Truth is indeed stranger than fiction…
12 July 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten facts about Me, Top Ten Tuesday
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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:
Ten Facts About Me (bookish or just general)
This week is ten facts about me – okay, I’ve decided to give this a slightly different slant, as I love the world of SFF I’ve decided to give ten facts that reflect how close I come to living in a world of make believe!
- I have a wonderful place that I retreat into when I read a book, call it a wormhole if you will, but it’s quite magical – sometimes, I almost forget to come back at all.
- My reading takes me to extraordinary places where I meet all sorts of unique and diverse characters and experience totally different cultures.
- ‘Nobody’ lives at my house – you may remember Nobody, or Bod, as a character from Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard book but actually, no, he lives with me and my family, and the reason I know this is because ‘Nobody’ left wet towels on the bathroom floor, ‘Nobody’ left rubbish at the side of the bin instead of in the bin, ‘Nobody’ left dirty cereal bowls next to the sink unrinsed – you get the picture, yes?
- I live with a crazy critter – he’s four legged and has a very happy, waggy tail. He’s been known to have a mad half hour every now and again and his name his Dude – he’s actually named for the character in the Big Lebowski but he’s anything but chilled! Every now and again he appears in the odd one or two of my doodles – which are known as Dude’lls’.
- Occasionally I turn into a dragon. It’s true, my friends and family can attest to the fact. It’s not big, clever or pretty when this happens. I taught Smaug everything he knows! True that.
- Having three children happily coincided with a money tree springing up in my garden, which feeds directly into the Bank of Mum and Dad – I call this damned helpful. I don’t question these things. Never. Ever. Look a gift horse in the mouth – it will probably just bite you if you do.
- I am a mindreader, I know what everybody wants to eat and can miraculously conjure all the ingredients without a second thought. Really, it’s just a gift. I’m lucky like that.
- I have Borrowers living with me – don’t be jealous, this basically means I have 500 pairs of odd socks – which considering I only EVER buy black socks is more than puzzling. Where the hell did all these multi coloured socks/socks with cat faces or faces of elves or Bart/striped socks/socks with bobbles and bells on them come from???? And, more to the point, where did their counterparts go to. Somewhere in the universe someone is looking for all their socks and cursing the appearance of all my black socks in their undie drawer!
- Yes, I live in a parallel universe, see all the above if you don’t believe me!
- I’m a wine whisperer – yes, I can hear wine – calling to me… ‘drink me’ It’s just odd but who am I to deny these voices??
All is Fair by Emma Newman, #3 Split Worlds, reading week 2
11 July 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: All is Fair, Emma Newman, Readalong week 2, Split Worlds #3
Today is week two of our readalong of book #3 of Emma Newman’s Split Worlds series, All is Fair. The schedule is below, all welcome and please be aware of potential spoilers lurking below.
1. We finally meet the Sorcerer of Mercia (Rupert?) – He is VERY different to Ekstrand. Not only does he seem younger and more adaptable to the modern world, he seems comfortable working with scholars from and In the Nether! As we compare and contrast the two Sorcerers, what does this say about Ekstrand – and does it change our views of his actions, behavior and decisions? Is he completely bonkers?
I think Ekstrand is completely bonkers and meeting Mercia has finally made it even more apparent. I think Ekstrand is afraid of change or anything modern – perhaps he’s one of the reasons that the Nether stays so olde world – I don’t really know to be honest but I don’t trust Ekstrand at the moment. He comes across as just plain harmless and dotty but I’m not sure I buy into it.
2. Cornelius and Amelia have been well and truly rumbled – Will knows how badly he’s been manipulated by the siblings, and exactly how! Do you think that either or both of the siblings might bounce back somehow? What about Will and Amelia’s baby? Did Amelia benefit inadvertently from the “help” Will received from Lord Iris’s faerie? If Amelia benefited, Why didn’t Cathy?
I never even considered Amelia benefitting from Lord Iris’s faerie in that way – although I’m sure Cathy wouldn’t have seen it as beneficial! I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of at least Amelia – not sure about Cornelius. Amelia is very calculating I think.
