en-US Thu, 04 Jan 2024 06:52:03 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 1084704 Povestea lui d'Artagnan se continuă în alte două romane ale lui Dumas, După douăzeci de ani şi Vicontele de Bragelonne.]]> 448 Alexandre Dumas 2070365263 ��é�������� 4 french-literature 4.24 1844
author: Alexandre Dumas
name: ���������
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1844
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2024/01/04
shelves: french-literature
review:
Je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir compris si ce roman est censé avoir une réelle profondeur, mais en tous cas, il est passionnant, et absolument hilarant. Le plaisir de la langue se joint à celui du récit. On ne s'ennuie pas pendant une seule seconde.
]]> 72797198 157 Laurence Raphael Brothers 1951642740 ��������� 4 fantasy
I quite enjoyed the fact that everything turned out to be just a step away from what it seemed. The demons were a fun an original concept; the villains shifted just at the last moment, to make me wonder if they were going to be the real antagonists; the nature of the story and the stakes kept moving, in a way that felt intriguing rather than confusing.

If I wanted this to be even better, I might wish for more distinctive voices for the characters; as the POV shifts between the two protagonists every 3-4 pages or so, and their narrative styles are quite similar, it can become a little confusing at times. Also, the beginning is a tad abrupt, and could feel contrived; it feels like the main reason for the hero's dad to 'give' him a pet demon is mostly to set the plot in motion, rather than something that would flow organically from what we know of the characters. But don't let that put you off; motivations are gradually appear to be more complex than they seemed, and while very abrupt beginnings aren't my preferred style, it's fine when the story and immersion start in earnest soon after. I had a lot of fun, in the end!

Merged review:

This was a light read, just surprising enough to keep me going, with lovely writing and clever insights about the nature of consent and connection. The relationship between the two main characters was moving and lovely, and the ending not what I expected... which is rare enough in a romance novella!

I quite enjoyed the fact that everything turned out to be just a step away from what it seemed. The demons were a fun an original concept; the villains shifted just at the last moment, to make me wonder if they were going to be the real antagonists; the nature of the story and the stakes kept moving, in a way that felt intriguing rather than confusing.

If I wanted this to be even better, I might wish for more distinctive voices for the characters; as the POV shifts between the two protagonists every 3-4 pages or so, and their narrative styles are quite similar, it can become a little confusing at times. Also, the beginning is a tad abrupt, and could feel contrived; it feels like the main reason for the hero's dad to 'give' him a pet demon is mostly to set the plot in motion, rather than something that would flow organically from what we know of the characters. But don't let that put you off; motivations are gradually appear to be more complex than they seemed, and while very abrupt beginnings aren't my preferred style, it's fine when the story and immersion start in earnest soon after. I had a lot of fun, in the end!]]> 4.00
author: Laurence Raphael Brothers
name: ���������
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/09
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a light read, just surprising enough to keep me going, with lovely writing and clever insights about the nature of consent and connection. The relationship between the two main characters was moving and lovely, and the ending not what I expected... which is rare enough in a romance novella!

I quite enjoyed the fact that everything turned out to be just a step away from what it seemed. The demons were a fun an original concept; the villains shifted just at the last moment, to make me wonder if they were going to be the real antagonists; the nature of the story and the stakes kept moving, in a way that felt intriguing rather than confusing.

If I wanted this to be even better, I might wish for more distinctive voices for the characters; as the POV shifts between the two protagonists every 3-4 pages or so, and their narrative styles are quite similar, it can become a little confusing at times. Also, the beginning is a tad abrupt, and could feel contrived; it feels like the main reason for the hero's dad to 'give' him a pet demon is mostly to set the plot in motion, rather than something that would flow organically from what we know of the characters. But don't let that put you off; motivations are gradually appear to be more complex than they seemed, and while very abrupt beginnings aren't my preferred style, it's fine when the story and immersion start in earnest soon after. I had a lot of fun, in the end!

Merged review:

This was a light read, just surprising enough to keep me going, with lovely writing and clever insights about the nature of consent and connection. The relationship between the two main characters was moving and lovely, and the ending not what I expected... which is rare enough in a romance novella!

I quite enjoyed the fact that everything turned out to be just a step away from what it seemed. The demons were a fun an original concept; the villains shifted just at the last moment, to make me wonder if they were going to be the real antagonists; the nature of the story and the stakes kept moving, in a way that felt intriguing rather than confusing.

If I wanted this to be even better, I might wish for more distinctive voices for the characters; as the POV shifts between the two protagonists every 3-4 pages or so, and their narrative styles are quite similar, it can become a little confusing at times. Also, the beginning is a tad abrupt, and could feel contrived; it feels like the main reason for the hero's dad to 'give' him a pet demon is mostly to set the plot in motion, rather than something that would flow organically from what we know of the characters. But don't let that put you off; motivations are gradually appear to be more complex than they seemed, and while very abrupt beginnings aren't my preferred style, it's fine when the story and immersion start in earnest soon after. I had a lot of fun, in the end!
]]> 125531343 A promise broken.
A magic stolen.

Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily--said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army--Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

Irinya's fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she's done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she's not sure she'll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she's left behind.

A young flower hunter gets embroiled in the succession politics of the Sultanate when she must retrieve the rarest and most powerful magical flower after giving it to the wrong hands, in Rati Mehrotra's Flower and Thorn.]]> 352 Rati Mehrotra 1250823706 ��������� 4
Thematically-speaking, I loved that the novel focused on a struggling, oppressed community, and that it took time to reflect on the economic structures of oppression, on the kind of solutions available, and on their difficulties. As for the plot, it had an excellent antagonist, a character who felt deeply flawed, but convincing at the same time; human, but without excuses. It made for a complex relationship with the heroine, one that kept me wondering to the end how it would all finish.

It usually bothers me a little when fantasy characters seem to come up with modern systems of thought all by themselves in a mediaeval setting. However, in this case, although the protagonist seems to reason and react very much like a modern, feminist young woman, it didn't feel out of place: instead, her convictions seem to have sprung naturally from her personal experience and circumstances, as a woman forced into gruelling labour in order to help her community survive. This reinforced the sympathy I felt for her. I also really liked the fact that her struggles were real: she screws up more than once in the novel, with dire consequences, for herself and others; and for all her cleverness, she never sounds like she understands more about the world than everybody else's.

A great read on the whole.]]> 3.88 2023
author: Rati Mehrotra
name: ���������
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/06/04
shelves:
review:
An intense, gripping read. The world-building was vivid, and in turns marvellous and ominous; as for the plot, it was just familiar enough to carry me along, but unpredictable enough that the suspense was maintained to the end.

Thematically-speaking, I loved that the novel focused on a struggling, oppressed community, and that it took time to reflect on the economic structures of oppression, on the kind of solutions available, and on their difficulties. As for the plot, it had an excellent antagonist, a character who felt deeply flawed, but convincing at the same time; human, but without excuses. It made for a complex relationship with the heroine, one that kept me wondering to the end how it would all finish.

It usually bothers me a little when fantasy characters seem to come up with modern systems of thought all by themselves in a mediaeval setting. However, in this case, although the protagonist seems to reason and react very much like a modern, feminist young woman, it didn't feel out of place: instead, her convictions seem to have sprung naturally from her personal experience and circumstances, as a woman forced into gruelling labour in order to help her community survive. This reinforced the sympathy I felt for her. I also really liked the fact that her struggles were real: she screws up more than once in the novel, with dire consequences, for herself and others; and for all her cleverness, she never sounds like she understands more about the world than everybody else's.

A great read on the whole.
]]> 123237482
A dark fantasy tale inspired by Slavic folklore, Dark Woods, Deep Water is the debut novel by Croatian author Jelena Dunato. Set in an intricately imagined world that staggers the line between fairytale and brutality, this novel will appeal to fans of Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik, as well as lovers of classic Gothic fiction.]]> 321 Jelena Dunato 1739234839 ��������� 4 fantasy
I tend to enjoy fantasy novels that shows awareness of political stakes while focusing on low-born characters, and this one pulled it off very well. One of the characters is a traveller, actress and con artist, and it was a joy to read about her, and to discover how her story grew intertwined with the much larger stakes in the background. It made the novel even denser and more vivid.

An original and highly enjoyable book on the whole. ]]> 3.77 2023
author: Jelena Dunato
name: ���������
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/15
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves: fantasy
review:
Really really good, an unusual take on high fantasy that nonetheless works very well. Instead of the sweeping scope and settings that tend to be more common in the genre, this novel focuses on a much smaller, more intimate setting, and successfully blends the codes of high fantasy and horror: you get a good glimpse of politics and grand world-building (gods, kings and wars of succession play an important part in the story), but the plot itself is centred on a much narrower place and cast of characters, and plays with conventions and expectations very successfully.

I tend to enjoy fantasy novels that shows awareness of political stakes while focusing on low-born characters, and this one pulled it off very well. One of the characters is a traveller, actress and con artist, and it was a joy to read about her, and to discover how her story grew intertwined with the much larger stakes in the background. It made the novel even denser and more vivid.

An original and highly enjoyable book on the whole.
]]> 65974544
So when one morning he finds his mother crawling sickened from the swamp, he has no choice but to summon a mage to help her.

But mages are feared figures, reminders of the ways the swamp can twist people, and her arrival has greater repercussions than Nereus bargained for.

As long-held family secrets are uncovered and an unexpected threat arrives on the doorstep, Nereus must ask himself: what really makes a monster?]]> 99 Jess Hyslop 1915556015 ��������� 4 fantasy 4.76 2023
author: Jess Hyslop
name: ���������
average rating: 4.76
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/10
date added: 2023/02/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
Read this in a single setting. This felt tight and flowed really really well; the various mysteries (of the world, and of the narrator's family) carry the plot along beautifully. I loved how the perspective of the young narrator was rendered; it was very readable and never seemed contrived, yet it was also very successful at showing glimpses of the adult world Nereus didn't fully understand. The world-building is gorgeous, too. I heartily recommend it!
]]> 61317813 The Best of Our Past, the Worst of Our Future is whimsical and dreadful, verdant and sinister. Readers of “quiet horror�� or “slow-burn horror�� will enjoy this collection.

The Best of Our Past, the Worst of Our Future collects Christi Nogle’s finest psychological and supernatural horror stories. Their rural and small-town characters confront difficult pasts and look toward promising but often terrifying futures. The pieces range in genre from psychological horror through science fiction and ghost stories, but they all share fundamental qualities: feminist themes, an emphasis on voice, a focus on characters�� psychologies and a sense of the gothic in contemporary life. Stories here may recall Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,�� Shirley Jackson’s “The Renegade,�� or Kelly Link’s “Stone Animals.”]]> 224 Christi Nogle 1787588041 ��é�������� 5 3.92
author: Christi Nogle
name: ���������
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/01/22
shelves:
review:
Very, very good. Though this is billed as horror, it's closer to a chilling, surreal take on domestic life, the relationships between men and women, family... A few stories are explicitly fantastical, but all of them offer new, disturbing takes on horror tropes, like werewolves, zombies or serial killers. The general effect is dark, nightmarish, but also layered and truly riveting. It's horror at its best: exploring the dark side of the mundane, representing daily life in a way that is very slightly off, that often makes you question who is the monster and who is the victim, and the limit between nightmares and reality. Truly outstanding, and worth a read regardless of whether you only read literary fiction or are a horror fan.
]]> 62094088
Adamantine “Ada�� Garland has an empathic connection to food and wine, a magical perception of aromas, flavors, and ingredients. Invaluable property of the royal court, Ada was in service to the Five Gods and to the Gods-ordained rulers of Verdania—until she had enough of injustice and bloodshed and deserted, seeking to chart her own destiny. When mysterious assassins ferret her out after sixteen years in hiding, Ada, now a rogue Chef, and her beloved Grand-mère run for their lives, only to find themselves on a path toward an unexpected ally.

A foreign princess in a strange court, Solenn unknowingly shares more with Ada than an epicurean gift. They share blood. With her newfound magical perception, she becomes aware of a plot to kill her fiancé, the prince. It’s part of a ploy by adversarial forces in the rival country of Albion to sow conflict, and Solenn is set up to take the blame.

As Ada’s and Solenn’s paths converge, a mother and her long-lost daughter reunite toward a common goal, and against a shadowy enemy from Ada’s past who is out for revenge. But what sacrifices must be made? What hope is there when powerful Gods pick sides in a war simmering to eruption?]]> 399 Beth Cato 1662510284 ��é�������� 5 fantasy
The world-building isn't the only appeal of this novel, however. It is, at heart, a story of family, and mending family ties broken by a tyrannical regime. The characters (main and secondary) are compelling, their struggles feel real and don't fall into conventional or predictable patterns.

A truly lovely read.]]> 3.71 2023
author: Beth Cato
name: ���������
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
A very enjoyable novel, loosely based on 17th-century France. While this isn't strictly meant as a historical fantasy, I absolutely loved how this novel captured some really important bits of French culture, especially in relation to the place of food. Here, chefs could be compared to wizards and priests, the gods are primarily gods of food, and food plays a central role in the book's cosmogony. Original as it is, it actually works extremely well, as cosmological concepts stem from culinary concepts (for instance, the goddess of milk is, by extension, the goddess of fertility and all growing things). This creates a dense, immersive world, where the mundane and the magial coexist seamlessly.

The world-building isn't the only appeal of this novel, however. It is, at heart, a story of family, and mending family ties broken by a tyrannical regime. The characters (main and secondary) are compelling, their struggles feel real and don't fall into conventional or predictable patterns.

A truly lovely read.
]]> 80605 only indirectly, through the success of the male members of the family.

Thus, this novel is really two on the one hand, the successful medical career of Hanaoka Seishu, the first doctor in the world to perform surgery for breast cancer under a general anesthetic; on the other hand, the lives of his wife and his mother, who supported him with stoic resignation,
even to the extent of finally volunteering to be used as guinea pigs in his experiments.

Kae, the wife, joins the household of the local doctor as the bride of his son, Hanaoka Seishu, who is still away pursuing his medical studies in Kyoto. Her mother-in-law, Otsugi, is both beautiful and extremely proud of the tradition of the doctor's family. Though their relationship is one of
affection at first, it declines into tension and eventually into bitter competitiveness and hatred, fostered by the claustrophobic social customs of the time. The two women-the wife who struggles to adapt to a new household and gain the affection of her unfamiliar husband, and the over possessive
mother-in-law dedicated to the fulfillment of her son's ambitions-vie with one another to serve one man. Kae suffers the most, for the new anesthetic that the doctor tries on her has devastating results.

Readers of The Doctor's Wife will find a tender and compassionate tale about a woman of great strength and courage, as well as an impelling account of Japanese society and the role of women in it.]]> 174 Sawako Ariyoshi 4770029748 ��������� 5 japanese-literature 3.78 1966
author: Sawako Ariyoshi
name: ���������
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1966
rating: 5
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
A wonderful historical novel about a little-known episode of the history of sciences: the first discovery of a method for general anaesthesia. The book focuses on an even less-known part: the women in the home of the doctor in question, their rivalry, the way society reduces them to being petty and catty because that's the only weapon it gives them, while the men around them are free to explore greatness. The book doesn't beat you on the head with its message; on the contrary, for much of the novel, the tone is so neutral you could imagine that the author endorses the situation the main character is placed in. It is only near the end, with the help of a secondary character, that the statement is made in full, and the reader is pushed to realise the horror of the characters' circumstances (and to have more compassion for both the protagonist and her arch-rival). In the end, discourses on women, sciences and what makes history are braided together, and the author leaves the reader to derive their own messages from her story.
]]> 748936
The Twilight Years raises important issues about the quality of life at the end of life, caregiving for the old, and the dilemma of women who have both career and family obligations.]]> 216 Sawako Ariyoshi 0870118528 ��������� 5 japanese-literature 3.93 1972
author: Sawako Ariyoshi
name: ���������
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
Ariyoshi is one of my new favourite authors. She excels at the art of crafting characters who are products of their time, yet make a statement about gender roles and the plight of women in past or contemporary times. This one shows the slow descent into dementia of a man, and how his daughter-in-law ends up having to care for him even though he's despised her all her life. It doesn't give simple answers or reduce characters and situations to statements; rather it's a sharp observation of the state of a society and its failing, and of the complexity of family relationships. You can reasonably call it a masterpiece.
]]> 13549218
But beneath the assassins�� caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose�� and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins�� and possibly the entire world.]]> 344 Leah Cypess 0062221213 ��������� 4 3.59 2014
author: Leah Cypess
name: ���������
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2021/11/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves:
review:
Not a big YA reader as a rule, but this one was an exception! Great characters, a fascinating setting inspired by the historical Sect of Assassins, and a twisted plot that's ultimately about choices and finding the power to shape our fate in a world that tries to fit individuals into pre-destined paths. Really enjoyed it.
]]> 17910048 A lush tale of deadly court intrigue and a modern classic of fantasy by Locus award winner and Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award finalist Katherine Addison

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three half brothers in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life.]]> 446 Katherine Addison 076532699X ��é�������� 3 fantasy
The characters are less complex than the world itself; their relationships are somewhat simple (though this may simply be due to the fact that, per his status, the main character remains isolated for much of the novel) and there isn't much in the way of psychological or ethical complexity. Nonetheless, this was a very fine read. ]]> 4.04 2014
author: Katherine Addison
name: ���������
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
Surprisingly good! This is an original novel, in that most of the plot consists in world-building, and in explaining the minutiae of court intrigue through the eyes of the new emperor. It this sounds boring, it shouldn't, at least to readers (like me) who enjoy a lot of political intrigue and elaborate fantasy cultures. The story follows the new emperor as he tries to both adjust to his role and adjust it to make it conform to his moral standards.

The characters are less complex than the world itself; their relationships are somewhat simple (though this may simply be due to the fact that, per his status, the main character remains isolated for much of the novel) and there isn't much in the way of psychological or ethical complexity. Nonetheless, this was a very fine read.
]]> 50706646
Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.]]> 435 Andrea Stewart 0316541427 ��������� 3 fantasy 3.97 2020
author: Andrea Stewart
name: ���������
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
Very nice read, engaging, with sympathetic characters. The magic system is the most memorable part (it involves bones, as the title suggests, and is quite similar to programming organic robots for specific tasks; it also shapes the entire political system of the book, as the bones in question have to be taken... somewhere :) ). Vivid and intriguing, with some unsolved mysteries that promise interesting sequels.
]]> 590349 The Book of Jhereg follows the antics of the wise-cracking assassin Vlad Taltos and his dragon-like companion through their first three adventures: Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. From his rookie assassin days to his selfless feats of heroism, the dauntless Vlad will hold readers spellbound and The Book of Jhereg will take its place among the classic compilations in fantasy.]]> 471 Steven Brust 0441006159 ��������� 4 4.19 1983
author: Steven Brust
name: ���������
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1983
rating: 4
read at: 2021/10/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves:
review:
Very enjoyable, slightly old-school fantasy with lots of humour and a few slightly more serious aspects (not many, but enough to make it a solid read). Takes place in a corrupt city and features a kind of fantasy mafioso who, one short novel after another, navigates the greed and cynicism of the upper classes while learning to grow, if not a conscience, at least a vague awareness of the plight of those who carry the country on their backs. Rife with intrigue, jokes and twisty characters.
]]> 5659 “All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.��

For more than a century, The Wind in the Willows and its endearing protagonists—Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and, of course, the incorrigible Toad—have enchanted children of all ages. Whether the four friends are setting forth on an exciting adventure, engaging in a comic caper, or simply relaxing by the River Thames, their stories will surprise and captivate you.

Hailed as one of the most enduringly popular works of the twentieth century, this story is a classic of magical fancy and enchanting wit. Penned in lyrical prose, the adventures and misadventures of the book’s intrepid quartet of heroes raise fantasy to the level of myth. Reflecting the freshness of childhood wonder, it still offers adults endless sophistication, substance, and depth.

The animals�� world embodies the author’s wry, whimsical, and unfailingly inventive imagination. It is a world that succeeding generations of both adult and young readers have found irresistible. But why say more? To use the words of the estimable Mr. Toad himself: “Travel, change, interest, excitement!...Come inside.��]]> 197 Kenneth Grahame 0143039091 ��é�������� 4 english-literature 4.02 1908
author: Kenneth Grahame
name: ���������
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1908
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: english-literature
review:
A very nice read, funny and endearing. The fast-driving toad was memorable, but the rest was a joy to read as well.
]]> 7165300
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.]]> 629 Brent Weeks 0316075558 ��������� 3 fantasy
Couldn't help smiling a bit at the fact that this is yet another books that continuously harps on how women are intrinsically better at magic than men, yet somehow, the majority of prominent mages are male and there's absolutely no hint that the social roles of men and women are any different from our world... But it wasn't obnoxious (save perhaps for that one moment when [spoilers removed]), and I have pleasure reading throughout. ]]> 4.23 2010
author: Brent Weeks
name: ���������
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2022/03/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
Had fun with this one! The magic system is original, the pacing good, it's unapologetic entertainment. There are a couple of twists tha give it more life and depth than it might otherwise possess.

Couldn't help smiling a bit at the fact that this is yet another books that continuously harps on how women are intrinsically better at magic than men, yet somehow, the majority of prominent mages are male and there's absolutely no hint that the social roles of men and women are any different from our world... But it wasn't obnoxious (save perhaps for that one moment when [spoilers removed]), and I have pleasure reading throughout.
]]> 58340712 Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys’s.

When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.

From critically acclaimed, New York Times–bestselling author Daniel Abraham, co-author of The Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.]]> 448 Daniel Abraham 0316421847 ��é�������� 4 fantasy 3.57 2022
author: Daniel Abraham
name: ���������
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
I wasn't at all familiar with this author. This was an excellent surprise! A book that focuses on the lives of the poorest inhabitants of a fantasy city, for whom eking out a living is at least as important as whatever intrigue goes on in the palaces of the upper class. The perspective was extremely well done. It's not uncommon to ifnd books that feature lower-class characters; however many of these also have a strong focus on what happens in the aristocracy, in the end. Here, most of the plot is seen through the viewpoint of poor girls who live hand-to-mouth and are mostly concerned with their own lives; and yet it's never made to seem petty or naive. On the contrary, the details of what it's like to live in a pseudo-medieval city through the year are prominent: where to find foo, how to stay warm in winter, how to get a roof over your head... This doesn't mean that there's no plot; quite the opposite. But the focus is successfully different from many fantasy novels, and the characters, who often have better things to do than watching aristocrats squabble, are particularly vivid and memorable.
]]> 50523477 Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters �� but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.]]> 533 Tasha Suri 0356515648 ��é�������� 3 fantasy
I quite enjoyed the vivid world-building, as well. The imagery is sometimes lush, sometimes awe-inspiring and sometimes nightmarish. The central romance was convincing too, though not my favourite part; the characters felt surprisingly less complex than the world they lived in. Not poorly done by any means, but on the conventional side, more often than not. Which doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable read; it's just that as far as I'm concerned, the set-up, world-building and politics were rather more memorable than the romance and character-oriented bits of the plot.]]> 4.12 2021
author: Tasha Suri
name: ���������
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/11/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
A very nice read. I particularly enjoyed the complex politics, how having a tyrant in the book does not merely mean that there's a bd guy to root against, but implies that there are going to be warring factions, strategy, political alliances... That was my favourite aspect of the novel.

I quite enjoyed the vivid world-building, as well. The imagery is sometimes lush, sometimes awe-inspiring and sometimes nightmarish. The central romance was convincing too, though not my favourite part; the characters felt surprisingly less complex than the world they lived in. Not poorly done by any means, but on the conventional side, more often than not. Which doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable read; it's just that as far as I'm concerned, the set-up, world-building and politics were rather more memorable than the romance and character-oriented bits of the plot.
]]> 57308929 Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us.

In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He'll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he's built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free...]]> 629 M.A. Carrick 0356515184 ��������� 4 fantasy 4.43 2021
author: M.A. Carrick
name: ���������
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
Great sequel, which carries on the plot developed in book one rather seamlessly, picking up on unobtrusive details from the first novel readers may not have noticed and building the new plot from there.
]]> 51340378 Fortune favors the bold. Magic favors the liars.

Ren is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadežra with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house, securing her fortune and her sister's future.

But as she's drawn into the elite world of House Traementis, she realizes her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her. And as nightmare magic begins to weave its way through the City of Dreams, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled…with Ren at their heart.

The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a dazzling and darkly magical fantasy adventure by Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, writing together as M. A. Carrick.]]> 630 M.A. Carrick 0356515176 ��������� 4 fantasy
If I had asked someone to write a fantasy book tailored to my exact tastes, it would probably have been this one :)]]> 4.00 2021
author: M.A. Carrick
name: ���������
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
Loved this! It has everything I needed to have a good time: fast-paced plot, cons and liars and rogues, a swashbuckling, mysterious hero, plot twists galore, and all of this set in a complex, extremely convincing world that manages to be both entirely different from our own and very easily relatable. I'm a big fan of novels that aren't about how kings and princesses are really the good guys and we should spend our free time staring at their antics and hoping they win the day, and in that regard, this book brought complete satisfaction: individual aristocrats may have some redeeming qualities, but on the whole, the oligarchy is represented as corrupt and cynical, and the real heroes are the ones that come from the bottom, not the top.

If I had asked someone to write a fantasy book tailored to my exact tastes, it would probably have been this one :)
]]> 49629448
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.]]> 466 Roseanne A. Brown 0062891499 ��������� 4 fantasy
Enjoyable novel otherwise. It's fast-paced and there's real suspense throughout, with the two main characters locked in an impossible situation. I'm not the right audience for YA, as a rule, and my criticism mainly has to do with personal tastes... My problem with much YA (it was the case here) is that, in trying to make characters relatable, it very often glosses over cultural differences to make everyone as much like a contemporary American teenager as possible. This isn't to say you can't write good books with that premise! I had fun reading this one, but the reason why I'm attracted to SFF in the first place (books that create new environments, cultures, ways of thinking about the world and society and the self...) were absent; it was mostly like reading a romp featuring modern young people in costume.

