It’s pretty much impossible for me not to enjoy a Toby Daye book � they’ve become my comfort blanket whenever I need to disappear from the real world It’s pretty much impossible for me not to enjoy a Toby Daye book � they’ve become my comfort blanket whenever I need to disappear from the real world for a little while and I’ve not yet been disappointed. The Unkindest Tide � the 13th outing for Toby - is no different.
Hundreds of years ago the Roane, children of the Luidaeg, were slaughtered by the Selkies who took their skins for their own. While the Selkies have long known that the Luidaeg will one day call in the debt they owe, it was always a problem for a later generation to deal with. Except the Luidaeg has decided that the time has come.
To complicate matters, Toby’s daughter Gillian is now a Selkie using one the skins to hold off the death that would have resulted from being elf-shot as a human in the previous book. Losing the skin now will return Gillian to that predicament, but Toby owes the Luidaeg and is drawn into the committee that sets off to deliver the Selkies their ultimatum.
But when the denizens of the sea gather at the territory of Captain Pete, another Firstborn, someone seizes the opportunity to murder a Selkie while the youngest child of Diana Lorden is taken hostage in a coup attempt.
The Luidaeg is one of my favourite characters, so any outing where we get to spend more time in her company is always a good one for me. Add in the various underwater races that we get to meet in this less familiar territory, and my pleasure buttons are constantly being pressed - even when the story I’m lost in has the tinge of bittersweetness as it does here.
My only complaint with these books is that the kindle releases in the UK are so far behind, meaning I’m always getting busted bringing new books into the house.
A Voyage for Madmen was a real treat, a riveting read that I devoured over the course of one day and that was all I’d then talk about to my friends foA Voyage for Madmen was a real treat, a riveting read that I devoured over the course of one day and that was all I’d then talk about to my friends for another. In recent years I’ve discovered that I have a bit of a thing for tales of people enduring extreme challenges � be they explorers, climbers, sailors or their like � and finding out what they’re really made of (this despite, or maybe because of my personally being a very cautious person). A Voyage for Madmen is a cracking entry in that genre, and has sparked a thirst for more which has led me to fill my wish-list with all sorts of sailor’s books I’d have never thought were my cup of tea before reading this.
A Voyage for Madmen tells the tale of the 1968 Golden Globe race, a challenge to single-handedly non-stop circumnavigate the world � sponsored by the Sunday Times when they heard news of a couple of men about to separately attempt the feat. Those men were soon joined by others until they were nine in total, each feeling that they had a chance of being the first and who varied from experienced sailors to complete novices.
A Voyage for Madmen tells of each of their awe inspiring journeys and how their different characters influenced their outcomes. It’s soon very clear who of our sailors are truly in their element at sea and it was deeply interesting to see how each of the men dealt with their situations � Bernard Moitessier and Robin Knox-Johnstone soon became my favourites, while I also harboured a soft spot for Nigel Tetley who reminded me of Jack Aubrey, with his quaffing of oysters and roast pheasant while drinking wine and listening to classical music. But even more interesting is the man who decided to fake his race instead�
The book really captures the sheer exhilaration of such a journey, as well as the solitude and the terrifying power of the sea. The descriptions alone of sailing in the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties are terrifying � I can’t imagine ever having the stones to actually do it with an experienced crew, let alone on my own � and this only got more interesting as the faker got deeper and deeper into his carefully plotted deception.
I finished this book as excited as I was reading it, and harbouring a deep certainty that I am terribly unsuited to going to sea myself.
Unlike the rest of the world (or so it occasionally seems), I haven’t read The Song of Achilles, mostly due to my being possession of a fiery hatred oUnlike the rest of the world (or so it occasionally seems), I haven’t read The Song of Achilles, mostly due to my being possession of a fiery hatred of Achilles that tends to ruin anything he happens to be mentioned in. However, I did note all of the squealing going on around it and so, when people started talking about Circe, promptly splurged on it. I was not disappointed.
Taking another figure from the myths � one mostly known for turning Odysseus� men into pigs when they stopped off at her island on their way home from Troy � Miller fleshes Circe into an utterly spellbinding character in a book so engrossing that I put off doing anything else so that I could devour it whole.
Daughter of the sun deity, Helios, and a nymph, Circe only rates as a minor deity with nothing in the way of real powers. Barely fitting in with her more brilliant siblings, let alone the rest of the gods who find the very sound of her less than divine voice unbearable, she’s soon banished to the island of Aiaia where she develops her talent for witchcraft, which comes in rather handy � she’s not always alone on the island, and in between bouts of crushing loneliness more than one visitor (not all of them friendly) finds themselves on Aiaia. And so, as the centuries pass, we also get to meet more incredible characters drawn from the myths, and see them with fresh eyes and from a female perspective.
When I really love something I always find it a little difficult to articulate why, but put simply Circe is beautifully written and, despite dealing frequently with the divine, felt incredibly personal. I loved it so much that I’m now even considering putting my Achilles-hate to one side to read more of Miller’s work.
