If you write an historical fiction novel that has praise from Hilary Mantel on the front cover, then I think you can be safe in the knowledge that you have done a good job. Katherine J. Chen certainly has done a good job, and right from the start, the writing draws the reader in, and Joan of Arc becomes a living person and not just a stylised portrait from the history books. The author tells us at the end of the book that she created a version of Joan who was personal to her, and not everything in the book actually happened, but true historical events are there as the backbone and certainly the lives of the people of the time are well researched. It's easy to forget how young Joan was when she strode into battle and even when she was put to death in 1431, she was still only nineteen. France had been at war with England since 1337 and both countries laid claim to the French throne. This series of armed conflicts became known as the Hundred Years War and the English had...