Still, the characters were sympathetic, the concept excellent and the book a lot of fun on the whole. Even though the particulars were often predictable (ah, the sexual-tension-laden fighting lesson scene...) I absolutely hadn't guessed how it would end.

For people who enjoy that kind of fiction, it's well worth picking up book 2. ]]> 3.94 2020
author: Roseanne A. Brown
name: ���������
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
4 stars because we need books about Africa, and about Black people, and police violence and refugees. Worth a read for that reason alone :)

Enjoyable novel otherwise. It's fast-paced and there's real suspense throughout, with the two main characters locked in an impossible situation. I'm not the right audience for YA, as a rule, and my criticism mainly has to do with personal tastes... My problem with much YA (it was the case here) is that, in trying to make characters relatable, it very often glosses over cultural differences to make everyone as much like a contemporary American teenager as possible. This isn't to say you can't write good books with that premise! I had fun reading this one, but the reason why I'm attracted to SFF in the first place (books that create new environments, cultures, ways of thinking about the world and society and the self...) were absent; it was mostly like reading a romp featuring modern young people in costume.

Still, the characters were sympathetic, the concept excellent and the book a lot of fun on the whole. Even though the particulars were often predictable (ah, the sexual-tension-laden fighting lesson scene...) I absolutely hadn't guessed how it would end.

For people who enjoy that kind of fiction, it's well worth picking up book 2.
]]> 153747 "It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it."

So Melville wrote of his masterpiece, one of the greatest works of imagination in literary history. In part, Moby-Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopaedia of whaling lore and legend, the book can be seen as part of its author's lifelong meditation on America. Written with wonderfully redemptive humour, Moby-Dick is also a profound inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception.

This edition of Moby-Dick, which reproduces the definitive text of the novel, includes invaluable explanatory notes, along with maps, illustrations, and a glossary of nautical terms.]]> 720 Herman Melville 0142437247 ��������� 5 to-read, english-literature 3.53 1851
author: Herman Melville
name: ���������
average rating: 3.53
book published: 1851
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/07/01
shelves: to-read, english-literature
review:
So I gave 5 stars to Moby Dick, how original of me. Making this short because it's not particularly groundbreaking to point out that it's a good book. I probably missed a lot, but it's stil lush, and consistently surprising. There are outright funny bits, entire chapters consisting in observations on whales and whaling, which are fascinating if occasionally terribly hard to read for me (not on a language level! but simply because reading about the careless slaughter of whales, right after reading a chapter which proves that Melville, and sailors at the time, were perfectly aware of their intelligence and complex social organisation but just took it as proof that they were cunning bastards and it was dangerous to kill them, was painful at times). The whole book has an epic, larger-than-life quality, mingled with day-to-day realism. I won't lie, it took me ages to finish it (it's demanding, not exactly a bedtime read, especially while taking care of a young child), but I'm glad I did.
]]> 39863237
Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he's not the hero, for Kihrin is not destined to save the empire.

He's destined to destroy it.]]> 560 Jenn Lyons 1250175488 ��������� 4 fantasy 3.80 2019
author: Jenn Lyons
name: ���������
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2022/07/01
shelves: fantasy
review:
Catnip alert :D For this occasional gamer, this novel was so much fun, just an enormously entertaining ride from start to finish. It just had everything I wanted (but didn't know I wanted), the cursed hero who becomes a slave, sea voyages, shady Dark Elf assassin types (they're not called dark elves, but you can see where they're coming from), random resurrections, super cool witches, minimal amount of angst (though there's some violence and trauma in the novel), and as a bonus, characters who are completely laid-back about their sexuality. Plus cool fights, cool magics, villains you want to punch, trips through the deathlands... More please!
]]> 108615
It is Nenna’s domestic predicament that, as it deepens, draws the relations among this scrubby community together into ever more complex and comic patterns.

An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here]]> 140 Penelope Fitzgerald 0006542565 ��������� 4 english-literature 3.60 1979
author: Penelope Fitzgerald
name: ���������
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/01
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves: english-literature
review:
This was an excellent book, dark and cruel and compassionate at the same time. Put me in mind of a film by Kusturica, with its wacky, out-of-touch characters. Every member of the houseboat community is a little lost in their own ways, each one feels stranded, except perhaps for the cynical, grounded children. There is humour throughout, of a dark variety, though it never really pokes fun at the characters themselves; rather it encourages compassion for their circumstances, and humanises them. The final image is terrific, too.
]]> 50202953
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 272 Susanna Clarke 163557563X ��é�������� 3 fantasy 4.22 2020
author: Susanna Clarke
name: ���������
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/09/01
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was quite a lovely read. Months after finishing the book, I still wonder if I missed something, because while I enjoyed it a lot, I'm not sure I'd call it groundbreaking either; still, it was very well done. The novel mostly follows a conventional mystery plot, until the end, after the mystery has been solved, when it becomes a little more philosophical and thought-provoking in a lovely way. The setting itself was vivid and rather fascinating, though that's the part I still wonder about; it was very pretty, but felt slightly gimmicky, unless there was a level of symbolism I completely failed to see. Still a good novel!
]]> 57596188
All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: that of my father, whose roots trace back to the right hand of the Emperor. That of my mother's family, who reject the oppressive Empire and embrace the resistance.

I can choose between them - between protecting my family, or protecting my people - or I can search out a better path . . . a magical path, filled with secrets, unbound by Empire or resistance, which could shake my world to its very foundation.

But my search for freedom will entangle me in a war between the gods themselves . . .]]> 367 J.T. Greathouse 1473232902 ��������� 3 fantasy 3.88 2021
author: J.T. Greathouse
name: ���������
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/01
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves: fantasy
review:
A pleasant read, a coming-of-age story in a world inspired by the Chinese empire. The protagonist's journey feels leisurely but enjoyable, through a world in the process of being conquered, partly for its resources and partly for is magic. The hero himself is from a conquered land, and much of his conflicts arise from that. There are some very clever moments, and the whole novel is quite entertaining.
]]> 105501
But on the night of Corban's exile, as he slept in the woods and brooded on injustice, the dreadful dragon ships of the Vikings bore down on his home with fire and the sword. The farm was plundered and burned; all the people were slain, save the young women - they were raped and dragged off to a life of slavery.

From the coast of Ireland to the occupied village of Dublin, across the Irish Sea to a Viking stronghold in Britain, and then across the sea to the Kingdom of the Danes, Corban is drawn in the track of his ravaged sister, fighting for his own life and to earn the influence and money he will need to buy her freedom. His quest is not hopeless, for Mav's second sight, made stronger by the dreadful fate that has befallen her, has brought her to the attention of the Lady of Hedeby. The Lady, wealthy and influential in the Kingdom of the Danes, has bought Mav; she intends to use the twins ,and their link with each other, to extend that influence far beyond Hedeby.]]> 304 Cecelia Holland 0641711638 ��������� 3 3.38 2002
author: Cecelia Holland
name: ���������
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2021/06/01
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves:
review:
Entertaining if not unforgettable. What I liked about this book was how it made the period come alive; the characters never sound like they were lifted straight from the present time and transported into the early Middle Ages. The hero is a traveller from Ireland who lands in Viking-occupied York and manages to become moderately successful there, and there's a fun part about a lady trader who's actually a witch stealing souls. The story is no longer very clear to me, but I remember the small details of the daily lives of the characters better (things like cutting pennies in half before paying, chewing an old man's food for him...). Felt like taking a trip to a cool location, snapping some pictures and going home.
]]> 41842200 'The places, events and people are all real. I have invented nothing.'

Natalia Ginzburg wrote her masterful, Strega Prize winning novel Family Lexicon while living in London in the 1960s. Homesick for her big, noisy Italian family, she summoned them in this novel, which is a celebration of the routines and rituals, in-jokes and insults and, above all, the repeated sayings that make up every family.

The father, Giuseppe Levi, is a Jewish scientist, consumed by his work and a mania for hiking. Impatient and intractable, he is constantly at odds with his impressionable and wistful wife Lidia - yet he cannot be without her. Together they preside over their five children in a house filled with argument and activity, books and politics, visitors, friends and famous faces. But as their children grow up against the backdrop of Mussolini's Italy, the Levi household must become not only a home - but a stronghold against fascism.

Intimate, enchanting and comedic, Family Lexicon is an unforgettable novel about memory, language, and the lasting power that family holds over all of us.

'It is perhaps best to say straight off that the book is a masterpiece.' New Yorker

'A small, entrancing classic.' Hermione Lee]]> 294 Natalia Ginzburg 1911547259 ��������� 4 3.88 1963
author: Natalia Ginzburg
name: ���������
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1963
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/01
date added: 2022/06/25
shelves:
review:
Very nicely written, in an almost oral language capturing the idiosyncrasies of the family members in a unique way. It's also amazing how it shows that the way history unfolds shows through minute changes in habits, friends, words... Made me reflect on how covid impacted our language as well, words toddlers know now that they wouldn't have ten years ago, like 'sanitiser' or 'curfew.' On how history intersects with daily life, as well, and changes it even when everything seems to be going on as normal. A great read, entertaining and thought-provoking.
]]> 11774272 THE CITY BURNED BENEATH THE DREAMING MOON

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and among the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers - the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe...and kill those judged corrupt.

But when a conspiracy blooms within Gujaareh's great temple, the Gatherer Ehiru must question everything he knows. Someone, or something, is murdering innocent dreamers in the goddess's name, and Ehiru must now protect the woman he was sent to kill - or watch the city be devoured by war and forbidden magic.]]> 428 N.K. Jemisin 0356500764 ��������� 4 fantasy
The novel also explores the political and economic facets of the world, and focuses on the conflict between two city-states, and their own internal struggles. I greatly enjoyed the fact that neither state was represented as better than the other: they have very different cultures which are both represented in nuanced ways, and their struggles arise as much from ther cultural differences as from the requirements of politics and economy.

The plot itself is what you might expect from a commercial fantasy novel. It has a big bad villain (a compelling one, nonetheless), appropriately apocalyptic stakes, grandiose fights... The world-building is really what sets it apart, as well as the writing, which is excellent. The novel feels alive, the world layered, and it's a joy to travel through it, even if the journey sometimes takes you along somewhat conventional paths.]]> 3.94 2012
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: ���������
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/01
date added: 2022/06/24
shelves: fantasy
review:
Great world-building, inspired by both Ancient Egyptian mythology and psychoanalysis. The magic system is complex and original, and lends itself to beautiful descriptions, as it involves travelling in the 'dream world', a sort of collective unconscious.

The novel also explores the political and economic facets of the world, and focuses on the conflict between two city-states, and their own internal struggles. I greatly enjoyed the fact that neither state was represented as better than the other: they have very different cultures which are both represented in nuanced ways, and their struggles arise as much from ther cultural differences as from the requirements of politics and economy.

The plot itself is what you might expect from a commercial fantasy novel. It has a big bad villain (a compelling one, nonetheless), appropriately apocalyptic stakes, grandiose fights... The world-building is really what sets it apart, as well as the writing, which is excellent. The novel feels alive, the world layered, and it's a joy to travel through it, even if the journey sometimes takes you along somewhat conventional paths.
]]> 11774295 Someone must show them the way.
Hope lies with two outcasts: the first woman ever allowed to join the dream goddess�� priesthood, and an exiled prince who longs to reclaim his birthright. Together, they must resist the Kisuati occupation and uncover the source of the killing dreams... before Gujaareh is lost forever.]]> 510 N.K. Jemisin 0356500772 ��������� 4 fantasy
Another good thing is that the world-building expand to include new people and cultures, and I reallyenjoyed that. In particular, this book does a very interesting thing with the position of women. There are three majorly different cultures, and the three have completely different conceptions of the role of women, yet all three perceive their women as having a high status, and all three could be argued to be right, in their ways. One gives women a high spiritual role, which makes them more respected than men (but prevents them from following the path they want in life), another lets women work like men do, and the third give them power over the entire economy of the community, though their role is strictly segregated from men's. Few authors attempt to explore how gender roles differ in various cultures, in this ind of nuanced, entirely non-judgemental way.

The plot is, as was the case with the first book, a classic fantasy one, though darker. Very much darker, in some parts. As in... maybe think carefully before reading that book if child abuse and incest are dealbreakers for you. These themes are explored sensitively, with compassion rather than sensationalism, which made the book work for me, though some scenes were really hard to read. Still, we have to talk about difficult subjects, and this novel completely avoided the pitfall of treating these as even midly sulphurous or titillating, which was great. ]]> 4.27 2012
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: ���������
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/01
date added: 2022/06/24
shelves: fantasy
review:
I'd enjoyed the first book a lot, but actually liked this one even better, which doesn't often happen. One good thing about it is that it works as a standalone; it's a brand new story, set years after the first, with new characters, stakes and politics. So there's absolutely no sense of reading a more-or-less artificial sequel to a book that had a perfectly good ending.

Another good thing is that the world-building expand to include new people and cultures, and I reallyenjoyed that. In particular, this book does a very interesting thing with the position of women. There are three majorly different cultures, and the three have completely different conceptions of the role of women, yet all three perceive their women as having a high status, and all three could be argued to be right, in their ways. One gives women a high spiritual role, which makes them more respected than men (but prevents them from following the path they want in life), another lets women work like men do, and the third give them power over the entire economy of the community, though their role is strictly segregated from men's. Few authors attempt to explore how gender roles differ in various cultures, in this ind of nuanced, entirely non-judgemental way.

The plot is, as was the case with the first book, a classic fantasy one, though darker. Very much darker, in some parts. As in... maybe think carefully before reading that book if child abuse and incest are dealbreakers for you. These themes are explored sensitively, with compassion rather than sensationalism, which made the book work for me, though some scenes were really hard to read. Still, we have to talk about difficult subjects, and this novel completely avoided the pitfall of treating these as even midly sulphurous or titillating, which was great.
]]> 41774605 An NYRB Classics Original

Three Summers is the story of three sisters growing up in the countryside near Athens before the Second World War. Living in a big old house surrounded by a beautiful garden are Maria, the oldest sister, as sexually bold as she is eager to settle down and have a family of her own; beautiful but distant Infanta; and dreamy and rebellious Katerina, through whose eyes the story is mostly observed. Over three summers, the girls share and keep secrets, fall in and out of love, try to figure out their parents and other members of the tribe of adults, take note of the weird ways of friends and neighbors, worry about and wonder who they are. Karen Van Dyck’s translation captures all the light and warmth of this modern Greek classic.]]> 264 Margarita Liberaki 1681373300 ��é�������� 5 greek-literature
A gorgeous read, subtle and uniquely moving.]]> 3.88 1946
author: Margarita Liberaki
name: ���������
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1946
rating: 5
read at: 2021/07/01
date added: 2022/06/24
shelves: greek-literature
review:
As the title could lead you to expect... A lovely, bright, sunny read about three young women growing into adulthood, each in her own way. Not what I would describe as a feel-good book either, quite: it's hopeful and joyous, but not for the sake of it, and it doesn't shy away from exploring anxiety and the sadness of collapsing dreams. It's not meant to give the reader the warm fuzzies, but rather to capture the ebullience and hunger of youth, the awakening of young women's sexual desires, away from guilt and constraints, the joy of the present and the transition away from childhood and towards maturity, though childhood is never completely left behind.

A gorgeous read, subtle and uniquely moving.
]]> 54102727 "Lyrical, mesmerizing, and otherworldly. . . stunning proof that Nghi Vo is one of the most original writers we have today. A beautiful, brutal, monstrous Hollywood fantasy.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Immortality is just a casting call away.

Locus Award Finalist
Ignyte Award Finalist
An Amazon Best Book of 2022
One of NPR’s Best Books of 2022
Vulture’s #1 Fantasy Novel of 2022

Best of Year Selections at Apple Books | B&N Booksellers | LibraryReads | TIME Magazine | Oprah Daily | The Philadelphia Inquirer | Publishers Weekly | Buzzfeed | Chicago Review of Books | LitHub | Book Riot | Paste Magazine | Geek Girl Authority | Bookish | The Mary Sue | New York Public Library | Vulture | Locus Recommended Reading List | Kobo | The Quill to Live | L. A. Public Library | Audible | Amazon | NPR

An Indie Next and LibraryReads Pick
A Brooklyn Library Prize Finalist

It was magic. In every world, it was a kind of magic.

“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.�� Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn't care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.

But in Luli's world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.

Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 281 Nghi Vo 1250788854 ��������� 4 fantasy
The plot and world-building were fun and engaging, though I felt that some aspects of them felt a little rote. It was a lot of fun to read about a magical Hollywood, and certainly the metaphors are apt; it definitely feels like there's magic going on in these old films, and that the erratic rise and fall of starlets at the mercy of studios could be compared to human sacrifices. Beyond that, however, the core ideas developed by the book don't really feel new; but I didn't really mind. The writing was good enough to create a lovely reading experience.]]> 3.68 2022
author: Nghi Vo
name: ���������
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/01
date added: 2022/06/24
shelves: fantasy
review:
Nghi Vo writes beautifully. It's a joy to follow her prose, which is both lush and precise; it makes her characters come alive in a unique way. I felt that this was where the real magic of the book lay.

The plot and world-building were fun and engaging, though I felt that some aspects of them felt a little rote. It was a lot of fun to read about a magical Hollywood, and certainly the metaphors are apt; it definitely feels like there's magic going on in these old films, and that the erratic rise and fall of starlets at the mercy of studios could be compared to human sacrifices. Beyond that, however, the core ideas developed by the book don't really feel new; but I didn't really mind. The writing was good enough to create a lovely reading experience.
]]> 56226859 To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is.

Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.

But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.]]> 341 Rati Mehrotra 1250823684 ��������� 4
The beginning may feel slow to some, but this shouldn't put you off. Approximately a quarter of the way in, the story abruptly changes course, and what felt like a somewhat conventional start takes a darker, much more surprising turn. From then on the novel flowed quite effortlessly. I particularly enjoyed how closely the natural environment was intertwined with the story, making everything feel so much more alive. There's even an index of trees, which I think is a brilliant idea. Novels regularly attempt to make the setting matter as much as a character in its own right; this one actually succeeds, I think.

Definitely a book I'd recommend, either to high schoolers or to adults looking for an entertaining adventure novel with an endearing wisecracking heroine!]]> 3.84 2022
author: Rati Mehrotra
name: ���������
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/04/22
shelves:
review:
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I'm not a big reader of YA in general, but I'd definitely recommend this book to young adult readers. It feels like more of a fun ride than a precise historical recreation; many aspects of the world feel pretty close to our own (in particular, women have almost as many opportunities as men but still have to contend with old-fashioned patriarchal attitudes at times, and use words like 'patriarchal' to convey their annoyance), but it was done smoothly enough so as not to be jarring. The world-building is vivid and doesn't feel like modern teenagers cosplaying, but rather like an authentic, coherent fantasy universe I could take pleasure in.

The beginning may feel slow to some, but this shouldn't put you off. Approximately a quarter of the way in, the story abruptly changes course, and what felt like a somewhat conventional start takes a darker, much more surprising turn. From then on the novel flowed quite effortlessly. I particularly enjoyed how closely the natural environment was intertwined with the story, making everything feel so much more alive. There's even an index of trees, which I think is a brilliant idea. Novels regularly attempt to make the setting matter as much as a character in its own right; this one actually succeeds, I think.

Definitely a book I'd recommend, either to high schoolers or to adults looking for an entertaining adventure novel with an endearing wisecracking heroine!
]]> 104078
In Guy Gavriel Kay’s new novel, Ysabel, this duality—of exquisite beauty and violent history—is explored in a work that marks a departure from Kay’s historical fantasies set in various analogues of the past.

Ysabel takes place in the world of today: in a modern springtime, in and around the celebrated city of Aix-en-Provence near Marseilles. Dangerous, mythic figures from the Celtic and Roman conflicts of the past erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.

The protagonist is Ned Marriner, the fifteen year-old son of a well-known photographer. Ned has accompanied his father, Edward Marriner, and a team of assistants to Provence for a six week “shoot.”]]> 416 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451461290 ��é�������� 4 fantasy
As for the plot, it is deceptively simple, on the surface a growing-up story, blending, however, with a metaphor of the history of Provence, always torn between natives and invaders. Little by little, history becomes more than a setting, and it is revealed that it affects the characters' lives more deeply than they thought. I enjoyed how the tone shifted, little by little, from light-hearted banter, to adventure, to a very moving climax.

I wouldn't have dreamt of ever reading a more engaging love letter to my birthplace!]]> 3.62 2007
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2019/02/01
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a departure from other Kay books. It's set in the present, in Provence, and features a smaller cast of characters, with seemingly lower stakes. Most of what makes me a fan of this author is there, however. This novel reads effortlessly; the writing is elaborate, on point, and very natural. The level of detail is such that I felt I could picture exactly where the protagonists were, at any moment (I'm a native of Provence myself). It made for a particularly pleasant reading experience.

As for the plot, it is deceptively simple, on the surface a growing-up story, blending, however, with a metaphor of the history of Provence, always torn between natives and invaders. Little by little, history becomes more than a setting, and it is revealed that it affects the characters' lives more deeply than they thought. I enjoyed how the tone shifted, little by little, from light-hearted banter, to adventure, to a very moving climax.

I wouldn't have dreamt of ever reading a more engaging love letter to my birthplace!
]]> 1077306 Par Nil et Demetrioff, elle découvre le pouvoir de l’art et la beauté ; par André, le courage et le don de soi ; par Médéric, enfin, elle éprouve les frémissements de la sensualité et la puissance irrésistible de l’amour.

Publié pour la première fois en 1977 et traduit en anglais peu après, Ces enfants de ma vie a valu à Gabrielle Roy son troisième Prix du Gouverneur général du Canada.]]> 198 Gabrielle Roy 2890525740 ��é�������� 4 french-literature 3.65 1977
author: Gabrielle Roy
name: ���������
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2019/06/20
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: french-literature
review:
Délicat et émouvant, surtout la dernière partie. Bien que le contexte ait beaucoup changé, une enseignante d'aujourd'hui s'y retrouve... Les enfants sont décrits avec beaucoup d'affection mais sans mièvrerie, et le contexte apparaît dense. Chaque personnage se dessine comme un personnage de roman (on se demande d'ailleurs dans quelle mesure l'auteur a romancé certaines de ces histoires, ou si elle possède juste un très grand talent pour les raconter).
]]> 62772
A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one of Soseki's best-known novels. Considered by many as the most significant writer in modern Japanese history, Soseki's I Am a Cat is a classic novel sure to be enjoyed for years to come.]]> 470 Natsume Sōseki 080483265X ��é�������� 5 japanese-literature
But it's also a brilliant depiction of truculent characters, coming and going in the cat's master's house like actors on a stage. Neurotic ones, depressed ones, pompous ones... I enjoyed their exchanges, often bordering on the absurd. It's interesting that although the cat is a pretext to write a satire of early 20th-century Japanese society, he is nonetheless extremely well depicted in all his mannerisms, and is a character in his own right, not merely a disembodied voice. He also happens to have several adventures of his own, where he's not just the witness of his masters' conversations with his friends but a real protagonist.

I'm afraid I'm not enough of an expert on the country and time period to appreciate all the nuances of the satire. For anyone who knows a little bit about Japanese culture, however, this is extremely enjoyable.]]> 3.70 1906
author: Natsume Sōseki
name: ���������
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1906
rating: 5
read at: 2019/06/22
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
I didn't think that Meiji-era Japanese humour would be so easy to read, but it is! I laughed out loud several times, either from the description of the cat protagonist wrestling with a mochi, or from his interesting similes ('They think they're hermits, aloof and separated from the world like gourds hanging in the wind, but really, they're as full of ambitions as anybody else' or 'humans are strange creatures, with their forelegs hanging uselessly by their sides like dried cods')(approximative translation from the French version).

But it's also a brilliant depiction of truculent characters, coming and going in the cat's master's house like actors on a stage. Neurotic ones, depressed ones, pompous ones... I enjoyed their exchanges, often bordering on the absurd. It's interesting that although the cat is a pretext to write a satire of early 20th-century Japanese society, he is nonetheless extremely well depicted in all his mannerisms, and is a character in his own right, not merely a disembodied voice. He also happens to have several adventures of his own, where he's not just the witness of his masters' conversations with his friends but a real protagonist.