For some years now, I’ve been reading through the works of Stephen King in chronological order. I’d avoided picking this one up for a while, having waFor some years now, I’ve been reading through the works of Stephen King in chronological order. I’d avoided picking this one up for a while, having watched the movie a zillion times but while the storyline held no surprises for me, what did surprise me was just how insanely good it was regardless, with King’s words rapidly catching hold of me and not letting go until I’d stayed up way past bedtime, breathlessly turning pages and gulping back tears.
In case you’re one of the very unlikely people to have never heard about The Green Mile, it centres around the remembrances of Paul Edgecombe, now elderly and out of the way in a retirement community, of the events of 1932 when he was head screw on Death Row in Cold Mountain prison. Despite having ushered many more men into the arms of death than any of the men he’s ever watched over, Paul is a decent man, who exercises his power to keep the condemned men on the block calm and willing to face their reckoning, and see that their deaths are as quick and proper as the State will allow. 1932 brings some new prisoners to the block, as well as an insecure bully onto Paul’s crew, and events are set in motion that will shake Paul to the core and change the course of his life.
I’ve read more than my fair share of King’s works by now and, despite the odd wobble, have found that when he’s good, he’s insanely good. The Green Mile definitely falls into that category, with King’s talent for writing flawed people taking centre stage. Despite reminding us constantly of the crimes committed by the men on the block, he writes with such empathy that you can still find a tremendous amount of compassion for a man who’s apparently burned the residents of a building to a crisp, to the point of sobbing at his needlessly cruel death, and feel a fiery hatred for the small and petty prick on the crew whose only joy comes from tormenting those weaker than him.
Apparently published in instalments when first issued, this accounts for the only, very minor flaw in this book in my opinion. Making sure to play catch up for any new readers at the beginning of each new part, entire passages are repeated from the end of the preceding one, which was a little distracting when reading it all in one setting. Still, that really is an incredibly minor flaw in an incredible book, and I’m very glad that I didn’t skip this one in favour of the stories that were unknown to me.
Deadpool Kills Deadpool is one of a number of Deadpool related swag I hauled in for my birthday, as well as being the third and final act of the DeadpDeadpool Kills Deadpool is one of a number of Deadpool related swag I hauled in for my birthday, as well as being the third and final act of the Deadpool Killology. I read the second part, Deadpool Killustrated, nearly three years ago, but this was extremely easy to slip back into.
For those who haven’t read the series so far, its premise is simple� Knowing that, as a fictional character, nothing really matters and wanting an end to it all, in the first part of the series Deadpool set about putting an entertaining end to every single Marvel character. In the second part, realising that in service to ‘The Continuity� he’d be resurrected as many times as the writer required, he set about killing off the inspirations for these characters and stories by cutting a red swathe through the likes of Moby Dick, Huckleberry Finn and the Little Mermaid (in an outing that I really, really enjoyed).
Deadpool Kills Deadpool sees the culmination of those efforts, as he sets about killing off every single version of Deadpool that the multiverse has seen. Only this time, we’re on the other side of events and rooting against that goal, and nearly squealing with delight as Deadpool goes up against � amongst others � Dogpool, Kidpool, Lady Deadpool, Sharkpool and, my favourite, Beard-of-Bees Pool.
Definitely not the sort of graphic novel that I should let my young nephew get his hands on, Deadpool Kills Deadpool is bloody, funny, extremely meta, and a worthy addition to my shelves.
Reverse of the Medal is the 11th book in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey & Maturin series, and having got this far it’s safe to say it’s one I’ve enjoyed. InReverse of the Medal is the 11th book in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey & Maturin series, and having got this far it’s safe to say it’s one I’ve enjoyed. In fact, that would be rather understating it � at this point I have lost any objectivity I may have once had, and am a fully-fledged fangirl (especially when it comes to Maturin). Reverse of the Medal hasn’t knocked that status at all, and in fact gave me a little more than I’d have expected to stress over, with a turn of events I would never have predicted.
Starting the book still Captain of the Surprise, though he and his crew are seeing her through the last leg of her journey to retirement, Jack spends the first half of the book in his element on his beloved ship, and anxious about his return home having left his financial and legal affairs in a mess and having had a previously unknown of bastard of his turn up on his wife Sophie’s doorstep. Stephen, however, is anxious to find out how things stand between he and his wife, Diana, after news of his association with an attractive woman (all in the pursuit of an intelligence operation) has reached her ears. But setting foot on shore brings far, far worse problems than that, as Lucky Jack Aubrey isn’t anywhere near so lucky on land, and soon finds himself unwittingly caught up in a conspiracy that could see him booted from the service, while Stephen is finding that conspiracies also abound in his intelligence network.
I was so bound up in Reverse of the Medal that I virtually devoured it in one, and with Jack being literally out of his element for the second half of the book I was more far more worried for the outcome than I would ever have been with a tremendous sea battle. Ending on a bit of a cliffhanger, I’m sure I’ll be reading the next book pretty soon, as I’m desperate to find out how the book’s climax affects…well, everything.
