The Ninth Wind (Splendor and Ruin #1) by Moses Siregar III #SPFBO
The Ninth Wind is my final book review for the SPFBO and my chosen book from batch 6. I had 30 books which I split into 6 batches of 5 with the aim of reading 1 batch per month for the first six months of the challenge:
This is a book that is a bit difficult to pin down. There’s a lot going on here, a weaving of mythology and philosophy and a lot of ‘thinking’ material in terms of Gods, conflict and magic.
At the start of the story we make the introduction of three siblings:Skye, Dag and Idonea. Their home is occupied by the neighbouring Rezzians and the opening chapters leaves the three siblings’ lives in ruins. Following these opening chapters the three of them pull together, they rely heavily on each other and their strong family connection helps them to move forward. The Andarans have found a new purpose, their men train to be warriors, they are determined to be ready for any new threats to their way of life. The country of Andara is a place filled with magic. The trees seem to be conduits and the souls of Andaran ancestors seem to whisper in the wind. Idonea seeks the knowledge of a volwa. Pushed on by her dead ancestors she yearns to know the ways of magic and finally gains the aid of a wise woman who lives within the forest. Her brother Dag, a warrior, knows of Idonea’s secret and is partly in tune with the magic of the forest himself although the pair of them keep their findings a secret – Volwa’s are not exactly acceptable being thought of as witches. Skye, also a warrior, is desperate to hear the voice of his father and ancestors to help lead him in his quest and the failure to hear these voices seems, for him, to give testimony to his lack of ability as a leader. The three of them are about to embark on a journey to try and prevent further war in their lands.
The plot starts off as a journey across land with a number of encounters and mishaps along the way. From there we travel to the land of Rezzia and then onwards again. Basically this is a search, by Idonea, Dag and Skye, for their father, or at least knowledge of whether he still lives or dies, they also hope to petition for peace. Finally we have a very unexpected and action packed grande finale.
I think for me the winning element of this story is the world building and attention to detail. Clearly the author has given this a lot of thought and that much is evident as you read. Much like our own world there are different religions and beliefs and also, much as in our world, there is fear and scorn of the unknown. This is the sort of read that makes you stop and consider things from a different perspective and I liked that about the story. More than that it takes a look at the way people treat each other – sometimes right and wrong is just merely a matter of perspective!
In terms of characters. Well, I liked and disliked them. Idonea starts out as a very intriguing character. She has the ability to be something very powerful even though she has a journey to travel before she will do so and I had high expectations for her. But, she’s a conundrum. She’s undoubtedly flawed and makes mistakes along the way but rather than making me feel more sympathetic towards her, which is normally how this would make me feel as it lends a character a certain realness, I found myself being slightly annoyed with her. I never really felt any regret from her and in a way this made her come across as arrogant and a little bit harsh. Skye is another matter completely. He’s filled with anger and passion and just plain old fear about his own inadequacies – which of course comes out as a lot of bravado and hair bristling. Then we have Dag – who is definitely the most likeable and easy to understand character of the three. I don’t know why he was my favourite – he just reads very naturally I suppose
In terms of criticisms. To be honest, although this is well written and thought provoking it needs editing to sharpen it up. It’s simply too long in terms of what is actually taking place – which is why I said it’s a ‘thinking’ piece. Yes, there is lots to think about and definitely this will provoke plenty of food for thought but I think it was a bit wieldy.
Overall, a good read. I enjoyed the world that the author has created here and found the different systems of belief intriguing. I guess if I was going to be totally honest I enjoyed the first half of the story more than the latter half but even so an intriguing book.
Guest post: Cheryl Mahoney
27 October 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Cheryl Mahoney, The Lioness and the Spellspinners, The People the Fairies Forget, The Storyteller and Her Sisters, The Wanderers
Today I’m really pleased to welcome Cheryl Mahoney (author of recently released The Lioness and the Spellspinners) onto my blog. Cheryl very kindly agreed to write a guest post for me based on her own interest in traveling (which tends to be to literary locations) and how that has influenced the characters from her books.
