect. A girl born in mud and dung, she slew her first men while only eight. A secret history, the first of the four books of ash, is difficult to categorize. It was also recommended by people who know my taste as well as those who dont, seemingly by the world of book lovers itself, by some of my most literary and wellread friends, by my mother. The primary storytext in the book is the story of ash, a female mercenary captain living in 15th century europe. A secret hi story has 3 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. I do not own pokemon or anything from the tmnt franchise, this is purely fan fiction. A secret history, carthage ascendant, wild machines, and lost burgundy. The book is supposedly the work of historian pierce ratcliff, who is.