Much like last year, my first 5 star book of the year came to me courtesy of my brother, who’s turning out to be quite the amazing book giver. The BeaMuch like last year, my first 5 star book of the year came to me courtesy of my brother, who’s turning out to be quite the amazing book giver. The Bear and the Nightingale ticked so many boxes for me � well realised characters and setting, great world-building, oodles of imagination and conjuring the sorts of feelings you get from the better, darker fairytales � I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to be reading it all of the time (and did pretty much ignore everyone around me for its duration), while also wanting it to last forever.
In medieval Russia, in a village surrounded by the forest, Marina dies whilst giving birth to her last child, Vasya. Having inherited her mother’s strange gifts, Vasya grows up wild, forever disappearing into the forest or the stables and inhabiting a different world to that of her family. In her world, she can see and learn from the spirits that guard her home, while in the world of her people such visions are seen as madness and witchcraft. With the arrival of a new stepmother and a priest ready to put the fear of God into the community, they start to turn away from the Old Ways, no longer leaving offerings for the household spirits and leaving themselves unprotected against the darkness that is stirring in the forest that only Vasya has a chance of saving them from.
The Bear and the Nightingale was an enchanting, perfect read for a dark and especially chilly winter, making me want to dive deep under the blankets while wishing for my own forest on the doorstep, and I’m glad to see that this is the start of a series, giving me more of this world to wrap myself up in.
Tim Minchin's Storm is the response I wish I could give whenever anyone around me starts banging on about homeopathy, psychics, auras, or worrying aboTim Minchin's Storm is the response I wish I could give whenever anyone around me starts banging on about homeopathy, psychics, auras, or worrying about when The Rapture is due to start, instead of the oh-so-mature eye-rolling and proclamations of 'Yeah, well Gandalf says...' that I usually tend to indulge in.
A brilliant beat-style ode to critical thinking that works just as well in graphic novel form as it does when performed, with the wonderful illustrations flowing as well as the words and underscoring Minchin's arguments well, if you've not yet encountered Storm you can do so .
Well that was fan-FLIPPING-TASTIC! I've just received over 400 pages of the most vivid, fascinating and comprehensive education on the Wars of the RosWell that was fan-FLIPPING-TASTIC! I've just received over 400 pages of the most vivid, fascinating and comprehensive education on the Wars of the Roses at the hands of Alison Weir, that cleared up one of my big misconceptions (I was under the impression that the Yorks were the usurpers, but nooo!) and well and truly plugged the big gaping hole that formed my knowledge of one of the most turbulent times to ever rock the English Crown. And due to the way in which it was delivered - playing up the many personalities that made up the squabbling noble factions concerned (including a wealth of deeply interesting and formidable women, about whom I'd love to learn more) and reading far more like a deadly thriller than a history book, I could easily cane those pages all over again. I'm already looking forward to starting The Princes in the Tower as soon as I possibly can before going on an Alison Weir themed spending/lending splurge.
So, what did I learn? If you don’t have the time or the inclination to read 400 pages, then read on for my…ahem “summary� of events (this could take some time, so settle in).
(view spoiler)[Lasting more than thirty years, the Wars of the Roses were actually two wars - the first between Lancaster and York which spanned around 16 years, and a later, much shorter war between York and Tudor that resulted in the birth of one of the most successful dynasties to have ever ruled. The roots of all this trouble are traced here back to the rule of Edward III and his many heirs. Old Ed was a rather fertile man, having 13 children (not an unusually high number for the time) including five sons that grew to maturity. Marrying them off to heiresses, Ed would create the first ever English dukedoms for them, thereby also creating the 'magnates' who made up English nobility and were related to the royal line by blood, whose descendants would go on to cause the deaths of thousands in their fights for the Crown.
Ed's eldest son, The Black Prince, would die before Ed himself leaving his 9 year old son Richard as Ed's heir. Richard II wouldn't be a particularly brilliant king, as having been crowned at such a young age he'd had a long time in which to become incredibly self-important, extravagant and ostentatious while also being unstable and bearing grudges against any who dared criticise him (apparently even once having to be physically restrained from running the Archbishop of Canterbury through with a sword). Politically clumsy, he lavished honours, lands and wealth on his favourites, particularly one Robert de Vere (who was suspected of being his lover), dismaying many nobles - particularly Henry of Bolingbroke, Richard's cousin and the eldest son of old Ed III's third son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.
Henry allied himself in opposition to the King's favourites and soon found himself exiled by the increasingly tyrannical Richard. Not stopping there, on the death of Henry's fabulously wealthy father Richard would also decide to allocate that inheritance to himself, pissing Henry off enormously and setting the stage for a confrontation. Returning to England and immediately setting about removing as many of Richard's advisors heads as possible while Richard's soldiers got busy deserting, Henry would soon take Richard prisoner and torture him into abdicating the throne and, conveniently forgetting the heirs of old Ed III's second son, Lionel (through which the York's would later have the better claim to the throne), be proclaimed King Henry IV, setting the dangerous precedent whereby pesky laws of succession wouldn't matter half so much as whoever could win a scrap (with most believing that winning a battle meant God wanted you to be King).