I'm afraid I'm not enough of an expert on the country and time period to appreciate all the nuances of the satire. For anyone who knows a little bit about Japanese culture, however, this is extremely enjoyable.
]]> 63022
Un relato entre el drama y la epopeya, pintoresco y poético a la vez, llevado por la extraordinaria sensibilidad parisina de su autor. Una sensibilidad compartida por el ilustrador Benjamin Lacombe, que explora en esta obra la época medieval y se deleita ofreciendo su interpretación personal de un imaginario que, en medio del bullicio y los clamores, ha forjado tres personajes de leyenda:

Esmeralda, mujer fatal; Frollo, archidiácono maldito; Quasimodo, jorobado y tuerto, de gran corazón. Y, como telón de fondo, una impotente catedral.]]> Victor Hugo 0543971937 ��é�������� 5 french-literature 4.19 1831
author: Victor Hugo
name: ���������
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1831
rating: 5
read at: 2019/06/22
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: french-literature
review:
Grandiose, épique, extrêmement romantique (malgré quelques chapitres sur l'architecture parisienne, que j'ai appréciés pour leur valeur éducative, mais dont je ne suis pas certaine de bien saisir la place dans la narration...). Pour un lecteur moderne, la stupidité d'Esmeralda réclame cependant un tout petit peu de second degré (oui, à l'époque, c'était ça, une jeune fille parfaitement pure et vertueuse... une lectrice moderne a quand même bien envie de lui dire que personne ne l'oblige à tomber amoureuse de Quasimodo, mais qu'au bout de 6 mois qu'il a passé à s'occuper d'elle, elle pourrait peut-être commencer à envisager de ne plus être terrorisée parce qu'il est bossu ?). Le discours sous-jacent sur la peine de mort, implicitement décrite comme une pratique médiévale et barbare dont il est urgent que le peuple achève de se débarrasser, est par contre beaucoup plus actuel.
]]> 133497
Kahu will not be ignored. And in her struggle she has a unique ally: the whale rider himself, from whom she has inherited the ability to communicate with whales. Once that sacred gift is revealed, Kahu may be able to reestablish her people's ancestral connections, earn her great-grandfather's attention—and lead her tribe to a bold new future.]]> 152 Witi Ihimaera 0152050167 ��é�������� 4 english-literature
Only downpoint for me was the ending... [spoilers removed] That wasn't a big problem as I care deeply for Kahu's story. And it's still a beautifully written book. ]]> 3.84 1987
author: Witi Ihimaera
name: ���������
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2019/06/29
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: english-literature
review:
Beautiful prose, that shifts depending on the narrator and circumstances. Kahu's relationship with the whales is extremely moving, but so is her uncle Rawiri's story, caught as he is between his tribe, the outside world that won't accept him, and his love for a family that can occasionally be brutal (to say the least). The part about rescuing two hundred beached whales brought a tear to my eyes.

Only downpoint for me was the ending... [spoilers removed] That wasn't a big problem as I care deeply for Kahu's story. And it's still a beautifully written book.
]]> 44263275 140 Julie C. Day 1619761696 ��������� 4 fantasy
I also enjoyed the mythological undertones. The journey of the two girls down to the Sumerian netherworld mirrors Gilgamesh's, but is also reminiscent of Inanna's journey (with Ereshkigal waiting down there), which adds an extra layer to the story: it's not a tale of desperation but of love, and carnal love, and its potential to restore life and joy to the world.

I kept turning the pages until the end. The length was just right, too, long enough to fully develop the story, short enough to avoid letting the dark and gloomy side take over the hopeful side. ]]> 3.96 2019
author: Julie C. Day
name: ���������
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/13
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a surprise, both extremely dark and extremely compelling. The premise (two teenage girls attempt to speed up the end of the world, because the Earth just before the Apocalypse is just too miserable to live in) may sound gloomy, but somehow the story still manage to convey a sense of hope. The narrator's voice is just glib enough to add spice to the story without becoming annoying, and the blooming relationship between the two main characters rings true, and touching.

I also enjoyed the mythological undertones. The journey of the two girls down to the Sumerian netherworld mirrors Gilgamesh's, but is also reminiscent of Inanna's journey (with Ereshkigal waiting down there), which adds an extra layer to the story: it's not a tale of desperation but of love, and carnal love, and its potential to restore life and joy to the world.

I kept turning the pages until the end. The length was just right, too, long enough to fully develop the story, short enough to avoid letting the dark and gloomy side take over the hopeful side.
]]> 50534472 * 113 Alexa Piper ��������� 4 fantasy, romance
This was extremely entertaining. I don't read much erotic romance, mainly because I've read a few that ended up all sounding more or less the same. That's why the opening page, an excerpt from a fictional romance novel, made me laugh out loud (I initially thought that it was going to be the real opening of the story, though I caught on at the mention of the heroine's 'fluttering lashes'). The omnipresent humour and self-parody made this novella much more enjoyable. Yes, it's a paranormal romance story with a supernatural alpha male lover who eats people (but has decided to be nice to the heroine because She's Special), and yes, there are werewolves, and yes, of course nonhuman creatures are mind-blowingly good at sex with humans (terrible pun not intended, but I'm too lazy to rephrase), but the story strikes just the right balance between taking all those tropes at face value and the annoying sort of distanced irony that's only meant to make readers feel clever and superior. As a result, it's funny when it's meant to be funny (just wait for Chris to appear...), sexy when it's meant to be sexy, and even suspenseful, although it still plays by the rules of the genre (don't expect a huge twist at the end, in other words).

One word of warning: this is a mildly kinky novel, with a power relationship that's not roleplayed. Consequently, there are several scenes which could be interpreted as dubcon, with one of the main characters not having much decisional power over what happens to them, sexually or otherwise (but of course they end up enjoying it anyway). However, while this is the sort of trop that usually makes me fling books across the room, it worked for me here, mainly because of the humour, I think. That's another reason why I thought it worked so well: I managed to take the story seriously, without feeling concerned about the implications (normally, any book suggesting that you can override someone's free will and consent because you know they'll enjoy it in spite of themselves makes me want to scream, but it was obvious that this was not to be taken at face value here).

Pick up this book if you want some light-hearted fun and good writing at the same time!]]> 4.30
author: Alexa Piper
name: ���������
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2020/03/13
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: fantasy, romance
review:
Disclaimer: I know the author personally and have agreed to review this because I usually enjoy her fiction a lot, but I have done my best to write the review I would have written for a stranger.

This was extremely entertaining. I don't read much erotic romance, mainly because I've read a few that ended up all sounding more or less the same. That's why the opening page, an excerpt from a fictional romance novel, made me laugh out loud (I initially thought that it was going to be the real opening of the story, though I caught on at the mention of the heroine's 'fluttering lashes'). The omnipresent humour and self-parody made this novella much more enjoyable. Yes, it's a paranormal romance story with a supernatural alpha male lover who eats people (but has decided to be nice to the heroine because She's Special), and yes, there are werewolves, and yes, of course nonhuman creatures are mind-blowingly good at sex with humans (terrible pun not intended, but I'm too lazy to rephrase), but the story strikes just the right balance between taking all those tropes at face value and the annoying sort of distanced irony that's only meant to make readers feel clever and superior. As a result, it's funny when it's meant to be funny (just wait for Chris to appear...), sexy when it's meant to be sexy, and even suspenseful, although it still plays by the rules of the genre (don't expect a huge twist at the end, in other words).

One word of warning: this is a mildly kinky novel, with a power relationship that's not roleplayed. Consequently, there are several scenes which could be interpreted as dubcon, with one of the main characters not having much decisional power over what happens to them, sexually or otherwise (but of course they end up enjoying it anyway). However, while this is the sort of trop that usually makes me fling books across the room, it worked for me here, mainly because of the humour, I think. That's another reason why I thought it worked so well: I managed to take the story seriously, without feeling concerned about the implications (normally, any book suggesting that you can override someone's free will and consent because you know they'll enjoy it in spite of themselves makes me want to scream, but it was obvious that this was not to be taken at face value here).

Pick up this book if you want some light-hearted fun and good writing at the same time!
]]> 52823282 * Alexa Piper ��������� 4 fantasy, romance
A Scent of Longing is shorter than the first novella in this series. It was still very enjoyable, though it perhaps dug a little less deep into the characters and their relationship than the first one.

As is traditional, the main characters from A Taste of Magic are not featured here, and the story focuses instead on an intriguing minor character, healer snake demon Asc (yes, he's got a snake tongue, but I'll let you figure out what he does with it all by yourselves). The other main character's identity is a fun reveal, though I won't spoil the plot. This story is a bit less focused on kink than the first one, which was nice; I really enjoyed how, in these two books, the way the characters interacted sexually told something about who they were. I tend to get tired of romance where sexual encounters follow the same old patterns, even when they're decently written, because at times it feels like erotic scenes are just parts where the plot is put on hold while a generic porn film starts playing. This wasn't the case here; the relationship between the characters evolves during their encounters, and I never ended up feeling that you could have swapped any character and got the same result. That was very nice, even though, admittedly, there was little time to dig into their psychology, and their love story ended up feeling a bit straightforward as a result.

Same warnings apply as for the first book: there IS some kink involved, with dubiously consensual scenes. However, it was handled sensitively, and I loved that the question of abuse was addressed frankly. I also loved the brief, matter-of-fact mention of abortion; it's relaxing to read books where ending a pregnancy is just a normal option for the characters, not something inherently devilish and traumatising. It was very nice to see such a variety of situations and relationships in such a short book.

Oh, and also there's a leather-clad, whip-wielding succubus who managed to be both super hot and hilarious at the same time (yes, this is a largely tongue-in-cheek story, even though there are serious bits in it). I'd definitely read a story about here. Just putting it out there in case the author hears me :)

On the whole, this was a lot of fun. A worthwhile pick if confinement is starting to get on your nerves. ]]> 4.00 2020
author: Alexa Piper
name: ���������
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/01
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: fantasy, romance
review:
Disclaimer: I know the author. This review nonetheless contains my honest opinion.

A Scent of Longing is shorter than the first novella in this series. It was still very enjoyable, though it perhaps dug a little less deep into the characters and their relationship than the first one.

As is traditional, the main characters from A Taste of Magic are not featured here, and the story focuses instead on an intriguing minor character, healer snake demon Asc (yes, he's got a snake tongue, but I'll let you figure out what he does with it all by yourselves). The other main character's identity is a fun reveal, though I won't spoil the plot. This story is a bit less focused on kink than the first one, which was nice; I really enjoyed how, in these two books, the way the characters interacted sexually told something about who they were. I tend to get tired of romance where sexual encounters follow the same old patterns, even when they're decently written, because at times it feels like erotic scenes are just parts where the plot is put on hold while a generic porn film starts playing. This wasn't the case here; the relationship between the characters evolves during their encounters, and I never ended up feeling that you could have swapped any character and got the same result. That was very nice, even though, admittedly, there was little time to dig into their psychology, and their love story ended up feeling a bit straightforward as a result.

Same warnings apply as for the first book: there IS some kink involved, with dubiously consensual scenes. However, it was handled sensitively, and I loved that the question of abuse was addressed frankly. I also loved the brief, matter-of-fact mention of abortion; it's relaxing to read books where ending a pregnancy is just a normal option for the characters, not something inherently devilish and traumatising. It was very nice to see such a variety of situations and relationships in such a short book.

Oh, and also there's a leather-clad, whip-wielding succubus who managed to be both super hot and hilarious at the same time (yes, this is a largely tongue-in-cheek story, even though there are serious bits in it). I'd definitely read a story about here. Just putting it out there in case the author hears me :)

On the whole, this was a lot of fun. A worthwhile pick if confinement is starting to get on your nerves.
]]> 53850856 * Alexa Piper ��������� 4 romance, fantasy
I particularly liked the sense of joy permeating the book. We still live in a culture where any excuse to demonise love and sex is gladly seized, and where sex is still often portrayed as problematic, a source of shame or misery. As fiction needs conflict to exist, romance often plays on the idea that there is (or could be) something wrong about the relationships it portrays. It's not so common to read a book where the message is: go ahead, have fun, maybe you'll mess something up in the process but love and sex in themselves are not the problem, they're good things and why shouldn't you indulge? For instance, the story literally starts with a character summoning a demon, and saying, 'Hey, you're hot. While you're here, what about going to bed?' I just enjoyed the sense of unrestrained freedom that was carried through the whole book.

Interestingly, the main character is supposed to have no greed in him (you have to read the first book in the series to understand what this is about, though this is otherwise a standalone book). That doesn't prevent him from enthusiastically lusting after the other lead. I liked this idea, that greed and libido should be construed as two completely different things, that having sex with someone has nothing to do with owning them or defeating them. It just added to the guilt-free pleasure of the whole.

This is still an erotic romance novella, so, meant for entertainment, not careful intellectual reading. It's still really cool to read that sort of literature written by an author who manifestly has a very intelligent perspective on what she writes about.]]> 3.50 2020
author: Alexa Piper
name: ���������
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/01
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: romance, fantasy
review:
This was great fun! It's not an actual retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, though the Shakespeare vibes are strongly present. The humour, complications, over-the-top play of bewitchings and love polygons (I stopped counting the angles halfway through) were as enjoyable as the play this references. Erotic romance with a sense of humour is the best kind.

I particularly liked the sense of joy permeating the book. We still live in a culture where any excuse to demonise love and sex is gladly seized, and where sex is still often portrayed as problematic, a source of shame or misery. As fiction needs conflict to exist, romance often plays on the idea that there is (or could be) something wrong about the relationships it portrays. It's not so common to read a book where the message is: go ahead, have fun, maybe you'll mess something up in the process but love and sex in themselves are not the problem, they're good things and why shouldn't you indulge? For instance, the story literally starts with a character summoning a demon, and saying, 'Hey, you're hot. While you're here, what about going to bed?' I just enjoyed the sense of unrestrained freedom that was carried through the whole book.

Interestingly, the main character is supposed to have no greed in him (you have to read the first book in the series to understand what this is about, though this is otherwise a standalone book). That doesn't prevent him from enthusiastically lusting after the other lead. I liked this idea, that greed and libido should be construed as two completely different things, that having sex with someone has nothing to do with owning them or defeating them. It just added to the guilt-free pleasure of the whole.

This is still an erotic romance novella, so, meant for entertainment, not careful intellectual reading. It's still really cool to read that sort of literature written by an author who manifestly has a very intelligent perspective on what she writes about.
]]> 53152636
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 ��é�������� 4 fantasy
Outwardly, this story is a collection of all the biggest tropes of gothic horror. The dark house in the mist (yes, there's a ton of mist). The last, extremely creepy members of a ruined family. The young woman trying to unravel the mysteries of the place. The stern, creepy housekeeper. The creepy cemetary. Creepy decaying decorations. Dead spouses. Something about a wedding dress I won't spoil. Seriously, it has everything, and even the twist doesn't feel like a twist at all, because it's also a cliché of the genre it you expand it just a little. The development is all about atmosphere, and there's a lot of it, effectively done (and completely overdone too, but that's not incompatible). It's well-written enough that it felt suspenseful throughout, even though I could just about predict every twist and turn of the story. In fact, the most surprising thing about this novel was... how utterly unsusprising it turned out to be, given the more than competent writing.

But that's just the outer layer. There's a reason, I think, why this book makes such use of every cliché available. It actually digs inside the clichés to show their dark side, beyond grim entertainment. This is a novel about colonialism, eugenics, the dynamics of power between aristocratic colons and locals who are perceived as inferior, in the context of historical Mexico, where questions of race mattered very much (and where eugenics landed with an extra unsavoury weight). All these questions lent a new significance to the themes of decay and former glory, so present in gothic literature, and invited the reader to question the darker side of the trope (mourning racial purity). Even the usual horror clichés around pregnancy and birth, which normally make me roll my eyes all the way to the back of my head, were used thoughtfully in that direction, and the intrusion of the whole Lovecraftian imagery contributed to the indictment of colonial racism.

So while I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to horror fans reading for entertainment, it was still a very worthwhile experience for the way it rejuvenated tropes and made their underlying discourses explicit. ]]> 3.66 2020
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: ���������
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/19
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a rather interesting read, in an unexpected way, with a core discourse hidden under a conventional outer layer; so conventional, in fact, that I wondered from the start what it hid.

Outwardly, this story is a collection of all the biggest tropes of gothic horror. The dark house in the mist (yes, there's a ton of mist). The last, extremely creepy members of a ruined family. The young woman trying to unravel the mysteries of the place. The stern, creepy housekeeper. The creepy cemetary. Creepy decaying decorations. Dead spouses. Something about a wedding dress I won't spoil. Seriously, it has everything, and even the twist doesn't feel like a twist at all, because it's also a cliché of the genre it you expand it just a little. The development is all about atmosphere, and there's a lot of it, effectively done (and completely overdone too, but that's not incompatible). It's well-written enough that it felt suspenseful throughout, even though I could just about predict every twist and turn of the story. In fact, the most surprising thing about this novel was... how utterly unsusprising it turned out to be, given the more than competent writing.

But that's just the outer layer. There's a reason, I think, why this book makes such use of every cliché available. It actually digs inside the clichés to show their dark side, beyond grim entertainment. This is a novel about colonialism, eugenics, the dynamics of power between aristocratic colons and locals who are perceived as inferior, in the context of historical Mexico, where questions of race mattered very much (and where eugenics landed with an extra unsavoury weight). All these questions lent a new significance to the themes of decay and former glory, so present in gothic literature, and invited the reader to question the darker side of the trope (mourning racial purity). Even the usual horror clichés around pregnancy and birth, which normally make me roll my eyes all the way to the back of my head, were used thoughtfully in that direction, and the intrusion of the whole Lovecraftian imagery contributed to the indictment of colonial racism.

So while I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to horror fans reading for entertainment, it was still a very worthwhile experience for the way it rejuvenated tropes and made their underlying discourses explicit.
]]> 37781 Things Fall Apart is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony. Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places.]]> 215 Chinua Achebe ��������� 5 african-literature
The novel unfolds around the life of a man and his village, deploying the power of laws, customs, proverbs... and their use in the existence of one man, admired by his peers, but whose life nonetheless revolves around unquestioned brutality. Rules, social organisation, the intricacy of the traditional Igbo way of life are portrayed from the inside, without nostagia or complacency, but most of all without condescendence. The merciless treatment that way of life will get at the hands of the missionaries come to 'pacify' the country appears all the more violent for it.]]> 3.73 1958
author: Chinua Achebe
name: ���������
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1958
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/13
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: african-literature
review:
Confusing if read from a traditional European perspective, with expectations of plot, development, build-up... However, the construction of this novel is remarkable, building a world brick by brick before toppling it to the ground, as the title suggests.

The novel unfolds around the life of a man and his village, deploying the power of laws, customs, proverbs... and their use in the existence of one man, admired by his peers, but whose life nonetheless revolves around unquestioned brutality. Rules, social organisation, the intricacy of the traditional Igbo way of life are portrayed from the inside, without nostagia or complacency, but most of all without condescendence. The merciless treatment that way of life will get at the hands of the missionaries come to 'pacify' the country appears all the more violent for it.
]]> 1549775 264 Nancy G. Siraisi 0226761304 ��������� 0 non-fiction 3.99 1990
author: Nancy G. Siraisi
name: ���������
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at: 2021/06/01
date added: 2021/06/15
shelves: non-fiction
review:
A readable, but precise and erudite account of Medieval medicine, its practitioners and its fundamental principles. This book is more geared towards underlying ideas than exotica or specific examples; there are relatively few recipes of Medieval cures, for instance, or precise descriptions of surgical procedures. Rather, it focuses on explaining how medical practitioners thought and were perceived in their times; for instance, it insists on the importance of the Galenic heritage, the theory of humours and complexions, as well as questions that might baffle us now (like the apparent divorce between well-oiled theory and how it worked out in practice, and how physicians tended to accept that theory was not always backed by practical evidence). This is a great resource for non-specialists seeking decent information about the fundamental differences between medieval and modern medicine, though for those seeking practical, concrete examples of the sorts of cures or procedures available at the time, a complement of research will be needed.
]]> 52166786 The final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.]]> 766 S.A. Chakraborty 0062678167 ��������� 4 fantasy
Now for the flaws I was mentioning. First, I did feel that both this book and the previous one could have afforded to be much shorter. It's not that nothing happens; they're both full of action, but my problem was, the thematic considerations don't progress much at all between the end of book 1 and halfway through book 3. We get that the civil war that's brewing in Daevabad is the result of centuries of vengeance, people hate each other and all have reasons that are both valid and invalid (and everyone has committed crimes at some point, so you can't really point to a bad guy at all). The problem is, every new revelation, every new conflict that arises just reiterates this statement, either by showing that this or that bad guy wasn't always so bad or by showing that the good ones could be just as murderously devious as the bad ones. After a while, I suppose I just felt that I'd got the point and I wanted things to be moving in a definite direction.

The other flaw was the language. I mean, this isn't a badly-written trilogy at all. It's very competent and vivid; but you shouldn't expect more than literal expression of what the author wants to say. The phrasing tends towards the repetitve; for instance, every garden is 'manicured' and every outfit is described using mostly the same descriptors and devices and characters just tend to have telltale gestures or ways of expressing themselves, rather than truly individual voices or perception. The problem with that sort of very straightforward language is that it doesn't always succeed at conveying what's unique in the book's worldview, and it's a shame, because the complex themes it addresses feel simplified as a result. For instance, the question of individual agency and choices felt considerably less layered and subtle than it could have, because it was discussed in those exact terms: 'robbed her of her choices,' 'removed her agency' and the like. Rather than letting the reader work out the implications of the narrative and adding unique layers specifically related to this world and these characters, the book just went on and delivered something that occasionally felt like an excerpt from a feminist textbook. It was a shame, because the underlying themes and discourses were among the highlights of the series, for me. I just wish they'd been exposed in more subtle or unique terms, showing that these considerations can naturally arise from an epic fantasy story, rather than framing the story as having been contrived as an illustration of these points.

Still, I had fun, and the worldbuilding was superb. So even if this wasn't a masterpiece, it would still go on my recommended list. ]]> 4.47 2020
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: ���������
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/05/16
date added: 2021/05/19
shelves: fantasy
review:
I was glad I'd read the series to the end. This was lovely, the second half was riveting and showed a real sense of how to write grand action scenes, and it added a great thematic layer to the previous two books, by detailing how tyranny is not just the oppression of a people but the suppression of individual options and choices, including in areas not obviously related to anything political (like the power to choose your family, to desire something for yourself...). I felt it was a great, if flawed, conlusion to the trilogy, one that both solved everything satisfactorily and avoided clichés even when it sailed close to them.

Now for the flaws I was mentioning. First, I did feel that both this book and the previous one could have afforded to be much shorter. It's not that nothing happens; they're both full of action, but my problem was, the thematic considerations don't progress much at all between the end of book 1 and halfway through book 3. We get that the civil war that's brewing in Daevabad is the result of centuries of vengeance, people hate each other and all have reasons that are both valid and invalid (and everyone has committed crimes at some point, so you can't really point to a bad guy at all). The problem is, every new revelation, every new conflict that arises just reiterates this statement, either by showing that this or that bad guy wasn't always so bad or by showing that the good ones could be just as murderously devious as the bad ones. After a while, I suppose I just felt that I'd got the point and I wanted things to be moving in a definite direction.

The other flaw was the language. I mean, this isn't a badly-written trilogy at all. It's very competent and vivid; but you shouldn't expect more than literal expression of what the author wants to say. The phrasing tends towards the repetitve; for instance, every garden is 'manicured' and every outfit is described using mostly the same descriptors and devices and characters just tend to have telltale gestures or ways of expressing themselves, rather than truly individual voices or perception. The problem with that sort of very straightforward language is that it doesn't always succeed at conveying what's unique in the book's worldview, and it's a shame, because the complex themes it addresses feel simplified as a result. For instance, the question of individual agency and choices felt considerably less layered and subtle than it could have, because it was discussed in those exact terms: 'robbed her of her choices,' 'removed her agency' and the like. Rather than letting the reader work out the implications of the narrative and adding unique layers specifically related to this world and these characters, the book just went on and delivered something that occasionally felt like an excerpt from a feminist textbook. It was a shame, because the underlying themes and discourses were among the highlights of the series, for me. I just wish they'd been exposed in more subtle or unique terms, showing that these considerations can naturally arise from an epic fantasy story, rather than framing the story as having been contrived as an illustration of these points.

Still, I had fun, and the worldbuilding was superb. So even if this wasn't a masterpiece, it would still go on my recommended list.
]]> 39988431 Return to Daevabad in the spellbinding sequel to THE CITY OF BRASS.

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of the battle that saw Dara slain at Prince Ali’s hand, Nahri must forge a new path for herself, without the protection of the guardian who stole her heart or the counsel of the prince she considered a friend. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her familyand one misstep will doom her tribe.

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid, the unpredictable water spirits, have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad's towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.]]> 625 S.A. Chakraborty 0008239444 ��é�������� 3 fantasy
Paradoxically, I'd say this tome is more plot-oriented than the first. The first two-thirds, while a little long, constitute a long build-up to the last one, in which the action truly unfolds. And it IS exciting, really. It becomes a page-turner all of a sudden, and you don't want to stop. And that's also where the story feels like it's starting to move forward again: a new villain is introduced for good, the heroine experiences drastic change again, relationships between the characters are forced to evolve... It did make me want to see what the third tome held in store.

So, on the whole, not a bad read at all, just one that feels a little like a transition between two stories.]]> 4.37 2019
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: ���������
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/03/08
shelves: fantasy
review:
The last third of this book is more of a four star one, really, and I do intend to read until the end. It's a shame that the novel takes so long to get started. It's not so much a matter of plot; things do happen, but I felt that the core of the story, what had made the first tome so interesting to read, had stopped evolving. Nahri is trapped in the palace of Daevabad, people are still wary of her because of her origins, the various groups in the city still hate one another, she's powerless but tries to reclaim a bit of power... it's great and layered and all, but for much of the book everything stays the same. There is no new theme introduced, no new idea. The developments on the ones already present in the first book are fine, but start feeling a little repetitive after a while.

Paradoxically, I'd say this tome is more plot-oriented than the first. The first two-thirds, while a little long, constitute a long build-up to the last one, in which the action truly unfolds. And it IS exciting, really. It becomes a page-turner all of a sudden, and you don't want to stop. And that's also where the story feels like it's starting to move forward again: a new villain is introduced for good, the heroine experiences drastic change again, relationships between the characters are forced to evolve... It did make me want to see what the third tome held in store.

