I was fortunate enough to receive a pre publication copy of this book some time ago, and I’m delighted to announce it’s now available on Amazon.
The best book I’ve read so far about Lanzarote at the time of the conquest.
Islands of Fortune is a historical novel, with the focus on the real-life characters and events surrounding the beginning of the conquest of The Canary Islands, in 1402, when Jean de Betancort lead the first expedition to the islands from Spain. The book reveals the machinations behind the decision to do so, and the reasons Spain wanted to take them.
So far, an interesting history book. But where it gets really clever is that woven within the story, we meet and follow a fictional family of natives of the island, learning about their way of life prior to the arrival of the Spanish, and how they react and deal with the invasion of their land. In short, for the first time, we see both sides of the story.
Ed Kemplar has drawn the characters, both real and fictional with amazing skill. I quickly found myself sucked into their stories, and there are both heroes to cheer on and villains to sneer at.
It’s an excellent book and I gather the author is already planning a follow up. I’ll be first in the queue to get my copy.
Ed Kemplar has lived in Lanzarote for many years and has a passion and a respect for the island he calls home.
The book is available via Amazon, for order today. If you click the link below, it should open in your home country’s Amazon site and currency, but if not, search Amazon for “Islands of fortune: Lancarote.”
If you get a copy, please let me know your thoughts after reading it.