Henry soon discovered that seizing a throne wasn't half as hard as holding onto the bloody thing and his reign was dogged by constant tensions and rebellions, and certainly wasn't helped by the murder...sorry, 'voluntary starvation' of Richard who would become far more popular in death than he ever was in life. By the time the many rebellions had been put down in the latter part of his rule, Henry was suffering from increasing ill health and eventually collapsed and died while on a visit to Westminster Abbey. Surprisingly, given all of the rebellions against his father, his eldest son Henry of Monmouth would succeed him unchallenged to the throne.
Long fawned over by historians for being a great medieval king (i.e. he burnt lots of heretics and was extremely a particularly ruthless and brutal killer on the battlefield, especially of the French, which made him wildly popular with the English of the time) Henry V would also see a few rebellions along the same lines of those against his father, but as well as being extremely good at putting these down (and putting people off having any other rebellious ideas by chaining up and slowly roasting those who did) by this point people had become used to the Lancaster dynasty and didn't feel much inclined towards a change. Until he died, leaving behind a depleted treasury (having dragged the crown into bankruptcy through the long war with France), a bunch of nobles squabbling over whether the war should be continued, and a nine month old heir.
To govern through Henry VI's minority (childhood) a regency government was established in the form of a Council dominated by his squabbling uncles, the Dukes of Gloucester and Bedford. Meanwhile, Lionel's heir the Earl of March dies leaving his vast inheritance (and better claim to the throne) to his nephew Richard, also known as the Duke of York. This inheritance is initially 'sequestered' (i.e. nicked) by the crown, but he's allowed it back when he reaches his majority - for a hefty fee, of course. He's not, however, allowed a place on the Council due to the potential threat he poses to the throne and is instead placed firmly out of the way overseeing English affairs in France which aren't going too well, the French having rejected the treaty which entitled Henry VI to their throne. He'll have to finance this himself, despite promises of the crown meeting his expenses (sounds just like work now!), an early showing of the sort of treatment seemingly designed to provoke and insult him as much as possible - not the sort of behaviour that keeps a powerful potential threat on-side.
On reaching 16, Henry declares himself of age and takes finally takes control of the crown, and immediately shows himself to be spectacularly unsuited to kingship. Weak and inexperienced, naive and gullible, Henry's excessive generosity to his relatives and the many grasping and self-interested nobles surrounding him combined with his inability to stand up to anyone, his excessive piety and his mental instability to weaken him even further. Probably inherited from his mother, Katherine of Valois (daughter of the mad French king Charles VI, there's easily another book that I'd love to read on Katherine's life alone), from early manhood Henry suffered from depressive episodes, sometimes even lapsing into catatonic states. Not only inept when ruling, Henry was often therefore also completely incapable of it.
Despite being little better than a monk when it came to women, Henry married Margaret of Anjou (who made up in beauty and formidability what she lacked in a dowry) and quickly made the situation much worse. Already despised for being French (and for Henry secretly agreeing to give away lands in France in exchange for her hand) Margaret would soon be making most of her husband's decisions for him as he retreated further into his own world of prayer and meditation. Which wouldn't have been quite so bad if she hadn't completely misunderstood (or not given a shit about) the many prejudices of the English and frequently given their enemies advantageous deals, while also being rather corrupt and lavishly rewarding her highly unpopular favourites while insulting those like the Duke of York, who'd effectively beggared himself for the English cause in France only to see the money and reinforcements he was owed being diverted to the incompetent and the grasping. Yet more dukedoms are created for favourites, rivalry between court factions becomes ever more intense, and law and order declines as a blind eye is turned to misbehaving nobles doing whatever they want and people critical of the King's policies, like the Duke of Gloucester, are murdered...sorry, 'die of natural causes' (which were probably being smothered between mattresses).
Eventually, York has had enough and returns to England set on getting the king separated from his awful advisors. Having married Cecily Neville, his thirteen children (which include Edward, George and Richard, later to become famous themselves) are descended thrice over from Ed III, illustrating just how inbred the whole nobility was while also resulting in a much better claim to the throne than Henry's, but for now York is simply eager to reform the regime and promotes himself as a champion of good government, gaining himself much popularity amongst the commons and the enmity of Margaret who treats him more and more like an enemy, eventually succeeding in making him one.