So, on the whole, not a bad read at all, just one that feels a little like a transition between two stories.
]]> 104091 The Thrilling Sequel To Sailing To Sarantium

Beckoned by the Emperor Valerius, Crispin, a renowned mosaicist, has arrived in the fabled city of Sarantium. Here he seeks to fulfill his artistic ambitions and his destiny high upon a dome that will become the emerror's magnificent sanctuary and legacy.

But the beauty and solitude of his work cannot protect his from Sarantium's intrigue. Beneath him the city swirls with rumors of war and conspiracy, while otherworldly fires mysteriously flicker and disappear in the streets at night. Valerius is looking west to Crispin's homeland to reunite an Empire -- a plan that may have dire consequences for the loved ones Crispin left behind.

In Sarantium, however, loyalty is always complex, for Crispin's fate has become entwined with that of Valerius and his Empress, as well as Queen Gisel, his own monarch exiled in Sarantium herself. And now another voyager -- this time from the east -- has arrived, a pysician determined to make his mark amid the shifting, treachearous currents of passion and violence that will determine the empire's fate.]]> 560 Guy Gavriel Kay 0061020028 ��������� 5 fantasy
This is the great success of the book: events of great magnitude are constantly pitted against daily reality, and both move together in a way that's both chaotic and very natural. It's a book about history, yes, but history as seen by the people who don't make it (or don't want to). Two movements are represented in parallel, the march of History-with-a-capital-letter, and the continuous flow of lives, going on or stopping without reason, finding their own significance as the plot moves on. ]]> 4.26 2000
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/15
date added: 2021/02/08
shelves: fantasy
review:
Both books in the Mosaic are remarkable, really. This one develops the themes laid out in book one, the role of artists in politics, their power in an imperialist society, the potentially inhuman and destructive effects of an idealistic artistic vision applied to government (when rulers start to push their vision of an ideal world over the daily realities of the people they rule, for instance). Like the first book, its structure can feel deceptive or surprising. It's very hard to tell what the main problems are going to be or what the thematic culmination of the story will be (which is very interesting, given that one of the main plot points is basically given away at the end of book one: [spoilers removed]), yet the plot moves on with a great fluidity, following one character after another, their failed connections and revelations, the way they navigate world-changing events.

This is the great success of the book: events of great magnitude are constantly pitted against daily reality, and both move together in a way that's both chaotic and very natural. It's a book about history, yes, but history as seen by the people who don't make it (or don't want to). Two movements are represented in parallel, the march of History-with-a-capital-letter, and the continuous flow of lives, going on or stopping without reason, finding their own significance as the plot moves on.
]]> 32718027
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for...]]> 532 S.A. Chakraborty 0062678108 ��������� 4 fantasy
Far from being centred on one plucky, Chosen One-like character finding her independence, the novel turned out to be about power, politics and the damage done when several sorts of fanaticism clash, especially when all of them have legitimate reasons for anger and grief. Every character who's introduced as the next good guy (or bad guy) ends up feeling more nuanced as soon as they're seen from the other side. There's a relative intricacy to the world-building and the history alluded to throughout the novel which I enjoyed. I say 'relative' because the core point of view (everybody is a little right and a little wrong, it all depends on your perspective) isn't, at heart, a very new or challenging one. But it's handled very well, and the trick of showing that nothing is ever truly what it seems is deployed with skill.

I bought the second book in the series right after finishing the first (and in spite of the massive spoilers delivered by the bonus chapters attached at the end of the novel, because the publisher somehow felt that it would be a good idea to offer the first two chapters of the THIRD book rather than the second, without warning!). This doesn't happen very often, including with books that end on cliffhangers of sorts. But this was definitely a cut above the lot.]]> 4.12 2017
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: ���������
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2021/02/08
date added: 2021/02/08
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was actually good! I had misgivings in the first couple of chapters because the writing didn't feel very elaborate, and I just had the feeling that Nahri's position in the world was not a particularly complex or interesting one (she starts out as a plucky rebel who's going to stick it to all those rich people who think they can lord it over her). But this book soon developed a very nice habit of proving me wrong whenever I started to have bad feelings about things. [spoilers removed]

Far from being centred on one plucky, Chosen One-like character finding her independence, the novel turned out to be about power, politics and the damage done when several sorts of fanaticism clash, especially when all of them have legitimate reasons for anger and grief. Every character who's introduced as the next good guy (or bad guy) ends up feeling more nuanced as soon as they're seen from the other side. There's a relative intricacy to the world-building and the history alluded to throughout the novel which I enjoyed. I say 'relative' because the core point of view (everybody is a little right and a little wrong, it all depends on your perspective) isn't, at heart, a very new or challenging one. But it's handled very well, and the trick of showing that nothing is ever truly what it seems is deployed with skill.

I bought the second book in the series right after finishing the first (and in spite of the massive spoilers delivered by the bonus chapters attached at the end of the novel, because the publisher somehow felt that it would be a good idea to offer the first two chapters of the THIRD book rather than the second, without warning!). This doesn't happen very often, including with books that end on cliffhangers of sorts. But this was definitely a cut above the lot.
]]> 104097 448 Guy Gavriel Kay 0743450094 ��������� 5 fantasy
The structure of the book is unusual. The title, Sailing to Sarantium, should be taken literally... aside from the fact that there's almost no sailing at all (the main characters travel by road). But most of the book is, indeed, devoted to the trip itself, a life-changing event for an ageing man (in a clear reference to the poem by WB Yeats the title references), and a moment of discovery. My favourite part is how, through a clever, nuanced subversion of the old 'civilised Western man rescues hapless maiden from human sacrifice' trope, the author questions the very notions of civilisation and savagery, what 'rescuing' itself means, and addresses the age-old arrogance of the would-be 'civilisers' of the world without glossing over the fact that religious practices across the ages have been... er, not always so enlightened either. The novel quietly addresses the question of faith, of living after a forced conversion, of the political importance of religious authorities, of realising that there is more to reality than what the authorities in question would have one believe, of reclaiming your self, physically and morally, after living in bondage. Although the Byzantine/Sarantine empire is described in its own context (rather than painted as a thinly-veiled metaphor for modern-day imperialism), many of these questions still ring very true and relevant today.

The story also addresses the question of art, what constitutes it, what it can do. It's interesting that several characters are depicted as artists in their own ways: there's an explicit parallel between a mosaicist and an emperor, for instance, a questioning of the role of actresses at the time (viewed as prostitutes, but engaging in subtle political work), and even a charioteer is described as an artist in hiw own right. All of them shape the life of the city, its aspirations, its reality, affect its politics on a deep level, and end up all carrying various levels of responsibility for the future of Sarantium.

Surprising as it is, the book spends comparatively little time in Sarantium itself, and the arcs that begin there are quickly solved. It still wraps up surprisingly well, showing that expectations set by the genre aren't necessarily what matters. ]]> 4.18 1998
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/30
date added: 2021/01/28
shelves: fantasy
review:
This book is amazing in discreet ways, refrains to hammer you on the head with its main points, although it makes them in intricate, carefully constructed ways. It's a story about art, the importance of the artist in the world, about imperialism and how the powerful shape the minds of the people, and to what extent artists can play their part to re-establish the balance.

The structure of the book is unusual. The title, Sailing to Sarantium, should be taken literally... aside from the fact that there's almost no sailing at all (the main characters travel by road). But most of the book is, indeed, devoted to the trip itself, a life-changing event for an ageing man (in a clear reference to the poem by WB Yeats the title references), and a moment of discovery. My favourite part is how, through a clever, nuanced subversion of the old 'civilised Western man rescues hapless maiden from human sacrifice' trope, the author questions the very notions of civilisation and savagery, what 'rescuing' itself means, and addresses the age-old arrogance of the would-be 'civilisers' of the world without glossing over the fact that religious practices across the ages have been... er, not always so enlightened either. The novel quietly addresses the question of faith, of living after a forced conversion, of the political importance of religious authorities, of realising that there is more to reality than what the authorities in question would have one believe, of reclaiming your self, physically and morally, after living in bondage. Although the Byzantine/Sarantine empire is described in its own context (rather than painted as a thinly-veiled metaphor for modern-day imperialism), many of these questions still ring very true and relevant today.

The story also addresses the question of art, what constitutes it, what it can do. It's interesting that several characters are depicted as artists in their own ways: there's an explicit parallel between a mosaicist and an emperor, for instance, a questioning of the role of actresses at the time (viewed as prostitutes, but engaging in subtle political work), and even a charioteer is described as an artist in hiw own right. All of them shape the life of the city, its aspirations, its reality, affect its politics on a deep level, and end up all carrying various levels of responsibility for the future of Sarantium.

Surprising as it is, the book spends comparatively little time in Sarantium itself, and the arcs that begin there are quickly solved. It still wraps up surprisingly well, showing that expectations set by the genre aren't necessarily what matters.
]]> 25126763 This is an alternate cover edition of ASIN B00UKC0GHA

When it comes to writing books, are you a “plotter�� or a “pantser?�� Is one method really better than the other?

In this instructional ebook, author Libbie Hawker explains the benefits and technique of planning a story before you begin to write. She’ll show you how to develop a foolproof character arc and plot, how to pace any book for a can’t-put-down reading experience, and how to ensure that your stories are complete and satisfying without wasting time or words.

Hawker’s outlining technique works no matter what genre you write, and no matter the age of your audience. If you want to improve your writing speed, increase your backlist, and ensure a quality book before you even write the first word, this is the how-to book for you.

Take off your pants! It’s time to start outlining.]]> 108 Libbie Hawker ��é�������� 0 non-fiction
Personal experience: I wrote a full outline following this method as closely as I could. Then... I just discarded half of it. In the end, the proposed techniques just felt like they would lead me to the very neat sort of result I tend to associate with competently-written novels, rather than truly memorable ones. (Not that I think I wrote something memorable in the end!) But it was a very helpful starting point.

In conclusion, I think this is a book I would recommend to aspiring writers, though with the same caveats I associate with all writing 'rules' out there: it's helpful to get you started, but will stop being helpful as soon as you start finding that remaining within its strict framework constrict the vision you have for your WIP.]]> 4.23 2015
author: Libbie Hawker
name: ���������
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2018/04/01
date added: 2021/01/09
shelves: non-fiction
review:
I actually found this quite helpful. It's very prescriptivist, and makes a number of questionable assertions, in partiular the idea that Every Single Novel ever written follows the same pattern, with minor variations. But it's clear, offers an interesting (if limited) method that can be used to churn out outlines with relative ease. It also offers helpful concepts that can assist an author in understanding what they're trying to do with their book and how to achieve it.

Personal experience: I wrote a full outline following this method as closely as I could. Then... I just discarded half of it. In the end, the proposed techniques just felt like they would lead me to the very neat sort of result I tend to associate with competently-written novels, rather than truly memorable ones. (Not that I think I wrote something memorable in the end!) But it was a very helpful starting point.

In conclusion, I think this is a book I would recommend to aspiring writers, though with the same caveats I associate with all writing 'rules' out there: it's helpful to get you started, but will stop being helpful as soon as you start finding that remaining within its strict framework constrict the vision you have for your WIP.
]]> 79551 228 Tove Jansson 0374453063 ��������� 5
Moominpappa reads like a wonderfully insightful portrait of a middle-aged man with depression, and the story weaves around the impact his condition has on those around him, as he fully intend to remain the head of the family. Moominmamma may be a nurturing figure, she doesn't lack individual yearnings and losses, and is explored in quite a bit more detail than many mother figures described at the time. Moomintroll, as a young man growing up in that environment, is both annoying and endearing, and very human in his failings; his relationship with the Groke (the cold monster who freezes the ground she stands on, but is attracted to light and life) is one of the best moments of the book. And of course there's Little My, who my adult sensitivities read as a personnification of pulsions and chaos, with all the bad, but also all the good that entails.

What is truly striking about this book is how the light ending (far more expected and fitting in a children's books) derives from the story in an organic way. When one is trained to read far darker offerings from the writers of the era, one forgets that sometimes, dense, uncanny stories about the dark depths of mental health can and do have happy endings. Spoilers would really do this one a disservice, but I just loved how everything was brought together, not in a restoration of the status quo but in a genuine resolution, light but not easy. ]]> 4.30 1965
author: Tove Jansson
name: ���������
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1965
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/06
date added: 2020/12/20
shelves:
review:
This was a magnificent read, and I wonder how I would have read it if I'd read it as a child; as an adult, I found this to be a disturbing and cathartic and extremely thought-provoking. It feels like the theatre of the absurd, only written by someone who wasn't posing, even a little bit. There's a sense of literary freedom, and also of intricacy, every image hiding a new layer of meaning.

Moominpappa reads like a wonderfully insightful portrait of a middle-aged man with depression, and the story weaves around the impact his condition has on those around him, as he fully intend to remain the head of the family. Moominmamma may be a nurturing figure, she doesn't lack individual yearnings and losses, and is explored in quite a bit more detail than many mother figures described at the time. Moomintroll, as a young man growing up in that environment, is both annoying and endearing, and very human in his failings; his relationship with the Groke (the cold monster who freezes the ground she stands on, but is attracted to light and life) is one of the best moments of the book. And of course there's Little My, who my adult sensitivities read as a personnification of pulsions and chaos, with all the bad, but also all the good that entails.

What is truly striking about this book is how the light ending (far more expected and fitting in a children's books) derives from the story in an organic way. When one is trained to read far darker offerings from the writers of the era, one forgets that sometimes, dense, uncanny stories about the dark depths of mental health can and do have happy endings. Spoilers would really do this one a disservice, but I just loved how everything was brought together, not in a restoration of the status quo but in a genuine resolution, light but not easy.
]]> 43352954 Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.]]> 209 Amal El-Mohtar ��������� 4 science-fiction
I'm still trying to find out whether it's only language or if there's something, content-wise, that's as memorable. The story is lovely, but less original than the writing; the ending was not very different from what I expected; the message was a rather unsurprising one about building bridges across differences. Stripped of its prose, this wouldn't, perhaps, be such an interesting story. On the other hand, it makes no sense to strip a story of its prose. It was a lovely journey as a whole, even though I don't think it's going to be one of these worldview-shattering books.

So, not quite five stars, but I don't regret picking this up. It's still beautifully inventive.]]> 3.86 2019
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: ���������
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/14
date added: 2020/12/18
shelves: science-fiction
review:
The language in this novella was particularly gorgeous. I liked how it was not only about weaving pretty images, but also about precision, about defining love, longing and other complex feelings in new and intricate ways. The imagery is lush and the journey feels wonderful; there are new, unusual sensory creations in every page. The language alone makes it a worthwhile experience.

I'm still trying to find out whether it's only language or if there's something, content-wise, that's as memorable. The story is lovely, but less original than the writing; the ending was not very different from what I expected; the message was a rather unsurprising one about building bridges across differences. Stripped of its prose, this wouldn't, perhaps, be such an interesting story. On the other hand, it makes no sense to strip a story of its prose. It was a lovely journey as a whole, even though I don't think it's going to be one of these worldview-shattering books.

So, not quite five stars, but I don't regret picking this up. It's still beautifully inventive.
]]> 51190882
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

Librarian Note: Older cover of B07VH6Y4JD.]]> 119 Nghi Vo ��������� 3 fantasy
I suppose there are no problems with this story at all. I just felt that it didn't bring much that was new, either. That's a good thing, definitely. I've been reading a lot of fiction centred on women and queer people lately, and therefore the simple fact that a narrative revolves around the fate of a woman in a society where women are oppressed isn't really enough for me to squeal in delight anymore. Mind you, as these stories go, this one was quite well done, a lovely read, really. I downed it in an hour and didn't feel the passing of time. It just didn't leave much of an aftertaste. I suppose that according to my very personal tastes, this is a story that would have been better suited to a novel than to a novella, with enough space to truly get to know the empress, make her deep and complex and idiosyncratic instead of merely intriguing. There were a couple of moments of real tension, which I think a novel would have had more time to explore.

Then again this is a frequent complaint of mine with novellas, so I suppose that no one should read too much into it ;) My main gripe is that I regularly feel that novellas are novels told in bite-sized format, that deliver the plot but don't really have time to make me care. I felt that this was the case here, but evidently, my perception isn't all that representative. I suppose it does say a good thing about the story, that I wish I'd had more of it. But yes: my takeaway is that I was intrigued, but not blown away.

I'm still not sorry I picked this up. This was a very pleasant evening read.]]> 3.91 2020
author: Nghi Vo
name: ���������
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/12
date added: 2020/12/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was very prettily written. I liked how the two strands of narration blended together, and Almost Brilliant was a pleasure (though a very secondary character, sadly). The core story was moving, simple and sincere.

I suppose there are no problems with this story at all. I just felt that it didn't bring much that was new, either. That's a good thing, definitely. I've been reading a lot of fiction centred on women and queer people lately, and therefore the simple fact that a narrative revolves around the fate of a woman in a society where women are oppressed isn't really enough for me to squeal in delight anymore. Mind you, as these stories go, this one was quite well done, a lovely read, really. I downed it in an hour and didn't feel the passing of time. It just didn't leave much of an aftertaste. I suppose that according to my very personal tastes, this is a story that would have been better suited to a novel than to a novella, with enough space to truly get to know the empress, make her deep and complex and idiosyncratic instead of merely intriguing. There were a couple of moments of real tension, which I think a novel would have had more time to explore.

Then again this is a frequent complaint of mine with novellas, so I suppose that no one should read too much into it ;) My main gripe is that I regularly feel that novellas are novels told in bite-sized format, that deliver the plot but don't really have time to make me care. I felt that this was the case here, but evidently, my perception isn't all that representative. I suppose it does say a good thing about the story, that I wish I'd had more of it. But yes: my takeaway is that I was intrigued, but not blown away.

I'm still not sorry I picked this up. This was a very pleasant evening read.
]]> 52297813 590 Jean-Luc Deparis 2330130937 ��������� 3 fantasy
Ce n'est pas que ce soit un mauvais livre ; il se laisse même lire assez bien, même si le style est parfois un peu surfait et manque cruellement d'humour (je sais, ce n'est pas un roman comique, mais ne pas tomber sur une seule touche de légèreté en 600 pages, cela rend l'ensemble plus dur à digérer). Le problème, c'est qu'il aurait facilement pu être écrit il y a trente ans. C'est de la fantasy épique tout ce qu'il y a de plus traditionnelle ; je pensais que certains clichés seraient subvertis, ou au moins utilisés de manière surprenante, mais en fait non. Le problème, c'est que si le résultat n'est pas désagréable à lire, il ne laisse pas grand chose en bouche. L'un des thèmes du texte est l'intolérance face à la différence (et les guerres qui s'ensuivent), mais l'auteur n'hésite pas à introduire un peuple entier qui est universellement honni et que le roman ne prend jamais la peine d'humaniser, donc le propos central perd vraiment en force (si on se trouve dans un univers où il existe véritablement des peuples de "démons" et de "vermine", à quoi bon s'interroger sur les génocides ?). Le personnage central de l'héroïne pourrait être intéressant, mais il n'est construit que par rapport à sa quête. Ses relations aux autres personnages, et au monde, sont assez plate : elle n'a pas d'attaches, ne semble construire que des relations utilitaires avec des personnages secondaires. Ses seules relations censément importantes ne sont montrées que très brièvement, et ne contribuent pas à lui donner une quelconque profondeur.

Bref, c'est l'histoire d'une quête, sans plus. Le monde est plutôt bien décrit dans sa géographie, mais l'auteur ne prend pas le temps de s'intéresser aux questions culturelles, politiques ou anthropologiques qui pourraient le rendre unique. C'est aussi de là que vient cet impression d'une fantasy très à l'ancienne : on ne réfléchit pas vraiment à ce que pourrait être un autre monde, c'est presque comme suivre un jeu de rôles en temps réel, sans plus. ]]> 3.10 2020
author: Jean-Luc Deparis
name: ���������
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/14
date added: 2020/12/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
Acheté pour découvrir la collection Exofictions. Je vais peut-être faire un nouvel essai...

Ce n'est pas que ce soit un mauvais livre ; il se laisse même lire assez bien, même si le style est parfois un peu surfait et manque cruellement d'humour (je sais, ce n'est pas un roman comique, mais ne pas tomber sur une seule touche de légèreté en 600 pages, cela rend l'ensemble plus dur à digérer). Le problème, c'est qu'il aurait facilement pu être écrit il y a trente ans. C'est de la fantasy épique tout ce qu'il y a de plus traditionnelle ; je pensais que certains clichés seraient subvertis, ou au moins utilisés de manière surprenante, mais en fait non. Le problème, c'est que si le résultat n'est pas désagréable à lire, il ne laisse pas grand chose en bouche. L'un des thèmes du texte est l'intolérance face à la différence (et les guerres qui s'ensuivent), mais l'auteur n'hésite pas à introduire un peuple entier qui est universellement honni et que le roman ne prend jamais la peine d'humaniser, donc le propos central perd vraiment en force (si on se trouve dans un univers où il existe véritablement des peuples de "démons" et de "vermine", à quoi bon s'interroger sur les génocides ?). Le personnage central de l'héroïne pourrait être intéressant, mais il n'est construit que par rapport à sa quête. Ses relations aux autres personnages, et au monde, sont assez plate : elle n'a pas d'attaches, ne semble construire que des relations utilitaires avec des personnages secondaires. Ses seules relations censément importantes ne sont montrées que très brièvement, et ne contribuent pas à lui donner une quelconque profondeur.

Bref, c'est l'histoire d'une quête, sans plus. Le monde est plutôt bien décrit dans sa géographie, mais l'auteur ne prend pas le temps de s'intéresser aux questions culturelles, politiques ou anthropologiques qui pourraient le rendre unique. C'est aussi de là que vient cet impression d'une fantasy très à l'ancienne : on ne réfléchit pas vraiment à ce que pourrait être un autre monde, c'est presque comme suivre un jeu de rôles en temps réel, sans plus.
]]> 10790290
Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.]]> 691 Michael J. Sullivan 0316187747 ��������� 3 fantasy 4.23 2011
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: ���������
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2020/06/01
date added: 2020/12/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
A cool, entirely forgettable book. I enjoyed the read, though there really was nothing new to it (scheming aristocrats and damsels in distress... well). It was well-written, however, and made decent use of old tropes. Entertaining, if nothing else.
]]> 39395857 Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes.

But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.

It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo--aide to Mawat, the true Lease--arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself...and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.]]> 416 Ann Leckie 0356506991 ��������� 5 fantasy
If I look only at the balance between entertainment and literary quality, this probably isn't my ideal novel. It's a slow burn, not something that will keep you turning pages. You can't really read it ten pages at a time on the bus; you need to immerse yourself in the world-buiding to make sense of it. That being said, once you do manage to get your bearings, the world-building in question is truly excellent. There's an awareness of linguistic, cultural, anthropological specificities that gets deep but not pedantic, and the world is rooted in its origins, going as far back as the beginning of geological time, which was great. I like it when books don't frame humans as the be-all and end-all of their universe.

Speaking about which, this is also a surprisingly insightful book about environmental disasters and the over-exploitation of resources. Such themes are more commonly found in SF, where authors can explore post-climate-change futures, but it worked very well here. Magic replaces technology, to some extent, and so it makes sense to display its over-uses. Here, magic has been used to accelerate environmental exploitation, and has therefore jeopardised future resources; the consequences of this mechanism gradually become apparent through the book. I really liked how it wasn't just a calque of real-world happenings; instead the novel showed a real awareness of how and why we destroy our environment, and what can happen once the crisis becomes impossible to avert.

I also liked that one of the two protagonists was a trans man who also happened to be portrayed as the perfect, intelligent, wise, loyal, respectable, epic hero. As usual I'm not keen on praising authors for that sort of detail, because it shouldn't take a genius to realise that trans people can be heroic... but for now it's still noteworthy, even though I hope it won't be enough to call a book good in the future. ]]> 3.89 2019
author: Ann Leckie
name: ���������
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2020/12/07
date added: 2020/12/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
Ann Leckie is on a fast track to join my list of Important Authors. Ancillary Justice was impressive; this new book doesn't disappoint. Again, the execution of the point of view is something of a technical feat: it basically alternates between a big sentient stone talking in the first person, and a human being talked to in the second person. Somehow, it works, though it takes some time getting used to.

If I look only at the balance between entertainment and literary quality, this probably isn't my ideal novel. It's a slow burn, not something that will keep you turning pages. You can't really read it ten pages at a time on the bus; you need to immerse yourself in the world-buiding to make sense of it. That being said, once you do manage to get your bearings, the world-building in question is truly excellent. There's an awareness of linguistic, cultural, anthropological specificities that gets deep but not pedantic, and the world is rooted in its origins, going as far back as the beginning of geological time, which was great. I like it when books don't frame humans as the be-all and end-all of their universe.

Speaking about which, this is also a surprisingly insightful book about environmental disasters and the over-exploitation of resources. Such themes are more commonly found in SF, where authors can explore post-climate-change futures, but it worked very well here. Magic replaces technology, to some extent, and so it makes sense to display its over-uses. Here, magic has been used to accelerate environmental exploitation, and has therefore jeopardised future resources; the consequences of this mechanism gradually become apparent through the book. I really liked how it wasn't just a calque of real-world happenings; instead the novel showed a real awareness of how and why we destroy our environment, and what can happen once the crisis becomes impossible to avert.