Welcome Cheryl…
I want to thank Lynn for welcoming me onto her blog! When I was thinking about what guest post topic to explore, it struck me that her blog is focused on travel and books—and travel just happens to be a theme in my life and writing too.
I didn’t plan it, but every book in my Beyond the Tales series (up to four now) involves characters who travel for one reason or another. The first is the most obvious, The Wanderers, about a wandering adventurer who ends up bringing a talking cat and a witch’s daughter onto the road with him. One of the first ways my main characters connect is through a mutual love of exploring in search of new adventure, to see what wonderful thing they can find around the next turn of the road.
In The Storyteller and Her Sisters, heroine Lyra dreams of travel after a life so far spent trapped in a castle. Her love interest, Prince Dastan, dreams of becoming a wandering minstrel. You’ll have to read the book to find out if they achieve those dreams! In The People the Fairies Forget, narrator (and fairy) Tarragon has spent 500 years running from one party to another across countries. He’s perhaps the opposite to Lyra, who wants to travel in search of something; Tarry is traveling to get away.
Karina, the heroine of The Lioness and the Spellspinners, lands somewhere in between those two. She starts out traveling as an escape (though you’ll have to read some distance into the book to find out what from), but whether she knows it or not, she’s definitely looking to find something in the process.
Travel in stories, and in life too, can be a powerful metaphor. Where are we going and why is a much bigger question than simply a matter of geography! For myself, I’m a homebody who also loves to travel—but I’d never want to travel continuously the way some of my characters do. And when I do travel, I most often visit places that already feel like home—because I’ve already read about them.
I’ve managed quite a few literary pilgrimages over the years, and love visiting places from favorite books or movies. Highlights and highest-recommended include a visit to the Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals once owned by Christopher Robin Milne, available to be seen at the New York Public Library. In Paris, it’s worth climbing Notre Dame’s bell towers to visit Quasimodo’s gargoyles, and definitely worth a visit to the Phantom’s Opera (better known as the Opera Garnier) to see Box Five and the famous chandelier.
London is a literary pilgrim’s dream, if you’re me, so I keep going back. I’ve tried on Sherlock Holmes’ hat in 221B Baker Street, seen plays at Shakespeare’s Globe, done a walking tour of Shakespeare’s and Dickens’ London, and seen where the Bird Woman once fed pigeons at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mary Poppins. I’ve also seen Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford Upon Avon, and Jane Austen’s house in Bath.
The ultimate literary pilgrimage, if you’re me, is Kensington Gardens in London, setting for one of my very favorite books, The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie. He devoted an entire chapter to “A Grand Tour of the Gardens” and nearly everything he described (in 1902!) is still readily to be seen. Peter Pan and the fairies haunt the Gardens in the most delightful way, and Barrie’s own house can be seen (from the outside, at least) just north of the park.
I don’t think I’ve had a literary pilgrimage that disappointed yet, and I’d highly recommend all the places I’ve just described. So much of what I read is set in magical other worlds or the distant future, so any chance to visit a real setting is wonderful to explore!
Information about Cheryl’s latest book can be found below with a link to her Goodreads page here – her next book sounds excellent. Check it out:
Plot Blurb
Forrest can’t fathom this prickly, knife-wielding girl who so unceremoniously turns up in his family’s barn one morning. His life has never been this exciting. Karina can’t make herself trust the strangely hospitable villagers on this island she’s now stuck on, and when they claim they can knit spells into their garments, that doesn’t help. She knows magic exists, but that’s just ridiculous.
And no one can understand why the chickens have suddenly started laying gilded eggs, or why the horse is talking in rhyming couplets.
When the inexplicable magic goes from mere bad poetry to actual threats, when dancing becomes dangerous and the wrong thought could cause disaster, the only answers are in the past Karina is fleeing—and the only way to survive is for the knife-wielder to trust the spellspinner.
