A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
17 November 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan
Just finished reading A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan which I loved. This is such a lovely book written in the form of a memoir by the now Lady Trent who is taking a trip down memory lane and recounting her adventures. We take a look back at Isabella’s early years when her all consuming love of the inner workings of things and her natural desire to collect and examine specimens brought her into much bother until eventually she turned her passions to the study of dragons. A passion fortified by sneaking a book out of her father’s library and secretly reading it over and over again. The book “A Natural History of Dragons”. This is where it all began.
Of course, being set in the Victorian era (in a very similar world to ours but for one big difference – the existence of dragons) Isabella’s conduct and propriety must withstand scrutiny. She must behave in a manner befitting a lady – particularly if she is to marry well! And so, for a few years there Isabella is forced to conform – the ‘grey years’ as she fondly names them! Then Isabella is finally released into an unknowing society to secure herself a place amongst her peers. Fortunately she meets a like minded man in Jacob Camherst. They marry and for Isabella she begins to feel a little more freedom as her husband enjoys her eccentricities and actually encourages them.
Now, at the time, very little is known about dragons and so naturally scientists and like minded people are only too happy to embark on expeditions to strange sounding and exotic places and it is on one such trip, that Jacob is invited along to (after some string pulling from Isabella behind the scenes) and Isabella also manages to secure herself a place – obviously not to take part in scurrying around the countryside but to keep records and draw anatomical pictures – thereby freeing up the valuable men’s time to do the important things! And so the adventure begins and obviously it doesn’t go according to plan.
Things seem to have a way of going askew around Isabella! From kidnapping to drawing the unwanted attention of a demon she has the uncanny ability to not only attract but to find trouble in the strangest places!
So, what did I like about this story, apart of course that it’s a good tale.
Well, firstly, the writing is excellent. Brennan is a talented author. She depicts the era perfectly without the writing being cumbersome. She has an eye for detail and she manages to achieve an authentic sounding voice. The tale itself combines adventure, fantasy, mystery and sci fi with a tiny bit of romance but, more than all of this, when you read this you actually want to believe it’s true. Brennan has written this magical world of dragons – they’re not flying around breathing fire and carrying off peasants – although there are some attacks in the story but these are very much considered to be highly out of character and provoked in some way – and come on, who wouldn’t want to find a little dragon at the bottom of their garden!
Isabella is a good character. She’s got an abundance of curiosity and a serious lack of caution. Fortunately most of the constraints of the period have been removed from her character for the majority of the story as she is in unusual circumstances but even with that liberating factor you still can’t help gritting your teeth at certain points as her natural insights or theories seem to be ignored or, when they’ve actually been proven correct, adopted as the obvious. So, yes, you feel frustration for Isabella at certain times but that’s to be expected to a certain extent and actually it almost adds to the story in an odd way.
Anyway, I understand there are to be more stories, which is really good news! I will definitely read more about Isabella, I’m really looking forward to watching her character grow. Her story so far has been quite unique and ends on something of a sad note – but I think this will help her to exercise even more of her stubborn free will in the future – and obviously she does so – otherwise we wouldn’t be reading these memoirs from the new famous Lady Trent!
I heartily recommend this – it’s a beautiful tale, set in a period that is lovely to read about but has been twisted slightly, there are dragons! and, the book itself is a beauty. Quick, compelling and perfectly packaged.
Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough
14 November 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Jack The Ripper, Mayhem, Sarah Pinborough
I recently finished reading Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough which is a dark and creepy tale set on the Victorian streets of London. The story is a sinister twist on the real life murders carried out by the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper and it focuses on a parallel story of murder where women’s torsos and other body parts are found not only in the Thames but in other sites around London. The premise for the story revolves around London being gripped in the throes of a dark and evil presence that thrives on fear and death and causes chaos in it’s wake. A supernatural creature, based on stories of old, folklore and myth. A creature that has travelled across Europe and into London.
