Joanne M. Harris The Gospel of Loki – Review

Laughter disarms the fiercest of men. – Lokabrenna

A child’s fascination with something can last a long time and spark great ideas; ideas that can be turned into books. As a little girl, Joanne Harris found Thunder of the Gods by Dorothy G. Hosford in her local library. She loved the book so much that her name kept appearing on the lending card inside it. She even got hold of it after so many years, but you’ll need to ask her yourself how she managed that – maybe she is a trickster too. This book triggered in her the fascination with mythology and I’m very happy she found it, because her books inspired by Norse mythology are brilliant. I love Runemarks and Runelight and I was very excited to hear that she wrote another book set in the Norse lands of myths and legends.

The Gospel of Loki is a story told by the Trickster himself. The story starts with Loki meeting Odin and ends with Ragnarók. Loki, who is a very mercurial creature in body and mind, tells us about his adventures on the way to becoming a god, as he was promised. His new ‘relatives’ do not warm up to him straight away – Aesir and Vanir are either careful or biased towards his shift(y)-ing personality. It is never easy for him and Loki keeps trying to win them in his naturally charming way. He tricks, lies, he fights or causes fights, he is a hero and a fool, a friend, lover and a foe all in one. He has his family too – yet Loki’s heart is imprisoned in barbed wire. There might be more to the story than he tells us.

The book is divided into four parts (Light, Shadow, Sunset and Twilight) – a giant loop, out of the Chaos throughout light, into the shadows until Ragnarók and back to the Chaos. Each of the parts contains tales spiked with Loki’s lessons for his readers. Being the Trickster extraordinaire, Loki easily can spot someone trying to deceive him, or so he likes to think. He gets too entwined in the web of conspiracies and his role in all that, yet he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. He might be the ultimate flawed character, because of his moral compass rapidly changing directions to suit his causes, but he proves to be a hero or anti-hero that has his own side of the story to tell. He might not become a god but he definitely is a luciferous light amongst the gods of Asgard – or it might be just his flame coloured hair. And it’s an astounding story of ups and downs of the Nine Worlds full of runic magic and incredible creatures.

The Gospel of Loki, besides such a great narrator, has lots of different characters. The gods as a pompous crowd – full of all they are known for but not as bright as the gold they would do anything for (maybe with some exceptions here and there). Odin knows how important is the art of PR or gossip and rumours which become true just because he says so. Bragi and his lute might be a part of this lyrical marketing campaign. Balder the “Goldie locks” is just as shiny as Heimdall, and Loki doesn’t seem to be a fan of the precious ones. Freya, the Machiavellian goddess, Thor the Thunderer, Frigg the Seeress and the rest of them fall for Loki’s tricks and they don’t like it, but they owe him on many occasions when his creative problem-solving saves the day.

There is also an undesirable crowd, a vibrant lot that makes the Trickster’s stories more fascinating. He has a soft spot for witches and his relationships with them bear a truly demonic fruit. I love Fenris, Hel and Jormungand – Loki’s misunderstood children. Throughout the whole book, Loki wonders why he was chosen by Odin to join him and the other gods. He knows his value but doesn’t clearly see how it all fits into the bigger picture. Eventually he gets lost a little bit and might end up being served his own trickery which doesn’t taste as nice as jam tarts baked by his wife, Sigyn. Is it possible that the Trickster was ultimately tricked or did the Oracle simply not like him?

The Gospel of Loki is a very faithful account of Norse myths, which are great the way they have been told and re-told, but I think that making Loki the narrator of them, with his goofy humour and the air of superior trickery mastermind, Joanne Harris re-wrote them in a brilliant way. Even though she is so close to the original material and she wrote it in more or less chronological order to enable Loki to tell his story, her quirky and marvellous storytelling is present on every page of this book.

I have known the myths since I was a child too and mythologies have always been fascinating. This book gives me a fresh glimpse into the story of one of the most incredible characters of Norse mythology. It’s not only a melancholic narration of the ever misunderstood Trickster, but also an entertaining story skilfully written as if it was simply told by Loki himself sitting right next to the reader.

 

Author: Joanne M. Harris

Title: The Gospel of Loki

Publisher: Gollancz (UK)

Format: Hardback

Published: February 13, 2014

 

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Vladimir Bartol Alamut – Review

‘Nothing is true, everything is permitted.’ – The Supreme Ismaili Motto

Alamut is an impenetrable fortress which houses a small Ismaili army ruled by the enigmatic Hasan ibn Sabbah. He is a charismatic yet elusive master. The subjects of Hasan ibn Sabbah, also called Sayyiduna, are in awe of their master on many different levels–some of them are scared of him, while others are inspired by his erudition. Regardless of what people think of him, he’s treated and respected as the prophet of Ismaili believers.

The fortress serves as a training camp for the fedayeen–elite assassins who serve the cause with blind passion and fear nothing. One of the new fedayeen is Avani ibn Tahir, who travelled from afar to join Sayyiduna’s army. His grandfather was a famous leader of the brotherhood and he would do anything to follow in his footsteps. Being so young, Avani doesn’t question, but follows the orders of the strict Ismaili faith and discipline.

The story is told from the point of two intertwining worlds which are so close together but separated by secrets. Alamut has parts which are not accessible to anyone but Hasan himself and his private bodyguards. Just over the other side of the fortress there are enormous gardens. These are Paradise Gardens inhabited by the most beautiful girls. The Paradise Gardens are almost an identical copy of the ones described by the Koran where all martyrs go once they fulfil their purpose as soldiers of the one true faith against infidels.

Halima is a fourteen-year-old girl who, after many misfortunes, ends up in the gardens of Alamut. Together with other girls, she is schooled in many subjects–none of them question anything as they are enchanted by living in an earthly paradise where they feel safe. Their friendships face trials when monstrous jealousy stands in the way. Their schooling is extensive–covering subjects to stimulate their minds as well as creative arts. One of their teachers, Apama, is a ‘retired’ temptress extraordinaire who teaches them how to seduce young assassins into believing they came to paradise to be endlessly pleased by divine houris. In a humorous way, Apama is an icon of seduction, and her knowledge of ‘love’ goes way beyond Kama Sutra.

Everything suddenly changes when Hasan learns of a great army of Sultan coming to reclaim Alamut. The young fedayeen are hastily initiated after affirmation of their unprecedented faith in the brotherhood and their cause. The book is a stunning demonstration of Hasan’s military strategic planning and his charisma which can change the most cowardly and timid boy into a fearless soldier.

As the story gradually unravels, so does the life of Hasan. His philosophical approach to self-proclamation of being a prophet with powers given to him by Allah is very complex. In an utterly compelling and profound way, Sayyiduna explains the meaning of the Supreme Ismaili motto: Nothing is true, everything is permitted. Hasan’s philosophy might be a superior mastermind strategy of gradual world domination, yet on many levels, it tells the story of a very lonely human being. A human being, who after an excruciating journey through a life of youthful inquisitiveness, betrayal and harsh reality of constant battles between religions and supremacies, comes to a point where he is soberly aware of the absurdity of everything around him. He seems very vulnerable in his state of total intoxication with pursuing an understanding of everything, including philosophy, religion, astronomy etc.

Coming to terms with the fickle capacity of human understanding of the world, he initiates an experiment which would prove how gullible and hopeless people are. How easy it is to mould them to fit any purpose. By sending young assassins to the Paradise Gardens, Hasan proves wrong those who thought he lost his mind. He learns of what cruelty he is capable of on the way to fulfilling his dreams and his youthful visions. The paradox of faith and human existence pushes him to extremes, and some of his actions, though affirming his unparalleled status, are tragic. Are any of the fedayeen going to open their eyes in time to learn the truth and fight for their lives? As far as such young warriors are concerned, first love is bound to alter their life experience. It will free some of them and incarcerate others forever.

Vladimir Bartol portrayed the world of Alamut in an intricate language of stunning facts and details, which he must have spent a long time researching. The characters are multidimensional–both in their mundane duties and when they are torn by their demons. Even though there are main characters that lead the story, all the characters in this book are fascinating. They are written in a way the reader can follow, get lost, and find their way to another plot from a different angle while wrestling with an understanding of the force behind the actions. The storytelling is enthralling and flawless. Alamut is a fairy tale set in 11th century Iran. With all the splendour of Asian kingdoms, Alamut reads like an imaginative tale of One Thousand and One Nights with Machiavellian ideologies, the thrill of battles and moral dilemmas.

Alamut is a book like no other. I bought this book as I heard it inspired the creation of the Assassin’s Creed game, which I love. I didn’t know what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations. Vladimir Bartol created a beautiful story of many dimensions, twists and turns. It is a fascinating and vivid world inhabited by characters haunted by arduous passion, power, melancholy and sorrowful love.

Another aspect of this book is that it’s not only a stunning fairy tale, but also an allegory by means of which Bartol questions fascism in 20th century Europe. Alamut might be read many times and understood in a different way each time. I love the language in which the book was written (I refer here also to the translation by Michael Biggins) and I fell in love with the characters because of their human erroneousness and dreams. Bartol challenged a lot of my opinions and left me thinking for hours.

I would recommend Alamut to anyone who loves a brilliantly written book and enjoys being challenged with every page.

Author: Vladimir Bartol (Translated by Michael Biggins)

Title: Alamut

Publisher: North Atlantic Books, USA

Format: Paperback

Published: 01/01/2008 (first published in 1938)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Graham Joyce Some Kind of Fairy Tale – Review

‘No doubt we shall have to sit there all bloody evening listening to some awful drivel about fairies.’ – William Heaney

Thousands of people go missing every year in the world. Some of them might never come back, but those that do, after a long or short period of time, have different stories to tell about what happened to them. A lot of them are quite straightforward, but others will remain a mystery forever.

Christmas Day for the Martins was about to be pretty much the same as every other year since their children left the house. Until, that is, Mary and Dell Martin get an unexpected visitor who might as well be a ghost. It is their daughter, Tara, who vanished without a trace twenty years ago. It felt like an eternity of anguish and unanswered questions for her parents and her brother, Peter. For the Martins, it was a long twenty years, for Tara it was a mere six months, or so she believes. Regardless of the length of the time, she disappeared one day and left everyone in despair and in fear of what could have really happened to her. Now that Tara is back, it is difficult for her family to deal with it. On one hand they don’t want to know what happened as they are relieved to see her alive, on the other hand, they need answers.