Purchase Links
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2ej5PFC
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2ehyJ7Y
Thanks again Cheryl 😀
Waiting on Wednesday: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
26 October 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Waiting on Wednesday
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every Wednesday we get to highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. My book this week is : Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Oh my giddy aunt! Norse mythology. Neil Gaiman. Do I really need to say it again. Okay. Third time’s the charm: Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman. Colour me happy.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki son of a giant, blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Once, when Thor’s hammer is stolen, Thor must disguise himself as a woman, difficult with his beard and huge appetite, to steal it back. More poignant is the tale in which the blood of Kvasir, the most sagacious of gods, is turned into a mead that infuses drinkers with poetry. The work culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and rebirth of a new time and people.
Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerge these gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
Due February 2017
“I was a newborn vampire, weeping at the beauty of the night.”
Every Tuesday over at the The Broke and Bookish we all get to look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) examples to demonstrate that particular topic. The topic this week is :
Halloween related freebie
I did a bit of humming and ahhing with this one because I do love this time of the year and so for me there are lots of topics that could be discussed. As it happens I’ve settled on books about Vampires!
- Dracula by Bram Stokes. Told in an epistolary style format with diary entries and letters. Wonderful gothic horror – maybe not the earliest vampire story but probably the most well remembered.
- The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer – see what I did there – I went from one extreme to the other. Like or loathe it this has to be one of the most popular vampire series ever – it certainly brings a new slant to the whole mythology with sparkly vampires.
- The Danilov Quintet by Jasper Kent – I have to have this on the list – this series is amazing. These are some downright nasty vampires and they certainly don’t sparkle – they’re true dirty and smelly – the sun would never touch their skin ! Truly excellent historical horror. Twelve, Thirteen Years Later, The Third Section, The People’s Will and The Last Rite bring to us a fascinating story of vampires. Based heavily on historical fact and spanning the period from the Napoleonic wars to the Russian Revolution Kent brings to us the fascinating and fictional account of the voordalak. A creature of Russian folklore – known to us as a vampire!
- Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. Such a good story – I’ve only read the one in the series but I loved it. Very evocative writing and Southern Gothic horror.
- Fevre Dream by George RR Martin. More Southern horror set on the antebellum Mississippi River. This is a great read and I really enjoyed reading something by GRRM before he became so well known for Game of Thrones.
- Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. You certainly can’t leave this one off the list. Chilling in the extreme brrrr.
- I am Legend by Richard Matheson – this book is absolutely iconic. It’s very dark and moody, definitely not a book filled with joy and hope but absolutely a must read. The end is amazing (and completely different from the ending in the film I hasten to add).
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I think this is probably one of those books that could be hit and miss for some. It’s a very descriptive novel but I just really enjoyed the writing style, the imagery and the places that were visited along the way.
- The True Blood series by Charlaine Harris – I did enjoy this series. Lots of supernatural creatures and a main character who can read minds!
- The Fifth House of the Night by Ben Tripp – this was a fairly recent read that I absolutely loved. See if this Goodreads snippet tempts you ‘Filled with characters as menacing as they are memorable, this chilling twist on vampire fiction packs a punch in the bestselling tradition of ’Salem’s Lot by Stephen King’
- I’m cheating and having one extra – simply because I’ve just finished reading this one – review to follow shortly. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This book was excellent. Aztec mythology, Mexican setting and vampire realism!
I could quite easily have taken this to 20. I’ve selected a few of the covers for your delight:
That is all folks – sleep tight and don’t let the vampires bite!
#SPFBO Spotlight : the sixth set of books: Update + Winner Announcement
24 October 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Mark Lawrence, Sixth set of Books update, SPFBO, Winner
This is my sixth and final batch of books for the SPFBO and my final update post! I’ve listed below my links to updates and reviews for the first/second/third/fourth and fifth batch of books with links to the books chosen from each round.
The book choices were all randomly picked. I aimed to read about 20% of each book or five chapters although in quite a few cases I read considerably more. Basically, if one of the books stood out above the other four then that became the clear choice from that batch.