The story is told in a number of voices including a couple of the victims but the primary narrator is Dr Bond, one of the doctors who was actually involved in post mortem examinations of the real life victims of the Ripper. The names of the victims and detectives have also been incorporated into the story and that and the fact that the Ripper was never caught all adds to the powerful impact of the story.
Dr Bond has become obsessed with these two serial killers and is finding himself less inclined to sleep as his mind races. At first seeking the solace and oblivion of drugs he is now falling prey to the delirium which the opium brings, and spending more and more time under it’s influence in the opium dens that he sneaks off to when his duties end. It’s on one such night that he becomes intrigued with a man who seems to be searching the dens for something or someone and Dr Bond in turn tries to seek this stranger out.
At the same time we find out about Aaron. Aaron has been chased from his home country (Poland) to London by his strange visions and is now plagued by his dreams and predictions. His strange and solitary behaviour leads him to become one of the prime suspects in the Ripper case and yet he too is searching the streets for the darkness that possesses London.
And so we have three strangers who become entangled together in a search for the evil that is seeking it’s next victim.
Sarah Pinborough seems to be an author who with fairly few words can throw you into any scene – whether that be in one of her twisted retold fairy tales or on one of the grim and foggy streets of London following in the footsteps of a madman as he pursues his victims. She manages to conjure a London split in two where abject poverty is common and where people have sunk so low that any form of depravity will barely give them a moments thought. We find ourselves traversing unlit and gloomy alleyways, slums and opium dens and then on the reverse side in polite conversation with the doctors and top brass of the day.
I loved that the author manages to convey not only the sense of growing unrest but also the rise in terror as the streets are seemingly stalked by two madmen whose crimes seem to be increasing in boldness and bloodiness. Then of course there’s the mystery not only of Jack but the Torso killer and the eventual reveal of his identity. I found myself at one point randomly jumping from suspect to suspect in a rather silly fashion until the real identity was revealed – and then, oh the chills. There is one particular scene – well, actually two, where I was really gripped with something akin to horror, one was a scene where a young man, on a tour of Europe, stops to take refreshment from a stream, the other was in quite a different setting, a dinner party at a rather well to do abode where Dr Bond believes he is confronting the murderer – I can’t say any more without giving away spoilers but with both these scenes I was completely gripped. Plus in the following chapters, after Bond believes that he has unwittingly revealed himself to the killer and is therefore likely to be the next victim, the depiction of the rising terror that he experiences is perfectly portrayed and gave me the goosebumps. That’s the other thing that I was thinking about this author. She perfectly ascribes emotions and thoughts to the characters. I realise that probably sounds obvious but it’s not always the case and it’s not as simple to achieve as it sounds. The Dr in his fear practically ran to his room – and barred it – and even though that’s such a simple thing to write it’s how most people would react in that situation and so the simplicity of it is perfect because it feels honest and realistic when you read it. You end up thinking ‘that’s what I’d do’.
In terms of criticisms. I didn’t really have any personally. I suppose if you’re looking for something that is purely a mystery you may not like the supernatural element or maybe this won’t be quite enough on the horror front but I thought it was a really good combination.
This was a really gripping story, elegantly written with a creepy twist on a very real tale of horror that remains unsolved to this day. I understand there is to be a further story which I will definitely read.
Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch, readalong week 3
11 November 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Gentlemen Bastards, Readalong week 3, Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch
Welcome everyone to the third week of the Republic of Thieves readalong (weeks 1 and 2 here and here!). I hope you all had an excellent weekend filled with fun and Gentlemen Bastards.
This week we read Chapter 6 thru Interlude “Aurin and Amadine”. We finally get an introduction to the theatre troupe that the gang will be working with and in the election competition we see the boys unexpectedly wind up back out at sea! For those not reading along please beware of spoilers below.
