Rated of 5
by Lynne B. (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) Historical Fiction at Its Best
Though an avid reader of historical fiction, I have not read much that takes place during this time period of 1812-15 in England and Spain. This novel truly brought the time period to life with careful attention to detail and historical research. The characters were vividly believable and drew you into the emotional side of the historical period. I truly learned a great deal about this time period through an enjoyable read. Due to the amount of detail I would suggest that the reader be a history fan. Some readers looking for a shallow romance with historical background will be disappointed. I will be looking forward to more novels by Stella Tillyard.
Rated of 5
by Valerie C. (Chico, CA) good but not great
After a very engaging opening, the book drags a bit. For some it may still be great, but for me it was just okay.
Rated of 5
by Debra P. (Belmont, NC) Unmoved!!!
I had a difficult time staying with this book, it just didn't grab me or keep me like other historical novels.I do believe the author did a great job researching the time period for accuracy, but it became choppy and disconnected because the settings changed so often. I would have preferred a little more of the story around the women featured and less about the actual battle scenes. Maybe it just wasn't a subject I was necessarily interested in and the book will appeal more to others.
Rated of 5
by Mary B. (St Paul, MN) Tides of War
I enjoy reading historical fiction and I liked this book very much. For me, it was not the type of book to read cover to cover in one sitting, but one that I could read over a period of time and savor. There were interesting characters both real and fictional and good interwoven stories. I enjoyed the strong female characters.
Rated of 5
by Tillie H. (Baltimore, MD) Slow moving
I thought this book was very slow moving and often confusing. So many characters to keep track of when going back and forth between home and the war setting. Not one of the better books I've read this year.
Rated of 5
by Sheryl M. (Marietta, GA) Do not use full last name A Time of Turmoil and Opportunity
Tides of War has all the elements that create deeply moving and compelling historical fiction. Its wartime London crackles with new possibilities, especially opportunities for women who are released from the constraints of conventional family life. Balancing London’s briskness is the sultry seductiveness of Seville whose ladies provide distractions from the brutality of the battlefront for the soldiers and the reader.
With a historian’s fine attention to detail, Tillyard paints word pictures that become fully realized for the reader—and with words that are fresh and innovative. She develops a vast cast of players that allow us to see a broad cross section of society, both in England and Spain; events are depicted in meticulous detail, ensuring that we grasp the full scope of the novel’s history.
However, the central fictional figures around which the places, events and historical figures should swirl and be spun into a meaningful complete jigsaw puzzle are strangely unaffecting—neither likeable nor so despicable that the reader is curious to see what mayhem they might provoke.
I have read compelling non-fiction that read like fiction. Unfortunately, Tides of War is a novel that reads more like non-fiction. While the narrative was informative, it was not compelling.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
read more
From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
read more
Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
read more
Amazon cuts off 5200 affiliates in Minnesota(Jun 19 2013) With Minnesota's online sales tax law due to take effect July 1, Amazon has played a familiar card by cutting ties with 5,200 members of its Associates...
Full Story
of 5
by Lynne B. (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) 
of 5
by Valerie C. (Chico, CA) 
of 5
by Mary B. (St Paul, MN) 