Peter was always close to Tara and losing her turned his life upside-down, but in the process of growing up and having a family of his own, this sudden arrival makes him angry and resentful, rather than delighted to see his baby sister. However, it’s not only Tara’s appearance that causes concerns but also her story about what happened to her and why she left without a word.

A fifteen-year-old Tara walks in to the Outwoods, the local woods, and disappears. She claims she met a young handsome man on a white horse, who after talking to her, invited her to his place. After a dramatic argument with her boyfriend, Richie, she is keen on a new adventure – if only till she figures out what she really wants. The stranger leads her through the forest and its intoxicating sea of bluebells, where they ride until dusk and suddenly end up at a strange lake. Here the story really begins.

Some Kind of Fairy Tale is a beautifully told story of loss, uncertainty, love and the supernatural world just next door to where we live. This is not the first time I have read this book. I tend to come back to it, as it’s a book which haunts you and lures you back to flick through the pages filled with clashing worlds of folklore stories and a seemingly normal pragmatic life. Once Tara reveals what happened to her she is treated as a victim of some kind of trauma prior to her disappearance. Different characters in the book voice their opinions on Tara’s story – as different as they might be, their common denominator is that her story can’t be true. It cannot be true because no one believes in fairies, not even those nymphomaniac fairies that live all together in one loving and harmonious community.

Graham Joyce’s writing is intelligent, complex and imaginative. That’s what really makes this story so delightful and enthralling. He managed to make Tara’s story believable, with the supernatural world intricately woven into our world, and at the same time easily discredited by plausible psychiatric diagnoses. The characters are remarkable and full of quirky qualities which make all of them so vivid and distinctive. The descriptions in Some Kind of Fairy Tale are enchanting and captivating – reading the book, I really badly wanted to go out into the woods to experience the tranquillity, magic and the intoxicating smell of the bluebells.

Loss, or rather dealing with loss, is one of the main aspects in the book; and as much as they all try to come to terms with it, the dynamic of it affects the relationships in a major way. The friendship between Peter and Richie is one of them. Besides Tara, Richie is probably the most complex character in the book. Being Tara’s boyfriend at the time she went missing put him in a difficult situation and froze his life at that moment. Unable to have an adult life, he is a diluted version of his younger self-obsessed with his music and Tara. Love is another crucial aspect of the book; love, and its multiple layers and convoluted ties it creates between the people. This is one of the ideas in the book that really moved me – how one person loved in a different way by many people can either bring them together or divide them.

The plot is intriguing and superbly written. The world of Some Kind of Fairy Tale is built on a difficult ground of people’s believes and disbelieves in the supernatural. The characters smoothly drive the story in the directions which they trust are right. What I like about them is that they can easily make the reader change their mind as to what they are prepared to believe in. In the book, the idea of fairies inhibiting the world is dissected and analysed through people’s perceptions of what could be true or false, and the difficult aspect of trying to understand the intangible proofs that there might be a possibility that the supernatural might have a place in an almost surgically sterile world, where what is believed in has to be scientifically feasible. Graham Joyce prefaced each chapter with a quote about fairy tales, fairies and folklore which adds a little more insight as to why folklore and fantasy are a part of human perception of the supernatural. One of the quotes, which prefaces my review, is by William Heaney – a.k.a. Graham Joyce who published another great book, Memoirs of a Master Forger, under that name.

Graham Joyce in his unique way of writing, apart from creating the perfect story on its own, gives the reader enough thinking space to fill in the gaps between the lines. His storytelling is effortless and ingenious. He is one of my favourite writers and of course I can give lots of reasons why, but one of the main reasons is that his books make you think laterally about life and the things people face every day. His gift is that his writing sometimes removes and sometimes just obscures the boundaries between the world of reason and the supernatural. Some Kind of Fairy Tale is an extraordinary book which doesn’t let you stop for a break – the reader just feels compelled to read on and find out what happens next. To see if what initially was thought to be an illusion turns out to be true or the other way round.

If you love books which flawlessly erase visible lines between fantasy and reality then Some Kind of Fairy Tale, or any other of Graham Joyce’s books is what you are looking for.

Author: Graham Joyce

Title: Some Kind of Fairy Tale

Publisher: Gollancz (UK)

Format: Hardback

Published: March 14, 2013 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Edited by Stephen Jones Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome – Review

Reading fairy tales can be more thrilling than visiting haunted houses and dungeon attractions. So how scary are fairy tales?

Fairy tales and legends had a very long oral history before they began appearing in print. Although all countries have their own tales and legends, reflecting their beliefs and character, many of them have a similar plot and an almost identical goal. The goal is to teach, warn and scare into obedience. Many fairy tales have plots surrounding children who disobeyed their parents and what consequences they met. Anyone who was told or read any of them knows what elements of horror they contain. The Brothers Grimm compiled many stories and published them together. In this way, as Stephen Jones says in his introduction to Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome, they became the first horror stories anthologists.

Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome is an anthology inspired by fairy tales and folklore legends. They are not only re-imagined tales but are all brilliant horror stories, bringing a faster heart beat, fear of shadows and good old-fashioned nightmares. All the stories are intertwined by the original Brothers Grimm tales – some are re-written tales and some are just their subtle echoes.

The anthology includes traditional themes of changelings and child kidnapping. They are re-imagined stories of “Rumpelstiltskin” and elfin changelings. Two stories based on “Rumpelstiltskin”, book-end the anthology. “Find My Name” by Ramsey Campbell is the first story in the book – just after the lesser known Brothers Grimm’s “The Wilful Child”. Ramsey Campbell’s writing is delightfully creepy. So is “Come Unto Me” by John Ajvide Lindqvist (translated by Marlaine Delargy). Both of the stories show how unconditional love for a child can make you fearless. In a similar theme, “Crossing the Line” by Garth Nix took me to the scorching Wild West. The main character of the story, Rose Jackson, crosses many boundaries on the way to save her daughter and let her be who she is. I found this story bittersweet and touching. Neil Gaiman’s “Down to a Sunless Sea”, which was based on “The Singing Bone” also tackles the loss of a child. It’s very short and sorrowful, but beautifully written.

I love stories about changelings and how they merge the supernatural with reality. “The Changeling” by Brian Lumley is a nostalgic tale of old sea gods and nautical shape shifters. The descriptions are great – the reader can find themselves pretty much alongside the main character listening to the melancholic story told by a stranger on a remote beach. Whereas “The Artemis Line” by Peter Crowther brought me nightmares full of trolls and evil faeries. Reading it also made me fall in love with scarecrows. This is one of my favourite stories in this anthology. It’s a brilliant horror written in the style of Edgar Allan Poe which is perfectly set in the modern world. It contains the supernatural elements which despite their intangible fear factors, blend dreams and shadows in such a way that you will want to keep your lights on after reading it.

The counter balance to the traditional horror stories is “Fräulein Fearnot” by Markus Heitz (translated by Sheelagh Alabaster). This one is based on “The Story of a Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was”. Even though it’s loaded with spooky stuff from beginning to end, it has a kind of a dark humour approach to the original story of a boy unable to understand fear. The main character Asa, who is totally fearless, unintentionally ends up in trouble and from there it’s like a ‘domino effect: horror edition’ game of outsmarting ghosts, murderers, monsters and the devil himself. One thing leads to another and there’s no way of stopping. Though, what is it like not to be able to be scared?

“The Silken People” by Joanne Harris is another gem in this anthology. The story is about the elusive Lacewing King (People who follow Joanne Harris on Twitter are familiar with her #storytime which very often features the Lacewing King) and a girl who is determined to find him despite the danger it entails. This story is truly awesome – it is a horror story, fairy tale and a love story in one. It is written with this unique storytelling gift which all her books contain – although it broke my heart into lots of little pieces, it made me want to read it again and again. This is not the only compelling love story in this anthology, “The Silken Drum” by Reggie Oliver is also full of obsession and longing. It has elements of Japanese folklore which put this story in between enchanted fairy tale and the mundane reality of a small town.

Another poignant story is “The Ash-Boy” by Christopher Fowler. It is a wonderfully re-imagined story of “Cinderella” with a twist. It uses a lot of original fairy tale elements and I love the writing style. “Open Your Window, Golden Hair” by Tanith Lee is a very interesting re-written tale of “Rapunzel”. This works perfectly as a chilling story. Open Your Window, Golden Hair is not what you think it might be. The writing is engaging and it brings goose bumps when you least expect it. “Look Inside” by Michael Marshall Smith gave me an uneasy feeling caused by what one can’t see, such as strange things happening without any reasonable explanation. I have to check if my door is locked twice before I can go to bed now. The story also gives a quirky little idea about ‘welcoming’ thieves and intruders.

The anthology also has three stories which I love because they are eerie and very dark. “By the Weeping Gate” by Angela Slatter is a murky ghost story set in a small harbour town. Her writing is very atmospheric – darkness at the core of the story is skilfully touched-up by vibrant characters and magic. It’s very different to other stories of this type and this makes it so interesting. The most harrowing story in this anthology is “Anything to Me is Sweeter, Than to Cross Shock-Headed Peter” by Brian Hodge. The bleak surrounding and forlorn characters create an unforgettable story. It seems to have an element of dark satire in it, but its set is terrifying – a house occupied by misbehaving children which is a visitors’ attraction and a house of horrors in one. The story, despite being gruesome, is a whimsical tale of friendship and finding one’s place in the world. It was moving and horrifying – just as much as “Peckish” by Robert Shearman. “Hansel and Gretel” is somewhat a fairy tale horror, but this re-imagined tale is much darker. Gingerbread Men will never taste the same to me.

Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome, edited by Stephen Jones, is a marvellous horror anthology of fairy tales. Each story is great in its own way and together they just work remarkably well to bring thrills and nightmares. All of them are terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. The illustrations by Alan Lee are incredible and perfectly compliment the stories. Read it if you dare and see if you can keep your lights off during the night.

Author: Edited by Stephen Jones

Title: Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (UK)

Format: Paperback

Published: October 24, 2013 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Sebastien de Castell Traitor’s Blade – Review

The world isn’t a romantic stage play; it’s not all love and glory. And a swordfight isn’t always about skill or strength; sometimes – maybe even most times – it’s about who’s willing to take a blow just to make sure he delivers a worse one to his opponent.