- The election competition. Sabetha isn’t wasting any time throwing pranks at Locke and Jean. Mostly it seemed fairly harmless, or at least not overly serious, until they were kidnapped and put onto a ship and taken out to sea. What did you make of Sabetha’s latest plan? And what did you think about the way she executed it? I never saw that coming at all! In fact I was quite staggered. I really hadn’t realised just how seriously this whole election campaign was going to be taken. We started off with a few pranks, spider infestations, minor insults, bit of pick pocketing and it was plain to see that Locke and Jean were playing catch up with Sabetha who seemed to be constantly one step ahead. At first I was really shocked that she’d put them out to sea – and I do mean really shocked! It just never occurred to me that either side would take such measures. I guess all’s fair in love and war after all. And, as to the way she executed her plan – well, at the end of the day we all know that Locke is besotted with Sabetha and we’ve had lots of discussion about whether she manipulates his obsession or not – well this put us all straight. Yes, she’s aware of how much he idolises her and no she’s not afraid to use it! She crooked her finger and he came running and fell hook, line and sinker into her little plan.
- During the escape overboard and Jean’s rather subtle nose dive into the water – I was curious about the lights Locke saw deep in the water when he was performing his rescue – Locke thought they looked different once he was under the waves which I suppose they would but he also had the feeling that he was being watched? Do you think this relates back to the Eldren or some other presence? Firstly, I thought it was great that Locke actually got to do some rescuing as it feels that Jean is usually the one getting Locke out of trouble. I really don’t know what the lights under water signify – that’s why I asked this because I’m hoping that one of you has a theory! Maybe mermaids exist in this world – it does seem as though the lights were at first an attraction but once Locke was in the water he felt like he was being watched by something more sinister. A bit as though the lights are some kind of lure or trap?
- Given that Locke hadn’t seen Sabetha for five years how did you think their first meeting together went (well, it wasn’t strictly speaking their first meeting of course – were you surprised that Jean and Locke hadn’t figured out that the woman pickpocket was Sabetha?) and also what did you make of Jean and Sabetha’s reaction to each other? I think the first meeting they had with Sabetha, even though she was in disguise, showed again how she was ahead of them, it never even occurred to them that it was her! Even with the initialled handkerchief. I thought for the second meeting there was a really big build up, Locke getting ready hours in advance (so he’d have enough time for pacing nervously) and so the initial meet felt a little bit flat almost. I guess I was hoping for more emotion in some way, even if they were both annoyed and shouting at each other. It felt like they were both treading on eggshells a bit although I liked that it gave us a little bit more insight into why Sabetha left. I thought Jean and Sabetha’s reaction was very interesting and even a bit strange. Jean seemed very cool and suspicious of Sabetha and it was Sabetha who instigated the hug. I suppose Jean isn’t the one enamoured with Sabetha after all and maybe he doesn’t like watching Locke constantly suffering over her?
- So, the gang have arrived in Espara and already the plans have gone wrong through no fault of their own! Jail for a year plus lose a hand for slapping a noble?? What do you think of the justice system in Espara and how does this bode for the gang? Losing a hand for hitting someone – bloody hell! I don’t suppose it should come as a surprise that the justice system is biased – it’s probably put in place by the nobility after all! The way the GBs carry on you can’t help thinking they could all end up missing a few body parts! They’re not shy about insulting people after all and we all know they have light fingers – what do you suppose is the penalty for pick pocketing! Lose both hands and have your ears cut off if not worse. It makes you think that they’re going to need to be very careful whilst in Espara not to upset any of the nobility.
- The acting company are finally coming together and we’re watching the gang as they try to read, act and grab the best parts – are you all ‘happy face’ with the whole theatre scenes or, sad face! Also, I can’t help feeling like this whole storyline is a step out of character for the gang. Any ideas of how it will play out?? I love the theatre story. I think it’s genius. It shows us the gang finally getting to put a lot of their training into use. They need to be able to act after all when they start pulling cons. Plus I think the play itself is great. This part of the story is unusual because Chains has sent them to help somebody and until they get a feel for the place they won’t really know how to do that. Of course it all goes wrong from square one with Moncraine being in prison! I liked that they didn’t use this as an opportunity to pack up and go back home but saw it as a challenge and we finally got to see Locke and Sabetha in action together pretending to be nobles in disguise (I love that they’re thieves, pretending to be nobles who are pretending to be actors). I guess this storyline is also going to give us some more of Sabetha and Locke’s background and add to the ‘will they won’t they’ debate.