3. Skullduggery and Subterfuge! Sam has uncovered Leanne’s secrets and mission – Cathy is unearthing the secrets and like minded thinkers that Miss Rainer has kept hidden. Margritte and Bartholomew seem to have been likely allies to Cathy’s cause – is it possible Lord Iris/Poppy and the other Fae are Intentionally manipulating events to keep the current status quo/gender in-equality in Londinium? If So, to what end? As for Sam – what is he going to do with his new knowledge about Leanne or her findings?
I don’t really know – things definitely seem to be coming out of the woodwork now. I don’t know what the fae are playing at to be honest. It feels a little like the Nether is being kept from progressing somehow – like as though keeping it in it’s current status makes it easy to manipulate people or something.
4. Where do you think the main characters are going to go now? Will Cathy meet Rupert? Will Rupert destroy Ekstrand? Will any more/new hidden players in this drama come into the center stage?
Well, I hope Ekstrand’s plot to kill Rupert doesn’t work. I don’t know much about Rupert but I think Ekstrand’s plot to kill him is terrible! We don’t know that this Rupert has done anything wrong after all. It’s all speculation on Ekstrand’s part and makes me suspicious of him.
5. So much happened in this weeks chapters It was hard just limiting my questions to the above – What did you find to be the most interesting event/revelation? Or is there anything else you want to talk about?
I thought this week’s chapters were very intriguing. I’m still not sure that I really have a handle on what’s going on so I keep jumping to all sorts of crazy conclusions.
I thought Cathy’s visit was very interesting – particularly that it seems like maybe a few of the wives in the Nether are unhappy and are having charms used on them to keep them all in line. Kind of puts you in mind of the Stepford Wives or something.
It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton
It Happened One Doomsday is, I think, the first in the start of an urban fantasy series with sorcerers, demons and possessed cars! I must say from the outset that I really enjoyed this, it was a very easy read, I thought the characters developed well along the way, it had plenty of pace and I genuinely hope there will be more books down the line. Basically, this reads like the start of a UF series and it ends on a note that promises more to come – but I genuinely don’t know if more books are planned *raises one eyebrow hopefully in Mr MacNaughton’s direction*?
I don’t want to give too much away so, briefly, this is a book about the end of the world – okay, more a plot to end the world. Seven cunning sorcerers (known here as harbingers) have hatched a plan to wipe the slate clean and start again and the survival of everyone will be in the hands of a barely magical, crystal toting woman who desires a normal life with her dentist boyfriend.
At the start of the story we’re introduced to Dru, a young woman with a smidgeon of magical ability that allows her to energise the natural power within crystals and sell them in her shop. She’s just about eking out a living and making the rent but basically she’s fairly happy and enjoys helping others – even if they’re sceptical about the whole crystal wielding actually helping them at all. That is until a fairly handsome mechanic (known as Greyson), with a demon possession problem, walks into her shop complaining of strange dreams. Of course Dru is determined to help Greyson who has very little idea of just how much trouble he’s really in.
So, what did I like about the book. I think it does a great job of setting up the world in a very easy way. The writing is smooth and the author manages to easily provide information on the characters, the set up and the world being portrayed as the story progresses without resorting to massive info dumps or distracting history lessons. We learn fairly quickly that this is a world with magical possibility but that most people are either ignorant of this fact or simply refuse to believe in the existence of such things. The characters are easy to like. We have the female trinity – Dru, who owns the crystal shop, Opal, her employee who seems more interested in glitzy pumps than sparkly crystals and Rane, Dru’s childhood friend and a sorcerer with the ability to transform herself into other forms, such as wood, metal or rock, simply by touch! We have two annoying boyfriends – one an ‘ex’ and the other a ‘soon to be’ ex. And, of course, we have Greyson – who has a slightly unusual history that is revealed as the story progresses.