Traitor’s Blade was one of the books published this year to which I was really looking forward to. I was excited that the book would be filled with swordfights, unusual characters and something unique that drags you right into the new world written just for readers like me. Readers thirsty for infuriating villains, those who loyally fight against them and all those things that happen on purpose or brought on by the capricious characters who know how they want the story to be told.

Jo Fletcher Books added to the excitement prior to the book’s publication with their intriguing pre-book-launch campaign. Anyone could become one of the Greatcoats! So I did, and when I was reading Traitor’s Blade I really wanted to be one of them with my double-edged Bastard sword, gauntlets with hidden blades (my own personal preference of weapons) and the Greatcoat. The Greatcoat itself reminded me of a coat worn by Van Helsing who had lots of curious items hidden in its numerous pockets – just in case something came in handy when on the road.

When Tristia was being torn apart by the self-righteous and greedy Dukes and ruled by Kings who didn’t see anything wrong with depriving people of everything, the legend of Greatcoats lived in many hearts. As much as some people loved the idea, not many of them believed that they actually existed. Bal Armidor, the travelling storyteller, tried his best to keep the legend alive, until one day a young King Paelis decided to stop the injustice and assembled his Greatcoats. They travelled everywhere to hear cases of those who sought justice and passed their judgement as King’s Magistrates.

Falcio Val Mond lost everything and all he had left was his want of revenge on those who brought sorrow into the lives of people of Tristia. People like him, who did everything they could to abide by the rules to live their lives in peace. Falcio became one of the Greatcoats – about whom he heard so many stories that fuelled his imagination when he was a boy. Nevertheless, the reign of King Paelis was short-lived and with his death ended the time of justice. Yet again Greatcoats became a legend.

Falcio, the First Cantor of the Greatcoats, together with his two friends, Kest and Brasti, stayed together after all the other Greatcoats scattered. Taking odd caravan security jobs kept them busy, however, they kept trying to fulfil the final wishes of their King. Finding King’s Charoites was like looking for a needle in a haystack or even worse, as they didn’t even know what they were, but they knew they were important to their late King. Events of one night, when they ended up being accused of the murder of one of the Lords Caravaner, triggered in motion something big. The events brought them together with unlikely allies and face-to-face with brutal adversaries.

Reading Traitor’s Blade left me breathless with the amazing swordfights, unscrupulous machinations, unexpected turns of events and the velocity of the actions. The first thing I really liked about the Greatcoats is their unbiased attitude to justice. Even though they were responsible for upholding the King’s Laws, they were not sworn to the King in a way that would make them unable to judge fairly.

The characters are very compelling. Although the Greatcoats are highly skilled fighters, who endured a lot in their service to the King and as disgraced Trattari (or Tatter-cloaks as people called them with disgust), they were very human and down to earth. The book is also full of villains whose thirst for power is overwhelming. Their canny machinations to obtain total dominance over Tristia were full of the blood of those who could pose even the slightest threat.

Duke Jillard brought Ganath Kalila, the Blood Week tradition, which once a year seized the people of Rijou with uncontrollable fear for their lives. Ganath Kalila simply meant kill or be killed. Whereas, power seeking Patriana was ready to sacrifice everyone and everything to help her cause with her very sophisticated torture methods. Also, there are lethal assassins, The Dashini, who I hope will appear in the subsequent books as I found them really intriguing.

I was utterly fascinated by the female characters in the book. The mysterious Tailor was very interesting – almost like an oracle of sorts. She knows a lot but instead of imposing her way, she lets others follow their own path. One of my other favourite characters was a remarkable little girl Aline, whose story in the book is very poignant but also uplifting.

The Greatcoats have their goals to fulfil but being tangled in the political intrigues and wars brought them to the edge where they could either withdraw or actively take part and change the world. And maybe now the Greatcoats will come together again.

Besides complex characters, the book has a gripping plot. Flashbacks do not always work well in books like Traitor’s Blade, but Sebastien de Castell made the story more engrossing this way. His writing is terrific – the book is written with vivid narration and humour. It made me laugh out loud and it made me shed an occasional tear. It dragged me right in to the world of Tristia. Traitor’s Blade is a great book and I’m already looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Author: Sebastien de Castell

Title: Traitor’s Blade

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Format: Kindle Edition

Published: March 6, 2014 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Stephen Deas The Adamantine Palace – Review

It’s hard to believe that dragons once ruled the world. Now they are used by humans as mounts, hunting and war machines, precious gifts to settle diplomatic disputes and as bargaining chips. Dragons have a unique place in the world of The Adamantine Palace, but they are far from their usual formidable selves. Their breeding and upkeep is strictly monitored by the alchemists whose Order knows the danger of letting these amazing and fiery creatures live freely.

The Adamantine Palace takes you right into the middle of the political strife amongst the rulers of Nine Realms. The realms struggle to understand how one of their queens died, with there being talk of carelessness and foul play. But this is not the only unknown that puzzles them. The health of King Tyan is deteriorating and there is rumour that his ambitious son Jehal is poisoning him. At the same time, the Speaker of the Realms seems to have similar symptoms and needs to find his successor. Prince Jehal is getting married to Lystra, daughter of Shezira, the powerful Queen of Sand and Stone and Salt. With her hand, he is about to receive Snow, a pure white dragon admired and coveted by many others.

As Snow suddenly disappears on the way to the Realm of the Endless Sea, the game of betrayal, domination and deceit takes a new turn. While humans are preoccupied with their power struggles and political strategies to gain more influence and wealth, one of the dragons gradually awakes and regains full awareness of power and purpose. The power and purpose repressed by the alchemical potions when they became slaves of the human race. Have humans forgotten about the superiority of dragons?

The world of The Adamantine Palace is divided and haunted by constant political intrigues. The characters have goals and hardly any of them are motivated by charitable intentions or the good of all the realms and their people. Or so it seems. Many of them are consumed by their want of power which makes them ultimately flawed. In a way it makes them even more interesting and likeable to me, because of their complexity and ability to stay ahead of the game – well, it doesn’t always work for all of them. I found all the back-stabbing plots, scheming characters – who change the course of the plot so often it is like a vortex of mind tricks and treachery – really enjoyable to read. It is the world dominated by rulers, and normal humans are either outsiders or servants, but they also play an important part in the story. Sell-swords and Scales are amongst my favourite characters. I really liked the constant change of the point of view – it works really well in the book where there is no single protagonist that is meant to stand out or have the story revolve around them.

Stephen Deas conjured this magnetic world of perpetual chicanery, lust and power where humans are too busy to realise that their authority is about to be burnt and reduced to a mere background by fiery, sophisticated and far more intelligent species. Dragons in The Adamantine Palace are daunting and majestic creatures full of fire as their nature requires, but only when they are either commanded by their riders or when they are free of the potions clouding their exceptional mental faculties. The shift in the story is so clever and it seems to show the mirror image between humans and dragons. Both species are selfish and ready to do everything to maintain the upper hand at all costs. But who is going to outsmart whom?

The Adamantine Palace is a fast paced book, written with great skill and intricacy. Stephen Deas knows how to lure readers into the world and keep them turning pages with astonishment of one conspiracy after another. The book might be difficult to get into at first for some readers, as there is a vast number of characters (the genealogical trees are provided), but Stephen Deas’ writing is great and he tells this multilayered story marvellously. The Adamantine Palace is book number one in the Memory of Flames trilogy which I highly recommend.

Author: Stephen Deas

Title: The Adamantine Palace

Publisher: Gollancz (UK)

Format: Paperback

Published: February 1, 2010 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Paula Guran (Ed.) Witches: Wicked, Wild and Wonderful – Review

“Don’t get in a witch’s path. Especially if you are the weaker witch. If you do, be prepared to face her.” – “Bloodlines” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Witches are represented in different ways throughout cultures. In this anthology they take various forms – powerful women, young, old, poor, influential, timid, rich, classic fairy tale hags etc. Even though Witches: Wicked, Wild and Wonderful contains stories of many different themes, they all come to one central character that is wickedly passionate about something they love. Ultimately their actions are seen as good or evil. Is it enough though to label them “white” or “black” witches?

Witches mostly are seen as strong, perhaps a bit aloof and wicked women. However, in this anthology they are presented as humans with as many powers as insecurities. “Bloodlines” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia tells the story of a young girl who not only doubts her skills and appearance but also the possibility of being a real witch like other women in her family. This story of a growing up witch, who doesn’t know what she is capable of, is full of adolescent insecurities and raw, uncontrollable power still to be tamed.

Another of my favourite stories is “The Only Way to Fly” by Nancy Holder about a witch, Jessamyne, on the way to the retirement home who seemingly sacrificed her magic for the man she loved. Her sober analysis of what she has lost is either going to make her more bitter or free. Demeter Alcmedi in “Marlboros and Magic” by Linda Robertson also rebels against strict rules of living amongst people who simply adhere to the order of life in the Woodhaven Retirement Community. The consequences are hilarious.

One of the recurring themes is witches in love – love in many shapes and forms. Sometimes love is manifested in the form of love of humans in general, and sometimes it’s a poignant and deep adoration of someone the witch has lost their heart to. “The Ground Whereon She Stands” by Leah Bobet pictures a shy witch who, not knowing how to get closer to the person she loves, enchants them with a truly flourishing spell. Ceren, a young witch in “Skin Deep” by Richard Parks struggles to understand her feelings and actions which consequently forces her to decide what is important in her life.

At the same time, love for a child might be one of the strongest, unconditional manifestations of love – yet at the same time most tragic and misunderstood. “The World Is Cruel, My Daughter” by Cory Skerry is one of the gems in this anthology. It’s a re-told tale of “Rapunzel” – the story of a manic over-protective mother and the disastrous relationship with her daughter. It’s one of the darkest in this anthology, and is written with great skill and a great dose of murkiness. At the same time, another dark tale of the parents-children relationship, “Catskin” by Kelly Link, is amiably surreal and creepy.

Witches try to blend in but communities are full of nosey busybodies ready to share someone else’s secrets. What happens when a beautiful house appears on the street out of the blue? “Walpurgis Afternoon” by Delia Sherman tells a story of a suburban community magically transformed by two girls. Stories like “Basement Magic” by Ellen Klages, “Afterward” by Don Webb, “Poor Little Saturday” by Madeleine L’Engle and “Magic Carpets” by Lesley What are more sinister and lead to somewhat tragic consequences.