- We are also being introduced to a number of new characters, particularly Moncraine and Boulidazi. What are your first impressions of these two and the other new characters in the Company and any particular likes or dislikes so far? I can’t say that I like either of the two new characters so far. Although I probably dislike Boulidazi marginally more than Moncraine. I mean Moncraine is obviously a bit of a maniac isn’t he? Why would you punch a noble in the first place (if you know the punishment) but why when he’s offering to help you out. Why wouldn’t a simple ‘no’ suffice? Considering his position he’s not short of arrogance and pig headedness. He’s also not particularly concerned about anyone else but himself. His whole ‘being in prison for a year is the best place to be’ – for him – what about all the other troupe members and the mess it leaves them in. Then Boulidazi – he’s a slippery sort, or so he seems to me. I didn’t like, for example, that he immediately saw himself as a likely suitor for Sabetha and also that he took Locke to one side to ask about her – like she doesn’t have a say in the matter at all!
- The rooftop scene and the apology. How did it all go so wrong? And how will Locke get out of this latest fix with Boulidazi? OMG, how could it go so wrong so quickly! Locke was doing so well, he was finally making a good impression with Sabetha and they were talking at last! I did want to say to him though to ‘shut up’ – he was just so determined to say as much as possible as quickly as possible. It went from punching the air to slumped shoulders in one easy step! To be honest I don’t quite get the whole obsession with the ‘hair’ colour thing. I mean, why is he fixated on Sabetha’s hair colour. Obviously he loves her and so he loves everything about her but I suppose from her point of view you wouldn’t want somebody to be just fixated on something like that would you? Okay, he has this memory of the first time he saw her hair and he romantically seems to link this with his Sabetha ‘lightbulb’ moment, but he still seems to know so little about her or how she feels. I mean, she dyes her hair and never lets her true colour show – has he never thought about that?? Or that maybe there’s a reason behind it so going down the whole ‘the first time I saw your beautiful red hair’ route seemed highly likely to cause problems! You just can’t help feeling sorry for him though. He tries so hard to please her and he’s just so desperate for any scrap she throws his way! As to how he will get out of his latest trouble with Boulidazi, I think that Sabetha will come to his rescue – just like she did when she thought he was being arrested by the yellow jacket!
Quotes this week:
‘Yeah, but if I don’t start my nervous pacing now, I’ll never have it all done in time.’
‘Remember how she joked about twenty armed men in the next room?’ said Jean with a resigned sign. He set down the book he’d been reading. ‘There were twenty armed men in the next room.’ How cute is Jean – sat on his bed reading! *sigh*
‘Do you want to do as you’re told, or do you want to kiss that pavement?’ It turned out he wanted to do as he was told! (Well you would wouldn’t you – kissing pavements – not recommended!)
Check out everyone’s answers here:
Book mashup: Dr Finch
8 November 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Mashup, Donna Tartt, Dr Sleep, Goldfinch, Stephen King
So last week I bought two new books (or it could have been the week before?? What is going on with the time at the moment?) Anyway, the above is a bit of a mashup of the titles. Did you guess?? No. Here goes:
Dr Sleep by Stephen King and Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – and OMG these are two HUGE books!
Looking forward to both, but which first???
Tuesday Teaser…
Filed under Book Reviews, General Comments
Tags: A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan, MizB, Should be Reading, Teaser Tuesday
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
“My fingers wrapped around the stock of a gun. I dragged it toward me, and as I brought the rifle up it leapt toward me and only as my finger tightened on the trigger did I remember, we had not loaded my gun’.
A Natural History of Dragons, A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
(Checkout this gorgeous cover)