My final set of five books are below. I’ve added underneath each a synopsis (taken from Goodreads) and also linked up the titles so they’re easy to check out. These are only very quick thoughts, given that I’ve not read the full book in most cases it’s not possible to give a full review.
1. The Fallen Shepherd Saga by Peter Ravlich
The dark ones never forget a hunter. For Antonio, newly-former priest, that’s not a great thing. It gets worse when he’s confronted by two bodies and the unmistakable trail of a succubus. Why the Hell did it have to be a succubus?
He might have lost his title, lost his identity, lost his backup; but he still has his blade, and this hunt might offer a chance at redemption, a chance that Antonio desperately needs.
The Fallen Shepherd Saga was originally published as a three-part serial story. This volume is an expanded omnibus edition.
The Fallen Shepherd is an urban fantasy type story in which The Fallen Shepherd of the title is Antonio. Previously a priest Antonio is, at the start of the story, on the trail of a succubus who has just murdered a police officer. I didn’t get too much further into the plot with my 20%. The writing was quite engaging and I enjoyed the chapters I read. I did feel that there was a certain element of telling rather than showing. So, for example, Antonio, he makes lots of noises about being an expert hunter and yet he walks right into a fairly obvious trap early on and in spite of saying that you can’t afford to make mistakes in his line of work. That being said I did enjoy the chapters I read – not sure if it brings anything new to the UF genre but could be an interesting read nonetheless.
2. The Vengeful Half by Jaclyn Dolamore
This novel contains interior comics and art by the author.
Olivia might look human, but she’s grown up with a heavy secret: her mother is a potion-maker who fled her home in a parallel world, the Hidden Lands.
Alfred is the blind, charismatic young heir to the illegal potions trade. When Olivia’s mother is kidnapped by the magic dealers with whom she once made a bad bargain, she has no choice but to trust Alfred’s offer of help. They travel to a strange new world of bootlegged American pop culture, lifelike doll people, and reincarnation. Alfred finds himself putting his position on the line to defend Olivia against his family’s conniving plans. Maybe he has morals…or maybe he’s just falling in love.
When Olivia escapes from an attack by a curiously familiar sorceress, she learns that potion dealers weren’t the only thing Mom was hiding from. Dark secrets lurk in Olivia’s past, and now Olivia must kill or be killed by the girl with whom she once shared everything…
I quite enjoyed the writing for the Vengeful Half the author has come up with some good ideas for her Hidden Lands although I confess that I was surprised when we actually travelled there to find that they were basically very similar to our own – which I wasn’t expecting. Unfortunately I was unable to check out the artwork so I can’t really comment about that or whether it added to the read overall. Having read the first 20% I don’t really have a good enough grip on the story yet to make an overall judgement about the plot and in terms of the characters, I haven’t at this stage been able to form an attachment to any of them. Given the chapters I’ve read so far I think this could be an enjoyable YA read.
3. Magic Banquet by A E Marling – this book was a swapped title. Originally I was due to read Off Leash by Daniel Potter but I exchanged books due to a conflict of interest.
Dragon steaks, ambrosia, and chimera stew. In the Magic Banquet, one guest always dies of joy. Or so they say. The street waif, Aja, just wants a few mouthfuls of the first course, but this is a party not easily left.
The dishes lavished upon Aja do more than entice. They enchant. They endanger. They change her. When she learns that a dragonfruit will make her mature, she eats it all. She is tired of being seen as a child, of being excluded and overlooked by respectable families and that other girl at the banquet, who is the empress in disguise. But Aja ages too fast, too much, and too soon. She is dying. She must replenish her lifeforce by eating a phoenix before she can even think of escaping the mortal banquet.
Guest List:
Aja, a thirteen-year-old girl who stole into the banquet before anyone could tell her she’s too young.
Janny, an old woman hungry for eternal youth.
The Empress Nephrynthian. But she’ll insist on you calling her Ryn.
Her guard, Fos Chandur.
Solin, graceful on his crutches and deadly with his magic.