I also liked that one of the two protagonists was a trans man who also happened to be portrayed as the perfect, intelligent, wise, loyal, respectable, epic hero. As usual I'm not keen on praising authors for that sort of detail, because it shouldn't take a genius to realise that trans people can be heroic... but for now it's still noteworthy, even though I hope it won't be enough to call a book good in the future.
]]> 27154013 Sawako Ariyoshi ��������� 5 japanese-literature
One of the fascinating aspects of this book is its attention to details, and in particular, the way so much of the story is told through descriptions of kimono fabrics, the mother's uncanny sewing skills, or the details of the furniture, earthenware and flower arrangements in houses. These aren't just atmospheric, but materialise the unspoken parts of the relationship between mother and daughter (and sister, for a while), and of the protagonist's aspirations and thwarted hopes. These are in constant evolution through the book, defying categorisation. It is only upon reaching the end, for instance, that the reader can finally decide whether the protagonist was ever truly loved by her mother; and at this point, no real epiphany or sense of closure happens.

This is a novel about history, but most of all about lives, difficult choices, coping, finding satisfaction in imperfect solutions. It feels particularly open to interpretation, because so much is left unsaid, the text shows actions and invites readers to fill in the gaps when it comes to understanding the characters. These may seem relatively uncomplicated at first (the 'good girl' and the vain, shameless mother), but the text blurs the picture again and again, until something much more complex emerges. The society of the times is both painted without compromise, and shown in its questionable, damaging beauty. All in all, it's an extraordinary book.]]> 4.67 1962
author: Sawako Ariyoshi
name: ���������
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1962
rating: 5
read at: 2020/03/15
date added: 2020/12/10
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
This is one of those rare occasions when a book you've just read makes its way into your favourite-ever list. This was a gorgeous, leisurely, complex account of the lives of two women in 20th-century Japan. One, the mother, is a highy sexual, hedonistic, selfish, vain person... who might just be a representation of what happens to women who dare to embrace and enjoy their sexual selves in a society where women are supposed to be subservient; the other, her daughter (and the character through whose point of view the novel is told), is modest, hard-working, intelligent, and nonetheless has to fight dire odds to end up as anything but a downtrodden servant in a brothel. The story isn't an overtly militant perspective on the condition of women in Japan, but a direct, almost uncommented account of what options were available to women in such a world, and what limited uses they could make of those options. The world of geishas, for instance, is depicted in a way that falls far from two equally simplistic representation, the traditional one where geishas are nothing but sex objects, with no prospects or agency of their own; and the rose-tinted view of geishas as 'powerful' artists in control of their own lives. Instead, the book depicts the pleasure districts of Tokyo and Kyoto as traditionalist, dominated by money, where every player makes extremely pragmatic choices, and doesn't shy away from exploiting others. Sexual exploitation isn't glossed over, but neither is it represented simplistically: the protagonist does survive thanks to the kindness of a patron, even though her physical relationship with him repulses her. The consequences on the characters' present and futures are both heart-breaking and thought-provoking, and reading this from the point of view of a Westerner, it's a good reminder that one shouldn't ever yield to the temptation of treating a complex cultural phenomenon like a cool postcard or a 'Did you know...?' talking point.

One of the fascinating aspects of this book is its attention to details, and in particular, the way so much of the story is told through descriptions of kimono fabrics, the mother's uncanny sewing skills, or the details of the furniture, earthenware and flower arrangements in houses. These aren't just atmospheric, but materialise the unspoken parts of the relationship between mother and daughter (and sister, for a while), and of the protagonist's aspirations and thwarted hopes. These are in constant evolution through the book, defying categorisation. It is only upon reaching the end, for instance, that the reader can finally decide whether the protagonist was ever truly loved by her mother; and at this point, no real epiphany or sense of closure happens.

This is a novel about history, but most of all about lives, difficult choices, coping, finding satisfaction in imperfect solutions. It feels particularly open to interpretation, because so much is left unsaid, the text shows actions and invites readers to fill in the gaps when it comes to understanding the characters. These may seem relatively uncomplicated at first (the 'good girl' and the vain, shameless mother), but the text blurs the picture again and again, until something much more complex emerges. The society of the times is both painted without compromise, and shown in its questionable, damaging beauty. All in all, it's an extraordinary book.
]]> 17333324
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.]]> 386 Ann Leckie ��������� 4 science-fiction
This is also a very intellectual book. The pace is deceptively leisurely; I actually had to start again from the beginning after the first 100 pages, because I wasn't really paying attention and as a result had started to get completely lost. While there were many suspenseful chapters, it's not the sort of book you begin and then can't put down (or at least, wasn't for me; these are personal things, to some extent). It's a book that invites you to think, about culture and history and the nature of totalitarianism and barbarity, and how perfectly decent individuals end up navigating the horrors of war and objectionable orders (answer: in many different ways, this isn't a book that settles on easy conclusions). It also offers a complex point of view on imperialism, through the eyes of a soldier of the empire who came to question part of their mission (deliberately simplifying here, to avoid spoilers), rather than from the point of view of an outright rebel.

I think that this book offered a valuable new direction for SF to explore, fresh questions and perspectives, and it quite deserved all the honours it received upon being released. ]]> 3.98 2013
author: Ann Leckie
name: ���������
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/30
date added: 2020/11/16
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Really, really good. I'd read much about the way the book treats gender, with the main galactic power, the Radch, using only one gender and not making distinctions based on biological sex. In the end, that aspect is well done, but interestingly enough, it's just one detail in a book that deals with other concerns entirely. It's a book about subjectivity and individuality, how these can be tampered with or culturally influenced, and about gathering immensely different civilisations into one more-or-less peaceful whole. For example, for a large part of the book, the main character is one entity that lives in several bodies at the same time, which allows for interesting tricks (like the same narration blending events that happen in two completely different places at the same time), and a fascinating reflection on the nature of individuality and how social connections can influence it.

This is also a very intellectual book. The pace is deceptively leisurely; I actually had to start again from the beginning after the first 100 pages, because I wasn't really paying attention and as a result had started to get completely lost. While there were many suspenseful chapters, it's not the sort of book you begin and then can't put down (or at least, wasn't for me; these are personal things, to some extent). It's a book that invites you to think, about culture and history and the nature of totalitarianism and barbarity, and how perfectly decent individuals end up navigating the horrors of war and objectionable orders (answer: in many different ways, this isn't a book that settles on easy conclusions). It also offers a complex point of view on imperialism, through the eyes of a soldier of the empire who came to question part of their mission (deliberately simplifying here, to avoid spoilers), rather than from the point of view of an outright rebel.

I think that this book offered a valuable new direction for SF to explore, fresh questions and perspectives, and it quite deserved all the honours it received upon being released.
]]> 42036538
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.]]> 448 Tamsyn Muir 1250313198 ��������� 3 fantasy
Just three starts, then, because in spite of all the fun... it's still fun of the very forgettable kind. I don't think that it's the sort of book that's meant to make readers think very hard, however. It promises lesbian necromancers in space and it delivers (though note that if you're looking for any sort of juicy romance, you may be disappointed; the lesbian necromancers still have serious business to take care of in space). There are villains and fights and nothing much that's new. The voice is well-executed, but once you get past all the (deliberate) extra super coolness of the sunglasses-wearing protagonist with a skull painted on her face and a big badass sword, the writing isn't particularly impressive. It's a good summer read, probably not something to re-read years later to dig for undiscovered.

But that's fine. As summer entertainment, it works perfectly well.]]> 4.19 2019
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: ���������
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2020/07/20
date added: 2020/11/16
shelves: fantasy
review:
Picked this book because of all the hype (don't judge). I don't regret it, it was plenty of fun. Like playing an oversized murder party with a great setting and organisation. 'Cool' is the best descriptor for this book: it's glib, fast-paced, and even when you're not really certain what's going on, there are skeletton bits flying all over the place so who cares. The gothic setting is nicely done, too, to the point that I actually found it unsettling in places (such an overdose of grimness and necromancy!).

Just three starts, then, because in spite of all the fun... it's still fun of the very forgettable kind. I don't think that it's the sort of book that's meant to make readers think very hard, however. It promises lesbian necromancers in space and it delivers (though note that if you're looking for any sort of juicy romance, you may be disappointed; the lesbian necromancers still have serious business to take care of in space). There are villains and fights and nothing much that's new. The voice is well-executed, but once you get past all the (deliberate) extra super coolness of the sunglasses-wearing protagonist with a skull painted on her face and a big badass sword, the writing isn't particularly impressive. It's a good summer read, probably not something to re-read years later to dig for undiscovered.

But that's fine. As summer entertainment, it works perfectly well.
]]> 11487807
Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, “the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,�� just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter’s path.

Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla’s young assistant, is a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety. But even as Raseed’s sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the lion-shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man’s title. She lives only to avenge her father’s death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father’s killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince’s brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time—and struggle against their own misgivings—to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.]]> 274 Saladin Ahmed 0756407117 ��é�������� 3 fantasy
Again, the problem is not that this was badly written. The problem was that I would have loved a little less competence and a little more unpredictability and soulfulness.

That being said, credit must be given where it is due. This is a book from ten years ago, that engages with a non-Western setting, shows its complexity, its internal tensions, including on a religious level. There isn't a single Western character in the whole book; the setting is defined in itself, by itself, not through references to the West. This alone is lovely and refreshing, and it is why I picked the book in the first place. I feel that with a little more unpredictability, it could have been really good. ]]> 3.62 2012
author: Saladin Ahmed
name: ���������
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2020/11/14
date added: 2020/11/16
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a decent read. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Medieval Arabic setting, political turmoil, magic... this felt like it would have all the right ingredients for a perfect guilty pleasure. Turned out a little disappointing in the end, though it's far from being a bad book. My problem was that it felt competent, rather than compelling. It IS very competent. There's a large cast of characters who are al well-fleshed-out and convincing, each with their flaws and personal demons, each trying to navigate their own lives as well as the chaos around. The problem was that, for me, it all felt very rote. For each character, you can pinpoint one specific conflict to overcome: the zealous derwish who needs to earn a little flexibility, the elderly fighter who's beginning to think that his life has slipped away while he was too busy doing his duty, the woman whose beloved husband it slowly dying far from their native country... Much of the chapters devoted to each specific POV character is spent exploring their personal anguish, and after a while, it feels a bit long. It's not that these are not interesting characters; it's just that the books feels like the author sat down, drew a very complete character sheet for each member of the main cast, and then dutifully gets busy solving their personal conflicts and flaws, just like writing manuals tell us to do. There were very few surprises, and the book ended pretty much where I expected it to end, with just enough bittersweetness to avoid being silly.

Again, the problem is not that this was badly written. The problem was that I would have loved a little less competence and a little more unpredictability and soulfulness.

That being said, credit must be given where it is due. This is a book from ten years ago, that engages with a non-Western setting, shows its complexity, its internal tensions, including on a religious level. There isn't a single Western character in the whole book; the setting is defined in itself, by itself, not through references to the West. This alone is lovely and refreshing, and it is why I picked the book in the first place. I feel that with a little more unpredictability, it could have been really good.
]]> 1420826 Pour diriger cet"orchestre des instincts et des sentiments féminins",qu'est selon lui Madame Bovary,Flaubert souffre mort et passion,à la fois grand prêtre et martyr de l'art,du style et de la beauté.Mais derrière la perfection du chef-d'oeuvre apparaissent la crudité,la violence et l'érotisme,comme dans un roman d'aujourd'hui.]]> 478 Gustave Flaubert 2266163760 ��é�������� 5 french-literature 3.62 1856
author: Gustave Flaubert
name: ���������
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1856
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/09/17
shelves: french-literature
review:

]]> 185636
Sebastien de Ulloa is the oldest creature she has ever known. He was no longer young at the Christian millennium, and that was nine hundred years ago. He has forgotten his birth-name, his birth-place, and even the year in which he was born, if he ever knew it. But he still remembers the woman who made him immortal. He has everything, but a reason to live.

In a world where the sun never set on the British Empire, where Holland finally ceded New Amsterdam to the English only during the Napoleonic wars, and where the expansion of the American colonies was halted by the war magic of the Iroquois, they are exiles in the new world--and its only hope for justice.]]> 267 Elizabeth Bear 1596061065 ��������� 3 steampunk
ELIZABETH BEAR, I LOVE YOU.

Ahem.

So, yes, I'm enthusiastic about this book. The characters are particularly good, and when you're the sort of person who spends half of her time ranting about how the portrayal of female character in most books is lousy and spoils a good part of the enjoyment, this sort of book makes you happy. Not just because of the women, but simply because for once, the characters sound real, and are decently written. They're not constrained by the clichés about their gender. They have complicated lives. They care for each other in ways that go deeper than wanting a shag (did I mention that the book more or less explicitly states that the vampire hero cannot actually shag people in the conventional sense? And is still utterly badass? See gushing above). In a word, they're written with the standards of style that should be universal but, for some reason, are not.

The reason I gave only three stars (well, other than having to rate my appreciation on a necessarily limited five-tiered scale) is that I don't think the structure of the book serves it well, unfortunately. While you can follow the story from beginning to end, it's a collection of shorts, rather than an actual novel. Every story has a murder, an investigation, and things going on in the main cast's lives. And I'm afraid it didn't work all that well for me. First, because the murder investigations are necessarily short and to the point, since they have to be solved in the course of the short story; this created a rather hacking rhythm to the plot. Secondly, the same bits of information are repeated at the beginning of most sections, and make it difficult to know whether you're getting started on something completely different, or carrying on with the same plot. In the end, it gave me the feeling that things were not as developed as they could have been, and I felt that there were more words to the book than was necessary. A shame, because I loved the story and the characters.

I'll recommend it nonetheless!]]> 3.52 2007
author: Elizabeth Bear
name: ���������
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2013/11/27
date added: 2020/06/19
shelves: steampunk
review:
First, can I get something off my chest? Okay, I'll get it off my chest then. So, the hero of this book is a vampire, and so, obviously, he's old, sexy, insanely charming, completely badass, and he's a polyamorous bisexual to boot, and his favourite pasttime is... knitting. With a cat in his lap. A super-sexy-dangerous vampire who likes to knit by the fireplace.

ELIZABETH BEAR, I LOVE YOU.

Ahem.

So, yes, I'm enthusiastic about this book. The characters are particularly good, and when you're the sort of person who spends half of her time ranting about how the portrayal of female character in most books is lousy and spoils a good part of the enjoyment, this sort of book makes you happy. Not just because of the women, but simply because for once, the characters sound real, and are decently written. They're not constrained by the clichés about their gender. They have complicated lives. They care for each other in ways that go deeper than wanting a shag (did I mention that the book more or less explicitly states that the vampire hero cannot actually shag people in the conventional sense? And is still utterly badass? See gushing above). In a word, they're written with the standards of style that should be universal but, for some reason, are not.

The reason I gave only three stars (well, other than having to rate my appreciation on a necessarily limited five-tiered scale) is that I don't think the structure of the book serves it well, unfortunately. While you can follow the story from beginning to end, it's a collection of shorts, rather than an actual novel. Every story has a murder, an investigation, and things going on in the main cast's lives. And I'm afraid it didn't work all that well for me. First, because the murder investigations are necessarily short and to the point, since they have to be solved in the course of the short story; this created a rather hacking rhythm to the plot. Secondly, the same bits of information are repeated at the beginning of most sections, and make it difficult to know whether you're getting started on something completely different, or carrying on with the same plot. In the end, it gave me the feeling that things were not as developed as they could have been, and I felt that there were more words to the book than was necessary. A shame, because I loved the story and the characters.

I'll recommend it nonetheless!
]]> 7864587
But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.]]> 384 Meljean Brook 0425236676 ��������� 2 steampunk
The romance, simply put, is horrid. The eponymous Iron Duke is a callous, boorish, obnoxious jerk who informs the heroin in the first few pages that the wants to sleep with her and he will whether she likes it or not, because he's so rich and alpha and he's not used to hearing no. That's probably why, even though she says no, physically fights him and tries to make him leave her alone, he ends up assaulting her anyway. But apparently that's okay, because her real problem is that she was traumatised and can't let herself experience sexual pleasure even though she wants it, and so she just needs a good shag by a man who can really tell that she's aroused even when she fights him, you see, it's for her own good. I don't know, apparently that's supposed to turn me on or something? I really couldn't tell. In any case, none of the shoddy psychological explanations about "traumas" and the like were enough to make the whole story sound like anything else than cheap rape porn.

In fact, the rapey content was so heavy and made me so uncomfortable I had absolutely no enjoyment from start to finish. The only reason I finished it is that I don't stop halfway through a book, as a rule. But nevermind, it's just me taking it all too seriously, it's just a fantasy, blah blah blah. No problem. I'll just be over there brooding about the fact that this is yet another book perpetuating horrible, damaging ideas about gender relationships (that men are in charge of women's sexuality, that being pushy just means being successful and dominant, whatever). I'm fully aware that many people will think I'm making a huge deal of this (yeah, it's not like rape culture is an actual thing, and it's not like all the ŷ������ review that bitch about the *heroine* for being so frigid and not wanting to sleep with the hero straight away are part of that--after all, we've never heard of real women getting reviled after they were raped by rich and powerful men because they should appreciate how lucky they are instead of complaining, have we?)

Sigh.

So, no more about the romance. The steampunk part (which was the reason I read that book in the first place) was quite fine, though not extremely original. Airships? Check. Alternate history? Check. Half-robot people? Check. Zombies? Check. Insane technology? Check. Dark-steampunk-by-numbers, in a word, but it was fine. If there had only been the world and the murder plot without any of the romance, I think I would have enjoyed it.

As it stands, though, I didn't. Two stars for decent steampunk; the rest comes highly unrecommended, unless rape turns you on and you have a high tolerance for shabby psychological characterisation.]]> 3.84 2010
author: Meljean Brook
name: ���������
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2013/12/03
date added: 2020/06/19
shelves: steampunk
review:
The most imporant thing to know before reading this book, I think: don't pick it up if you think you won't be able to handle straightforward descriptions of sexual harassment and assault pictured in loving, erotic detail. Seriously, this book shouldcome with a trigger warning. It doesn't, so I'm putting it here.

The romance, simply put, is horrid. The eponymous Iron Duke is a callous, boorish, obnoxious jerk who informs the heroin in the first few pages that the wants to sleep with her and he will whether she likes it or not, because he's so rich and alpha and he's not used to hearing no. That's probably why, even though she says no, physically fights him and tries to make him leave her alone, he ends up assaulting her anyway. But apparently that's okay, because her real problem is that she was traumatised and can't let herself experience sexual pleasure even though she wants it, and so she just needs a good shag by a man who can really tell that she's aroused even when she fights him, you see, it's for her own good. I don't know, apparently that's supposed to turn me on or something? I really couldn't tell. In any case, none of the shoddy psychological explanations about "traumas" and the like were enough to make the whole story sound like anything else than cheap rape porn.

In fact, the rapey content was so heavy and made me so uncomfortable I had absolutely no enjoyment from start to finish. The only reason I finished it is that I don't stop halfway through a book, as a rule. But nevermind, it's just me taking it all too seriously, it's just a fantasy, blah blah blah. No problem. I'll just be over there brooding about the fact that this is yet another book perpetuating horrible, damaging ideas about gender relationships (that men are in charge of women's sexuality, that being pushy just means being successful and dominant, whatever). I'm fully aware that many people will think I'm making a huge deal of this (yeah, it's not like rape culture is an actual thing, and it's not like all the ŷ������ review that bitch about the *heroine* for being so frigid and not wanting to sleep with the hero straight away are part of that--after all, we've never heard of real women getting reviled after they were raped by rich and powerful men because they should appreciate how lucky they are instead of complaining, have we?)

Sigh.

So, no more about the romance. The steampunk part (which was the reason I read that book in the first place) was quite fine, though not extremely original. Airships? Check. Alternate history? Check. Half-robot people? Check. Zombies? Check. Insane technology? Check. Dark-steampunk-by-numbers, in a word, but it was fine. If there had only been the world and the murder plot without any of the romance, I think I would have enjoyed it.

As it stands, though, I didn't. Two stars for decent steampunk; the rest comes highly unrecommended, unless rape turns you on and you have a high tolerance for shabby psychological characterisation.
]]> 37794149
Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.]]> 448 Arkady Martine 1529001587 ��é�������� 4 science-fiction
I also enjoyed the inventiveness of the world-building. At the core of the story is the concept of immortality, something humankind has long been after, and to which the two civilisations interacting in the book have given radically different answers. Lsel, where the protagonist comes from, has 'imago-machines,' a device designed to record a person's entire mind and destined to be fitted into another brain, so that in time, the two personalities integrate and become on (culminating in 'imago-lines,' people who have this received the knowledge and wisdom of several generations of recipients of an imago-machine). On the other hand, the empire of Teixcalaan considers that sort of neurological enhancement as immoral, but immortalises people and events through poetry, an art almost all citizens are trained in. Thus the meeting between Teixcalaan and Lsel is more than a simple cultural clash: it's the meeting of two opposite ontologies, which do not even share a definition of what the 'self' is. This could easily have turned pedantic, but Martine makes it work beautifully.

Another characteristic I found that book shared with Delany's writing was the more leisurely pace. This is not to say that this book is emotionless or devoid of suspense, but I found that I needed to take breaks, every now and then, to take it all in. It was a demanding intellectual experience, and as a consequence, the emotional depth took a little longer to become apparent than in other novels I've read recently. It was there, however, and by the end I couldn't put the book down. I usually tend to be attracted to stories where the gut-wrenching element is revealed earlier, but this was deeply engaging and satisfying nonetheless.

Will definitely read the sequel as soon as it's released, which is not something I've been writing often lately. ]]> 4.08 2019
author: Arkady Martine
name: ���������
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/04
date added: 2019/10/04
shelves: science-fiction
review:
A very compelling book, probably the best SF I've read in a while, reminiscent of Samuel R. Delany in its blend of theoretical developments and intricate plot. The empire of Teixcalaan is obsessed by poetry, and the ambassador protagonist has been a student of the language before receiving her assignment, so the text is peppered with considerations on linguistics, poetry, double meanings, cultural misunderstandings... all insightful considerations, as seen by another long-time student of languages and literature. The way Teixcalaani poetry, culture and identity interweave is one of the highlights of the book.

I also enjoyed the inventiveness of the world-building. At the core of the story is the concept of immortality, something humankind has long been after, and to which the two civilisations interacting in the book have given radically different answers. Lsel, where the protagonist comes from, has 'imago-machines,' a device designed to record a person's entire mind and destined to be fitted into another brain, so that in time, the two personalities integrate and become on (culminating in 'imago-lines,' people who have this received the knowledge and wisdom of several generations of recipients of an imago-machine). On the other hand, the empire of Teixcalaan considers that sort of neurological enhancement as immoral, but immortalises people and events through poetry, an art almost all citizens are trained in. Thus the meeting between Teixcalaan and Lsel is more than a simple cultural clash: it's the meeting of two opposite ontologies, which do not even share a definition of what the 'self' is. This could easily have turned pedantic, but Martine makes it work beautifully.

Another characteristic I found that book shared with Delany's writing was the more leisurely pace. This is not to say that this book is emotionless or devoid of suspense, but I found that I needed to take breaks, every now and then, to take it all in. It was a demanding intellectual experience, and as a consequence, the emotional depth took a little longer to become apparent than in other novels I've read recently. It was there, however, and by the end I couldn't put the book down. I usually tend to be attracted to stories where the gut-wrenching element is revealed earlier, but this was deeply engaging and satisfying nonetheless.

Will definitely read the sequel as soon as it's released, which is not something I've been writing often lately.
]]> 15797394 Something is wrong in Aquae Sulis, Bath’s secret mirror city.

The new season is starting and the Master of Ceremonies is missing. Max, an Arbiter of the Split Worlds Treaty, is assigned with the task of finding him with no one to help but a dislocated soul and a mad sorcerer.

There is a witness but his memories have been bound by magical chains only the enemy can break. A rebellious woman trying to escape her family may prove to be the ally Max needs.

But can she be trusted? And why does she want to give up eternal youth and the life of privilege she’s been born into?]]> 384 Emma Newman 0857663208 ��é�������� 3 fantasy
An important note: this isn't a standalone book. Plenty of threads still hang loose when you reach the end. Not sure I'll pick up the next book, however; this was fun, but I think I could find the same pleasure in pretty much any other decently written book out there. I wish the exposition had been less long and it had cut to the more interesting parts sooner. Oh well. I still had a good time reading it!]]> 3.66 2013
author: Emma Newman
name: ���������
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2019/09/18
date added: 2019/09/22
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a fun read, though not an unforgettable one. I drifted through most of the first half. It was pleasant enough: fairies and their servants, stiffling Victorian social conventions, a nice dose of humour... I think I could have loved this book, if it hadn't taken so long to come together. There's a soulless investigator and a talking gargoyle, a heroine who'd rather play video games than make her début at the next social season, a multiverse... My problem was that much of the book is concerned with how the heroine will escape her horrifyingly Victorian family and the marriage they've arranged for her. While that was a sympathetic conflict, I felt it was a little easy to pit Victorian values against our own and say they were bad for women. I was much more interested by a male character in the second half who genuinely wanted to help the heroine, but kept being tripped by his own sexist values.

An important note: this isn't a standalone book. Plenty of threads still hang loose when you reach the end. Not sure I'll pick up the next book, however; this was fun, but I think I could find the same pleasure in pretty much any other decently written book out there. I wish the exposition had been less long and it had cut to the more interesting parts sooner. Oh well. I still had a good time reading it!
]]> 162898
Written in 1889, Mark 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' is one of literature's first genre mash-ups and one of the first works to feature time travel. It is one of the best known Twain stories, and also one of his most unique. Twain uses the work to launch a social commentary on contemporary society, a thinly veiled critique of the contemporary times despite the Old World setting.