The main characters are Dru and Greyson who share a connection that helps both of them in different ways. The only negative aspect to the Dru/Greyson relationship is a case of serious instalove which I think personally felt a little bit rushed although I must add that this is not a romance novel and that aspect of the story is not paid a great deal of attention to. On the positive side both characters come to need each other in different ways as the story develops. Both have a past that they’re in denial about, Dru longs for normality and Greyson has very little understanding about his own family and both have much more potential than has yet been realised. I really liked that the author is letting both character arcs develop at a reasonable pace rather than both of them becoming overnight sensations with phenomenal magical prowess! They both have problems. Greyson is possessed by a demon so is problem is very physical not to mention dangerous. Dru suffers from massive self doubt, which isn’t really a surprise considering she was surrounded by a family with far superior magical talent, and has happily relegated herself to a life without expectation in that area.
Of course, you may have noticed the reference above to possessed cars. Greyson is in fact fixing up an old car when he first makes his appearance at Dru’s shop – a Dodge Charger that he affectionately named ‘Hellbringer’. Remember the film about a car called Christine – well, Hellbringer gives the whole haunted car theme a complete overhaul. Add to this a few other demons and their equally possessed ‘rides’ and as you may imagine there are a few dramatic car chases thrown into the mix.
The world building. Well, this is the modern world in which we live so the world here only needs to be very lightly sketched. Set in Colorado things are pretty much as you would expect – well, up until we take a road trip into the desert, visit a haunted mansion and discover an archway that is actually a portal to the netherworld – all of course heavily glamorised to prevent mere mortals from stumbling upon them – and all of this with a bunch of demons in hot pursuit.
In terms of criticisms. Apart from the instalove, I don’t suppose this is bringing anything particularly eye poppingly new to the urban fantasy genre but that being said I think there’s always room for another urban fantasy providing it’s well done and keeps you entertained – which this does.
I really enjoyed It Happened One Doomsday. It’s an enjoyable read with very easy to like characters, a fast paced plot, lots of action and a healthy injection of wit. Yes, you will have to massively suspend your disbelief – but surely you would have to do so with any urban fantasy? This is a story based on an old prophecy that has been given a modern injection to bring it into the 21st century.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire, readalong week 2
9 July 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Late Eclipses, Readalong week No.2, Seanan McGuire
Late Eclipses is the fourth installment of the highly praised Toby Daye series and I can seriously say I’m firmly hooked on this series now!
Today is week two of our readalong of Late Eclipses (October Daye #4) ) by Seanan McGuire) arranged by Lisa from Over the Effing Rainbow. This week I’m hosting the Q&A. Oh my goodness what an emotional week – I’m a wreck!
The details are over here on Goodreads – the schedule is below. If you want to join in or jump in with the comments then please do so. Without further ado here are the questions and answers with a customary word of warning that spoilers will be lurking below:
Week 2: Saturday 9th July, Chapters 10 to 18, hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 3: Saturday 16th July, Chapters 19 to 27, hosted by Books By Proxy
Week 4: Saturday 23rd July, Chapters 28 to End, hosted by Hisham El-far
Lily, Luna and then Tybalt’s people – why are they being targeted?
That does seem like a silly question but I do have my kind of odd reasonings for raising it – I suppose my main train of thought was that if it’s so easy to target all these others why not just target Toby? Clearly this is aimed at her and all I can deduce from it is that somebody is trying to badly hurt her – but why not ‘actually’ hurt Toby instead of all these others, it seems like it would be so much easier somehow. She doesn’t really take precautions, she rushes into the fray without a second though…. I could just go with the idea that somebody is really trying to make her hurt, perhaps before finishing her off in some way – just showing how weak and vulnerable she is? But the reverse of this is that maybe whoever it is simply can’t hurt Toby. *clutching at straws* also springs to mind as well.
Last week we saw the Queen again and she had apparently been through a transformation of sorts herself just before announcing that Toby was to be Countess – what, if anything, do you think might be the connection between these poisonings and the happenings last week.
I’ve asked this question because I’m really hoping for enlightenment from others. I haven’t got a clue – not even a crazy theory. It all seems so deliciously intermingled but is it? Are there simply two separate themes and I’m going off down the wrong beaten track. My brain is going in crazy circles. Gods I love this book! That change with the Queen – it was like a sulky rebellion or something…
We visited Tybalt’s Kingdom – what were your impressions? Toby herself was caught wondering just how vast Tybalt’s court actually is – do you think there’s any significance or just a quick thought?