Stories about witches are very often haunting and atmospheric – with the magical ambiance embedded in the very worlds they are set in. “The Cold Blacksmith” by Elizabeth Bear resonates with charm of Scandinavian myths where a task of mending a broken heart might be a real challenge. Tanith Lee created a mesmerising exotic tale of illusions and transformations in “Mirage and Magia”. However, it was the spin on the classic tale of “Hansel and Gretel” that freaked me out. This horror version by Margo Lanagan titled “The Goosle” is full of stomach wrenching descriptions and horror with which the author spun the story. It is truly terrifying.

“The Witch’s Headstone” by Neil Gaiman is a lovely story of a boy befriending a ghost of a witch, but those who read “The Graveyard Book” will know it, as it’s actually chapter four in the book. Also “The Way Wind” by Andre Norton is set in the world of her Witch World universe which might be familiar to readers of her books.

Some witches choose to be protectors of people like Diana in “Nightside” by Mercedes Lackey and Marla Mason in “Ill Met in Ulthar” by T.A. Pratt. What I liked in both of them is that their two central characters are strong, confident urban guardians who love kicking evil’s ass. Others just experiment and toy with magic which leads to mixed conclusions. Girls in “Lessons with Miss Gray” by Theodora Goss decide to pursue magic, which helps them find out the truth about themselves. In a similar manner, Boris tries to discover who he really is when, by means of help from the legendary Baba Yaga, he discovers he might not be the failure he thinks he is. “Boris Chernevsky’s Hands” by Jane Yolen is a nostalgic revival of the Russian folklore icon. “The Robbery” by Cynthia Ward shows what might happen when in the face of helpless mutiny against an unpunished local burglar, the main character decides to try knots magic used by fishermen like her dad and grandpa, with surprising results.

As much as I like most of the stories in this anthology, as they cover such a wide range of themes and representations of witches, the true gem in this anthology is Ursula K. Le Guin’s very first story published in 1962 titled “April in Paris”. It’s a poignant story of passion, accidental time travel, friendship, love and power of loneliness. It’s a superb little story which brings people from different worlds together and saves them from despair of poverty and solitude. “April in Paris” was a marvellous debut story of such a great writer.

I love reading anthologies, as I come across writers I have not read before and little gems like the story of “April in Paris” which I didn’t know about. Witches: Wicked, Wild and Wonderful is full of stories from which each reader might find something they will love. I must admit I am not overly keen on all the stories in this anthology, but the majority of them are great and bring lots of quirky magic tales for those who, like me, love books about witches.

Author: Edited by Paula Guran

Title: Witches: Wicked, Wild and Wonderful

Publisher: Prime Books

Format: Kindle Edition

Published: March 13th 2012

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Snorri Kristjansson Swords of Good Men – Review

Death was never as glorious in real life as in the songs, he mused. There was nothing heroic about it, really. You were just alive, and then you were blood and meat and bones in a slightly different order.

Ulfar Thormodsson is ready to go back home after two years in exile with his cousin Geiri. The last stage of their journey takes them to Stenvik, which is where their adventure really begins, contrary to their plans. Stenvik might be just a small place, but it is inhabited by a few legendary warriors. As life goes on in Stenvik, a storm is brewing not so far away, but no one in the settlement realises that soon, Stenvik is going to be the stage of the tug-of-war between the old gods and the new one.

There are three parts in this power game – King Olav and his ever growing army of misfits on the way to spread Christianity and the teachings of White Jesus, an assembly of legendary chieftains with their small armies, and Stenvik. Even though there are a lot of characters, and it might seem that there are no leading ones, all of them are very well written. They have their place in the story and none of them seems flat or as if they were written just for the body count. Just because the characterisation is so vivid, the story is very dynamic.

Apart from Ulfar, Audun Arinbjarnarson is one of the most intriguing characters – there’s so much more to him than his role of the blacksmith of Stenvik. It turns out even the most powerful warriors have their secrets. I need to mention a group of Berserkers – warriors with very fierce tempers for whom fighting is like anger management. They were utterly fascinating. Unfortunately, there are not many female characters. There are a couple of them which are vital to the story, but maybe because of the way the book is written they do not take much part in it. Thora is a really cool, badass warrior and Skuld, an enigmatic leader behind the force of one of the powers.

All the battles are epic and really bloody. Some brawls and battles are very graphic, but we are talking here about Vikings, so it can be expected. Snorri’s language flawlessly moves from small battles to the big ones without it all becoming just one book of carnage. He has a flair for killing off the characters and what I like in his writing is his matter-of-factly way of moving on.

What I loved about the book, apart from the total Viking havoc, was the way the author portrayed life in Stenvik. He was able to write such an engrossing account of the life in the settlement. Stenvik is full of warriors where over-ambitious testosterone levels of locals and visitors alike are kept in check by Harald – the village fist mercenary. Besides battle business, there is a more pragmatic view of Stenvik – the view of what it’s like to live in a community of raiders. With the gradual introduction to Christianity, some people are torn between the new god and those, like Odin, Freya, Thor and Loki, whom they used to worship – perhaps even debating what their role in life might be and how it relates to their belief system. Where most unusual friendships, awkward alliances and grave enemies are formed, Swords of Good Men has both puppets and their masters – some are mere zealous humans, others are more sinister and even supernatural. There are not many elements of fantasy in the book and those few that are, are subtly woven into the story.

Swords of Good Men is written in a very riveting way – there are a lot of points of view. Some readers might find it disjointed and distracting, especially that there are a lot of characters introduced from the very beginning. However, I found it surprisingly refreshing. It definitely suits the plot where sudden changes of perspective are like bursts of chaotic energy which I found invigorating. It almost works like sudden changes of scenes in the films where there’s a lot of action happening and the story cannot be presented only from one angle. I think Swords of Good Men could be a great film.

Snorri’s writing is very engaging – very vibrant and realistic. It is an action filled book with a heart stopping plot and adrenaline fuelled battle scenes. Swords of Good Men is Snorri Kristjansson’s debut, but it’s so well written that it is hard to believe. I’m ready to read the next book in the Valhalla Saga: Blood Will Follow. All readers that love this kind of action packed books go and get your copy – you won’t regret it. Happy reading!

Author: Snorri Kristjansson

Title: Swords of Good Men

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Format: Hardback

Published: August 1, 2013 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Neil Gaiman The Truth is a Cave i the Black Mountains – Review

This is a review of the book and the performance which took place on 6th July 2014 in the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.

When I was a little girl I loved dark stories – like fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers or ghost stories for example. Either read in the darkness of my bedroom with a torch under my duvet, so I would not wake up my younger brother, or told during camping trips with everyone sitting around the fire. It did not matter if they were read or told, but I swear all of a sudden curtains would cast strange shadows or trees would assume ghoulish shapes. I’m not entirely sure if I was terrified, to a certain degree perhaps, or if I loved the supernatural, as that was something which was supposed to be out of this world. My imagination was alive with stories I read and listened to, and that’s the experience I always welcomed. I still do.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman is a story about two men who embark on a journey through the murky Scottish landscape. Both of them carry darkness in their hearts and this journey will test them even further. It’s not a simple journey to claim a legendary treasure but one of discovery of the darkest truth.

This picture novelette is poignant and rich – it grasps the reader’s attention from the very first line. The melancholy of the main protagonist is palpable and captivating like the raw beauty of Scotland depicted by Eddie Campbell’s illustrations. Neil Gaiman set the story on the Isle of Skye – one of the most breathtaking places in Scotland. The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains touches on Jacobite times and the friction between the clans – though being in the background of the book, they add the evocative character to it.

The book contains everything I love about dark stories. The craggy, stormy and windy Scottish countryside is as unpredictable and treacherous as the morals and intentions of the main characters. It’s a superbly told story of loss, greed, love and fate and has all the things of an enchanting folklore story. The storytelling language it is written in and the stunning illustrations create an unforgettably haunting book, which is only a very short story, but will stay with you for a long time. Shakespeare’s Macbethcomes to mind here – another Scottish tale filled with darkness to the very core, and as much as there might be an element of fate, it all unfolds in an unpredictable way and that is how a great and thought-provoking story stays with the reader to trick their mind with shadows.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a picture book, but it’s not how the story began. It was initially read on the stage of The Sydney Opera House in 2010 with the accompaniment of paintings by Eddie Campbell and the music by the FourPlay String Quartet. As it was a huge success, it was decided that the story would go on tour. As it happens, one of the performances, the very last one, was in Scotland. On 6th July 2014 The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was performed in Edinburgh in the Usher Hall.

The event started with the music set by the very talented FourPlay String Quartet and then Neil Gaiman walked on stage and started his part of the performance with something he is simply the best at. He read stories to us. Neil started with the “October Tale” from the Calendar of Tales – the story of how a Djinn struggles to do what they are meant to do – grant wishes. It is a short and sweet tale of love and happiness in unexpected circumstances. “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury” was read next. It is a very moving tribute to one of the best writers. What could possibly top the storytelling? Well…Neil started singing and let me tell you, you just have to hear that for yourself one day – the song “I Googled You” was really funny.

After the brief interval, the thing that every one of us was waiting for commenced: The Truth is a Cave in the Back Mountains. As the FourPlay String Quartet started playing and the Usher Hall filled with music, Neil started reading the story and on the screen there were pictures of the paintings by Eddie Campbell. The combination of the music, storytelling and the art was magical. The compelling story of the formidable darkness of human hearts and the coarse, yet so irresistibly alluring setting created a tale of lurking shadows and apprehensible gloom.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains presented in this audio-visual way gripped the audience and made us a part of this fairytale. It is a proper grim tale, where it might not be easy to see who is the real hero or a villain. Neil Gaiman produced another terrific story to haunt and bewitch us. The illustrations by Eddie Campbell are marvellous and reflect the Scottish landscape and give it such an astonishing character in a way that only someone familiar with it could.

The whole performance, by which I mean Neil, Eddie and the FourPlay, was magnificent. It was finished with Neil singing “Psycho” (originally by Leon Payne).

This is the magic of the dark tales I mentioned at the beginning. I fell in love with such tales when I was a child and I can honestly say that it doesn’t matter how old anyone is – these stories are for everyone. There is something irresistible about dark folklore stories – I think it might be the unusual way of blending reality and fantasy together. The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a book which can be read and re-read many times – not only for the story, but also for the pictures.