While the dark pessimism that would fully blossom in Twain's later works can be discerned in 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, ' the novel will nevertheless be remembered primarily for its wild leaps of imagination, brilliant wit, and entertaining storytelling.]]> 480 Mark Twain ��������� 3 english-literature 3.80 1889
author: Mark Twain
name: ���������
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1889
rating: 3
read at: 2019/06/03
date added: 2019/06/06
shelves: english-literature
review:
This book had a slow start (at least for this modern reader), and a few chapters in, I feared that it would have aged a bit too much to be fully enjoyable today. The satiregets more complex as the narratives moves forward, however. While the story starts out as a very conventional tale of a 'civilised' man patronising a society of 'savages.' Indeed the representation of Mediaeval England is completely lacking in nuances: the best of them are beyond stupid, superstition and obscurantism dominate society... However, as the book moves on, it becomes clearer that it really aims to criticise the influence of the Church and the powers in place, and how they can keep the people down, socially, economically and intellectually.
]]> 41458663
Danio's fate changed the moment he saw and recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one autumn night--intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen, instead of a life of comfort, one of danger--and freedom. Which is how she encounters Danio in a perilous time and place.

Vivid figures share the unfolding story. Among them: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a powerful religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting all these lives and many more,  two larger-than-life mercenary commanders, lifelong adversaries, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance.

A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.]]> 423 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451472985 ��������� 5 fantasy
All the characters in this books are beautifully humanised. Some of them only get into the spotlight for a couple of pages, so that if you are used to a more traditional way of telling stories, you might wonder what is the point of their being mentioned at all. The point is that there are no villains or nameless crowds. One character who might appear as a temporary antagonist is the focus of his own storyline as soon as you've started rooting for his defeat, so that you stop wishing he'd lose and instead enter a much more complex relationship to all the characters (it's far less simple to engage with a narrative if you clearly feel that both sides would be worth rooting for, that losing has implications for all characters implied, not solely for the named ones). Another character has only two sections written from his viewpoint, but he brings life to the nameless crowd of spectators in a race, showing that none of those people are unimportant, even if the story can't dwell on them.

The main event is the imminent fall of Sarantium, yet it is hardly shown at all. Nonetheless, it informs the entire novel, by creating an atmosphere of restlessness, of upcoming chaos. When the end of that arc comes... I'm not going to spoil anything, but I cried a little.

It is an unusual novel, weaving back and forth between the past and present, with an unusual voice dominating the narrative (a first person narrator reminiscing about his past, with something of an obsession with choices and chance and what made his life turn out that way), and an extensive cast of supportive characters, all of which are equally engaging, even if we meet them only for a short time. It very successfully shows the other side of history, the part about the people who don't really care what side will win in the end, but who try instead to make a living in troubled times. It has an epic quality to it, but above all, it is profoundly human. That is perhaps its greatest success: showing that the little ones, the unimportant ones, can also have their own epics, and don't belong only in trite or drab narratives. ]]> 4.12 2019
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/21
date added: 2019/05/22
shelves: fantasy
review:
A truly wonderful story about those who aren't heroes of stories. The protagonists are the secondary characters, the ones of the sidelines that stories don't normally pay attention to. In fact, the hero is literally [spoilers removed] But that is precisely the point: to show that, even while world-changing events are taking place, no one, however small, is unimportant or expendable.

All the characters in this books are beautifully humanised. Some of them only get into the spotlight for a couple of pages, so that if you are used to a more traditional way of telling stories, you might wonder what is the point of their being mentioned at all. The point is that there are no villains or nameless crowds. One character who might appear as a temporary antagonist is the focus of his own storyline as soon as you've started rooting for his defeat, so that you stop wishing he'd lose and instead enter a much more complex relationship to all the characters (it's far less simple to engage with a narrative if you clearly feel that both sides would be worth rooting for, that losing has implications for all characters implied, not solely for the named ones). Another character has only two sections written from his viewpoint, but he brings life to the nameless crowd of spectators in a race, showing that none of those people are unimportant, even if the story can't dwell on them.

The main event is the imminent fall of Sarantium, yet it is hardly shown at all. Nonetheless, it informs the entire novel, by creating an atmosphere of restlessness, of upcoming chaos. When the end of that arc comes... I'm not going to spoil anything, but I cried a little.

It is an unusual novel, weaving back and forth between the past and present, with an unusual voice dominating the narrative (a first person narrator reminiscing about his past, with something of an obsession with choices and chance and what made his life turn out that way), and an extensive cast of supportive characters, all of which are equally engaging, even if we meet them only for a short time. It very successfully shows the other side of history, the part about the people who don't really care what side will win in the end, but who try instead to make a living in troubled times. It has an epic quality to it, but above all, it is profoundly human. That is perhaps its greatest success: showing that the little ones, the unimportant ones, can also have their own epics, and don't belong only in trite or drab narratives.
]]> 92780 233 Stella Gibbons 0143039598 ��������� 4 3.89 1932
author: Stella Gibbons
name: ���������
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1932
rating: 4
read at: 2019/05/01
date added: 2019/05/21
shelves:
review:
The start was a little slow, but once you get into it, it's a fun and endearing book. Reminded me of The Canterville Ghost somewhat (the gothic setting doesn't resist the pragmatic heroine).
]]> 13707720
]]> 293 P.G. Wodehouse 0393343057 ��������� 4 4.24 1923
author: P.G. Wodehouse
name: ���������
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1923
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2019/05/21
shelves:
review:
I laughed aloud a few times! A light-hearted but intricate plot, reminiscent of screwball comedies. Wonderful humour. The story is of absolutely no consequence, but it was lots of fun.
]]> 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 ��������� 4
The plot is straightforward, following the lives of two women who end up marrying the same man. It also closely follow the history of Afghanistan, from the point of view of moderately educated civilians (the information we get is what the get). ]]> 4.44 2007
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: ���������
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/05/16
shelves:
review:
Perhaps not the greatest literary feat of all times, but a very fine book nonetheless. The characters are simple, yet not quite one-dimensional: for instance, Rasheed, the abusive husband, initially appears to be capable of kind, caring gestures, and is portrayed as a man driven to horrendous extremes of cruelty by the absolute power he woelds over women, rather than an evil man in himself. Mariam, the so-called uneducated country girl, is nonetheless and knows the Quran quite well; Laila, the younger, city-bred girl from a progressive family, is not free from internalised stereotypes. This was a welcome touch. The story is extremely harsh, and might easily sound like a caricature if the characters were too stereotypical (though as far as I know, the reality of life for women in Afghanistan was for a long time utterly awful, not necessarily in shades of grey).

The plot is straightforward, following the lives of two women who end up marrying the same man. It also closely follow the history of Afghanistan, from the point of view of moderately educated civilians (the information we get is what the get).
]]> 85893 312 Samuel R. Delany 081956298X ��������� 4 science-fiction
The hero, Bron, is pulled in both directions: he refuses the idea of being a type, and yearns to be recognised as an individual; at the same time, he reads people around him as types, first and foremost. The question of shifting categories is also explored: is it at all possible, the novel asks, for a man to become a woman if the category 'woman' cannot be found in miniature in the individual? In the end, having concluded that the world needed the quintessential qualities of traditional manhood but couldn't have them because men and women had become too similar, Bron renounces being a man and chooses instead to become the sort of quintessential woman he believes would be a perfect counterpart to the ideal man he wishes to find in the world. However, in doing so, she cuts herself from society at large: she is, in the words of her therapist, a woman who was entirely imagined by a man (and therefore... not a real, individual).

The novel doesn't offer a solution to this paradox, only long, often compelling discussions of the tensions between social dynamics and individual uniqueness. On an intellectual level, it was quite fascinating. However, I must say there wasn't much pleasure to be found in the narrative itself. It is slow-paced, focused on the inconsequential events of its self-centred (if highly complex) hero. I enjoyed the social speculation, mulling over what it means to be a 'type,' or not, in a (more or less) libertarian society that's supposedly free of social constraints (though people still yearn for them in many ways). I wish I had been a little more awed at the world-building, or carried away by the plot. ]]> 3.75 1976
author: Samuel R. Delany
name: ���������
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2019/05/16
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Not as compelling as Dhalgren; this one feels more like a shorter version of the Return to Nevèrÿon cycle, in a less striking world, perhaps. There is a hefty helping of theory with the fiction, much of it having to do with the interactions between the individual and the social. The plot explores the theme of 'types', or, how much individuals are determined by social forces. In other words: is a man primarily 'a man' among many others, reproducing on his own, minute scales the trends of masculinity that can be observed in society at large; or is he first and foremost an individual, in whom it would be useless to try and read broader social dynamics?

The hero, Bron, is pulled in both directions: he refuses the idea of being a type, and yearns to be recognised as an individual; at the same time, he reads people around him as types, first and foremost. The question of shifting categories is also explored: is it at all possible, the novel asks, for a man to become a woman if the category 'woman' cannot be found in miniature in the individual? In the end, having concluded that the world needed the quintessential qualities of traditional manhood but couldn't have them because men and women had become too similar, Bron renounces being a man and chooses instead to become the sort of quintessential woman he believes would be a perfect counterpart to the ideal man he wishes to find in the world. However, in doing so, she cuts herself from society at large: she is, in the words of her therapist, a woman who was entirely imagined by a man (and therefore... not a real, individual).

The novel doesn't offer a solution to this paradox, only long, often compelling discussions of the tensions between social dynamics and individual uniqueness. On an intellectual level, it was quite fascinating. However, I must say there wasn't much pleasure to be found in the narrative itself. It is slow-paced, focused on the inconsequential events of its self-centred (if highly complex) hero. I enjoyed the social speculation, mulling over what it means to be a 'type,' or not, in a (more or less) libertarian society that's supposedly free of social constraints (though people still yearn for them in many ways). I wish I had been a little more awed at the world-building, or carried away by the plot.
]]> 1848 9780743246989

The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten million copies sold around the world, now with a new introduction from the author.

An engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love, Jung Chang describes the extraordinary lives and experiences of her family members: her grandmother, a warlord’s concubine; her mother’s struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents�� experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a “barefoot doctor,�� a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving—and ultimately uplifting—detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history.]]> 562 Jung Chang ��é�������� 0 non-fiction
This book also gave me a lot to mull over, as a leftist myself. It is hard not to notice how patterns that yielded horrific results in China still exist today in some circles, albeit in edulcorated form. For instance, the compulsory practice of 'self-criticism' by those who were designated as 'class enemies' (because they came from wealthy families, for instance, or sometimes just because someone in their family happened to have bought a farm after earning a little money) is not so different from the most extreme demands that white/male/cis etc. people 'check their privilege' and, if possible, refrain from expressing an opinion (because they can't possibly have an informed opinion on social justice) but also from asking questions (because they should already know/Google is their friend/it's not the job of marginalised people to educate them). Indeed, the mechanisms of decreeing that some people are automatically suspect because they are 'class enemies' isn't that different from splitting the world into 'privilege' and 'oppressed' at all... Note that I am NOT, at all, pointing this out to say that 'SJWs' are going to ruin the world, or even are wrong. We NEED people to fight for social justice! But we also need to take a step back and recognise that some ideas may seem sound in theory, but can have awful results in practice. I've been called a SJW myself, and I think that this book is all the more necessary for those of us with strong leftist sympathies, just so we don't lose perspective (which is easy to do when having theoretical debates).

I'd add that, while written in a simple style, it is nonetheless an extremely well-written book that never spends a line on irrelevant details, and depicts real people with beautiful depth and insight. ]]> 4.28 1991
author: Jung Chang
name: ���������
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This should be a must-read for anyone interested in history, the history of idea, and contemporary politics. This book depicts the impact of the Communist revolution in China through three generations of a family. What makes it particularly valuable, I think, is that it is written with extraordinary insight by the daughter of Communist officials. It is not an indictment of Communism based on political principles, but a memoir relating how and why Communism first appealed to the Chinese people, then how it went wrong. I particularly appreciated that there is no discussion of the principles themselves, whether to defend them (by stating that the ideas were good but were not applied in the right way) or to condemn them (and state that Communism was a wrong-headed philosophy in the first place). Indeed, upon reading this book, the only conclusion that comes to mind is that both positions are useless simplifications. It doesn't matter whether the principles of Communism were right or wrong; what matters is that any political philosophy, when it comes to govern a country, is applied by individuals with their own aspirations, dreams or rancours. As such, the ideology inevitable comes to matter less than the practical aspect of government.

This book also gave me a lot to mull over, as a leftist myself. It is hard not to notice how patterns that yielded horrific results in China still exist today in some circles, albeit in edulcorated form. For instance, the compulsory practice of 'self-criticism' by those who were designated as 'class enemies' (because they came from wealthy families, for instance, or sometimes just because someone in their family happened to have bought a farm after earning a little money) is not so different from the most extreme demands that white/male/cis etc. people 'check their privilege' and, if possible, refrain from expressing an opinion (because they can't possibly have an informed opinion on social justice) but also from asking questions (because they should already know/Google is their friend/it's not the job of marginalised people to educate them). Indeed, the mechanisms of decreeing that some people are automatically suspect because they are 'class enemies' isn't that different from splitting the world into 'privilege' and 'oppressed' at all... Note that I am NOT, at all, pointing this out to say that 'SJWs' are going to ruin the world, or even are wrong. We NEED people to fight for social justice! But we also need to take a step back and recognise that some ideas may seem sound in theory, but can have awful results in practice. I've been called a SJW myself, and I think that this book is all the more necessary for those of us with strong leftist sympathies, just so we don't lose perspective (which is easy to do when having theoretical debates).

I'd add that, while written in a simple style, it is nonetheless an extremely well-written book that never spends a line on irrelevant details, and depicts real people with beautiful depth and insight.
]]> 18803640
When her father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. She buys Mabel for £800 on a Scottish quayside and takes her home to Cambridge. Then she fills the freezer with hawk food and unplugs the phone, ready to embark on the long, strange business of trying to train this wildest of animals.

Destined to be a classic of nature writing, "H is for Hawk" is a record of a spiritual journey - an unflinchingly honest account of Macdonald's struggle with grief during the difficult process of the hawk's taming and her own untaming. At the same time, it's a kaleidoscopic biography of the brilliant and troubled novelist T. H. White, best known for "The Once and Future King." It's a book about memory, nature and nation, and how it might be possible to try to reconcile death with life and love.]]> 300 Helen Macdonald 0224097008 ��������� 4 english-literature 3.73 2014
author: Helen Macdonald
name: ���������
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves: english-literature
review:
Beautiful writing. The descriptions of the hawk flying, hunting or fleeig in fright gave me goosebumps. There is an awareness of the beauty of nature in this book which I greatly enjoyed (as well, thankfully, as an awareness of the very paradoxical place of the hunter, professing to love nature yet killing animals for sport in a world where wildlife is already scarce).
]]> 74406 252 Robertson Davies 0141181362 ��������� 5 english-literature
One point I particularly enjoyed was how far the characters in this book are from being types. They are truly individuals, all of them, and as a result, the evolution of the story is nearly impossible to predict, from start to finish. This captures the unpredictability of real life, while, paradoxically, enhancing the surprising connections between the lives of the various characters. One character is shown to be uptight and uncaring, but for no discernible reason decides to selflessly help a neighbour; another flees his hometown and seems to renege it, only to come back to it in vengeance in the end; another straddles the thin line between wise woman and madwoman, and it remains impossible, to the end, to decide which one she was.

The protagonist tells his story to the headmaster of his school; throughout the novel, I wondered why that was (there is no other connection between those two characters). In fact, it is only in the end that many seemingly disjointed events come together, and completely transform the meaning of the whole. It is then that the structure of the work, which may appear meandering at first glance, suddenly makes sense. The quest for meaning of the protagonist (who is obsessed with saints after being convinced that he has encountered one in real life) takes on a whole other dimension: after looking for makers of miracles, he is revealed to be the one who makes things happen, though he is the farthest thing you could imagine from a saint. Unlike his magician friend, who conjures illusions out of thin air, he hides the part he played in various events to all including himself, through the entire book.

A surprising, deceptive and multi-layered novel.]]> 4.06 1970
author: Robertson Davies
name: ���������
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1970
rating: 5
read at: 2019/03/01
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves: english-literature
review:
A very original book about the unremarkable life of a man who found himself playing a pivotal part in the lives of others, in spite of himself. It paints a rather grim picture of rural Canada in the early 20th century, and explores the lives of marginals, lunatics and circus performers navigating this world.

One point I particularly enjoyed was how far the characters in this book are from being types. They are truly individuals, all of them, and as a result, the evolution of the story is nearly impossible to predict, from start to finish. This captures the unpredictability of real life, while, paradoxically, enhancing the surprising connections between the lives of the various characters. One character is shown to be uptight and uncaring, but for no discernible reason decides to selflessly help a neighbour; another flees his hometown and seems to renege it, only to come back to it in vengeance in the end; another straddles the thin line between wise woman and madwoman, and it remains impossible, to the end, to decide which one she was.

The protagonist tells his story to the headmaster of his school; throughout the novel, I wondered why that was (there is no other connection between those two characters). In fact, it is only in the end that many seemingly disjointed events come together, and completely transform the meaning of the whole. It is then that the structure of the work, which may appear meandering at first glance, suddenly makes sense. The quest for meaning of the protagonist (who is obsessed with saints after being convinced that he has encountered one in real life) takes on a whole other dimension: after looking for makers of miracles, he is revealed to be the one who makes things happen, though he is the farthest thing you could imagine from a saint. Unlike his magician friend, who conjures illusions out of thin air, he hides the part he played in various events to all including himself, through the entire book.

A surprising, deceptive and multi-layered novel.
]]> 104085
The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne.

To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to eradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south.

Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come.]]> 512 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451458974 ��������� 4 fantasy
The world is more complex than it seems. With two radically different cultures warring (one that despises women, one that celebrates them), it initially seems like a rather black-and-white conflict. However, it becomes apparent that their most dramatic differences are the product of propaganda, rather than reality. Arbonne may celebrate women in songs, but the power wielded by women there is more symbolic than real (they have no say in who they marry, as they are still used as pawns to cement alliances between families, for instance). As for Gorhaut, its laws concerning women may be brutal, but this doesn't prevent women there from achieving a measure of agency. If not for religious fanatics, the war between the two would't be inevitable.

Though a very good novel, this is not, for me, one of Kay's best. It lacks both the sheer epic scope of Tigana, and the moral and symbolic complexity of his later work. It was a quick read, but felt shorter than its actual length, possibly because, while not outright manichaean, it's not as complex and intricately constructed as other books I've read from him. Lastly, although it tackles some issues fairly sensitively for a book released in the early 90's, its portrayal of some (homosexuality and women's sexual agency, in particular) might rub some contemporary readers the wrong way. Nothing I'd call offensive, but readers who are particularly sensitive to these questions had best be warned beforehand.

'Not the best' from a great author is still very good, however. This may not be the novel I'd recommend to someone unacquainted with Kay's work, but I had a great time reading it.]]> 4.24 1992
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2019/05/13
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a very enjoyable book, with beautifully crafted world-building and memorable characters (including, and that's a rare thing, a thoroughly horrible villain, who manages to be both unambiguously evil and a rounded character). Though the troubadours are not actually the main subject of the plot, the complexity of their world, of their codes, art and aspirations, comes alive through their pervasive presence in the novel.

The world is more complex than it seems. With two radically different cultures warring (one that despises women, one that celebrates them), it initially seems like a rather black-and-white conflict. However, it becomes apparent that their most dramatic differences are the product of propaganda, rather than reality. Arbonne may celebrate women in songs, but the power wielded by women there is more symbolic than real (they have no say in who they marry, as they are still used as pawns to cement alliances between families, for instance). As for Gorhaut, its laws concerning women may be brutal, but this doesn't prevent women there from achieving a measure of agency. If not for religious fanatics, the war between the two would't be inevitable.

Though a very good novel, this is not, for me, one of Kay's best. It lacks both the sheer epic scope of Tigana, and the moral and symbolic complexity of his later work. It was a quick read, but felt shorter than its actual length, possibly because, while not outright manichaean, it's not as complex and intricately constructed as other books I've read from him. Lastly, although it tackles some issues fairly sensitively for a book released in the early 90's, its portrayal of some (homosexuality and women's sexual agency, in particular) might rub some contemporary readers the wrong way. Nothing I'd call offensive, but readers who are particularly sensitive to these questions had best be warned beforehand.

'Not the best' from a great author is still very good, however. This may not be the novel I'd recommend to someone unacquainted with Kay's work, but I had a great time reading it.
]]> 8127 Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family�� and, most of all, love.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JENNIFER LEE CARELL]]> 320 L.M. Montgomery 0451528824 ��������� 4 english-literature
The sequels are pleasant enough to read, but no match for the story of Anne as a young girl.]]> 4.30 1908
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: ���������
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1908
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/01
date added: 2019/05/13
shelves: english-literature
review:
Such a delightful book! Anne is lovely and endearing, and there is just enough humour for it not to sound cutesy. Of course it's not a book written by a modern author with modern sensibilities, but I enjoyed it a lot, quaintness and all.

The sequels are pleasant enough to read, but no match for the story of Anne as a young girl.
]]> 43545 639 T.H. White 0441627404 ��������� 4 fantasy
The novel starts like a light, humorous parody of Arthurian legends. There soon emerges a painful quality to the humour, however. Arthur is not very bright, the knights are on absurd quests, Merlyn is sorry to meet him because, as he experiences time backwards, it means that they must part very soon... there always is something uneasy behind the lightness. That's only for the first part (The Sword in the Stone), however. The second, The Queen of Air and Darkness, is outright painful. Central to it is a nightmarish description of child neglect and abuse, and its psychological consequences. In fact, I ended up enjoying the last two parts more, even though humour deserts the story altogether and it veers into tragedy before the end.

The closer you move to the end, moreover, the closer the story grows to the real world, with metaphors of modern nationalism and misguided political idealism (up until the end, where Mordred turns into Hitler). I found the seriousness more compelling than the humour, possibly because tragedy can be easier to handle than the pervasive sense of misery and wrongness if the first half.

The misogyny mars the whole a little, but only a little. Women are not the central point of the story (luckily), and no character is conceived as fully realistic anyway, so I was annoyed but not overly bothered by the descriptions of repulsive middle-aged women, shrieking harpies and stupid wives. I'm still convinced you can describe an angry woman without lovingly expound on how hideous she becomes when she loses her temper, but as I said, this is in no way central to the story.]]> 4.07 1958
author: T.H. White
name: ���������
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/01
date added: 2019/05/10
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was not the reading experience I was expecting. I thought I was in for an entertaining, page-turning romp; not at all what I got in the end, but I'm still not disappointed.

The novel starts like a light, humorous parody of Arthurian legends. There soon emerges a painful quality to the humour, however. Arthur is not very bright, the knights are on absurd quests, Merlyn is sorry to meet him because, as he experiences time backwards, it means that they must part very soon... there always is something uneasy behind the lightness. That's only for the first part (The Sword in the Stone), however. The second, The Queen of Air and Darkness, is outright painful. Central to it is a nightmarish description of child neglect and abuse, and its psychological consequences. In fact, I ended up enjoying the last two parts more, even though humour deserts the story altogether and it veers into tragedy before the end.

The closer you move to the end, moreover, the closer the story grows to the real world, with metaphors of modern nationalism and misguided political idealism (up until the end, where Mordred turns into Hitler). I found the seriousness more compelling than the humour, possibly because tragedy can be easier to handle than the pervasive sense of misery and wrongness if the first half.

The misogyny mars the whole a little, but only a little. Women are not the central point of the story (luckily), and no character is conceived as fully realistic anyway, so I was annoyed but not overly bothered by the descriptions of repulsive middle-aged women, shrieking harpies and stupid wives. I'm still convinced you can describe an angry woman without lovingly expound on how hideous she becomes when she loses her temper, but as I said, this is in no way central to the story.
]]> 39359728 “Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.�� —Hilary Mantel

In myth, Theseus was the slayer of the child-devouring Minotaur in Crete. What the founder-hero might have been in real life is another question, brilliantly explored in The King Must Die. Drawing on modern scholarship and archaeological findings at Knossos, Mary Renault’s Theseus is an utterly lifelike figure—a king of immense charisma, whose boundless strivings flow from strength and weakness—but also one steered by implacable prophecy.

The story follows Theseus’s adventures from Troizen to Eleusis, where the death in the book’s title is to take place, and from Athens to Crete, where he learns to jump bulls and is named king of the victims. Richly imbued with the spirit of its time, this is a page-turner as well as a daring act of imagination.

Renault’s story of Theseus continues with the sequel The Bull from the Sea.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author.
]]> 354 Mary Renault 1480433128 ��������� 4 english-literature
Indeed, at times, the novel and its sequel read like a Who's Who of Greek mythology. Many important figures come and go, in a sort of game between writer and reader (after a few chapters, you start trying to guess in advance who that new character is: Meleager, Jason, OEdipus, Procrustes, Achilles, Orpheus, the Centaurs... even Stonehenge is mentioned in passing). Instead of a realistic reconstitution, we get treated to a condensed version of the founding myths of the Greek civilisation, as we see the civilisation itself emerge, its religion and people taking shape little by little.

As history, some parts might sound dated to the modern reader. The basic concept is that Theseus imposes the cult of male sky-gods all over Greece, replacing the ancient (and often savage) cult of the Mother Goddess, and the matriarchal societies built around it. To modern sensibilities, this is a slightly out-of-date, overly neat interpretation. Still, Theseus's story is extremely compelling, and the world showcased is wonderfully alive. It builds a great picture of civilisation just emerging, of the turning point between prehistory and history.]]> 3.92 1958
author: Mary Renault
name: ���������
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/01
date added: 2019/05/10
shelves: english-literature
review:
An extremely enjoyable retelling of the myth of Theseus. Its great forte is that it seamlessly combines the reader's modern point of view with what the author imagines to be the ancient one. In other words, the novel can be read as a realistic reconstitution of Bronze Age Greece; but it can just as easily be read from the point of view of a religious person of the time, with a religious interpretation. Renault tried to imagine the historical events which could have given rise to the myth of Theseus. It soon becomes obvious, however, that this is not an attempt at speculating about what really happened, rather than a way of transposing myth into a language modern readers speak more fluently, that of history.

