Editorial Review

Authors invite readers to embark on a tour of each castle or palace, with sentences like “Atop an extinct volcano in Edinburgh, Scotland, sits a fortress. It is more than 600 years old.” A table of contents, color photographs, sidebars, critical thinking questions, a location map, a layout of the castle or palace, basic facts about the structure, a glossary, and an index make up each title. No source notes or a recommended reading are included but the authors link instructions for how to access the publisher’s proprietary website, where readers can search and find resources related to each book’s content. VERDICT This is an inviting, Western-centered series that, despite some issues, gives readers a good overview and a critical look at the featured castles and palaces.