Author: Neil Gaiman

Title: The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains

Publisher: Headline (UK)

Format: Hardback

Published: June 17, 2014 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Sarah Pinborough Murder – Review

Years after the horrors of Jack the Ripper and the Torso Killer which terrorised London, not everyone has forgotten about the Upir. Doctor Thomas Bond might have found some peace after Upir stopped lurking in the shadows and started enjoying life in the company of Juliana Harrington, but he is aware that Upir’s terrors are not completely gone. The comfort of friendship with Juliana doesn’t let him forget about what happened. The young son of Juliana and her late husband James reminds Dr. Bond of the blood, dread and the peculiar alliances forged to fight the evil that Harrington brought back from his travels. The sudden arrival of Edward Kane, the late Harrington’s friend from America, changes almost everything for Dr. Bond and brings out the darkness he tried to escape from.

Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough is the first book in the Mayhem series and it tells the story of Jack the Ripper and the Torso Killer. Murder continues with the darkness of all the blood and terror that the Upirlegacy left behind, but on a much bleaker level. Dr. Bond used to struggle with his demons but what he is about to face might be more powerful than even he can fight.

When I was reading Mayhem, I thought it was awesome. As I turned the pages, faster and faster, it terrified me and kept me reading to see what more evil can hide in the shadows of the opium clouded London. That changed a little bit when I started reading Murder. The sinister became the wicked. The plot revolves around the issue of new murders which somewhat resemble the Ripper’s ones and a shocking case of dead babies being found in the Thames. Murder is deeply dark, intelligent and exquisitely gruesome.

I really like the characters in Murder – as the plot evolves and the points of view change, it’s great to see the different aspects of it from behind the shoulders of those who in turn show us what they experience. Dr. Thomas Bond might be a professional and respected doctor, but he is also human. His humanity takes him on a journey of jealously, fear, love and madness, and tests his will power to the very limits. Seeing such a strong person struggling made me feel a heart breaking sympathy towards his utmost efforts to find a solution and solve the mystery of the wicked crimes. As much as he wants to hide it, the evil creeps closer and closer to his doorstep. Would the comeback of his past vices help? He is being taken apart by insanity, and as Dr. Bond mentions Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the comparison is strikingly uncanny. What does the Upir really represent and want? The very image of it, which so nonchalantly pops out from the pages of Murder, was enough to make me want to sleep with the light on for at least two days.

Murder is written with brilliant skill. Not only the nerve wrecking story keeps you reading but also the amazing and vibrant portrayal of Victorian London with the tangible gaps in the layers of society and between the innocent and the evil. Sarah Pinborough has written another superb book which from the beginning to the end keeps the reader on the proverbial edge of their seat.

It was so engrossing for me that when I closed the book after hours of reading, I realised that I was thirsty, stiff from sitting in one position and utterly stunned. I didn’t realise so much time had passed and all I did that day was just read Murder. It was totally worth it and I’d recommend it to everyone; fans of horror or not, this book is so multilayered and complex that the blood spilled on the pages just naturally flows from chapter to chapter and the adrenaline urges you to read on. Murder is a poignant and unputdownable novel of the darkness of humanity and haunting malevolence with an exquisite dose of horror and supernatural.

Author: Sarah Pinborough

Title: Murder

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Format: Hardback

Published: April 30, 2014 (UK)

Review originally published on Fantasy-Faction website.

Charlaine Harris & Christopher Golden Cemetery Girl Book One: The Pretenders – Review

I need to, guiltily, admit I sometimes judge books by their covers. When I saw the cover of this one on the Jo Fletcher Books website I knew I had to read it. Then it dawned on me who wrote it and I was already impatient to read it. I am a fan of Charlaine Harris and I know Christopher Golden’s work too – a brilliant duo to create a new graphic novel. Just to add a cherry on top, Don Kramer is the illustrator. I was lucky to win one of the Christmas goodie bags from Jo Fletcher Books and when I received it and saw that it was in the bag, I was over the moon.

Book One in the Cemetery Girl trilogy, titled The Pretenders, is dark and compelling. A young girl is dumped and left for dead on the grounds of Dunhill Cemetery. When she comes round, she has no recollection of who she is and who wanted her dead and why. In the process of trying to survive, as that is the only thing she can do at the moment, she assumes a name taken from the names on the tomb headstones. This way a new heroine is born – Calexa Rose Dunhill. Not knowing what she can do with her life, she just lives from day to day. Until one day something horrifying happens on the grounds of her new ‘home’ and this way she starts realising what purpose her new life might serve. Calexa can see spirits of the dead. But she is not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. In Book One: The Pretenders she helps to serve justice in the case of a missing girl who was murdered and finds friends and allies in unlikely circumstances.

Cemetery Girl is a poignant story of a young girl who is left completely alone and afraid of her own voice. Other characters in the book are also very fascinating – like Mr Kelner and Lucinda whose empathy and unbiased kindness towards Calexa are captivating. I was really taken by the story. It is only a short graphic novel, but the story is well written and the illustrations are stunning.

Apart from the story itself and the wonderful illustrations, I love the transformation of the main character. It’s as if Calexa is reborn as a heroine with a new role to fulfil to guide her on the way to find out what really happened to her. Her fear of not knowing who she is is gradually overshadowed by her embracing the new identity. She makes a perfect heroine with a mysterious past and abilities she still has to explore and develop. There are little bits of quirky humour in it too. Calexa gate crashes all possible funerals. It might be that it’s the only human contact, in the open, she is ready to allow at the moment or it’s a part of her new role as a protector of the cemetery.

I think Book One: The Pretenders of this new trilogy is great and I look forward to following the story of the Cemetery Girl. The trilogy has a brilliant start and I am really curious what Calexa is going to learn about her own past and why she was left to die like that. Both Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden have written a lot of intriguing supernatural characters – for example I can see little bits of Charlaine Harris’s Harper Connelly in it and Christopher Golden’s Buffy.

I like it a lot and anyone who likes a good story and amazing illustrations, then Cemetery Girl Book One: The Pretenders is for you. Read it and enjoy the peculiar atmosphere in it.

A big thank you to Jo Fletcher Books for sending me this book:-)

 

Author: Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden

Illustrations: Don Kramer

Title: Cemetery Girl Book One: The Pretenders

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Format: Hardback, 120 pages

Published: 02/01/2014

ISBN: 9780857389084

Neil Gaiman Ocean at the End of the Lane – Review

Even though the easiest thing to distract a child, from pretty much anything, is to offer them ice-cream, being a child can be very terrifying. Let’s face it, most of the things that happened are long forgotten or rather repressed. So what do we really remember about our childhood when we look back?

I was very excited when Neil Gaiman published a new book for adults. I didn’t know what to expect. He had mentioned in one of his interviews, before the publication, that The Ocean at the End of the Lane was never supposed to be a full length novel, but a short story for his wife. Also, it was a twist on his childhood memories – not an autobiography, but the world seen through the eyes of a young Neil Gaiman.

The main character, a bookish boy with no friends, gets caught in a crossfire between his childlike imagination and curiosity, and the oppressing world of adults. Having an annoying sister is difficult, but losing his own room and having to share one with her when their parents rent out his to a lodger is a nightmare. South African opal miner brings disaster to the family from day one. Adults don’t seem to understand that pets can’t be easily replaced and the philosophy of ‘a cat for a cat’ doesn’t work. It is not the same cat! Books are the only friends of the main character. Not a single person turned up for his birthday – I loved the nostalgic description of the unattended party with a birthday cake with a book on it. Only bookworms might understand how unlikely it was to have friends when most of the time was spent befriending fictional characters.

When the opal miner departs, the boy finds a friend in a remarkable girl who lives in a nearby farm. Sudden changes caused by unexpected events push the two children closer together. Less than convenient circumstances prove to be a very good opportunity to cement the friendship and stand together to face the unknown danger. I love Gaiman’s effortless way of merging different worlds. The boy and Lettie Hempstock, his new best friend – his only friend, find themselves surrounded by strange creatures that inhabit the world’s dimensions which are not accessible without magic, or maybe they were always there and no one knew. But who is his friend really? Lettie seems to be older than she looks. She knows far more than a little girl should and she claims that the pond behind the farm is her ocean. Her mum and granny remember things nobody else can from absolutely ages ago.

During one of their adventures something happened and everything changed. The vacant lodger place was taken immediately by the mysterious Ursula Monkton. She proves to be sickly sweet – simply too sweet to be real – and she has everybody under her thumb except the boy. Strange things keep happening and only he can see the difference. He faces utter betrayal from his family and an unimaginable fear of imminent violence and danger ready to be served as punishment for his disobedience. Being a child is like being a drop of water in the ocean – everything around is huge, magnified and intensified. Parents are scary big people with no imagination, who must have the last word in every argument. Even the smallest shadows can induce the most gruesome night terrors. As if he wasn’t scared enough already, the main character finds out that he holds a vital key to everything that changed – he might have to die to put everything back together the way it should be.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is full of juvenile melancholy and terrifying darkness. Darkness as we know from dreadful fairy tales. Those that would leave you terrorised for days.

The darkness was stirred and things that ripped the veil between the worlds endangered the existence of the planet and lives of everybody. The creation of the world described by Gaiman is simply amazing. The wonderfully beautiful and dangerous creatures, called varmints, can either restore order or devour the world as we know it. Lettie and the boy keep fighting but fear and destruction can unexpectedly make people over cowardly or brave. In the spur of a moment, one action leads to terrifying consequences. The friendship is tested by the utmost sacrifice that leaves you with a tear or two rolling lonely down your cheek to avenge the hero.

