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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Historical Fiction
My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden – Yslar Tatuky
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned What happens when one puts Osama bin Laden and Salman Rushdie at the same dinner table? Yslar Tatuky is such a person as he has grand, though idealistic, hopes for humanity in his novel, My … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Humor & Satire, Philosophical reads, Politics and Social Justice, Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged Georgia, Marx, Osama bin Laden, philosophy, Salman Rushdie, Soviet Union
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PREACHER AND CO – Brendon Boone
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) There’s an old saying in writing, ‘Readers don’t care about stories, they care about people.’ And that’s exactly what author Brendon Boone does; he makes us care about his characters from the very first page. … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged American Civil War, Historical fiction
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The Parlor Girl’s Guide – Steve McCondichie
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They probably hauled him to the city lockup for the weekend. He ain’t the first busted-ass sharecropper in Scots Station to get run on a rail for stealing and owing money.” November 1926, Central Alabama – … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged Alabama, American South, farming, jazz age, Ty Cobb
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In West Mills – De’Shawn Charles Winslow
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “You don’t want to be caught up in other folks’ lies and secrets. Ain’t a good feelin’ to keep stuff in ya.” It’s October 1941 and everyone seems to have secrets in this African American community … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged family, friendship, love, North Carolina
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The Unlikely Occultist: A Biographical Novel of Alice A. Bailey – Isobel Blackthorn
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) In The Unlikely Occultist the author uses historical references and records in order to write a fictional tale about Alice’s life. A few characters are invented and fabricated in order to produce a beautiful narrative. However … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged biographical novel, Historical fiction
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Blackwell: Prequel to the Magnus Blackwell Series – Alexandrea Weis, Lucas Astor
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “You have to fight to regain you soul. If you do not, you shall lose it forever.” It was the late 19th century and Magnus Blackwell resented his father but attended Harvard through his Boston blue-blood … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged betrayal, Dorian Gray, New Orleans, Oscar Wilde, revenge, Romance, voodoo
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The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Eric (Keyvan) fled Iran as a child during the Islamic revolution and grew up in Paris. He later studied Comparative Literature at Princeton. That is one scenario. What would have happened if he was forced … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction, Philosophical reads, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged identity, Iran, Islamic revolution, LGBT, Shah
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The Art Collector of Le Marais – Ahmad Ardalan
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Art Collector of Le Marais is a fictional drama set in Paris where artists and paintings are inspired, romance is in the air and the city never sleeps. The story begins with Sebastian and his … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged art, painting, Paris
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To My Beloved Heart: The Last Journey Of Edgar Allan Poe – James Marchiori
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I felt as if my native land was rejecting me. Making me more hostile. My country was dismissing me all means. I thought about the many unintelligent and corrupted doctors that tried to place me in … Continue reading
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Historical Fiction
Tagged Gothic fiction, Poe
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Holly’s Hurricane – Marie Carter
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Holly’s Hurricane is a historical fiction set in 2040. Sounds strange, right? After all, 2040 is in the future. Let me explain. A hurricane hits New York, badly causing Holly to move to England and live … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged Historical fiction
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