Indeed, at times, the novel and its sequel read like a Who's Who of Greek mythology. Many important figures come and go, in a sort of game between writer and reader (after a few chapters, you start trying to guess in advance who that new character is: Meleager, Jason, OEdipus, Procrustes, Achilles, Orpheus, the Centaurs... even Stonehenge is mentioned in passing). Instead of a realistic reconstitution, we get treated to a condensed version of the founding myths of the Greek civilisation, as we see the civilisation itself emerge, its religion and people taking shape little by little.

As history, some parts might sound dated to the modern reader. The basic concept is that Theseus imposes the cult of male sky-gods all over Greece, replacing the ancient (and often savage) cult of the Mother Goddess, and the matriarchal societies built around it. To modern sensibilities, this is a slightly out-of-date, overly neat interpretation. Still, Theseus's story is extremely compelling, and the world showcased is wonderfully alive. It builds a great picture of civilisation just emerging, of the turning point between prehistory and history.
]]> 36686547
A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow's Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow's Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The Shadow's Child with her.

As they dig deep into the victim's past, The Shadow's Child realises that the investigation points to Long Chau's own murky past--and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars...]]> 93 Aliette de Bodard 1596068647 ��������� 4 science-fiction
Unlike much SFF out there, this novella doesn't simply use Vietnaese culture as a decorative setting. Much of the plot draws from specifically Vietnamese elements. Amazing world-building!]]> 3.79 2018
author: Aliette de Bodard
name: ���������
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Sherlock Holmes in space with a spaceship as Watson, in a futuristic Vietnamese universe: that's a simplistic way of putting it, but this is more or less what this book is about! This is, however, a modernised version, putting more emphasis on feelings and the complex relationships between characters than on the mystery.

Unlike much SFF out there, this novella doesn't simply use Vietnaese culture as a decorative setting. Much of the plot draws from specifically Vietnamese elements. Amazing world-building!
]]> 30212107
Moving from the plains of Wyoming to Tennessee, Sebastian Barry’s latest work is a masterpiece of atmosphere and language. An intensely poignant story of two men and the makeshift family they create with a young Sioux girl, Winona, Days Without End is a fresh and haunting portrait of the most fateful years in American history and is a novel never to be forgotten.]]> 259 Sebastian Barry 0525427368 ��é�������� 4 english-literature
I also loved the fact that this novel defied expectations at every turn. Perhaps because of the subject matter, of the time period, or simply because the main characters are gay, I kept expecting tragedy to pop up and drive the plot into heart-wrenching, but relatively conventional directions (let's face it, when you have a historical novel featuring gay characters, you don't expect them to live long, happy lives... either because the author was lazy or because they wanted to expose the cruelty of the time). Yet the novel never veered into conventional twists of fate. It kept moving on quietly, describing one year after another in the lives of its less-than-conventional protagonists, and I kept wondering how it would end. ]]> 3.93 2016
author: Sebastian Barry
name: ���������
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2019/02/01
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: english-literature
review:
Gorgeous writing, extremely elaborate although the book is written entirely in dialect. The descriptions of nature, in particular, are arresting (like the description of a landscape as being brushed by the strokes of a painter). The depiction of the Indian wars and the Civil War are heartbreaking, deeply human. The heroes are not necessarily on the 'right' side; they're not on any side in particular, in fact, just living their life quietly and allowing the reader a glimpse of it, so candidly and simply that you feel like someone standing on tiptoe in the same room, not daring to breathe for fear of disturbing them.

I also loved the fact that this novel defied expectations at every turn. Perhaps because of the subject matter, of the time period, or simply because the main characters are gay, I kept expecting tragedy to pop up and drive the plot into heart-wrenching, but relatively conventional directions (let's face it, when you have a historical novel featuring gay characters, you don't expect them to live long, happy lives... either because the author was lazy or because they wanted to expose the cruelty of the time). Yet the novel never veered into conventional twists of fate. It kept moving on quietly, describing one year after another in the lives of its less-than-conventional protagonists, and I kept wondering how it would end.
]]> 32049 376 D.H. Lawrence 039460430X ��������� 3 english-literature
I'm glad I read this book. The author obviously knew how to make a forceful point; the use of laguage is disconcerting at first, but ultimately contributes to the intended bleak and somewhat chaotic atmosphere; and it's a striking (if pessimistic) picture of mentalities in the 1920's. It's a worthwhile read, for historical reasons.

Now it could also spark interesting discussions of why we still read classics. Is it because they can still teach us something? If so... I wonder what I was supposed to learn from this book. It's not just a story, it's a book making a number of points, over and over, and those points are... how can I put it. Let me give a brief sumary (though it may sound like a caricature, it's not one, sadly): the 1920's are a sad, depressing and decadent age because men are't real men anymore and women aren't real women, and everything is about money, meaning that the world is dominated by corrupt Jewish bankers (yes, there are indeed a few entirely irrelevant and gratuitous references to Jews). Fair enough, those points are finely made. Connie's husband has been unmanned by the war (because crippled); the whole romance between Connie and Oliver shows the various facets of what romance between a real man and a real woman should be like (with long explanations of how a real woman should be able to orgasm solely from the action of a man's penis and any woman who tells you otherwise is a disguised lesbian), and the world described, between coal mines and decaying aristocracy, is perfectly consistent. The question is: just because a point is well made, does that make it a worthwhile point?

Not sure you could fit an answer in a few sentences, but personally, I'd be tempted to say that if classic authors only repeat old, trite views about decadence and gender roles (there was nothing new in these views at the time, and there's still nothing original about them today, though ore than a few conservatives haven't got the memo yet), I'm probably going to look to less acclaimed novels for enlightenment. ]]> 3.56 1928
author: D.H. Lawrence
name: ���������
average rating: 3.56
book published: 1928
rating: 3
read at: 2019/02/01
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: english-literature
review:
So... I've just rated a reputed masterpiece 3 stars. Well.

I'm glad I read this book. The author obviously knew how to make a forceful point; the use of laguage is disconcerting at first, but ultimately contributes to the intended bleak and somewhat chaotic atmosphere; and it's a striking (if pessimistic) picture of mentalities in the 1920's. It's a worthwhile read, for historical reasons.

Now it could also spark interesting discussions of why we still read classics. Is it because they can still teach us something? If so... I wonder what I was supposed to learn from this book. It's not just a story, it's a book making a number of points, over and over, and those points are... how can I put it. Let me give a brief sumary (though it may sound like a caricature, it's not one, sadly): the 1920's are a sad, depressing and decadent age because men are't real men anymore and women aren't real women, and everything is about money, meaning that the world is dominated by corrupt Jewish bankers (yes, there are indeed a few entirely irrelevant and gratuitous references to Jews). Fair enough, those points are finely made. Connie's husband has been unmanned by the war (because crippled); the whole romance between Connie and Oliver shows the various facets of what romance between a real man and a real woman should be like (with long explanations of how a real woman should be able to orgasm solely from the action of a man's penis and any woman who tells you otherwise is a disguised lesbian), and the world described, between coal mines and decaying aristocracy, is perfectly consistent. The question is: just because a point is well made, does that make it a worthwhile point?

Not sure you could fit an answer in a few sentences, but personally, I'd be tempted to say that if classic authors only repeat old, trite views about decadence and gender roles (there was nothing new in these views at the time, and there's still nothing original about them today, though ore than a few conservatives haven't got the memo yet), I'm probably going to look to less acclaimed novels for enlightenment.
]]> 956323
« On fit encore quatre ou cinq pas en montant toujours, puis Dantès sentit qu'on le prenait par la tête et par les pieds et qu'on le balançait.
« Une, dirent les fossoyeurs.
- Deux.
- Trois ! »
En même temps, Dantès se sentit lancé, en effet, dans un vide énorme, traversant les airs comme un oiseau blessé, tombant, tombant toujours avec une épouvante qui lui glaçait le cœur. Quoique tiré en bas par quelque chose de pesant qui précipitait son vol rapide, il lui sembla que cette chute durait un siècle. Enfin, avec un bruit épouvantable, il entra comme une flèche dans une eau glacée qui lui fit pousser un cri, étouffé à l'instant même par l'immersion. Dantès avait été lancé dans la mer, au fond de laquelle l'entraînait un boulet de trente-six attaché à ses pieds.La mer est le cimetière du château d'If. »]]> 703 Alexandre Dumas ��é�������� 5 french-literature 4.52 1844
author: Alexandre Dumas
name: ���������
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1844
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: french-literature
review:
Plus marquant à mon sens que Les Trois Mousquetaires. Un héros romantique écrit avec le recul de l'époque romantique elle-même (Monte Cristo est censé être l'archétype du héros romantique fait corps). La métaphore christique omniprésente est couplée avec le thème de la vengeance (à côté de Monte Cristo, les héros vengeurs d'Hollywood qui font exploser la moitié du pays font figure de tous petits joueurs). Le plus intéressant reste le commentaire sur l'évolution de la société, et la place croissante prise par le capital. Monte Edmond Dantès rentre dans le jeu des arrivistes de son temps, mais utilise l'héritage des Lumières (incarnées par l'abbé Faria) pour les battre à plate couture sur leur propre terrain. On pourrait croire qu'il représente une sorte d'idéal de la société du XIXème siècle : un homme riche à millions, mais qui n'a pas laissé le succès détruire son âme. Il faut arriver à la fin pour avoir une vision un peu plus complexe des choses.
]]> 1397743 Mon nom est Sov Strochnis, scribe. Mon nom est Caracole le troubadour et Oroshi Melicerte, aéromaître. Je m’appelle aussi Golgoth, traceur de la Horde, Arval l’éclaireur et parfois même Larco lorsque je braconne l’azur à la cage volante. Ensemble, nous formons la Horde du Contrevent. Il en a existé trente-trois en huit siècles, toutes infructueuses. Je vous parle au nom de la trente-quatrième : sans doute l’ultime.]]> 736 Alain Damasio ��é�������� 5 science-fiction
Sur le plan du pur plaisir de la lecture, le roman peut être un peu long au démarrage, ou plutôt un peu trop rapide : on est d'emblée plongés en plein chaos, alors que la Horde affronte un ouragan, et les premières pages exigent de déchiffrer le fonctionnement de l'univers et du texte, tout à la fois (il faut comprendre que les signes de ponctuation en début de paragraphe désignent le narrateur !). Une fois l'habitude prise, cependant, la lecture est beaucoup plus fluide. On peut également reprocher au roman de ne pas s'être totalement donné les moyens de son ambition polyphonique : sur les 23 personnages, en réalité, seuls 4 ou 5 effectuent la majeure partie de la narration, et il peut être plus difficile de s'intéresser aux autres. C'est dommage, étant donné qu'ils s'annoncent tous fascinants dans la manière dont ils incarnent leur rôle au sein de la horde, jusqu'à devenir leur rôle. Cependant, la tension va crescendo, et les derniers chapitres risquent de ne laisser personne indifférent. ]]> 4.46 2004
author: Alain Damasio
name: ���������
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Malgré un début déconcertant, on comprend très vite comment ce roman a pu devenir en si peu de temps un classique de la fantasy française. L'univers est réduit à sa plus simple expression : une bande de terre balayée par le vent... qui paradoxalement acquiert une immense complexité, grâce aux personnages qui ne vivent que pour déchiffrer les différentes "formes" du vent, le comprendre et l'apprivoiser. Le jeu polyphonique (23 personnages désignés par des signes de ponctuation, avec changement de narrateur plus d'une fois par page en moyenne) fonctionne parfaitement, chaque personnage possédant sa propre voix, sa propre individualité. Enfin, la manière dont le langage prend corps dans la narration est l'un des principaux attraits du livre. Le vent est pensée et langage ; chaque souffle de vent est noté par un signe de ponctuation, tout comme les personnages ; chaque individu possède un "vif" (une sorte d'âme, en plus complexe) qu'on peut comprendre comme le vent fait corps (ou fait pensée, justement) ; les formes les plus complexes du vent acquièrent une conscience propre, comme le fait l'un des personnages les plus mémorables du livre (mais je ne veux pas vous spoiler !).

Sur le plan du pur plaisir de la lecture, le roman peut être un peu long au démarrage, ou plutôt un peu trop rapide : on est d'emblée plongés en plein chaos, alors que la Horde affronte un ouragan, et les premières pages exigent de déchiffrer le fonctionnement de l'univers et du texte, tout à la fois (il faut comprendre que les signes de ponctuation en début de paragraphe désignent le narrateur !). Une fois l'habitude prise, cependant, la lecture est beaucoup plus fluide. On peut également reprocher au roman de ne pas s'être totalement donné les moyens de son ambition polyphonique : sur les 23 personnages, en réalité, seuls 4 ou 5 effectuent la majeure partie de la narration, et il peut être plus difficile de s'intéresser aux autres. C'est dommage, étant donné qu'ils s'annoncent tous fascinants dans la manière dont ils incarnent leur rôle au sein de la horde, jusqu'à devenir leur rôle. Cependant, la tension va crescendo, et les derniers chapitres risquent de ne laisser personne indifférent.
]]> 34128219
Malcolm's father runs an inn called the Trout, on the banks of the river Thames, and all of Oxford passes through its doors. Malcolm and his dæmon, Asta, routinely overhear news and gossip, and the occasional scandal, but during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm catches wind of something new: intrigue.

He finds a secret message inquiring about a dangerous substance called Dust--and the spy it was intended for finds him.

When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, Malcolm sees suspicious characters everywhere; Lord Asriel, clearly on the run; enforcement agents from the Magisterium; an Egyptian named Coram with warnings just for Malcolm; and a beautiful woman with an evil monkey for a dæmon. All are asking about the same thing: a girl--just a baby--named Lyra.

Lyra is the kind of person who draws people in like magnets. And Malcolm will brave any danger, and make shocking sacrifices, to bring her safely through the storm.]]> 449 Philip Pullman 0375815309 ��������� 4 fantasy
This is primarily an adventure novel. You can read it as a standalone; it is primarily an adventure novel, that doesn't delve far into the philosophical implications of the first trilogy. The alethiometre is simply an artefact coveted by adventurers, and there's no in-depth discussion of what Daemons or Dust are. But that's all right. As adventure novels go, it's a very good examplar.]]> 4.11 2017
author: Philip Pullman
name: ���������
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/02/05
shelves: fantasy
review:
Not as complex as I remember His Dark Materials being, but quite gripping nonetheless. You wouldn't believe what Pullman can do with something as simple as two children going down a river in a canoe. Think of that scene in The Night of the Hunter when the two protagonists escape Robert Mitchum on the river (same eerie, oppressive atmosphere, same tension), add a layer of fantasy and turn it into a full-length novel, and you'll have an idea of what this book reads like.

This is primarily an adventure novel. You can read it as a standalone; it is primarily an adventure novel, that doesn't delve far into the philosophical implications of the first trilogy. The alethiometre is simply an artefact coveted by adventurers, and there's no in-depth discussion of what Daemons or Dust are. But that's all right. As adventure novels go, it's a very good examplar.
]]> 6440 Ivanhoe with his concerns about contemporary events.
Scott drew together the apparently opposing themes of historical reality and chivalric romance, social realism and high adventure, past and present.]]> 496 Walter Scott ��������� 4 english-literature 3.76 1819
author: Walter Scott
name: ���������
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1819
rating: 4
read at: 2018/12/01
date added: 2019/01/25
shelves: english-literature
review:
Very entertaining, often outright funny (at least if you can get past the antisemitism). May sound strangely modern to contemporary readers: plenty of allusions to the difference between the time of the narration and the time of writing, that have often been associated with postmodernism.
]]> 8680417
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780345524256]]> 310 Ben Aaronovitch ��������� 3 english-literature 3.88 2011
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: ���������
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2019/01/05
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: english-literature
review:
Enjoyable, light-hearted, forgettable fun. I enjoyed the world-building, with the many gods ruling London unseen. The tone sometimes reads a little like watching a one-man show, with a dozen jokes a page; fine if it's your kind of humour, possibly annoying, I believe, if not. I had a good time, but aside from this, there's not much to say.
]]> 42442129 few points in time where she can exercise free will. But when she is condemned to be buried alive in her
mother's tomb, she figures choice is no longer an issue.

She is wrong.

Siara doesn't know why her own mother wanted her dead, or why others at the royal court are determined to
save her. In her attempts to untangle the secrets swirling around her, she will discover that some choices were
taken from her before she was ever born. Now, only she can take them back—if she is brave enough to
confront a future she never believed possible.]]> 80 Leah Cypess 1942302835 ��������� 4 fantasy
In the end the story is not really about a princess in a fantasy world, but about choices, free will, and destiny. So it makes sense for the ending to suddenly take an unexpected direction, after what could be a classic beginning for a fantasy novel: like the idea of fate, literary expectations seem so obvious that readers often unconsciously take them for granted as they read. It made sense, therefore, for this novella to turn expectations on their head in the end. Good job!]]> 3.57 2018
author: Leah Cypess
name: ���������
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/10/01
date added: 2018/12/18
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was a lovely story, with great world-building and a compelling (if not exactly sympathetic) protagonist.Through much of the story I kept wondering how this would ever be a novella; most of it read like the start of a novel (one which I would have really enjoyed, I think!). However, it all made sense in the end, and indeed felt like a complete, worthwhile story, not a shortened novel.

In the end the story is not really about a princess in a fantasy world, but about choices, free will, and destiny. So it makes sense for the ending to suddenly take an unexpected direction, after what could be a classic beginning for a fantasy novel: like the idea of fate, literary expectations seem so obvious that readers often unconsciously take them for granted as they read. It made sense, therefore, for this novella to turn expectations on their head in the end. Good job!
]]> 13651 387 Ursula K. Le Guin ��������� 5 science-fiction
The individual story is not really the focus of this novel; the characters are not uninteresting, but they are far less developed than the world they live in. Through the hero, Shevek, we get to imagine what being born in an anarchist society would do to a human mind. The big achievement of this book is that it has very few blind spots. For instance, gender equality is explored in detail, as well as different types of sexuality, and the assumption that men are naturally more promiscuous than women (there is, indeed, one instance of what we would today call 'slut-shaming' that is directed solely at women, so I did find one blind spot; but it has little bearing on the plot at large, and this was the 70's after all). The interaction between the economic, the social and the private is explored in depth, with the story going back and forth between macro social structures and the private lives of its characters.

There is no conclusive thesis, either. Urras and Anarres are both imperfect worlds, and while one may be portrayed as slightly more desirable than the other, its difficulties are also acknowledged. Urras has a strict class system and the poor crave freedom and well-being, it is true, but real poverty is almost non-existent; people are generally happy and well-fed. On the contrary, people on Anarres live in very austere conditions; but they have a close-knit social structure to help those in need, and people don't starve there while others grow obese. This close-knit social structure brings its own tensions, as social control is extremely strong, and ends up amounting to unspoken rules and laws that carry their own penalties when breached. Paradoxically, Shevek is one among few people who actually wants to follow his own path regardless of what society demands of him, and he ends up suffering for it. While emphasising the power of culture and social norms to dictate our behaviour, the novel doesn't follow the idea that everything is cultural and that humans can easily form just about any type of society; it also acknowledges that there might also be natural impulses for comformity and dominance that come to complicate matters. No one, even on Anarres, is born a 'natural' anarchist. Children have to be taught, sometimes forcefully, how to live in that society, and don't always manage to remember those lessons, even as adults.

THis was a thoughtful and complex exploration of human politics, and though it was written decades ago, very little in it has aged.]]> 4.24 1974
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: ���������
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1974
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/14
date added: 2018/12/16
shelves: science-fiction
review:
An exploration of anarchism, following the point of view of a member of an anarchist society visiting the planet his ancestors fled from. The book alternates between chapters set on the anarchit planet (Anarres), depicting the protagonist's life since infancy, and the other one, split between a variety of societies that all, however, have governments of various types.

The individual story is not really the focus of this novel; the characters are not uninteresting, but they are far less developed than the world they live in. Through the hero, Shevek, we get to imagine what being born in an anarchist society would do to a human mind. The big achievement of this book is that it has very few blind spots. For instance, gender equality is explored in detail, as well as different types of sexuality, and the assumption that men are naturally more promiscuous than women (there is, indeed, one instance of what we would today call 'slut-shaming' that is directed solely at women, so I did find one blind spot; but it has little bearing on the plot at large, and this was the 70's after all). The interaction between the economic, the social and the private is explored in depth, with the story going back and forth between macro social structures and the private lives of its characters.

There is no conclusive thesis, either. Urras and Anarres are both imperfect worlds, and while one may be portrayed as slightly more desirable than the other, its difficulties are also acknowledged. Urras has a strict class system and the poor crave freedom and well-being, it is true, but real poverty is almost non-existent; people are generally happy and well-fed. On the contrary, people on Anarres live in very austere conditions; but they have a close-knit social structure to help those in need, and people don't starve there while others grow obese. This close-knit social structure brings its own tensions, as social control is extremely strong, and ends up amounting to unspoken rules and laws that carry their own penalties when breached. Paradoxically, Shevek is one among few people who actually wants to follow his own path regardless of what society demands of him, and he ends up suffering for it. While emphasising the power of culture and social norms to dictate our behaviour, the novel doesn't follow the idea that everything is cultural and that humans can easily form just about any type of society; it also acknowledges that there might also be natural impulses for comformity and dominance that come to complicate matters. No one, even on Anarres, is born a 'natural' anarchist. Children have to be taught, sometimes forcefully, how to live in that society, and don't always manage to remember those lessons, even as adults.

THis was a thoughtful and complex exploration of human politics, and though it was written decades ago, very little in it has aged.
]]> 35036409 My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighbourhood, a city and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her two protagonists.]]> 331 Elena Ferrante ��é�������� 5
The story is centred on two friends. Who the brilliant one is becomes less obvious as one progresses into the text. Most of all, however, it is the story of one friend as told by the other, who sees her, in many ways, as her dark self: scary, repulsive, yet still a part of herself that she loves. Through these two mirrored characters, the author tells the story of Italian social classes, how language and origin determine a person's fate. The struggle of the protagonist to become her own person seems, at first, to be intimately linked to her often destructive friendship, yet appears to depend, most of all, on her status as a working-class person and as a woman, in a country that proves cruel to both. Class is not simply an economic factor but something much more complex, with cultural, geographic and affective components; most of all, it is never portrayed exactly as a ladder you can ascend, but rather as a juxtaposition of worlds. Elena's effort to rise in society cause her to both earn and lost status in the place where she was born, among the people who count most for her; ultimately the question of 'rising' becomes less and less obvious, as she finds that climbing the social ladder does nothing to end the private problems she would have faced if she had stayed in her old neighbourhood.

It soon becomes obvious that this is not a strictly realistic novel. For one thing, the cast of characters is very limited (despite the impression the first pages might give); romance, falling-outs, even murders all happen almost in a closed circle, among the same few families. At times, the story may even become reminiscent of soap operas, with couples forming and breaking up and private drama occurring within a small group of people, even as decades go by. The tortuous relationship between the two main characters soon appears more symbolic than realistic, as do many of the events that befall them. Realism lies in other areas, mostly in the depiction of class and politics in the second half of the 20th century in Italy. This blend of realism with blatantly romanticised fiction makes the novel all the more compelling. ]]> 4.08 2011
author: Elena Ferrante
name: ���������
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/01
date added: 2018/12/15
shelves:
review:
Rather than a series of four novels, this is (to me) a long novel in four episodes, so I'll review it as such. It was brilliant, intense, extremely engaging, and formally speaking, a successful blend of old and new storytelling: the classic story of the young, ambitious and talented poor person making a name for herself in the world re-told in a modern way (and at the same time, a realistic soap opera, which, surprisingly, worked very well).

The story is centred on two friends. Who the brilliant one is becomes less obvious as one progresses into the text. Most of all, however, it is the story of one friend as told by the other, who sees her, in many ways, as her dark self: scary, repulsive, yet still a part of herself that she loves. Through these two mirrored characters, the author tells the story of Italian social classes, how language and origin determine a person's fate. The struggle of the protagonist to become her own person seems, at first, to be intimately linked to her often destructive friendship, yet appears to depend, most of all, on her status as a working-class person and as a woman, in a country that proves cruel to both. Class is not simply an economic factor but something much more complex, with cultural, geographic and affective components; most of all, it is never portrayed exactly as a ladder you can ascend, but rather as a juxtaposition of worlds. Elena's effort to rise in society cause her to both earn and lost status in the place where she was born, among the people who count most for her; ultimately the question of 'rising' becomes less and less obvious, as she finds that climbing the social ladder does nothing to end the private problems she would have faced if she had stayed in her old neighbourhood.

It soon becomes obvious that this is not a strictly realistic novel. For one thing, the cast of characters is very limited (despite the impression the first pages might give); romance, falling-outs, even murders all happen almost in a closed circle, among the same few families. At times, the story may even become reminiscent of soap operas, with couples forming and breaking up and private drama occurring within a small group of people, even as decades go by. The tortuous relationship between the two main characters soon appears more symbolic than realistic, as do many of the events that befall them. Realism lies in other areas, mostly in the depiction of class and politics in the second half of the 20th century in Italy. This blend of realism with blatantly romanticised fiction makes the novel all the more compelling.
]]> 55399 Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series from Steven Erikson.