Gaiman describes what his childhood was like through the eyes of this little boy who one summer gained so much and lost even more. This compelling story threw me back to my childhood and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tackle what I faced. Things which are best left untouched, but things nevertheless that make you the person you are through this incredible journey from curious childhood, through darkness, to an adulthood full of uncertainty, regret and unfulfilled expectations.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is an extraordinary book that tackles the transition between the world seen by a child to the world of an adult. Neil Gaiman discussed this book and the importance of childhood memories with psychologist and writer, Charles Fernyhough, during their event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August this year. They talked about the intricate way how memories are either forgotten or repressed during the process of growing up but how they can be triggered and revived by certain feelings, smells etc. Also, how important they might be.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a brilliant book full of superb fantasy, Gaiman-style, with a compelling story of ultimate sacrifice and growing up to be who one wants to be despite, sometimes unreasonable, expectations of the world. I love the language and sheer honesty with which the story is relayed. I found myself thinking about my own childhood for a long time after I finished the book. The characters are outstanding. Immortal inhabitants of the Hempstock farm are astonishing and incredibly fascinating. I need to admit I adore varmints, the hunger birds. The book brought Chagall paintings and Poe’s writing to my mind – the hazy style of mystery and dread – as if it could have just been a dream. It was a very different book to other ones written by Neil Gaiman – maybe because of the very personal touch to the story. However, I absolutely adored the book because of the story itself and because of the brilliant characters and atmosphere that was both delightful and terrifying or simply delightfully terrifying – just the way Gaiman conjures the wor(l)ds.

I would recommend the book not only to fans of Neil Gaiman but to anybody who would like a magical journey back in time to when life was much simpler, yet more complicated.

Author: Neil Gaiman

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Publisher: Headline Review

Format: Hardback, 256 pages

Published: 18/06/2013

ISBN: 9781472200310 (Hardback)

Winona Kent Persistence of Memory – Review

The Future of Stoneford, a small English village, might pretty much be decided. A future that would have a significant effect on its inhabitants. Some of them would receive a big financial gain, whereas others would end up homeless. Charlie Lowe, a local museum worker, not wanting to feel helpless, decides to take actions which would complicate the situation and affect her in a major way. Being a village historian, Charlie is as familiar with relations between the people of Stoneford, as she is with the various other historical facts that with time, have led to the current predicament. She is desperate to save the village and the village oak. Although she is well liked in Stoneford, she seems to keep to herself, and her cousin, Nick, appears to be her closest friend.

As frustration gets the better of Charlie she waits for the consequences of her actions to catch up with her. She tries to find more information – researching her family tree in the hope that questions might be answered which could help save the village. In the meantime, a big storm passes Stoneford that triggers a virus software malfunction which results in Charlie being thrown back in time to Regency era England. This opens up new possibilities and challenges.

Whatever happens in 19^th Century Stoneford might have dramatic effects on the future. However, Charlie knows well that meddling in the history would definitely cause more trouble, or even total chaos. With her hands tied, she manages to adapt to her new reality, meet her ancestors, fall in love and contribute to the eventual outcome in a way that would not adversely affect the future. As impossible as it sounds, tech-savvy Nick finds a way to communicate with Charlie. She might want to save the village she loves, but she will also face a huge dilemma which could change the history and make her face a life or death situation. Also her new love interest, Mr Deeley, seems to be in a catch-22 situation with no possible solution on the horizon. Is history going to be inevitably changed because a girl interrupted it, or maybe the interpretation of history has many different layers of understanding?

The story is told by the intertwining events of Stoneford in 21^st and 19^th Centuries. There are lots of humorous situations – Charlie is not the only one that seems to be personally affected by the virus that transported her back in time. Life in rural Stoneford is well portrayed. There are some interesting sub-plots, e.g. the alienation of gypsy people and the independence of women.

The book is an interesting and very funny read. The characters have fascinating qualities and make the read very enjoyable. I loved the humour immensely and the descriptions of Stoneford in 19^th Century are wonderful. Some parts of the book (mostly descriptions of the characters) seem to be written more like a screenplay, however, it doesn’t affect the story in a major way. Persistence of Memory was primarily written as a screenplay, but later re-written as a novel. There’s only one thing that I struggled to understand which almost spoilt it for me. As most of the characters of the book are quite understanding towards the time travel aspect and quite engrossed in it, how could they not see the difference between two women who were switched at the time when one of them was going back in time and the other one travelled to the future? Then I remembered one of my favourite French comedies, Les Visiteurs, where Jean Reno as a Medieval Comte de Montmirail is thrown into the future where he’s mistaken for a cousin of one of the main characters – the resemblance was just uncanny. Persistence of Memory is just full of comedy situations and laugh out loud moments. It doesn’t matter that some things may seem improbable, the book is entertaining and the story is told in an intriguing storytelling language.

Persistence of Memory is a charming and quirky book, which will make you laugh and make you think what you would do if you could go back and have an opportunity to save the day. Those who like Austenesque romance will love it.

Author: Winona Kent

Title: Persistence of Memory

Publisher: Fable Press

Format: Kindle Edition, 356 pages

Published: 22/08/2013

ISBN: 1939897068

The Fairy Tale Effect – Part II – Charm by Sarah Pinborough

Poison, the first book in Sarah Pinborough’s fairy tale trilogy was awesome. The story of Snow White was intriguing and had a brilliant and unpredictable ending (I wrote about Poison here). I loved it and I was looking forward to reading Charm – a re-written story of Cinderella.

The Cinderella we know from the original fairy tales is a quiet girl who is neglected by her step-mother and step-sisters. She is saved by a fairy godmother and goes to a ball where her beauty outshines every other girl. Consequently, she marries the prince and they live happily ever after in a big castle. As much as it sounds nice and all, it’s kind of too perfect, isn’t it?

Sarah Pinborough’s Cinderella is a natural beauty and works hard at home, whereas her step-mother is willing to do absolutely everything to be a part of the royal court. Does it all seem just as in the original story? Well, that’s about it, because Charm is much better. Cinderella is a compelling character. She has a dream and is so consumed by making it come true that she is ready to play dirty.

When she is thought to be just an inconvenience to her extended family and an unloved victim, she really seems to be a self-centred spoilt little girl. The story gets darker from then on. “Be careful what you wish for”, would be good advice for Cinderella who turns to tricky magic and murky deals with a witch, who has her own agenda, in order to get the prince.

Pinborough’s characters are always well written, interesting and very real – no matter what positive or negative qualities they might have. The whole family of the main character is incredibly engaging, but Cinderella is such a complex character. She is full of naive determination to reach her goal no matter what – it reminded me of my own hot-headed attitude when I was her age. It seems that everything is on the right track when all of a sudden the magic bubble bursts and Cinderella is faced with the consequences of her actions. It is amazing to see how it changes her – it’s probably one of most difficult aspects of writing a good character, but Pinborough rocks here. All the other characters, including an intriguing friend with benefits and a cursed footman, are vibrant and very realistic. I found Cinderella’s relationship with her sister, Rose, very fascinating. And I can’t forget about the prince – he’s a completely different person to the one you think you know. Yet again, the darkness around his secret is astonishing and perfectly caricatures his perfectness.

I have to confess I love winter and the snow it brings – the book is set in a kingdom covered with snow and, after reading just the opening two pages, I realised how much I miss it. The descriptions are stunning.

I simply love the book, though the best part of Charm is how it is flawlessly connected to Poison. The story of Snow White is not finished and it gets better and better. The ending is yet again unexpected and brilliant and makes you want to keep on reading – another example of Pinborough’s great writing. She keeps you captivated and dying to turn the pages faster. Charm is very well written, full of magic, great old fairy tale goodness and loads of surprises.

I’m going to say it again: the illustrations by Les Edwards (http://www.lesedwards.com/) are incredible and the cover is striking.

I can’t wait to read Beauty!

Author: Sarah Pinborough

Title: Charm

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Hardback, 220 pages

Published: to be published on 18/07/2013

ISBN: 9780575093010 (Hardback)

 

Neil Gaiman Fortunately, the Milk – Review

Have you ever given it any thought as to what strange things could happen when you just nip out to the shop for milk? Whatever I thought could happen, isn’t as interesting and peculiar as the new story by Neil Gaiman titled Fortunately, the Milk.

A father left in charge of his two children has to go out to get milk for breakfast. It sounds very mundane, but it’s far from it in every single way. The story seems unreal. I mean who could believe that all these things happened? There are arty yet very slimy aliens – their re-designing ideas are very unusual, but maybe fun. There are pirates – I don’t know how they can call themselves pirates – who don’t know what ‘walking the plank’ means, with really mean intentions. And there is Professor Steg, a remarkable hero who saves the dad from many tricky situations. The professor is also a brilliant inventor, including an inventive vocabulary.

Gaiman-esque dad and Professor Steg form quite an uncanny time travelling duo. The adventures get better and better with every turn of the page. They encounter bizarre, or perhaps slightly misunderstood, tribesmen, worshipping Splod, the Volcano God, who are awed by the visit from the man with the milk. As if from the frying pan into the fire, the odd couple run away from the heated volcano situation almost into the thirsty and very toothy jaws of wumpires – though they seem to be a more curious than hungry type. In the nick of time, Professor Steg and the dad get saved by the superhero intergalactic dinosaur police.

Believe it or not, the dad gets home safe and sound with the milk. Explaining his shortish absence to his children is a completely different matter. As impossible as it all might sound, it is a true story and is beautifully told in Gaiman’s unique imaginative language. The book is illustrated by the insanely talented Chris Riddell. The story and illustrations form an amazing book which will delight all children and adults (or a child inside every adult).

I loved the whole story, not because I’m a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s books, but because this is an incredibly funny and imaginative story that made me laugh and want to join the coolest Galactic Police.

Author: Neil Gaiman

Title: Fortunately, the Milk

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Hardback, 160 pages

Published: 17/09/2013

ISBN: 9781408841761

Anonymous Gifted: The Tale of 10 Mysterious Book Sculptures Gifted to the City of Words and Ideas – Review

Back in November 2012, I wrote about amazing book sculptures (http://wp.me/p2xxG1-12) which were made by an anonymous artist. I then decided to get this book to flick through it anytime I wanted to see the sculptures again.

This book is a lovely story about the book sculptures. Each chapter takes you round all the great venues in Edinburgh which were lucky to receive them as a gift from this talented book lover. Every story gives you some information about the sculpture and how it was found. It also includes some brilliant pictures too.

It is a very inspiring and warm story about someone who loves books and wants other people to see their beauty in a different form. It’s a poignant celebration of reading and literature. It’s also incredible how each of the sculptures captures the spirit of Edinburgh: the City of Literature.

The anonymous artist gives her reason for making them in the last part of the book. She also gifted her notes on how to make your own Poetree – the very first book sculpture gifted to Scottish Poetry Library.

If you had a chance to attend one of the exhibitions last year, this book is a perfect keepsake and if you didn’t, then it’s an opportunity to see them all together, as after the exhibition tour finished, they went back to their home venues where they can be seen.

