A Man of Honor: Book Review and Giveaway

Review at a Glance

• Title: A Man of Honor
• My Rating: 4.5
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Format: Paperback*
• Publication Date: December 9, 2019
• Author: J.A. Nelson

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A Man of Honor Book Blurb

A Man of Honor tells the fictional tale of how one man’s oath gave birth to the legend of Hamlet.

How far would you go to keep a deathbed promise?

Surrounded by the bodies of slain monarchs, a dying prince extracts a promise from his friend, Horatio: “Tell my story.”

Rival kings of warring nations strive to lay claim to the throne, now vacant, but what will happen to the people who live there, at Helsingør’s Krogen Castle? How will Horatio preserve his honor and the prince’s legacy while surviving this murderous kingdom and the men who would rule it?

Despite the odds and threats against him, Horatio persists, weaving the story of his dear friend into the fabric of one of their oldest and most revered medieval texts.

But when a nefarious Spaniard thwarts his plans, Horatio must once again risk everything to fulfill his oath.

With the help of some unexpected allies in the form of Margrete, a courageous lady-in-waiting, and Lanier, a disgraced French nobleman, Horatio undertakes this perilous quest that will lead him on a journey none of them could have ever predicted, to a place none of them ever thought they would see.

And after their hard-fought journey will it all be for naught?

Will Hamlet’s glory be Horatio’s downfall?

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Giveaway

A Man of Honor REVIEW

As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

• 1 star: Did not finish
• 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
• 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
• 4 Stars: Loved this book!
• 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.

My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.

I’m human.

Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.

This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂

My Thoughts About A Man of Honor

Calling all Shakespeare fans!

Starting right where Hamlet leaves off, this historical fiction is filled with the tragic tension that marks every page of its mother text. Obviously, the writing style is very different, there can never be another Shakespeare after all, but the storylines continue wonderfully.

I was suprised by how much I enjyed this book, because I am inevitably harder on books sourced from masterpieces, but Man of Honor really delivers on it promise. It’s easy to see how much time, effort, and research J.A. Nelson put into bring Horatio’s story to life.

The scene of Hamlet’s death was written so well, with such startling imagery, that I can still picture it. I have a feeling this book and its images will stay with me for a while to come.

Even if you don’t know the story of Hamlet or aren’t a fan of Master Shakespeare, I would still recommend reading this book, though checking out the Wikipedia summary wouldn’t hurt. At least then you will have the perfect context to jump into the novel.

Recommended For…

Would highly recommend for anyone who likes historical fiction and Shakespeare.

About the Author

J. A. Nelson’s passion for exploring connections between history, literature, and evidence in written texts has shaped her life—from a BA (Occidental College) and MA (The George Washington University) in cultural studies to a two-decade career at the National Archives of the United States, working with historical documentary treasures and helping people access unique stories in those records. Ms. Nelson is a native of Culver City, CA, a Los Angeles suburb. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia. A Man of Honor, or Horatio’s Confessions is her debut novel.

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*Thanks so much to J.A. Nelson and HFVBT for my copy of A Man of Honor in exchange for an honest review.