Every time we visit Tybalt’s kingdom I’m flooded with conflicting emotions. Firstly this is his domain and of course being the cat kingdom – there are plenty of waifs and strays included. It always seems a lot less glamorous than the other courts – almost like an inferior version and I get the impression that this is how Tybalt is treated in a way – it makes me wonder if there’s more to the thought above. This is obviously a large court – even if they feel a little like the underdogs (sorry). I could be totally off track with this one of course but it just comes across like the cat court is a little bit like the ‘poor relation’ in some way. I love it – it has a dangerous and dark feel to it and – well, laugh away – but I always conjure up in my mind that Jet’s scene from West Side Story – I know, I’m a fool of a tuck!
What I’m particularly puzzled about is the absence of the Luidaeg – I’m not sure what’s going on in that respect and one part of me wonders if somebody is attacking all of Toby’s other friends and loved ones might the Luidaeg also be under threat – as difficult to believe as that might be.
Okay, in last week’s chapters Toby tried to get help from the Luidaeg but was cut short and at the time it seemed like something dramatic was going on in the background. Now, at the time my main thoughts were that Ms McGuire has to find a way for Toby to not always get all her answers in this way as it would become formulaic, my next feeling was annoyance at the Luidaeg for not helping. However, after this week’s chapters I have a nagging feeling that whatever was taking place in the earlier chapters could have been significant. Also, as all of Toby’s other friends are being targeted why not the Luidaeg – even though she does come across as invulnerable? If I was Toby right now – I’d be visiting all my friends and putting them into hiding or a bubble, or something.
Do you think Toby is going insane? Why is she seeing Oleander but nobody else is doing so?
I don’t think Toby is going insane although clearly somebody is going to great lengths to try and make it seem that way. Oleander – well, I’m feeling very vague about her and her abilities – she could be capable of all of this, very capable, my only bugbear is why she doesn’t leave a magical scent – there’s no doubt a very good reason for that though. And then there’s much being made of the whole casting a shadow??
It also seems that Raysel is doing her utmost to poison everyone against Toby – what are your thoughts on Raysel and her own motives?
Well Raysel hates Toby – I don’t try to pretend I completely understand why though. Everyone very much acts as though Toby failed her – but she was a bloody fish! What could she do – she wasn’t sitting with her feet up reading a book and enjoying a cup of tea – she was a fish! Her life was pretty much over bar intervention from a good friend. Anyway, I digress. It seems to me that Raysel is making a play for power. It almost feels too simple and obvious to say that – especially if it involves poisoning Luna – but that’s the way it feels.
The other thing that obviously occurs to me is that there seems to be a lot of uncertainty going around concerning territories?? Or more to the point – vulnerable territories – again, is that too simple and obvious??
Final thoughts, I absolutely feel that Toby’s mother must show up? Surely??
And look, two gorgeous banners – one for the top and bottom – I think we have a craze right here! I’m totally ruined and need two banners for everything right now! Greedy much!
A land of milk and honey…
8 July 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, The Friday Face Off, The land of milk and honey
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme being hosted by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite books’ covers. The rules are fairly simple and can be found here. Each week, following a predetermined theme choose a book, compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Simples. This week the theme is:
A Land of Milk and Honey
A cover which features an idealised land
This week I’ve gone with The Just City by Jo Walton – because it seems perfect for this theme – a story about an experiment to create a truly ‘just’ city based on Plato’s Republic:
The first cover really draws my eye I have to admit and I like the colours and the font very much. The darker cover isn’t quite as eye catching in that respect but I think it feels more in fitting with the actual story somehow. However, in spite of that I can’t help my attraction to the first, it doesn’t feel as in keeping with the spirit of the story somehow, in fact it has an almost mediaeval fairytale type feel but I think it’s still my favourite:
The winner:
Next week’s theme:
Lady in Red
A cover which features a female character in red
Week 2: Monday 11th July, Chapters 7-14, hosted by Hisham El-Far
Week 3: Monday 18th July, Chapters 15-22, hosted by The Illustrated Page
Week 4: Monday 25th July, Chapters 23-End, hosted by x + 1