 

Author: Anonymous

Title: Gifted: The Tale of 10 Mysterious Book Sculptures Gifted to the City of Words and Ideas

Publisher: Polygon

Format: Kindle Edition, 96 pages

Published: 08/03/2013

ISBN: 9780857905741

 

Peter Higgins Wolfhound Century – Review

Wolfhound Century is an unusual and superb book – Noir Sci-Fi thriller perhaps.

The book is set in Russia. Though it’s not the Russia you might know – it’s spellbinding and transfixing. Higgins tells a story of Investigator Vissarion Lom, who is summoned to carry out a special mission to find an enemy of peace within the core of totalitarian Vlast. Although the mission seems straightforward, yet somewhat bizarre, Inspector Lom struggles to find a substantial lead.

Vlast has been at war for a long time and the only way of survival for both sides is to end it. When time for negotiations approach, terrorist attacks wreak havoc and kill innocent citizens of Mirgorod. Lom finds help in his best friend – Raku Vishnik, a historian exiled from the academic institution – to seek an elusive and charismatic Josef Kantor.

The characters are extremely well written. They are strong – full of doomed weaknesses and extraordinary qualities, including endless perseverance to achieve their goals. Inspector Lom not only strives to be an outstanding citizen and police officer, he also knows he is not fully free. He has a piece of angel skin embedded in his head – it has a censoring quality of sorts. His life and mission get a bit complicated when he meets Marrousia Shaumian. Although, this might be the beginning towards his freedom.

The history of Vlast is mystical and points towards the existence of Pollandore. As more and more people try to find it, it seems more unreal. Mirgorod is haunted by visions and intangible proof of its existence. Lom’s mission takes him round Mirgorod and its underground – avant-garde art clubs; seemingly impenetrable secret police headquarters, Lodka; streets full of architecture of Soviet bleakness and raw beauty. It’s not only the astonishing places that draw us in, but also the supernatural creatures that inhabit the world of Wolfhound Century – fallen angels, whose dead bodies serve as timber for dark intentions; notorious and indestructible mudjhiks; giants, vyrdalaks and mysterious forest creatures.

The language of Wolfhound Century is captivating. Peter Higgins wrote a truly superb debut novel which captures Russian metaphysical folklore and harsh Soviet reality. This almost lyrical story seems more than just a fantasy. It touches the somewhat delicate history of Soviet power and its vast expanse – especially the relationship between Soviet Russia and Poland.

I’d recommend Wolfhound Century to those who love a challenge in the form of a book – when Sci-Fi intertwines with Noir thriller. I’m already looking forward to reading the sequel – not only because I am desperate to know what happens next, but also, because of sheer writing which is amazing.

Author: Peter Higgins

Title: Wolfhound Century

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Hardback, 320 pages

Published: 21/03/2013

ISBN: 9780575130531

C. Robert Cargill Dreams and Shadows – Review

Dreams and Shadows tells the story of unconditional friendship and love. It’s not soppy but it will shatter your heart.

There are three boys in Austin, Texas.

Ewan, a boy who was too young to know what really happened to him. Knocks, a boy who wanted more than his life prepared for him. And Colby, a boy who only knew how to take care of himself. They didn’t know about the existence of one another, yet one day they meet in unusual circumstances which have an illimitable effect on them.

As his life is filled only with lonely games in the woods, Colby jumps at the opportunity of taking full control of his life when he meets an eccentric stranger Yashar. Meanwhile, in another part of Austin, fairies inhabiting the Limestone Kingdom need to make a sacrifice to the Devil himself every seven years. To protect their own kind, they steal children and leave changelings behind. Ewan and Knocks are very different but somewhat almost alike. They do not fully understand what is expected of them and, like children, get completely lost in their dreams and aspirations. A mixture of young ignorance and innocence can complicate the lives of two young boys. One of them is a human about to become a fairy and the other is an unfortunate changeling. The Tithe Child is oblivious to his destiny and doesn’t realise how little time he has left and why. The other one drives people to insanity and death. Not realising it’s his destiny to replace someone else, struggles to find a place he can belong to – conflicting emotions blind him and lead him to self-destruction.

When Colby barges through ‘the veil’ between ordinary and supernatural, the story suddenly turns upside-down and nothing from then on is as it was supposed to be. How can two boys from different worlds become friends and what does that friendship mean to them? Can their friendship endure the consequences of their actions they hardly understood at the time? There’s also love that complicates matters even further, but can bring up most beautiful out of most ordinary things. Dreams and Shadows is full of supernatural beings – both good and evil. C. Robert Cargill managed to write a truly imaginative world. His characters are very expressive – as if all those supernatural creatures shared our world with us in most natural way.

The book is written in two parts – a story of adolescent friendship and adult life. The chapters intertwine with extracts from essays on supernatural folklore. This allowed the author to explain certain aspects of the plot and characters in a very coherent and interesting way.

What I really love about Dreams and Shadows is that it’s not an ordinary urban fantasy book. It’s very dark, full of raw emotions of two opposing poles and heart wrenching. It broke my heart before I managed to get to chapter two. At that point I knew I would not be able to put it down – it completely enthralled me. The sheer human emotions described in the book are handled with utter honesty and effortlessly presented by all the characters – even the ones who played a tiny role in the whole story. Descriptions of places are also very vivid and haunting. The language is urgent and captivating. I couldn’t sleep for hours after I finished reading it. Not because of its dark sides but because I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more. I wasn’t ready for it to finish like that.

Dreams and Shadows is truly superb. I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and to those who don’t. It’s one of those books you will want to keep.

Author: C. Robert Cargill

Title: Dreams and Shadows

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Hardback, 416 pages

Published: 28/02/2013

ISBN: 9780575130098

There’s a painting in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow titled The Fairy Raid: Carrying off a changeling – Midsummer Eve, 1867, Joseph Noel Paton – it’s always been one of my favourites and I’ve been fascinated by its story but after reading Dreams and Shadows I cannot help but see it as much darker and more intriguing.

Copyright Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow

The Fairy Tale Effect – Part I – Poison by Sarah Pinborough

Before you open another door with a ‘Once upon a time…’ sign on it, try to remember all the stories read in childhood – Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm, Aesop, Charles Perrault etc.

I loved them all. The darker they were the more satisfied my young imagination was. Pages and pages full of princesses, witches, charming princes, kings, castles, knights, mysterious cottages, dwarves, fairies, talking animals, poor people, rich people, riddles, spells and so on and so forth. It wasn’t just the stories themselves, but the magical world they invited me into or just pulled me in with enticing adventures.

Even though they were informative and filled with the moral that we were to draw from them, I asked my school friend if she thought that there was supposed to be more to them. She was more of a Maths girl and didn’t see the point in perusing answers to subjects that kept her away from algebra. My school librarian was harassed many times with questions about possibly ‘abridged’ stories, because we were children and were not allowed to know the whole truth.  One day she gave up and told me when I was a bit older I could look for books by Angela Carter. But I had to swear I would tell no one that she told me.

I found them some time later – when I was a bit more grown up 😉 – and I was in an utterly different fairy tale world from the one I remembered. The covers contained more wicked evil, cannier characters who actually behaved more like adults in comparison to that ‘abridged’ material I was used to. Being a fan of Angela Carter I thought I read it all – as far as rewriting of fairy twists and tales goes.

Sarah Pinborough proved me wrong. She’s been one of my favourite authors – The Language of Dying, The Dog-Faced Gods Trilogy and Nowhere Chronicles are among my favourites – but what she did with the traditional story of Snow White amazed me.

Poison by Sarah Pinborough is everything you know about Snow White and, what’s more important, everything you don’t know about her. The characters are dark and extremely natural – the story could have happened anywhere. Even though it’s set in the original fairy tale type world, it is astounding what Sarah Pinborough did with the story. To explain it better, she knew when to use blood and when to use glitter.

The characters’ virtues and vices drive the story. Lilith aka the Evil Queen Step-Mother is not simply possessed by jealousy, but has much murkier intentions and reasons hidden behind that perfect fair beauty facade. The dwarves are truly brilliant and so, of course, is Snow White – my favourite character. She is the princess, but she won’t let the tight corset of court life restrict her in any way. Is this going to be something that Prince Charming loves about her? You need to read and see for yourself, how an intelligent and independent girl who also happens to be fun and kind of a tomboy is seen by her true love.

The story really spins at high velocity when the obvious happens – Snow White is poisoned. We all know how and why, but the what-happens-next part is so deliciously enthralling that you won’t want to put the book down.

The story of Snow White rewritten by Sarah Pinborough is truly compelling, and I can also tell you, believe it or not, it doesn’t end the way you would expect. You could try to guess, but well, you will be as taken aback as me. The end left me speechless, because I could not, would not come up with anything of the sort.

Fairy tales, at least Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, are getting a remake which is going to fill the covers (very nice and shiny) and your imagination with Poisonous magic, Charm and Beauty.

Stunning drawings by Les Edwards (http://www.lesedwards.com/) make Poison even more alluring.

I recommend them to everyone – it doesn’t matter if you have read fairy tales before or are about to start this adventure. Poison is truly brilliant, haunting and unputdownable.

Poison is published on 25 April 2013, followed by Charm in July 2013 and Beauty in October 2013.

I can’t wait to read Charm and Beauty and will definitely read Poison again.

If you want to read how Sarah Pinborough came up with the idea, you can find it here: http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2013/02/once-upon-a-time-a-valentines-day-post-from-sarah-pinborough/

Author: Sarah Pinborough

Title: Poison

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Uncorrected Manuscript Proof, 200 pages

Published: 25/04/2013

ISBN: 9780575092976 (Hardback)

S J Watson Before I Go To Sleep – Review

The story of Christine Lucas made everything around me disappear – I was drawn right in.

She wakes up every morning and cannot remember anything. The man next to whom she wakes up reminds her day by day that he’s her husband and gives her little bits of information to make her understand the life she lost in a bizarre accident. Christine’s story is unusual, because she can store a lot of memories for hours, but during her sleep everything is erased. This quiet life, from day to day, resembles a kind of Groundhog’s Day, until one day it changes.

Dr Nash, whom apparently she’s been seeing for quite some time without her husband’s knowledge, suggests that she starts a diary that would help her remember. It is not easy for her, as she has to rely on her husband, Ben, on pretty much everything, but the diary has to be a secret.