Having become bankrupt, the crown now finds Parliament unwilling to raise any more taxes to pay their debts and fund the ongoing war with France (especially if Henry is busy secretly giving much of what was won back again) and rebellions start to spring up. While proclaiming all traitors will be arrested, Henry flees for Greenwich leaving the Bishop of Salisbury and various other hated nobles to be hacked apart by the people, although Henry's troops will eventually prevail (though not before many of them have also mutinied and run riot through London). A furious York initially evades armed forces sent to arrest him and confronts a terrified Henry in his apartment, who placates him with a position on his Council. But refusing to learn from his mistakes, Henry (Margaret) immediately gets back to losing yet more lands in France and promoting his (her) cronies into positions of power and influence. York prevails, however, when the King lapses into another catatonic state during which Prince Edward is born. Influenced by York, the Council decide they won't recognise him as heir unless Henry - currently completely incapable of doing so - recognises him first and the first of many insinuations is made as to Edward's paternity. A regency government is clearly needed, for which Margaret makes a determined bid but is beaten by York, who is elected by Parliament as Protector of the Realm.
The first thing he does is to order the Queen to withdraw to Windsor which she's not then allowed to leave, before deposing and ordering the arrest of some of her most corrupt favourites and starting to sort out the Crown's finances. At which point Henry promptly recovers and immediately returns everything to the way it was, prompting a backlash against York and his supporters. While the Queen busily whips up Lancastrian support and intercepts York's letters to the king protesting his loyalty, York ignores a royal summons and with his allies Salisbury and Warwick (one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the land) whips up an army and marches to London. The war is on.
The Battle of St Albans resulted in hundreds of deaths and even Henry (who would spend battles sat on his horse under his banner, watching from a distance) getting an arrow in the neck. While he'd survived, the resounding York victory meant that while he was assured by York of his continued loyalty, his apparent subsequent breakdown would see York once again effectively ruling England and for the next few years York and the Queen would vie for control of the King, with York instituting reforms and recovering crown lands that had been given away to favourites only for them to be repealed and returned whenever Margaret had the reins. Until the Queen tries to have York's powerful and charismatic ally Warwick murdered, raising tensions and armies. The Yorkists respond with a propaganda campaign, accusing her of tyranny and once again calling into question the paternity of Prince Edward, and there’s an armed confrontation during which York's men are overawed at the sight of the tens of thousands arrayed against them and desert, leaving York and his allies to flee to Calais. With her enemies out of the way in France, Margaret returns to ruling in whichever way she sees fit - which is badly. An English public grown sick of Lancastrian misrule prove highly receptive to the propaganda still being spread, clearing the way for a Yorkist invasion which is given a warm welcome in the cities they travel through (though this is hardly surprising, as it seems most of the commons would cheer for whoever came through their city heavily armed, rather than getting stabbed).
Another battle, notable for the treachery of nobles switching sides part way through, would result in another York victory and Queen Margaret fleeing to Scotland while Henry is captured. This time though, York would submit the genealogy showing his better claim to Parliament and an Act of Accord is passed naming him heir apparent to the throne and Protector of England. An enraged Margaret raises another army and even invites a foreign one to join her (England's hated neighbours, the Scots), scoring a victory with the deaths of York and his eldest son Edmund in the midst of a battle, their bodies mutilated and their decapitated heads adorned with paper crowns.
Her triumph wouldn't last long however, as York's claim to the throne had now passed to his eldest remaining son, Edward, who would score a resounding victory at the subsequent and spectacularly bloody Battle of Mortimer’s Cross. The Queen's retreating army robbed, raped and burned their way back across the country with so many atrocities being reported that even staunch Lancastrians start to switch sides, before surprising Warwick at St Albans, killing another few thousand and rescuing Henry from under guard. Meanwhile, Edward races to London where he receives a rapturous welcome (naturally, he is at the head of an army after all), is proclaimed King Edward IV and hailed as the restoration of the true royal line.
It's not a done deal yet though, and with Margaret and her army still haunting the north Edward's army meets the Lancastrians in battle once more. This time the combined armies would number around 2 per cent of the English population at the time, and the resulting Battle of Towton would be the longest, largest and most important battle in the Wars of the Roses. Taking place in the middle of a thick blizzard (and brilliantly recreated in the book), the battle would end with the Lancasters fleeing back to Scotland and as many as 40,000 dead, the ground stained with so much gore that the battleground would shortly become known as The Bloody Meadow.
Now firmly ensconced on the throne, Ed proves to be a much firmer ruler than Henry had been, overhauling and reforming the Council and putting down the continued raids of the Lancasters. When not dealing with matters of state Ed gives himself over to pleasure, becoming notorious for seducing and then abandoning young ladies and presiding over an extravagant court, but powerful marriage alliances between France or Burgundy are scuppered when it turns out he's secretly married a commoner - Elizabeth Wydville, a Lancastrian widow and former lady-in-waiting to Margaret. Having cannily refused to become the love-struck Ed's mistress, the ambitious and greedy Liz wasted no time in promoting her entire family into positions and marriages of wealth and influence, setting up a whole new wave of jealousy between court factions. Meanwhile Margaret, having worn out her welcome with the Scots, starts intriguing with the French while Henry is captured once again and taken to London Tower. It's at around this time that the powerful (and power-hungry) Warwick, having been alienated from Ed by the rapid promotion of the Wydvilles, starts plotting with Ed's equally ambitious brother George to depose Ed and put George on the throne. The old troubles start again as feuding factions, high taxation and the corrupt practices of York favourites lead to outbreaks of violence and frequent uprisings, before Warwick announces his intentions to save the king from evil influence and promptly gives the royal army a royal kicking. Warwick takes Ed prisoner and attempts to rule in his name, although he's roundly ignored by everyone and soon has no choice but to free him once more. Warwick won't be put off though, and through the intercession of King Louis in France switches his allegiance to the Lancasters. Another invasion is launched.
