Set in the 15th century, the novel blends elements of fantasy, alternate history, and secret history. This series is a parallel tale of a fifteenthcentury female mercenary captain, ash, and a twentiethcentury scholar, pierce ratcliff, who has discovered a new manuscript about her life and hopes to prove that european history did not occur in the manner generally accepted. Jan 01, 1999 a secret history is actually two stories in one, though you wouldnt know it by reading the description on the back. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. 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. Mary gentle obviously has an elegant grasp of both the actual history of the region and its personalities, and the nuances of the changes she wrought upon that canvas, and the result is a fantastical europe that feels far more alive. Dont be put off by the length, just go along for a rollicking good ride. We are dropped into this 15th century that, even with the framing device of the book. Nor is it gentles precise language and evident historians delight in every. Jun 03, 2014 it is not a book that i have fallen in love with, but it is one that i would recommend. A secret history is a 2001 fantasy alternate history historical fiction science fiction novel by mary gentle. A secret history the book of ash 1 novel by mary gentle variant of a secret history 1999 secondary. Martins a storm of swords, with which is shares a great deal but its pretty straightforwardly better in every respect.
A secret history was published in the united states as four separate volumes. This acclaimed book by mary gentle is available at in several formats for your ereader. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. War is her job, but she doesnt realise that the voice in her head is not the.
In a typical fantasy milieu, the mud and blood of a military camp in 15thcentury europe, a scarred and beautiful 8yearold girl kills her two adult rapists. The first is purported to be the modern translation of ashs autobiography. The virtues that she and her comrades show are not those treasured by much of the modern world. A secret history is a book that proceeds along two lines. 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. A secret history is a fantasy novel by british author mary gentle, published in 2000. The debut novel of this series is entitled a secret history. I knew that the story i was about to read was set in mediaeval europe, albeit not quite the historical europe we know today, and i knew that the main character was a woman mercenary leader named. After completing an ma in war studies she is an avid collector of university degrees, mary gentle worked for several years on a massive and seminal fantasy or sf epic, ash. The first us book, which corresponds to roughly the first quarter of the novel, is.
This is an alternate history series and is set in the medieval burgandy. Gentles latest plays some of the same tricks with reader expectations. A secret hi story by mary gentle online at alibris. A secret history by mary gentle from amazons fiction books store. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle book cover, description, publication history.
The complete series list for book of ash mary gentle. A secret history book online at best prices in india on. A secret history im currently working my way through gentles ash, this huge, intense thing that mixes some gritty fantasy, secret histories, and golems into it. I think its something a lot of people here would dig especially those of you into the hybridcrossover genres of fantasy and im curious if many people have. A secret history is that its probably the apex of the epic fantasy genre or at least. It was released in the year 1999by the eos publication. 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. In the united states, it was published in four paperback volumes. A secret history, carthage ascendant, wild machines, and lost burgundy. Clocking in at a streamlined 1120 pages, ash tells the tale of 15 th century mercenary ash, a woman whose europe is both very much like and very much. Since the publication of this book, author gentle has published ilario, which takes place in the same time frame.
Aug 20, 2015 that sudden disappearance of burgundy from history is the historical seed for ash. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Ratcliffs story unfolds purely in reproduced emails between him, his editor and a couple of other. The story begins when, at the age of eight, ash kills two men who attack her in the mercenary camp where she lives. Mary gentle for ash, life has always been arquebuses and artillery, swords and armour, and the true horrors of handtohand combat. A secret history 9780575069008 by gentle, mary and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices.
I found reading emails between a scholarauthor and an editor boring and annoying. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The first thing that should probably be said about ash. A secret history is published as a series of four books. The book of ash book series by mary gentle includes books a secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, and several more. A secret history published in four volumes in the us was a long science fantasy epic that won the sidewise award for alternate history in 2000. Published in us as 4 volumes a secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, lost burgundy.
Set in the 15th century, the novel blends elements of fantasy, alternate. A secret history by mary gentle 1 feb 2001 paperback paperback 1600 book 1 of 4 in the book of ash series see all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Gentle uses secret history, alternate history, and the moldability of history to explore a 15th century that wasnt but perhaps once was. The primary storytext in the book is the story of ash, a female mercenary captain living in 15th century europe. In unflinching prose, gentle describes the childs treatment in a mens camp. I had not read anything by mary gentle before, so when i picked up ash. A secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, and lost burgundy. Gentle formed part of the midnight rose collective in the early 1990s. It starts off as a historical novel set in western europe in 1477, then spreads to include alternate history and little science fiction. I have enjoyed some of her other books, but not this one. The story follows a 15thcentury female mercenary captain, ash, as she gets involved in literally worldchanging events. A secret hi story book of ash by mary gentle book cover, description, publication history. A secret history by gentle, mary and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artillery, swords and armour and the true horrors of handtohand combat. 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. She won the sidewise award for alternate history in 2000 for the science fiction epic ash. A secret history book of ash, book 1 by mary gentle book cover, description, publication history. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artiller. Gentle has since published ilario, set in the same timeline. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ash. Mary gentle is an author of fantasy and science fiction, her first published novel was the 1977 young adult novel hawk in silver but it was the science fiction duology orthe that really brought her to prominence. Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site.
A secret history starts with the discovery of a previously unknown manuscript by a historian, one that purports to tell the story of a woman who fought in and eventually led battles in europe from 1465 through 1476. May 23, 2012 but thats not whator at least, not all of whatlet ash. 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. Mary gentles style is light making her books remarkably easy to read, and always enjoyable and memorable.
Nov 23, 2015 ive read a number of alternative histories but struggle to think of any with a setting as creative as ash. See the complete book of ash series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. A secret history is the first quarter of mary gentles book of ash, published in one volume in the united kingdom. A secret history for my reading challenge, i did not quite know what to expect. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle fantastic fiction.
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