This brings a sudden turn to the story. Writing and reading her diary every day, Christine learns about her life and herself to the point that she is able to maintain more and more memories. All of a sudden she is able to have continuity in her life, but it also brings on more than she can process in her mind. Fear and paranoia seize her and she no longer knows if she can trust anyone. Things which are true one day become dangerous lies the next. More and more people emerge from her lost memories – the son she can’t remember, a mysterious man named Ed, her best friend Claire who abandoned her, her parents who disappeared from her life and a man who was there and then, when she was robbed of her normal life. The question is, are they real people or just confabulations of her exhausted mind. There’s no easy way to see if anything or anybody is real.

The main plot brings up a question if she can remember enough to revive the memories of her ‘accident’ and find out who wanted to hurt her and why. The characters are believable and very vivid surrounded by a mundane London suburban life. The plot is predictable in many places; however, it does not make the story any less interesting. There are a few plot holes, but they might have been intentional to make the reader fill them in in the same manner as Christine would try to fill the gaps in her own memories.

I enjoyed the book very much – it kept me turning pages faster and faster. Even though the end is a climax of those little things I could guess from page to page, I thought it was poignant and compelling.

I would recommend the book to anyone who likes a quick read full of twists and turns.

Author: S J Watson

Title: Before I Go To Sleep

Publisher: Black Swan

Format: Paperback 384 pages

Published: 02/01/2012

ISBN: 9780552164139

Yann Martel Life of Pi – Review

Reading Life of Pi doesn’t spark love at first page. I grew to love it gradually – it was like growing up with Pi in his world full of colours, emotions and dilemmas.

Pi is an interesting character whose curiosity made me question a lot of things I thought I was certain about – a lot of moral dilemmas such as religion, and what a human being is ready to do and endure in order to survive.

After losing his family during their emigration to Canada, when the ship sank, Pi faces an excruciating journey across the Pacific Ocean. This journey tests him to the very limits – not only because he lost everything but also because of what he gained. First of all, he acquires a new companion – a Royal Bengal tiger amongst other animal passengers rescued after the ship sank. Both Pi and Richard Parker, which was the tiger’s name, learn how to live together and if it’s even possible in such a limited space.

This story is not a straightforward tale of a boy lost at the sea. It gives us an inquisitive insight into the human soul. Pi’s courage and persistence take him a long way and let him experience the best and worst moments of his life. The strange friendship he gained is not built on trust, but on the constant fear of being left completely alone. For me, in a symbolic meaning, it was a symbiosis of body and mind – a boy whose body was weakened by dehydration, starvation and weather, versus a mind which took the form of a ferocious wild animal that had survival as its critical aim at all costs.

The language in the book is truly haunting. Vibrant descriptions create unforgettable images – it applies to all colourful pictures of places and people, and also to those brutal and explicit scenes of extreme measures taken in order to survive. It left me stunned at moments of total bare honesty of the situation. Also, dreams and reality mix in the most bizarre ways – ways which perfectly complement this captivating story. I really liked the intertwining chapters in the book which shed a bit of light on what his life was like after his journey.

It’s a compelling story of survival and humanity in the most challenging setting. It’s one of those books which will make you think for hours and still would not provide clear answers, as each and every reader will have a different opinion and understanding of the story.

Author: Yann Martel

Title: Life of Pi

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Published: 04/10/2012

ISBN: 9780857865533

J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit – Review

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is one of those books which are read many times. There are probably many different reasons why. For me it’s the world which is described in the book. Tolkien’s language is rich and captivating.

I love the little details of Bilbo’s home – his homesickness during his adventures is understandably painful, as we know how cosy and perfect his Bag-End is.

Bilbo’s journey to the Lonely Mountain is full of unexpected events – let’s face it, in his case the whole adventure is unexpected. He’s employed to be a burglar by a group of Dwarves who want to claim treasure which belongs to them and their ancestors. There’s only one fiery obstacle – Smaug the dragon, who adores gold and all that shines. They know that and still trudge on on their journey, but soon realise that it is more formidable than they anticipated.

The book is full of adventures which involve many creatures – some of them will become Bilbo’s friends and the other ones will try his very limits; in many different ways. At the same time, Bilbo is able to explore his strengths and weaknesses. Though the Dwarves are the backbone of the story, as their nostalgia for the ‘heart’ of the mountain and their lost home drives them through thick and thin, they get to accept Bilbo as a valuable asset in their team and as their friend.

Gandalf takes the role of the matchmaker – even Bilbo didn’t realise he had certain qualities that would make him one of the best burglars – protector and advisor of this journey. He disappears occasionally but always comes back when more pressing and darker matters are settled.

One of my favourite characters is Beorn – the shifter of sorts who is a dangerous creature with a big heart. Elves, goblins, giants, trolls and more or less dangerous creatures live amongst the pages of The Hobbit.

There’s no time to stop and reflect on each step of their journey, because there are more and more exciting adventures with every turn of the page. Also, the Ring is found, which becomes the core of a greater story further on.

It’s not only a merry trip filled with lyrical songs and dangers of all sorts here and there, but a story which will make you laugh and cry a little bit perhaps too. The Hobbit has it all – minor feuds, mind duels, heroic bravery, magic and battles of great magnitude and sacrifice.

Nevertheless, the most important thing is that this little story can make you fall in love with fantasy, as it did with me when I first read it years ago as a child. Smaug might have been the first dragon that I grew to like – memories of reading this book for the first time take me back to my happy book childhood filled with knights, dragons and amazing adventures. I re-read it at least three times afterwards and another time just before seeing the film. I would encourage everyone to read The Hobbit and enjoy the great unexpected adventure.

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit

Publisher: Unwin Paperbacks

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

Published: 1979

ISBN: 0048231541

Patrick Flanery Absolution – Review

Absolution by Patrick Flanery is a complex novel which tackles a very difficult subject of censorship in South Africa and the issue of Apartheid. The book itself is challenging on many levels.

First of all, it’s not an easy read, but I found myself engrossed in the story, or rather stories, which are linked in an extraordinary way. The characters are vivid and pull the attention towards their part of the story. Clare Wald, who is one of the central characters, is a strong and opinionated person. She knows what she wants and how she’s going to live her life – sometimes her own life seems like one of her characters. The main plot of the story centres on the issue of Clare’s biography which is being written by Sam Leroux. He himself has a certain agenda in writing the book about her – to get as close to her as he can.

All the other characters in the book lead towards many different directions to link Clare and Sam. It’s kind of a game which might bring absolution at the end. That is the next challenge that you face reading the book. Everyone’s stories are told from various perspectives – government records, memories, books, personal observations and endless conversations. This makes the reader face the real dilemma – which stories are true? With so many angles it’s hard to decide who to believe or if something really happened. Everyone has secrets and everyone is a prisoner in one way or another. Constant fear and helplessness driven by corruption and violence forces the question how people can live like that and what they have to sacrifice to survive.

What I really love about this book is that both Clare and Sam chose literature as the pain relief and antidote for all that happened to them. The characters are sometimes shadowed by ghosts of those who had a specific role in the lives of those who struggle to come to terms with their loss and how to fill the empty void left behind them. Writing or reading the books, which not always tell the entire truth, have shaped Clare’s and Sam’s past, present and future so they could deal with the loss of people who were victims of the Apartheid. Some of them decided to take a questionable action, like Clare’s daughter Laura, whereas others were mere collateral damage, amongst them Sam’s parents and Clare’s sister.

Flanery’s style is good, with only a few descriptive fragments which are repetitive and seem a bit out of place. However, it’s a book worth reading – even if it’s a bit difficult to get into right away.

If you like Clare Wald’s character, then I recommend Elizabeth Costello by J M Coetzee.

Author: Patrick Flanery

Title: Absolution

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Hardback, 400 pages

Published: 01/03/2012

ISBN: 9780857892003

Cornelia Funke Ghost Knight – Review

This book was my journey back in time. When I was a bookish girl I loved spooky stories in any form – the scarier, the better. I tried to sneak out ghost stories from the adult part of the library (succeeding only once), because I thought they would be more terrifying.

As an adult I love reading children’s books. It’s not an easy job to write ghost stories for young readers, but Cornelia Funke does it effortlessly. Ghost Knight is a story of a boy called Jon Whitcroft. The timing of the whole ghost adventure couldn’t be worse. It all happens when Jon is sent to a boarding school in Salisbury where ghosts mind their own business, as they do everywhere else, but his arrival triggers an unexpected turn of events.

Running away from ghosts along with Jon and his new friend Ella, the reader can see how the past can unexpectedly barge in to the present. Can they solve murder cases that happened a long time ago, find a lost heart and avoid being expelled from school? Unusual friendships are tested and new ones are formed. It’s difficult to know who can be trusted – there are traitors and murderers around.

Jon faces danger, learns how to be a knight and grows up. Funke’s descriptions are superb – the Salisbury Cathedral experience drew me right in. The characters are hilarious, terrifying and courageous – they just seem to be there as if they have always been there. They pop out the pages and make this book incredible.

Read it no matter what your age is and enjoy a well crafted ghost story that will stay with you long after you finish it.

Author: Cornelia Funke

Title: Ghost Knight

Publisher: Orion Children’s Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

Format: Hardback, 352 pages

Published: 04/10/2012

ISBN: 9781444008234

Joe Abercrombie The Blade Itself – Review

The Blade Itself will take you on an epic tour, hand in hand with the legendary warrior Ninefingers, temperamental Magi Bayaz, sarcastic Inquisitor Glokta and narcissistic Captain Luthar. They are all occupied with their own lives, which will gradually intertwine. Mundane things such as winning the fencing championship or hate of stairs get overshadowed by brewing conflict. Conflict which will be brutal, and which will test the loyalty of many people of different ranks. Professional and personal conflicts don’t mix well when social status is at stake.

Abercrombie has a great ability to write real characters that are intriguing and will keep you reading until you turn the last page. I really love his engaging style – you don’t get bored or lost even for a moment. I expected another epic fantasy novel with all typical features. Yes, you get it all – the full package and more. Wit and comic situations in the most pragmatic scenarios make The Blade Itself unputdownable.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good old-fashioned epic story with a plot which will make you laugh and even shed a lone tear over lost friendship.

Author: Joe Abercrombie

Title: The Blade Itself

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Paperback, 544 pages

Published: 08/03/2007

ISBN: 9780575079793