A fascinating insight into a period of history I was unfamiliar with but felt more like a screenplay than a novel at times.

Great historical fiction in the little known setting of Dartmoor Prison in 1815.
The prison in England is full of thousands of American POWs. We begin the story with one new shipment of POWs announcing that peace has been signed! But due to the time to take the treaties between the countries and the ensuing political scramble about who pays for the prisoners to return home, they are all stuck in the prison and emotions run high.
Along side this main plot, are the stories of Habs and Joe Hill. Two unlikely friends who find themselves thrown into a Shakespeare play - designed to keep the prisoners of Block Four occupied while waiting. There is also the overarching racism between the segregation of the African American prisoners in Block 4 and the rest of the population, and the relationship between the Englishman running the prison, his wife, and her lover.
The story-lines tangle and weave, but never become boring or confusing. I think the character development was fantastic and the feel of the prison and the tension was conveyed really well.
I had a great time reading about a piece of history I knew nothing about (and from the Author's note, it seems that not many do!) and I would recommend it to HF fans.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forgotten history revived. 4/5 stars.

Mad Blood Stirring is an example of what I love most about historical fiction: an entertaining and immersive way to learn more about a past event, place and people. The story picks up on a bit of “forgotten” history, or not forgotten in my case as the War of 1812 and the associated events at Dartmouth prison were all completely new to me!

The novel is incredibly well-researched and brings the past to life with vivid descriptions, conveying the horrors of confinement, particularly when disease and violence spreads throughout the jail. And, as is often the way with books “based on true events”, the most unbelievable details are precisely those which are true: the racial segregation of the prisoners, the smallpox outbreak, King Dick himself, and the prisoners putting on productions of Shakespeare.

All the characters are engaging – the central characters as likeable as the villains are despicable – although while the relationship between Habs and Joe is the heart of the book, the show is stolen by King Dick who looms large over the whole narrative. Obviously, given the context, female characters are thin on the ground, however, I’m pleased to report that the few who do make an appearance are laudably confident and capable.

As a die-hard Shakespeare nut, I loved the use of Romeo and Juliet as a narrative event (the prisoners are putting on a production – don’t roll your eyes, this is one of the documented things that actually happened at Dartmoor!), and the parallels to Shakespeare’s story in the narrative, even down to the five-act structure. That said, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of the play or attachment to Shakespeare to appreciate the story told in Mad Blood Stirring.

This story unfolds slowly, laying its many threads meticulously to gradually ratchet up the tension before events come to a head in Act 5. In fact, Acts 1-3 are like a fuse being slowly wound out, in Act 4 someone finally lights it and in Act 5 the flame races towards the dynamite. So don’t be put off if you think the pacing at the start is a little slow – it’s all building to a rapid and explosive conclusion.

Overall: well-researched historical fiction with engaging characters. Fans of the genre should seek this one out!

I really love Simon Mayo and I've enjoyed reading his series of young adult books about Itch. I went to see an author event with Simon Mayo about this book and thought it sounded fabulous. However, I've tried starting this book 4 times now, both in physical and audiobook form, and I simply cannot get into it. So many male characters and names, my brain simply stops processing them and I switch off. I so wanted to love this book but I just couldn't make myself finish it. Such a shame.

Dartmoor is not too far away from where i live, so i jumped at the chance to read this novel, Mad Blood Stirring by Simon Mayo.
New Year's Eve 1814 and England and America are at war. A group of American sailors are captured from the ship 'The Eagle' and transported by foot, to the forbidding Dartmoor Prison, where they are to be held as POW's.
The prison is vastly over crowded with appalling living conditions,and soon after arriving, they learn that the war is over and believe that they will be free to go home. But events occur, which means that their internment is extended and the story progresses, with varied story lines on life in this prison and the actions of both the prisoners and the wardens in charge.
Simon Mayo has put a lot of research into this novel which is based on true events and he has produced a intense and vibrant novel which would appeal to anyone who enjoys historical and true life events of this period. Thanks to .#MadBloodStirring #NetGalley for allowing me to read and review

Being a Devon resident and a Dartmoor walker I've seen Dartmoor prison in all seasons and weathers and this book appealed. In Mad Blood Stirring a new group of American prisoners are marched up to the prison on New Year's Eve 1814. They are 12 crew from the Eagle who have heard that the war is over. The around 7000 existing prisoners are very interested in this news and want to know when they are going home. This is Act 1.

As with all such things the reality is less simple than the ideal and prisoners will not be released until everything is ratified by everyone. There is a power keg and a match around.. However it is quickly clear that that was the case before the men of the Eagle arrived. There are seven blocks in the prison each holding around a 1000 men. Six of the blocks are white only and the seventh is for coloured folk. Throw in the fact that the British seem happy to rub in the fact that they are in charge and it is clear anything could happen.

It did take me a while to get my head around the various story lines in use here. The first part of the book felt quite hard going at times and I had to keep reminding myself who was who from the "cast of characters" at the start. One of the main threads is that block 4 - the coloured block - has a theatre company. The leader of the block, King Dick, wants to put on one last show before they are released. It is to be Romeo and Juliet and one of the one member's of the Eagle's crew - a white man - becomes involved in it.

As time went by the more I read the more I wanted to read. There are good characters and good dialogue in this book. Of note King Dick is excellent, a genuinely "larger than life" character. The prison itself and Dartmoor are used effectively. Other characters are good too however the main ones are Joe (Juliet) and Habs (Romeo). The developing relationship becomes more and more interesting. This is at a time when any interactions between men are considered an abomination. The book winds up to what will obviously be a very dramatic end with considerable pace.

There are many things to like about this book. The book is well researched and weaves together an interesting tale around that. The inventiveness here deserves much credit. In passing there is a good bibliography at the end. The writing makes the dark and bleak setting very vivid. It is worth noting that issues of colour are dealt in an appropriate way for the era but in a way which would be offensive in current times. The issue of male relationships both inside and out of prison is part of this story too. My reservation here is that the Romeo and Juliet drama became rather too dramatic for me I think. A good historical novel that will appeal to many I am sure.

It took me a few chapters to get into Mad Blood Stirring, but when I did, I found it compelling reading. I knew of the war in 1812, but I'd never heard of the incident in the prison, upon which this book is based. I particularly enjoyed the distinctive voices the author gave each of the characters, and the way those characters interacted. Joe and Habs were my primary focus, as I thought the developing relationship between them was beautifully handled. I certainly finished the book keen to find out more about Dartmoor prison, and, overall, this was a wonderful read that I would recommend to historical fiction readers who are looking for a story with less bodice ripping and more dark emotion. 4.5 stars from me.

What a wonderful book. I thought I was a history buff but I had totally forgotten that England and America were at war with each other in 1815 and this book deals with a bunch of American sailors who are prisoners of war at Dartmoor when they hear from a new arrival that the war is over and a peace treaty signed.

The book deals with the interaction of the prisoners and their guards, smallpox, love affairs, boxing and theatre amongst other matters and is never less than fascinating.

A really original and well researched book from an excellent writer.

Highly recommended.