REVIEW: The Stranger From the Sea, The Miller's Dance, The Loving Cup, The Twisted Sword, Bella Poldark

The Stranger From the Sea
The  Miller's Dance
The Loving Cup
The Twisted Sword
Bella Poldark
Author: Winston Graham

I really have no clue what rock I was living under....I have no excuse. But, up until recently, I had no idea the Poldark series on television is based on a series of books! I love sweeping historical family sagas. I have no earthly clue how I missed this one! Rectifying the situation immediately!

There are 12 books in the Poldark Saga, written by Winston Graham from 1945-2002. The books are set in Cornwall, starting with Ross Poldark in 1783 and ending with Bella Poldark in 1820.

It's official -- I love this series! And I'm reading my way through all of the books before I watch the television series. I have a rule that before I can watch a film or television adaptation, I have to read the books first. Then I'm acquainted with the characters and can see what they changed/added/kept true to the original, etc. There are actually two Poldark television series. One from BBC in the 1970s that serialized the first seven books. And then the newer series that started in 2015. There have been five seasons of the new show. I can't wait to watch it! Still reading my way through the books first...and enjoying every page!

The four books listed here are books #8-12 of the series. I had review copies of all 5 novels and read them cover to cover. Binge read them, to be honest. I love the characters...the setting....the history. I had to stop periodically and look some things up as I'm not familiar with the time period or history of Cornwall at all. The one problem with reviewing books is that I'm under a deadline. With historical fiction or family sagas, I like to take my time and let the story sink in and savor the characters. But with five books to read, and not having read the first books in the series beforehand, I was a bit lost in names, places, etc.  The story was enough to carry me through! I loved every book!

I'm backtracking now and reading the series from the start....and I will re-read these books when I come back around to them. I will have an even better understanding of the characters and history during my second reading! And then I can watch the television show. I'm curious which books it has already covered and which ones are upcoming -- whether it stays true to the books or goes off course, etc.

Great books! I highly recommend this series to any readers who enjoy historical fiction, family sagas, and just history in general!

Love, love, love! :) Here are some extra exclamation points in case I did not make it clear that I enjoy this series: !!!!!!!!

**I read review copies of these novels from St Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)