Customer Reviews

Dunnottar (The Keith Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a great read. It's loaded with action with a bit of romance running throughout the book. Once I got hooked, I couldn't lay it down. I would call it an historical novel, in that it is set in time of King Charles, with many references to other royalty and those of "noble" birth. I've read periodical articles that Janet Smith has written about the Keith Clan - those historically and genealogically accurate - however, this novel really brings the family alive!

I could not get very far into this book because I could not get past all the inaccuracies. I was drawn to the series because my ancestry can be traced back to the Keiths. George Keith (William's brother) would have been my nineth generational grandfather. To begin with, at the time of the civil war, William was married to Elizabeth Seton, he did not marry Anne until 1654. The most glaring inaccuracy was the appearance of William's son Robert, the fact is William Keith had NO male heirs. In 1638 Elizabeth did give birth to a boy (also named William) but he died as an infant. I do realize that this is a piece of fiction, but for the most part, the most base facts should be accurate. I was disappointed that greater care did not go into research, the immediate errors made me unwilling to continue to see if the story was good or not.

This is a great book. As a fan of historical fiction, I would rate this book to be one of the best I have ever read. It was engaging, gripping and captured the time and place really well. The book gives a great insight into a powerful Scottish dynasty - the Keiths, who played an important role in both English and Scottish history. Janet Elaine Smith has done a masterful job of research and taking the readers on a wonderful journey through England and Scotland during that period.Dunnottar: The Keith Trilogy (Book 1)

How this got published, I'll never know, but not only was this a bad book, it has to rate so far, as the worst book I've ever tried to read. Made it about 50 pages, then deleted it from my kindle. Do not buy this book unless you are a fan of VERY BAD writing.

I love historical fiction. This is really bad. How quickly "they ended up in bed..." I think there was a typo even before that. I couldn't finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this historical--it's a definate keeper. I look forward to re-reading it at a later date. The content as well as it's attractive cover makes it a nice addition to my library.

Here is an unusual new novel by Janet Elaine Smith. The beheading of a king, four love stories, the hiding of the precious crown jewels, a bouncy and charming little red-headed girl--all these should be enough of a mix for a historical novel, especially when it is based on the lore of a family we know. "Dunnottar" the title of this book, is actually the name of the ancient castle, the home of the Keith family, ancestors of Ivan Smith. He and Janet, his wife, and author of the novel, are regular attendants of our Federated Church. This is a first novel, to be followed soon by another one, "Marylebone." And so if you are ready for a romantic trip back to 17th century Scotland, here is your ticket.

Before I started to read "Dunnottar," a visiting friend who's a museum curator (and graduate degreed historian) happened to pick it up from my dining room table. She leafed through it and declared, "This is a good book! May I read it when you're through?" Since her tastes and mine often differ, I wondered if that meant I was going to find the tale a dry one.

Well, I most certainly did not. Janet Elaine Smith's novel takes a story from her husband's (Keith) family history, and peoples it with men and women about whom any reader can't help but care. Being able to guess how John Keith's apparently hopeless love for Ann Hastings would turn out, and knowing enough about the time and place depicted so that I also was sure where the plot must go, didn't keep me from turning the pages eagerly and thoroughly enjoying a well-spun tale.

Romance and intrigue, friendship and betrayal, against an accurately researched historical backdrop. No wonder "Dunnottar" has been an Amazon bestseller. I really ought to make my friend the museum curator buy her own copy.

Dunnottar was not only a great story, but it made a small bit of history come to life! I enjoyed it immensely.

What a great book. It is like history coming to life!