And a dark lord.
Another book that caught my attention quite early on and showed some promise. However, for me personally this feels like a quite young read, probably early teens – and I’m not just basing that on the age of Aja, the main protagonist, but more the feel of the read up to the point I read. From the portion I did read I felt that this had a coming of age type of feel and I think that a younger audience would enjoy Aja as she progresses through this banquet.
4. Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar III
“In THE NINTH WIND, Moses Siregar takes readers to a fascinating new world where politics, magic, and adventure mingle in exciting and profound ways. If you like fantasy, you’ll love this!” –NYT Bestseller David Farland
THE NINTH WIND SPEAKS FOR THE DEAD …
The Ancestors whisper of rebellion, their breath a cold blue wind in the forests and hills of Andars. The Rezzian occupation lingers, dragging the folk of the hills through bitterness and despair.
Three siblings stand ready to challenge the Kingdom of Rezzia. Their fates have long been seen by the primordial Orns: one by Angst, one by Fidelity, one by Wrath.
Idonea searches the dark wood to master the magic of the three sacred trees. Skye pursues omens to lead his shield-brothers to victory over Rezzia’s legions. As armies battle for control of the Andaran hills, Dag calls out so that he may become as impenetrable as Altrea, allowing nothing to bend him, or turn him, or break him, so that he may stand and defend his kin. The ten gods of Rezzia and their lions stand in his way.
The Ninth Wind is the long-awaited return to Moses Siregar III’s award-winning epic fantasy series, Splendor and Ruin. Drawing on Norse, Greek, and Indian mythologies, the Ninth Wind is a tale of betrayal and retribution, of gods and sages and witches, of fearless journeys and magical awakenings.
It is a tale of honor, devotion, and valor. An adult tale of the children of wind and wood.
As soon as I started The Ninth Wind I thought it showed a lot of promise. This is my favourite from this batch of books and my review will follow.
5. The Fall by Michael DeAngelo
Icarus must intervene before a wicked ritual is completed, or humanity will be banished from the world of Tellest forevermore. But his people, the elves, have determined that humans are too dangerous to share the realm. How can he protect the friends that he has made without betraying his race?
Samael is a man scorned, whose only desire is to enact vengeance on those who have wronged him. However, his involvement is the deciding factor in the call to banish humanity. For the sake of all the races of Tellest, he must work with Icarus to put a halt to the foul dealings.
The Fall was actually quite an intriguing read that got off to a good start and I read further than the 20% I’ve allocated for each book. The writing was easy to get on with and the world quite well imagined, but, I had the overall feeling that I was missing something, or that The Fall was only a small piece in a larger puzzle. I could of course be wrong with that as I haven’t read the full book at this point.
In conclusion, I’ve chosen The Ninth Wind as my favourite of this particular batch of books and my review will follow shortly.
SPFBO Posts:
- Cover Lover
- 1st Batch of books + update + book review
- 2nd batch of books + update + book review
- 3rd batch of books + update + book review
- 4th batch of book + update + book review
- 5th batch of books + update + book review
- 6th batch of books + update + book review
Overall winner:
At this point (although I haven’t yet reviewed the sixth book) given that I have chosen a book from each round I feel that I am now in a position to choose the book I’d like to take forward. The final six were:
- Rebel’s Honor by Gwynn White
- Unwilling Souls by Gregory D Little
- As the Crow Flies by Robin Lythgoe
- The Amber Isle (Book of Never #1) by Ashley Capes
- Outpost (The Fylking #1) by F T McKinstry
- The Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar III
And, the book I will take forward to the next round will be:
Outpost by F T McKinstry
with
Unwilling Souls by Gregory D Little a close second.
I would like to thank all the authors who submitted their work to the SPFBO – I’ve enjoyed taking part and making my way through all the entries.
I’ve tried to give overviews for all the books and give full reviews for the ones I’ve read completely. My final post will be my review of The Ninth Wind which will follow shortly.
Books and travelling with Lynn 