History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Review of The Kiminee Dream by Laura McHale Holland

| May 20, 2020

The Kiminee Dream by Laura McHale Holland (WORDforest, 2020) is a surreal and beautiful slipstream novel about the inhabitants of a very unusual small town in Illinois. The novel primarily follows the story of Carly Mae from her birth (a momentous occasion for the town) through her early teen years. Along the way, she exhibits […]

Review of The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones

| April 29, 2020

The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones (Harper Paperbacks, 2019) is a beautifully crafted novel of historical fiction, holding closely to actual historical events while concocting a more fantastical explanation behind some of them. Set during the reign of Russian Tsar Nicholas, the story revolves around two Montenegrin princesses, Militza and Stana, who have […]

Review of The Sparrow in Hiding by J. Kathleen Cheney

| April 8, 2020

The Sparrow in Hiding by J. Kathleen Cheney (2016) is a historical fantasy novella that blends Russian history and fairy tale into a gorgeous story about secrets, love, and recovery. The story is told from the perspective of two characters, Irina and Evgeny. Irina is a wealth young widow staying at her family’s summer estate, […]

Review of Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdez

| March 18, 2020

I’ve just published my final review for Mad Scientist Journal, for Valerie Valdez’s Chilling Effect, which was basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a novel. It’s hilarious, a lot like Firefly, and mashes up little bits of sci-fi pop culture into a wonderfully twisty story. Though this is my final review for Mad Scientist Journal, never fear! The […]

Review of Power and Majesty by Tansy Rayner Roberts

| February 26, 2020

I’ve got another book review up at Mad Scientist Journal today, for Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Power and Majesty, which is the first book her her Creature Court series. I’m anxiously awaiting the chance to read the other books in this series (which unfortunately have to wait until I have some free time between review book reading), because […]

Review of Key of Astrea by Nicholas Marson

| February 5, 2020

My latest review is up at Mad Scientist Journal for The Key of Astrea by Nicholas Marson. It’s a young adult book that mashes up fantasy and sci-fi. I will note that I had some contents notes about this book, but those can be found in my review. If they don’t push you away, though, you can […]

Setting Goals for 2020

| January 2, 2020

Now that it’s 2020, it’s time to start looking at my writing goals for this coming year! Top of my list for this year is looking for an agent. I’ve got a young adult book that is pretty close to being ready to query agents with, so that’s going to be at the top of […]

Review of Carpe Glitter by Cat Rambo

| January 1, 2020

My latest review for Mad Scientist Journal is up now, this week for Carpe Glitter by Cat Rambo. This is a novelette, so it was a really quick read that I read in about an hour. But the title was awesome, and the plot sucked me right in, with a very realistic tale of dealing with the […]

Review of Why Didn’t Someone Warn You About Prince Charming by Jameson Currier

| December 4, 2019

My latest book review is up at Mad Scientist Journal, for Why Didn’t Someone Warn You About Prince Charming? by Jameson Currier. It’s a collection of short stories with gay male protagonists, and it’s a really neat look at how one author has written variations on a common theme! You can check out my review here, or […]

Review of Into Bones Like Oil by Kaaron Warren

| November 13, 2019

My latest book review is up at Mad Scientist Journal, for a surreal Gothic-styled novella called Into Bones Like Oil. This book reminded me about the best parts of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, but geared toward adult readers rather than younger readers. The book just came out yesterday, so you can grab it right away! […]