Matt Gianni

REIGN OF THE MARIONETTES, the debut novel by Sheena Macleod, provides a highly entertaining portrayal of mid- to late-17th century power struggles after the restoration of King Charles II and the English monarchy following the English Civil War. Very early on, I could tell it was going to be a complex story, but Macleod does a masterful job of interjecting tiny snippets of explanation without distracting the reader away from the ongoing storyline. Her multiple points-of-view clearly show the passions of those involved and the tensions created between Protestants and "Papists." With so much written about Oliver Cromwell versus King Charles I during the English Civil War, I would enthusiastically recommend REIGN OF THE MARIONETTES to all who are interested in what came next.