The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

As everyone boards the maiden voyage of the Titanic, even third class passengers are excited. This is the largest ship afloat, ready to cross the Atlantic.

While the crew deals with the usual--demands of the first class, rats, the captain--they try to keep an eye on things.

When the first notice of ice comes across the wire, the captain wants to be notified. After a while, the reports get repetitive. And no one expected to run into an iceberg they couldn't see.

Told in many voices, in verse form, this is the tale of the Titanic. It begins April 1st and goes through the 26th with the recovery of some of the dead.

A fictionalized account and moving. The iceberg even has a voice here, waiting for the Titanic to cross its path. While it does get confusing to keep following the different voices, the flow of the story never stops. What caught me the most was when the survivors are in the lifeboats, listening to the people dying in the water.

Historical notes at the end and an acknowledgement of some factual errors.

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Jill has been competing in fencing competitions for years. She knows she's good, but when she misses the chance to place third in a national competition by 1/2 second, she questions whether she's good enough to qualify in other tournaments.

On vacation with her family in the Bahamas, she finds a dull rusted tip of a rapier. Not sure why, she picks it up and puts it in her pocket. On a tour boat the next day, she falls overboard and is rescued by pirates. Early 18th century pirates. In the early 18th century.

Pirate life is hard and it takes Jill some time to get use to what's going on. According to Captain Cooper, the rapier tip she found is trying to find it's way back to its sword. The owner of that sword is Captain Blane, and Captain Cooper hates him with a passion. It's her mission to bring him down. Jill's main concern is how to get back to her time, since no one would believe that she doesn't belong in the 18th century. Until then, she joins the crew, learns about life on a pirate ship and how to fight with real rapiers.

Realistic fantasy all the way. Life aboard a ship is rough, but not as bad as it could be. The author did some research before writing the novel, and it really shows. There's action, adventure, and drama, and Jill's story is believable. There are a couple of spots that are a bit unbelievable, but on the whole, it's well done.

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

This is the story of Helen of Troy, who was first Helen of Sparta. She is not your typical princess, though. Helen wants to learn how to fight and hunt with her brothers, and has no patience for indoor activities with her twin sister. Her mother realizes her need for adventure, as she has it too.

Helen embarks on an adventure of her lifetime when she escorts her sister to Mycenae where she'll wed Agamemnon.

Helen's story is vastly different from the story of Helen of Troy. Helen's story is amusing and adventurous, perfect for anyone looking for something more action-packed.