Once again the invaders find themselves welcomed with open arms by the people of the cities they ride through (that’ll be those swords again) and their forces soon swell to nearly 60,000 men, including many of Ed's deserting army, and Ed has no choice but to flee for Calais. Henry is liberated and restored to the throne, although he's now little more than Warwick's puppet. Another massive army is raised when Ed returns to England and more scraps ensue, resulting in another race to London for the winner to be proclaimed king. Ed gets there first, where Henry is handed over to him by the Archbishop, and then he's off to confront Warwick again who still has an army three times larger, complete with newly invented handguns. They don't matter much though as in the midst of the confusion of battle Warwick's own troops start mistakenly attacking one another, and Warwick is killed while attempting to flee.
With barely any time to rest, Ed is soon facing off against another army - Margaret's (in which the now of age Prince Edward, Henry's son, is seeing active service for the first time). This battle will see Prince Edward dying along with the hopes of the House of Lancaster, with the finishing touch delivered via the murder…sorry, ‘dying of excessive melancholy� of Henry in the Tower (probably at the hands of Ed's brother Richard). And with that the Wars of the Roses was finally brought to a close, leaving the Lancaster dynasty shattered, thousands of men dead (Margaret herself would eventually die in great poverty in France) and a great many fortunes vanished. Edward would rule over England for a few more years, before his sudden death left his two young sons at the mercies of their Uncle Richard. But that's a whole other book� (hide spoiler)]
This probably isn't going to be a proper review - I've been emotionally compromised. In my head, I'm still busy making this mix-tapes full of Smiths sThis probably isn't going to be a proper review - I've been emotionally compromised. In my head, I'm still busy making this mix-tapes full of Smiths songs and doodling its name on all of my books, in between wondering what happened to both Eleanor and Park after the book and how life is treating them (I hope it's being kind). If I could think about them during English, I would (it'll have to be during a team meeting instead).
The story of Eleanor (picked on and defensive), and Park (quiet comic-book fan) finding and falling for one another, simply and beautifully written (to the point I wanted to underline everything), this is a wonderful little slice of perfection that nearly had me inhaling it all in one sitting - I made myself save some for the following morning knowing I'd be bereft on finishing (and I was).
The sort of book that had me wanting to shove it at random strangers in the street, yelling 'THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!' in between crying at its loveliness, it's also the sort of book that will make me hold grudge against any others I read for a while, for not being This Book, which will now be bought for the birthdays of absolutely everybody I know.
I don't seem able to stop reading Harry Dresden lately. Partly because I've managed to accidentally spoil a few upcoming events for myself and want toI don't seem able to stop reading Harry Dresden lately. Partly because I've managed to accidentally spoil a few upcoming events for myself and want to get up to date so that I'm back in the dark again, but mostly because I'm finding each book more exciting than the last and can't wait to read on.
Small Favor is no exception, as Mab taps Harry for one of the favours he owes her and sends him on the trail of Marcone, recently disappeared by the Denarians (whose last appearance meant all kinds of Hell for Harry). She'd quite like him to be her Winter Knight too, but for now that's an offer that Harry can refuse (although it's sure to soon bite him in the ass). As his luck would have it, as well as going up against some of the worst foes he's encountered yet, Summer wants a piece of him too (though he's not sure why) and have awesomely sent some Gruffs to deal with him. As well as loving the bad-ass Billy-Goats, I get a little shiver of excitement every time we start touching on Harry playing Merlin (not The Merlin, but the Merlin) and so, for me, this instalment was extra shivery. Other things tickling my glee spot this time around were:
Bob proving to be a book-yeller, just like me. Toot. Any time Toot is involved I go to my happy place, but particularly when he's pulling a Full Metal Jacket and letting slip about 'Za-Lord's Guard. Murphy's McAnally's showdown. I think I may have a wee girl-crush on Murph, who doesn't need to accept a sword to kick ass. Goodness gracious, great fists of Soulfire. Wagner, baby.
Most series start well and go downhill from there but that isn't the case with Harry Dresden. I'm trying really, really hard not to immediately go and splurge on the next book, but can already feel my willpower wavering...
Considering how prolific Dick was, it's not entirely unreasonable to assume that a collection of short stories, mostly written over nine months duringConsidering how prolific Dick was, it's not entirely unreasonable to assume that a collection of short stories, mostly written over nine months during his early twenties, would house a few duds. Beyond Lies The Wub never dips below excellent, but simply varies the different flavours of awesome it delivers with each.
