Cecelia Holland

Kveto from Prague · Post by **Kveto from Prague** » Wed September 22nd, 2010, 2:43 pm

[quote=""Ludmilla""]I think Holland's writing style might be an acquired taste. It does take some getting used to, and some of her books are easier to get into than others. Sometimes I don't like minimalist writing, but Holland's works for me. So far I've read and enjoyed The Firedrake, The Death of Attila, Rakossy, and Great Maria. I have Jerusalem and Until the Sun Falls Down in the TBR. Am also interested in her Viking novels (have a weakness for those Vikings!), but I'm waiting to see if more of them get released as ebooks, and the few that are out there as ebooks are the higher priced ones. One of these days I'll make a decision about whether to pony up for the print or ebook editions. She is on my list of authors for whom I'd like to read her entire output.[/quote]

im not sure. I love authors with similar styles. I love minimalist writings. I enjoy Duggan and Shipway and even Ouldenbourg who are much bleaker and depressing than jerusalum was. and i really enjoy a lot of her subject matters. Im willing to try another book of hers. All of my problems with jerusalum were very nitpicky or disagreeing with her portrayal of characters due to the historical record and im usually not like that.

ill give her another try eventually.

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Wed September 22nd, 2010, 4:06 pm

Me thinks CH's characters drive her stories....not the Historical events so much.....

Elizabeth · Post by **Elizabeth** » Wed September 22nd, 2010, 6:27 pm

If I had to pick half a dozen historical novels to have with me on a desert island, GREAT MARIA would be one of them.

cw gortner · **THE QUEEN'S VOW available on June 12, 2012!**

Of all her books that I have enjoyed - and there are many - I like City of God the best, followed closely by Jerusalem and Lords of Vaumartin.

gyrehead · Post by **gyrehead** » Tue September 28th, 2010, 9:52 pm

I found The Secret Eleanor to be an incredibly weak book. Very thin and not much there for a Cecelia Holland novel. Didn't help that I re-read Great Maria thanks to getting a promo re-print this year. But overall I found it was a slim no-enough-there book.

Kings of the North on the other hand was magnificent.

Kenny, if you want to take another go at her work, I suggest her Viking series which Kings of the North concluded. It has a slightly different tone and is written much tighter than her earlier stand alone works. She manages to combine straight linear adventure with some great characterizations and a few plot twists. Thin wham-bam swords and horned helmets this is not.

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Thu March 10th, 2011, 1:49 am

I am reading Great Maria right now and I'm glad I'm not the only one who had/has trouble getting into her books. I find Maria and Richard's personalities and marriage annoying! I am going to keep plugging through because I want to see where the story goes, but so far, it is only mediocre for me.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Thu March 10th, 2011, 3:00 am

I tried to read one of her books long ago and it was an epic struggle for me to get into the story. Hated it.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Thu March 10th, 2011, 11:07 am

Great Maria, Hammer For Princes and Until The Sun Falls are works of genius to me. I haven't been as struck on some of the others, but when Cecelia Holland is at the top of her game, she is one of my hall of fame authors.

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Sat March 12th, 2011, 11:13 pm

60% of the way through Great Maria I finally quit. I might pick it back up again, but for now, it was just too much. The beating and cursing of Maria was just distracting. I realize that this was how it was back then, but for some reason I couldn't take it this time.