Dec 14, 2015 this was the arrival of ash a secret history notice the connection. A hodgepodge of small kingdoms and duchies vie for power. A secret history by mary gentle in the year 2000, an academic named pierce ratcliff is putting together a fresh history of ash, a 15th century female mercenary captain whom mainstream history has largely ignored, but whose exploits. She is punished for this, and from there on her life only i read this book a few years ago and remember thinking wow. Ash has escaped from carthage, where she has learned about her own background and has begun to delve into the mysterious wild machines, the beings who are behind the voices which she and her twin, faris, can both hear.
Its long, epic fact the american version was spread out over 4 books, i read the british version which was one long, almost 1200 page brick. Jul 27, 2008 ash a secret history can in many respects be regarded as mary gentles magnum opus, both in terms of volume a whopping 1100 pages and in terms of its ambition and scope. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle fantastic fiction. A secret history is an enormous book, both literally in its. Aug 20, 2015 that sudden disappearance of burgundy from history is the historical seed for ash. Gentle has an ma in war studies, and has experience with swordfighting and armor. A secret history in 1999, carthage ascendant, wild machines, and lost burgundy all in 2000. The primary storytext in the book is the story of ash, a female mercenary captain living in 15th century europe. Jan 01, 1999 a secret history is actually two stories in one, though you wouldnt know it by reading the description on the back. The book of ash book series by mary gentle includes books a secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, and several more. Nov 23, 2015 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 than the flat, underdeveloped whatifs of most alt history. Yes i have read and accept the terms and conditions.
A secret history and carthage ascendant by mary gentle vel. See the complete book of ash series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Mary gentle is one of britains most outstanding writers of imaginative fiction, able to move seamlessly from science fiction to fantasy within the same story. Ostensibly its about ash, a girl whose ability to hear voices giving her military advice allows her to lead a troop of mercenaries in 15th century. A secret history, carthage ascendant, the wild machines, and lost burgundy. It opens with rape and death, and continues to look unflinchingly at medieval life and medieval war. The first is purported to be the modern translation of ashs autobiography. May 16, 2020 i make no apology for presenting a new translation of these document which are our only contact with the life of that extraordinary woman, ash b. See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artillery, swords and armour and the true horrors. Gentle formed part of the midnight rose collective in the early 1990s. Gentle has an ma in war studies, and has experience more about mary gentle.
Aged eight, ash gets raped by drunken soliders on about page 8, as i remember and manages to kill one of them. A secret history is a fantasy novel by british author mary gentle. Gentles bestselling book ash is the largest single fantasy work ever. A secret history is a fantasy novel by british author mary gentle, published in 2000. Ash ebook by mary gentle 9780575128767 rakuten kobo. A secret history by mary gentle i feel i have to recommend this book with table pounding intensity to all of you. 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. Id liked it, but not got around to reading any more of her work. Set in the 15th century, the novel blends elements of fantasy, alternate history, and secret history. Mary gentle has an ma in military studies, and this is a wellresearched story of latemedieval warfare, modernday scholarship, and crazy speculative physics. The woman warrior ash and her compatriots are some of the most compelling characters ive come across in a long time. A secret history 2001 read online free book by mary. 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.
This was a five star book for me, right up until the end. Mary gentle is one of the worlds most acclaimed writers of fantasy and science fiction. Sold by greenlight products ltd and ships from amazon fulfillment. Gentle has since published ilario, set in the same timeline. There is a book within the book, turning up every few chapters, that i gave up on very quickly and stopped reading. A secret history by mary gentle in the year 2000, an academic named pierce ratcliff is putting together a fresh history of ash, a 15th century female mercenary captain whom mainstream history has largely ignored, but whose exploits have been of interest to a small number of historians. Mary gentle was born in 1956 and is one of the most highly praised writers of fantasy and science fiction. Mary gentle is an english author of science fiction and fantasy novels. A secret history is the first quarter of mary gentles book of ash, published in one volume in the united kingdom. A secret history has 3 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Mary gentle keeps it interesting, even though ash is at her best when shes hacking and slashing, not hunkering down behind city. I have enjoyed some of her other books, but not this one.
A secret history and carthage ascendant by mary gentle. Ash, the largest single fantasy work ever longer even than the lord of the rings combines the authentic details of bernard cornwell and the magical storytelling of terry goodkind. Gentle uses secret history, alternate history, and the moldability of history to explore a 15th century that wasnt but perhaps once was. Id read and enjoyed other mary gentle books, so i picked the first volume up when i saw it in a used book store. One of the most important and idiosyncratic contemporary british speculative fiction writers, mary gentle was born in 1956, and published her first novel, a hawk in silver, a young adult fantasy, in 1977. A secret history, which was published in a single 1100 page volume by gollancz in the uk in june 2000. She first gained major critical attention with her orthe sequence, an sf planetary romance made up of golden witchbreed 1983.
A secret history in 1999, carthage ascendant, wild machines, and lost burgundy. Mary gentle lagger i sitt forfattarskap inte sa mycket tonvikten vid snabb, rastlos action. She writes the orthe duology, book of ash, and other series. The complete series list for book of ash mary gentle. Mary gentle made her debut as a novelist in 1977 with the standalone novel a hawk in silver. A secret history paperback february 1, 2001 by mary gentle author 4. Ill only talk about the ending in very general terms to avoid spoilers, but im still not sure whether i liked the ending or not. 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 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. If this book becomes a kindle unlimited book, get it. 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. The wild machines, the third book of the ash tetralogy by mary gentle, only covers a span of three days, but manages to include many pivotal changes in the series.
It is filled with vivid and interesting details about medieval armor, weapons, tactics, warfare, politics, cultures, and the like, has plenty. 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. A secret history is a book that proceeds along two lines. She has also written a number of erotic novels under the name roxanne morgan. This acclaimed book by mary gentle is available at in several formats for your ereader. A secret history book of ash by mary gentle book cover, description, publication history. In the united states, it was published in four paperback volumes. 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. This is an alternate history series and is set in the medieval burgandy. Mary gentle project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Read ash a secret history by mary gentle available from rakuten kobo. For the beautiful young woman ash, life has always been arquebuses and artiller.
1085 1100 1413 1270 1134 1220 1026 1044 91 934 707 697 383 175 449 550 436 187 389 111 120 1327 1431 932 1124 4 1151 1478 929 718 28 1290 976 68