Containing a wealth of ideas, imagination and humour and covering a variety of familiar themes, some of the stories I enjoyed most were some of those I least expected: Roog, starring a dog tormented in attempting to defend his family's rubbish from the garbagemen, Expendable, in which a man realises his insignificance in an insect war, Prize Ship's take on Gulliver's Travels and Out In The Garden's Leda and the Swan. Colony, Meddler, The Defenders, The Great C and Nanny were also treats, but if I named all those worth your time I'm going to pretty much sit and type out the table of contents.
Honestly, the only thing better than finishing a volume of Philip K Dick stories is knowing you've already got another volume sat waiting for you on your shelves.
Gully Foyle is my name Terra is my nation Deep space is my dwelling place The stars my destination
Slightly hungover after attending back to back ChristmaGully Foyle is my name Terra is my nation Deep space is my dwelling place The stars my destination
Slightly hungover after attending back to back Christmas parties (I know, I know, it’s still early yet) I was stumbling around the flat looking for something to distract me while I waited for my boyfriend to return from a weekend away. Six hours later, after becoming so engrossed that I’d barely managed to grunt on his return, my tiny little mind had been blown.
Gully Foyle is nobody special. He’s almost spectacularly unspecial, in fact, a slightly thuggish less than average Joe. Mechanic’s Mate 3rd Class, his attributes are listed in his official records:
He’s also been adrift in space for one hundred and seventy days, running out of air and rations, when salvation arrives in the form of a spaceship, Vorga. But the Vorga abandons Gully to his fate, and:
“So, in five seconds, he was born, he lived and he died. After thirty years of existence and six months of torture, Gully Foyle, the stereotype Common Man, was no more. The key turned in the lock of his soul and the door was opened. What emerged expunged the Common Man forever.�
And we’re off, dragged in Gully's wake as he blazes a searing trail of vengeance, hunting down those who left him to die. Fizzing with ideas and hurtling along at a breakneck pace that had my heart beating wildly, I’m incapable of saying much more about this one (that always happens with the ones I adore), other than that this a truly stunning and vital slice of sci-fi, and one you must read. Now. Go on...
The final instalment in the Tawny Man trilogy, and my, what an ending it is - I must have spent virtually the last third sobbing, until I ended the daThe final instalment in the Tawny Man trilogy, and my, what an ending it is - I must have spent virtually the last third sobbing, until I ended the day with swollen eyes and a slightly throbbing head, and minus a whole roll of tissue.
Still serving the Farseers, albeit in his guise of Tom Badgerlock, Fitz leaves Buckkeep to join Prince Dutiful's betrothal quest to behead the dragon Icefyre - a quest that turns out to be rather unpopular with the rest of the Outislanders, adding another worry to Fitz's already huge burden along with the nursing of Thick (who's really not a fan of sea journeys and is making Fitz pay for dragging him on one) keeping an eye on Swift, Burrich's Witted son (whom he's sworn to protect) and dealing with his betrayal of the Fool in an effort to protect him from his fate.
Hobb continues to excel at buidling and developing her world, tying together things that have happened in past series as well as adding new angles from which her world and characters can be seen, letting them grow in new and sometimes surprising ways. Her attention to detail carries over into the characters' relationships, and I'm hard pressed to think of any world I'm quite as emotionally invested in as this. And while she tends to like making things bleaker and bleaker at every step (this instalment was no slouch in that department) she still manages to somehow pull you back from the brink by the end, wrapping the story up with a satisfying, if bittersweet, end.
If I've got any quibbles they're with myself rather than the books - as noted above, I am ridiculously emotionally invested in these characters, to the point that I've found myself nearly overwhelmed with depression during some of their hardest times. This time around I nearly scurried back to the doctors for better antidepressants until I realised that my depression had lifted a few hours after finishing....oops! ...more
Two days ago I (thrillingly) , billed by many in the run up to its publication as his best. This couldn'Two days ago I (thrillingly) , billed by many in the run up to its publication as his best. This couldn't be entirely true, I thought. After all, he's written some real blinders in the past...Having just come up for air, my vision still swimming with lovely tears, I'm thrilled to say I was wrong.Â
A novel about childhood and memory, fear and love, that's told with a wonderful simplicity and bruises your heart while making it swell, raising goosebumps all the while - if I'd given in to my urges to highlight all of the wonderful passages that resonated so deeply inside me, my book would now be one big highlight.Â
Our seven year old narrator feels like the child I might have been and it was deliciously easy to wrap myself up in his world, captured by the magic and wonder of childhood while trying desperately to be brave and make sense of a lonely world that can be so casually cruel. He soon stopped feeling like a character to me, and more like a little boy I once knew.Â
At one point, he observes:
"I liked myths. They weren't adult stories and they weren't children's stories. They were better than that. They just were."
The best books are like that, making you forget you're reading someone's invention. In the very best way, I wouldn't tag The Ocean At The End Of The Lane as an adult's book, or a children's book. To paraphrase Mr Gaiman, it's better than that. It just is.
"There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."
Nope, me neither. But you know what? This "There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."