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.]]> 666 Steven Erikson 0765348780 ��������� 4 fantasy
It took me time to fully enjoy this novel, since, indeed, the reader receives no help at all from the author. For approximately half of the book, I struggled remembering who was who, why it mattered and (to be honest), I did wonder at times why I should care (there are very few descriptions, so at times it seems that the plot is moving in a sort of haze, and it's even more difficult to follow when you can't form a precise picture of what's going on). Then, as promised, the story starts decanting. Some characters and threads emerge as more important, links become clearer, underlying themes also start emerging. It requires patience, but it's a worthwhile read. I particularly enjoyed how a complex story about empires and gods ends up being told through the limited perception and concerns of human beings. Every character sees only a tiny part of the whole at a time, and they're not motivated by grand political or religious notions, but much more human questions: loyalty, belief, survival, friendships... In the end, the novel successfully shows how even huge political constructs and wars are the sum of a myriad of human beings all pulling in their own direction. Not only is it thematically successful, it is also very enjoyable, even though it's perhaps not the most relaxing read in the genre.. ]]> 3.91 1999
author: Steven Erikson
name: ���������
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/01
date added: 2018/12/13
shelves: fantasy
review:
This book was a very good surprise. I had read that it was supposed to be approached like an archeological dig, with countless details, places and names thrown at you in no particular order, leaving you to work out what happens little by little. Hard as it may seem to pull off, it works very well.

It took me time to fully enjoy this novel, since, indeed, the reader receives no help at all from the author. For approximately half of the book, I struggled remembering who was who, why it mattered and (to be honest), I did wonder at times why I should care (there are very few descriptions, so at times it seems that the plot is moving in a sort of haze, and it's even more difficult to follow when you can't form a precise picture of what's going on). Then, as promised, the story starts decanting. Some characters and threads emerge as more important, links become clearer, underlying themes also start emerging. It requires patience, but it's a worthwhile read. I particularly enjoyed how a complex story about empires and gods ends up being told through the limited perception and concerns of human beings. Every character sees only a tiny part of the whole at a time, and they're not motivated by grand political or religious notions, but much more human questions: loyalty, belief, survival, friendships... In the end, the novel successfully shows how even huge political constructs and wars are the sum of a myriad of human beings all pulling in their own direction. Not only is it thematically successful, it is also very enjoyable, even though it's perhaps not the most relaxing read in the genre..
]]> 23601046
Paris has survived the Great Houses War �� just. Its streets are lined with haunted ruins, Notre-Dame is a burnt-out shell, and the Seine runs black with ashes and rubble. Yet life continues among the wreckage. The citizens continue to live, love, fight and survive in their war-torn city, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over the once grand capital.

House Silverspires, previously the leader of those power games, lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls.

Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naive but powerful Fallen, a alchemist with a self-destructive addiction, and a resentful young man wielding spells from the Far East. They may be Silverspires�� salvation. They may be the architects of its last, irreversible fall…]]> 402 Aliette de Bodard 1473212553 ��é�������� 4 fantasy 3.36 2015
author: Aliette de Bodard
name: ���������
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/01
date added: 2018/12/13
shelves: fantasy
review:
A beautiful and evocative read, with a very Gothic urban fantasy setting, ambiguous characters and an unpredictable plot.
]]> 6650002 684 Jean-Philippe Jaworski 2915793646 ��������� 3 fantasy
Le problème est l'arrière-goût qu'il laisse, au début discret, puis de plus en plus agaçant au fur et à mesure de la lecture, jusqu'à devenir franchement pénible à la fin. Le héros, donc, est un personnage détestable, mesquin, psychopathe, et bien sûr, raciste et sexiste à souhait, cela va avec. Jusqu'ici tout va bien (à la limite, un livre qui associe "raciste/sexiste" et "détestable," ça reste bon signe). Le problème est que cette vision du monde du héros en vient à déteindre sur l'univers entier. Il méprise les Orientaux (à défaut de trouver un meilleur terme... disons, les habitants d'un empire fortement inspiré de la perse ou de l'empire Ottoman) ? Il se trouve que ceux-ci apparaissent justement, aux yeux du lecteur, comme veules, décadents, incapables de pensée individuelle. Il méprise les femmes ? Justement, celles-ci ne jouent aucun rôle dans le livre, à part prostituées et autres victimes de viol. Bref, le mauvais goût, qui est censé au départ n'être que celui du personnage, finit par gagner la perception du lecteur à chaque page. Et on finit par se demander pourquoi... Pour choquer, dans l'esprit réalisme sombre ? Pour jouer des clichés ? Dans les deux cas, cela paraît franchement trop facile. Dommage qu'un manifestement bon écrivain ne prenne pas le temps de distancier un peu plus son personnage de l'univers qu'il habite. Le parfum de complaisance finit par prendre aux narines.]]> 4.52 2009
author: Jean-Philippe Jaworski
name: ���������
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2017/03/01
date added: 2018/12/11
shelves: fantasy
review:
On ne peut pas enlever à Jaworski qu'il écrit très bien, un style très travaillé du littéraire à l'argot. L'intrigue rocambolesque est prenante, le monde foisonnant, le personnage principal parfaitement détestable mais néanmoins charismatique. C'est un livre qui peut se dévorer de la première à la dernière page, un univers (inspiré de l'Italie du XVème siècle) dans lequel on a envie de s'immerger. Cela pourrait être un grand roman de fantasy.

Le problème est l'arrière-goût qu'il laisse, au début discret, puis de plus en plus agaçant au fur et à mesure de la lecture, jusqu'à devenir franchement pénible à la fin. Le héros, donc, est un personnage détestable, mesquin, psychopathe, et bien sûr, raciste et sexiste à souhait, cela va avec. Jusqu'ici tout va bien (à la limite, un livre qui associe "raciste/sexiste" et "détestable," ça reste bon signe). Le problème est que cette vision du monde du héros en vient à déteindre sur l'univers entier. Il méprise les Orientaux (à défaut de trouver un meilleur terme... disons, les habitants d'un empire fortement inspiré de la perse ou de l'empire Ottoman) ? Il se trouve que ceux-ci apparaissent justement, aux yeux du lecteur, comme veules, décadents, incapables de pensée individuelle. Il méprise les femmes ? Justement, celles-ci ne jouent aucun rôle dans le livre, à part prostituées et autres victimes de viol. Bref, le mauvais goût, qui est censé au départ n'être que celui du personnage, finit par gagner la perception du lecteur à chaque page. Et on finit par se demander pourquoi... Pour choquer, dans l'esprit réalisme sombre ? Pour jouer des clichés ? Dans les deux cas, cela paraît franchement trop facile. Dommage qu'un manifestement bon écrivain ne prenne pas le temps de distancier un peu plus son personnage de l'univers qu'il habite. Le parfum de complaisance finit par prendre aux narines.
]]> 17574849 The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife �� the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens��.

As Kenzaburo Oe has remarked, Takashi Hiraide’s work "really shines." His poetry, which is remarkably cross-hatched with beauty, has been acclaimed here for "its seemingly endless string of shape-shifting objects and experiences,whose splintering effect is enacted via a unique combination of speed and minutiae."]]> 140 Takashi Hiraide 0811221504 ��é�������� 4 japanese-literature
Halfway between novel and poetry, this is a deeply moving story that beautifully captures the wonder of the natural world, that still surrounds us even in places where we have stopped noticing it. ]]> 3.60 2001
author: Takashi Hiraide
name: ���������
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2018/10/01
date added: 2018/12/11
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
A lovely story built around the metaphor of the lightning: like the lightning, life, beauty and nature are fleeting, existing only in the present time that one cannot grasp. The book tells the story of a couple who receive regular visits from the neighbours' cat, a stray they have taken in, with no clear origin and who seems to become a guest from some other world. Day after day, the author observes the fleeting balance created between the house, the garden and their inhabitants, a microcosm anchored in an old neighbourhood of Tokyo, yet living and changing as quickly as the seasons go by.

Halfway between novel and poetry, this is a deeply moving story that beautifully captures the wonder of the natural world, that still surrounds us even in places where we have stopped noticing it.
]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins ��������� 3 science-fiction
Not particularly more or less interesting than any other competently-written YA book out there, but a reasonably fun way to pass the time, nonetheless. Though one day, somebody will definitely have to explain to me how it's supposed to be less damaging for teenagers to read about 15-year-olds being forced to kill each other in the most brutal, traumatising ways they can than to read about them having sex...]]> 4.34 2008
author: Suzanne Collins
name: ���������
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2018/09/19
date added: 2018/09/20
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Well, this was about what I expected. Quite readable, you don't get bored, and enough happens to sustain interest even though it's clear how everything will end. Quite forgettable, too. There's potential for much more, but most of the characters are under-developed. Interactions are minimal; there's interaction between the main characters, a brief friendship is explored, and that's about it. The antagonists are never more than what they seem. Those who sound like villains end up acting like minimal villains; they're not even evil enough to make things truly interesting. The last quarter of the book disappointed me, as every character other than the main pair ends up dying in a straightforward way, without too much fuss, as they're meant to. There are no more alliances formed, no change in the situation, no one suddenly starts (or stops) being frightening. There's one brief moment of humanity from one of the other contestants, and that's it. Even this one character dies without being further explored.

Not particularly more or less interesting than any other competently-written YA book out there, but a reasonably fun way to pass the time, nonetheless. Though one day, somebody will definitely have to explain to me how it's supposed to be less damaging for teenagers to read about 15-year-olds being forced to kill each other in the most brutal, traumatising ways they can than to read about them having sex...
]]> 30231743 Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? explores the oddities and complexities of animal cognition―in crows, dolphins, parrots, sheep, wasps, bats, chimpanzees, and bonobos―to reveal how smart animals really are, and how we’ve underestimated their abilities for too long. Did you know that octopuses use coconut shells as tools, that elephants classify humans by gender and language, and that there is a young male chimpanzee at Kyoto University whose flash memory puts that of humans to shame? Fascinating, entertaining, and deeply informed, de Waal’s landmark work will convince you to rethink everything you thought you knew about animal―and human―intelligence.]]> 275 Frans de Waal 0393353664 ��é�������� 0 non-fiction 3.96 2016
author: Frans de Waal
name: ���������
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2017/12/01
date added: 2018/09/20
shelves: non-fiction
review:
Very clearly-written and illuminating. The question that's asked here is not whether animals are intelligent (that's considered a given), but how we have confronted this intelligence over decades, how we can/should study it, taking into account the specificities of each species (rather than rating animals as 'more' or 'less' intelligent depending on how close they are to human intelligence), and stressing the pitfalls our own perceptions and biases impose on such a subject. The book also includes a reflexion of the possible reasons behind the may biases expressed against the study of animal intelligence: the belief that humans should be set apart from animals at all costs (including bad faith!), an attachment to the notion of human superiority, with possible political/social motivations (how do we continue to treat animals the way we do if we recognise that they are anything but mindless machines?). An extremely thought-provoking and enlightening read.
]]> 169440 This classic Japanese story by Sōseki Netsume—the foremost novelist of the Meiji Period—is a masterpiece of Japanese literature.

This book demonstrates Sōseki Natsume's ability to dissect and elucidate the human personality in all its complexity. Here, his facile blending of narrative, extended monologue and sharp dialog leaves the reader with an almost personal knowledge of the characters. We are introduced to Keitaro, a recent college graduate hunting for his first job; he is the hero through whose eyes the other characters are seen. There is also Morimoto, the young adventurer with his tall tales; Sunaga, a troubled young man whose moving story forms the center of the novel; Taguchi, Sunaga's fun–loving yet practical uncle; Matsumoto, another uncle—a high–class "idler," but wise in his own way; and Chiyoko, Sunaga's cousin and apparently the cause of much of his distress.

Keitaro does not merely tell us the story of the others, however. Their lives are a part of his elucidation beyond that of the world of academia, and his knowing them enables him eventually to experience, however directly or indirectly, the romantic, the practical, the philosophical, and the existential. It is this sort of detailed analysis of the world that allows Keitaro—and Sōseki himself—to come closer to the very core of life itself.]]> 336 Natsume Sōseki 0804833281 ��é�������� 4 japanese-literature 3.83
author: Natsume Sōseki
name: ���������
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2018/09/20
shelves: japanese-literature
review:

]]> 2209971 190 Yasmina Khadra 2266134752 ��������� 0 french-literature
Sur des critères littéraires classiques (construction, intrigue, écriture, etc.), ce roman n'a pas grand chose d'exceptionnel, même s'il possède un certain nombre de mérites. Le sort des femmes en Afghanistan, cachées jusqu'à perdre leur identité et leur individualité, est joliment exploré. Il est vraiment dommage, tout de même, que pour parler de la condition féminine, l'auteur passe uniquement par le point de vue... des hommes. Si le but est de dénoncer le statut des femmes, réduites à l'état de fantômes sans individualité sous leurs tchadris, il aurait sans doute été plus pertinent de justement donner à voir ce que devient cette individualité à travers la perception des femmes elles-mêmes : réduire les femmes à l'état d'objets perçus par le regard des hommes, c'est justement ce que fait une grande partie de la littérature depuis des siècles... et ce roman ne fait rien pour rompre avec cette tradition. Néanmoins, l'intrigue reste assez parlante, malgré quelques clichés et une écriture parfois un peu excessive. Sur le plan littéraire, ce serait un roman correct, avec ses maladresses, un peu trop nombreuses peut-être.

Mais il est difficile de se cantonner au seul plan de l'écriture quand un écrivain s'attaque à un sujet pareil, et surtout, avec une telle sincérité, un tel souci de vérité, de dénonciation. A l'heure actuelle, on ne peut pas juger un roman sur le sort des femmes sous l'oppression des talibans à Kaboul comme on jugerait un roman sur les états d'âme d'un intellectuel parisien en quête de sens à donner à sa vie. Les hirondelles de Kaboul est un roman qui a quelque chose à dire, un message qu'il est important d'écouter, peu importe la forme. En cela, c'est un texte qui est loin d'être insignifiant, et qui vaut bien la peine d'être lu sans snobisme littéraire. ]]> 3.78 2002
author: Yasmina Khadra
name: ���������
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at: 2018/03/01
date added: 2018/09/20
shelves: french-literature
review:
D'habitude, je m'efforce de mettre une note aux livres que je lis, parce que cela me semble avoir un sens : trois pour un livre agréable mais sans plus, cinq pour un chef-d'oeuvre, un pour une perte de temps complète... Le problème de ce livre, c'est que je ne sais pas sur quels critères le juger. Aussi, pour une fois, je vais m'abstenir.

Sur des critères littéraires classiques (construction, intrigue, écriture, etc.), ce roman n'a pas grand chose d'exceptionnel, même s'il possède un certain nombre de mérites. Le sort des femmes en Afghanistan, cachées jusqu'à perdre leur identité et leur individualité, est joliment exploré. Il est vraiment dommage, tout de même, que pour parler de la condition féminine, l'auteur passe uniquement par le point de vue... des hommes. Si le but est de dénoncer le statut des femmes, réduites à l'état de fantômes sans individualité sous leurs tchadris, il aurait sans doute été plus pertinent de justement donner à voir ce que devient cette individualité à travers la perception des femmes elles-mêmes : réduire les femmes à l'état d'objets perçus par le regard des hommes, c'est justement ce que fait une grande partie de la littérature depuis des siècles... et ce roman ne fait rien pour rompre avec cette tradition. Néanmoins, l'intrigue reste assez parlante, malgré quelques clichés et une écriture parfois un peu excessive. Sur le plan littéraire, ce serait un roman correct, avec ses maladresses, un peu trop nombreuses peut-être.

Mais il est difficile de se cantonner au seul plan de l'écriture quand un écrivain s'attaque à un sujet pareil, et surtout, avec une telle sincérité, un tel souci de vérité, de dénonciation. A l'heure actuelle, on ne peut pas juger un roman sur le sort des femmes sous l'oppression des talibans à Kaboul comme on jugerait un roman sur les états d'âme d'un intellectuel parisien en quête de sens à donner à sa vie. Les hirondelles de Kaboul est un roman qui a quelque chose à dire, un message qu'il est important d'écouter, peu importe la forme. En cela, c'est un texte qui est loin d'être insignifiant, et qui vaut bien la peine d'être lu sans snobisme littéraire.
]]> 13147230
2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive - some said mad, others dangerous - scientist when she finds a curious gadget - a box containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a... potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way Mankind views his world forever.

And that is an understatement if ever there was one...]]> 336 Terry Pratchett 0062067753 ��������� 3 science-fiction
Unfortunately, while there are lots of good things about this book, it didn't achieve the potential I thought it might have. For one thing, I didn't feel that the two very different voices of the authors blended very smoothly. There were times when the dialogue clearly bore Pratchett's mark, and times when the narration was visibly Baxter's. It was strange to feel I could tease the two authors apart so easily. Instead of strengthening each other, I had the feeling that their voices weakened each other, on the contrary: Pratchett's humour wasn't as hilarious as I find it in other books, and the hard SF content wasn't as thought-provoking as it could have been.

The concept in itself is quite fascinating: an infinity of parallel versions of Earth, all accessible by jumping (or 'stepping', as the book calls it) from one to the other, all having deviated from our Earth in small ways, along the course of evolution. The novel states that they're mostly unexplored, except in thin lines running across worlds. The economic, ideological and social ramifications of having these new worlds so easily open to humankind are discussed in many chapters, and that was quite pleasant to read about. Plot-wise, however, I didn't feel much tension. One character states, towards the end, that 'stepping' can be deadly, and you have to be extra tough to explore those new worlds, but that's something I rarely felt at all. On the contrary, it seems that most colonists into new worlds have it easy. That's interesting in itself, but it makes the journey through infinite Earths feel more like tourism than adventure. Potentially, that's interesting, but in the end, this wasn't a book I wanted to read in one sitting.

Decent hard SF in the end, and great world-building, but not particularly memorable in terms of plot or characters. ]]> 3.77 2012
author: Terry Pratchett
name: ���������
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2018/09/15
date added: 2018/09/15
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I just wanted to like this book too much, I think... When I saw Baxter's and Pratchett's names on the same cover, I was instantly intrigued. Hard SF with wacky humour? I thought that this would be a terrific combination, if it worked.

Unfortunately, while there are lots of good things about this book, it didn't achieve the potential I thought it might have. For one thing, I didn't feel that the two very different voices of the authors blended very smoothly. There were times when the dialogue clearly bore Pratchett's mark, and times when the narration was visibly Baxter's. It was strange to feel I could tease the two authors apart so easily. Instead of strengthening each other, I had the feeling that their voices weakened each other, on the contrary: Pratchett's humour wasn't as hilarious as I find it in other books, and the hard SF content wasn't as thought-provoking as it could have been.

The concept in itself is quite fascinating: an infinity of parallel versions of Earth, all accessible by jumping (or 'stepping', as the book calls it) from one to the other, all having deviated from our Earth in small ways, along the course of evolution. The novel states that they're mostly unexplored, except in thin lines running across worlds. The economic, ideological and social ramifications of having these new worlds so easily open to humankind are discussed in many chapters, and that was quite pleasant to read about. Plot-wise, however, I didn't feel much tension. One character states, towards the end, that 'stepping' can be deadly, and you have to be extra tough to explore those new worlds, but that's something I rarely felt at all. On the contrary, it seems that most colonists into new worlds have it easy. That's interesting in itself, but it makes the journey through infinite Earths feel more like tourism than adventure. Potentially, that's interesting, but in the end, this wasn't a book I wanted to read in one sitting.

Decent hard SF in the end, and great world-building, but not particularly memorable in terms of plot or characters.
]]> 104101
Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites' most celebrated �� and feared �� military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.

In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve �� for a time �� the same master. Sharing their interwoven fate �� and increasingly torn by her feelings �� is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake �� or destroy �� a world.]]> 528 Guy Gavriel Kay 0060733497 ��������� 5 fantasy
In my mind, this was the greatest success of the book: binding together relatable characters, powerful emotions and strong symbolism, without ever sacrificing one for the other. You can, if you choose, read this as a romance (both in the contemporary sense and in the older sense of epic story). You can also read this as a metaphor for the end of Al-Andalus, the roles played by religions, private interests, ideologies and conflicting idealism and cynicism in the end of a country that retains a mythical aura to this day. I particularly loved the fact that there is no easy message; if you're looking for a definite thesis about who/what was to blame for the fall of the last Moorish kingdoms in the Spanish peninsula, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything. Pure-hearted idealism ends up playing a tragic part, and does as much to precipitate the war as greed and obscurantism. This is probably what makes this book feel like a tragedy: you couldn't pinpoint a single event, misunderstanding or villain that you could eliminate in order to solve everything. It's not a perfect world ruined by the evil intentions of some bad apples, it's an imperfect ones that ends up collapsing under the weight of its own imperfections.

The characters, main and secondary, all show a whole range of nuances, without ever falling into an easy pattern of universal villainy (a trap that 'gritty' fantasy often falls into, when attempting realism). The fact that they are all, unabashedly, larger-than-life characters may throw readers more accustomed to post-GRRM fantasy off-balance. These are not necessarily realistic characters, in the sense that they are all exceptional, one way or another. Nonetheless, the Mary Sue trap is systematically averted by the fact that, although you would rarely find such a concentration of exceptional people in the same place in real life, their relationships to one another and to the world around them are never easy. They are not universally adored (or adored by the good guys and reviled by the villains), nor do they succeed in everything they do, or even have it easy. On the contrary, they are often powerless in the face of larger mechanisms. Thus they remain relatable to the end.

The ending has been much discussed, and it's impossible to go into detail without spoilers, but it's incredibly strong. And so... spoilers :) [spoilers removed]

I've rarely read anything where emotion was so powerfully used in order to make readers think; books often either rely on emotion with little intellectual content, or on more detached intellectual musings. It takes rare talent to blend the two to that degree, to write a book that could make you weep AND think at the same time. ]]> 4.29 1995
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: ���������
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2018/03/01
date added: 2018/09/15
shelves: fantasy
review:
This novel is exceptional, a one-of-a-kind thing, both extremely dense, emotionally strong and deeply enjoyable. Summaries often represent it as a historical romance, featuring a love triangle between a woman and two men, the three of them of different faiths; however I found it to be much more complex than that. For one thing, the romantic subplot is far from being the focus of the story. It is hardly even problematic: the heroine isn't 'torn' by her feelings, just moves along as they become part of her life. Nobody fights over anybody. Instead, the relationships between the three protagonists have a more symbolic value, as they represent the fragile balance that was once achieved (more or less painlessly) in the Spanish peninsula (I'm referring to real historical Europe because aside from the name and timelines having been changed, the book is a completely transparent account of the end of Moorish Spain). The point of the book isn't 'Will they or won't they?' rather than 'Will this love resist the pressures of opposite ideologies and nationalisms?' No spoilers... although if you're familiar with that historical period, you can already guess how much of it will end.

In my mind, this was the greatest success of the book: binding together relatable characters, powerful emotions and strong symbolism, without ever sacrificing one for the other. You can, if you choose, read this as a romance (both in the contemporary sense and in the older sense of epic story). You can also read this as a metaphor for the end of Al-Andalus, the roles played by religions, private interests, ideologies and conflicting idealism and cynicism in the end of a country that retains a mythical aura to this day. I particularly loved the fact that there is no easy message; if you're looking for a definite thesis about who/what was to blame for the fall of the last Moorish kingdoms in the Spanish peninsula, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything. Pure-hearted idealism ends up playing a tragic part, and does as much to precipitate the war as greed and obscurantism. This is probably what makes this book feel like a tragedy: you couldn't pinpoint a single event, misunderstanding or villain that you could eliminate in order to solve everything. It's not a perfect world ruined by the evil intentions of some bad apples, it's an imperfect ones that ends up collapsing under the weight of its own imperfections.

The characters, main and secondary, all show a whole range of nuances, without ever falling into an easy pattern of universal villainy (a trap that 'gritty' fantasy often falls into, when attempting realism). The fact that they are all, unabashedly, larger-than-life characters may throw readers more accustomed to post-GRRM fantasy off-balance. These are not necessarily realistic characters, in the sense that they are all exceptional, one way or another. Nonetheless, the Mary Sue trap is systematically averted by the fact that, although you would rarely find such a concentration of exceptional people in the same place in real life, their relationships to one another and to the world around them are never easy. They are not universally adored (or adored by the good guys and reviled by the villains), nor do they succeed in everything they do, or even have it easy. On the contrary, they are often powerless in the face of larger mechanisms. Thus they remain relatable to the end.

The ending has been much discussed, and it's impossible to go into detail without spoilers, but it's incredibly strong. And so... spoilers :) [spoilers removed]

I've rarely read anything where emotion was so powerfully used in order to make readers think; books often either rely on emotion with little intellectual content, or on more detached intellectual musings. It takes rare talent to blend the two to that degree, to write a book that could make you weep AND think at the same time.
]]> 2038688 176 Emil Tode 2070740803 ��������� 5 3.60 1993
author: Emil Tode
name: ���������
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2018/02/01
date added: 2018/09/15
shelves:
review:
Surprising, but lovely. The whole novel is a rumination from the protagonist, who hovers between genders until they might almost sound like a sort of angel. There isn't a plot, not really, though you can guess at the events that happened between the protagonist and a man named Frantz. The whole novel gives off an impression of dream-like wandering, hovering between childhood memories, the present, the situation of a person who misses something, though we won't be told what (although the title helps one understand). It could be the story of a person trying to build a future without a coherent past, or of someone wandering in a place with no geography. Whatever the exact story it tries to tell, the impression remains strong, and the writing almost hypnotic.
]]>