William Napier – The Last Crusaders: Blood Red Sea (Orion Fiction, £7.99) **
In 1571, fresh from adventures in ‘The Great Siege’ Nicholas Ingleby and Hodge, the young English lads, are destined not to return home but to get swept into the Battle of Lepanto, where Catholic forces clash with the Ottoman Empire. This battle for Cyprus saw the biggest loss of life at sea for centuries, so both seem fated to meet a watery end. Of course, in this splendidly readable, instantly forgettable adventure, our Boy’s Own-type heroes almost miraculously survive other endless escapade of seemingly certain death!
Gemma Richards, 34, office worker, Wagon Lane, Bingley
Ellie Dean – Always In My Heart (Random House, £5.99) ****
Sarah Fuller is a privileged young woman whose life in Malaya comes to an end when the Japanese attack her home at the start of World War Two. Forced to flee to England with her younger sister, and not knowing the fate of her soldier fiancee, Sarah begins a new life at a seaside boarding house where she’s expected to pitch in with chores which were previously done for her by servants. How will she cope when she starts war work in the Timber Corps? The unsolved ending is a bit of a disappointment, but reflects the uncertainty of wartime.
Rachel Belerby, 39, writer, Moor Lane, Addingham
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