Nope, me neither. But you know what? This book is such ruddy good fun that it really doesn't matter - I spent most of my reading time with a huge grin on my face when I wasn't laughing. Life's been a bit rocky lately, and this did a fantastic job of cheering me up and keeping my mind occupied, which was just what I needed.
Spending the first third of the book on land, the 'Jane Austen for blokes' tag has never fit more as Jack and Stephen become entangled in a love triangle (or rather, quadrangle) by the grasping Mrs Williams attempts to find husbands for her girls. Personally, I think the only people they should be considering settling down with are each other - and if Stephen wants me to stop imagining smutty happenings between them then he really needs to stop calling Jack 'my dear'. With Jack not doing nearly so well on land as he does on sea, I loved Stephen's theories of tars on land and the psychological problems of day to day life (Maybe I should have been a sailor? Apart from being terrified of the sea, sharks and authority)
Needing to escape his debtors (which he does, rather awesomely, by (view spoiler)[disguising himself as a dancing bear (hide spoiler)]) Jack needs a ship, any ship, and is grudgingly given the Polychrest, a dog of a boat with the strange habit of going backwards when her sailors want her going forwards, as well as having a constantly shitfaced ape on board, amongst other problems. Other highlights include Jack saving a sailor from a shark, which he's rather blase about - does it all the time apparently, Stephen hitting the laudanum when his friendship with Jack is tested (that bloody Diana Villiers. She doesn't deserve someone as awesome as Stephen. Only Jack is good enough) as well as his bringing thousands of bees on board.
By the time we reached Plymouth (which I always take as a personal shout-out) I didn't think my smile could have been any broader, but having just cheered a mate on in the marathon taking place on "that sparse barren dismal grass-plat they call the Hoe", when Stephen "looked out of the cabin at the water of the Sound, oily, with the nameless filth of Plymouth floating on it" I was tickled pink by his assessment of my hometown:
"So much wretchedness, misery and squalor I do not believe I have ever seen collected together in one place, as in this town of Plymouth. All the naval ports I have visited have been cold smelly blackguardly places, but for pox-upon-pox this Plymouth bears the bell. Yet the suburb or parasite they call Dock goes even beyond Plymouth, as Sodom outran Gomorrah."
Brilliant, for all of the reasons why I loved the first so much, and then some.
Captain Kennit finally has his hands on a liveship, and though WintrowBrilliant, for all of the reasons why I loved the first so much, and then some.
Captain Kennit finally has his hands on a liveship, and though Wintrow has his doubts Vivacia is both thrilled and enamoured with her new captain, while at home Althea embarks on a rescue mission on our other favourite liveship, and Malta is forced to grow up.
As engrossing, compelling and emotional as its predecessor (including one part where I nearly threw the book across the room), this entry also gives us more of the bigger picture, making clear the relationship between the great sea serpents and the liveships and making sure that all of its characters get to learn and grow while you understand things from all points of view, making the 'right' outcome very un-black-and-white.
I am also completely fangirling over the wealth of awesome, strong female characters in this book, where even those who would doubt themselves still find ways to rise above people's expectations and up to the challenge. I'm especially enjoying the journeys of both Malta and Keffria, who I've given a . Jumping up and down on my chair while twirling my bra over my head might be a little over the top, and unpleasant for any witnesses, but it's a complete joy after spending so much time in other genres (cough, paranormal/YA, cough) with heroines who make my shit itch.
That's it. I am definitely going to read every Robin Hobb I can get my hands on after this fantastic book - starting with the next book in this trilogThat's it. I am definitely going to read every Robin Hobb I can get my hands on after this fantastic book - starting with the next book in this trilogy that I'm starting immediately.
A fantasy sea adventure starring liveships - sentient ships crafted from wizardwood and each bound to a blood member of the families that own them - I wouldn't have thought I'd find myself feeling so strongly for what are, essentially, a bunch of boats but that's where I find myself (especially poor, tragic Paragon) to the point that I even blubbed on their behalf on more than one occasion.
I'm even more invested in the other characters - Althea and her quest to retrieve her rightful ship, the bullying Kyle (view spoiler)[who I would have happily seen thrown to the serpents (hide spoiler)], his desperately-in-need-of-a-good-slapping daughter (view spoiler)[who I no longer want given to the Rain Wild Traders - they've not done anything awful enough to deserve her (hide spoiler)], Amber who I desperately want to know more about, and all the others. Not forgetting the buccaneer who'll stop at nothing to own a live ship and become King of the Pirates - Captain Kennit, who despite himself can't help but make people love him and things change for the better, all while being a manipulative, conniving, selfish and hilarious bastard. At this point, I have as big a crush on him as Etta does (view spoiler)[and now Vivacia too, I suspect (hide spoiler)].
I've no idea where things are going to go from here, but I'm expecting to grin, rage and weep my way to the end just like I have in this. I'd try and eke the experience out a little, but I'm way too greedy for more. I'm rushing right back to my kindle for the next....more
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