Domnall and the Borrowed Child by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
9 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Domnall and the Borrowed Child, Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
Domnall and the borrowed Child is a quick and easy read that breathes new life into some of the old fairy myths.
At the start of the story we are introduced to Domnall, an old and rather grumpy former scout. He is tasked with helping one of the fae children who has fallen grievously ill, the only known cure being mothers milk. And so the story turns into one about changelings but in this particular case we’re going to be given the fae side of things.
For a bit of background, the world of the fae seems to be in decline for reasons that are left unexplored here. The fairies and the Slaugh went to war with each other and many of the fairies were killed. Therefore every child is precious and the act of swapping a human child for a fairy one is sometimes the only possible hope for a cure. Changelings are greatly abhorred by humans – I guess we take it a bit personally if somebody steals our babies and leaves an imposter in their place. The fae don’t really hold things in the same regard, they see this as a necessary action and whilst they normally try to avoid human settlements they will go to great risk in such cases. After all – they’re only borrowing the child for a spell.
Anyway, long story short the best laid plans have a way of going awry and that turns out to be the case here.
Domnall is the central character of the piece. He’s old and creaky and a bit naffed off about the way things have turned out. It turns out that all the best fairies were killed in the war and the ones left are a bit of a useless bunch – well, if we are to believe Domnall that is. I’m not sure how reliable a narrator he really is. He seems to think he’s a great scout and yet he seems to quite easily get into trouble encountering unruly sheep and wolves along the way.
I can’t really go into great depth with this as it’s only a fairly short story so would be very easy to spoil things. Basically, this is a light hearted adventure from the fae world that brings to us a different view on the changeling theme. We find out a little bit more about fairy revels and enchantments. We learn it might not always be a good idea to drink the dew from the bluebells and we pay a visit to the local brownies.
This is sweet and slightly different than the normal fairly tale. I think my only real criticism is that I would have liked more in fact I think this could definitely have been filled out and given a bit more depth.
As it is, short and sweet.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey, readalong week No.5
8 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Avatar, Readalong week No.5
Welcome to week five of our readalong of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series. Kushiel’s Avatar is the third in the series and I am loving it so far. All free to join in, if you’ve already read this then please join in with the comments. The full schedule is here and this week I’m hosting. Before moving on: a word of warning – there will be spoilers lurking below.
So, moving swiftly on:
Chapters 50-61
1. There was so much action this week, let’s just take a minute to discuss that – particularly Phedre’s plan for escape. I realise this isn’t particularly a question but I just found these chapters so edge of the seat that I think we need to take a moment to discuss them and gather all our thoughts. What stood out for you? What surprised you?
These chapters were totally crazy – I was so scared that something was going to go wrong with the whole plan! It was so gripping though – I literally couldn’t put the book down at this point but just felt like I had to read on. I was surprised that Phedre was the sacrifice. I’d had it in my mind that Imriel would be the chosen one and that’s why he was being kept innocent but in actual fact it was a love sacrifice that was required. I didn’t see that coming. Those scenes – actually starting from when Phedre and Imriel, with a little help, broke out into the garden – were tense, I was convinced that somebody was going to find them out but that was also a turning point for Phedre and a point when others started to finally look at her in a different light and maybe start to believe that she could make a difference. Then the scene with the hairpin – I didn’t know if Phedre could do it. I certainly don’t think I would have shed any tears and yet I like that about her.
2. We’ve already had a debate on Imriel’s abduction and who was responsible and why. What are your thoughts now on the Gods and their motivations?
I always thought that Imriel’s abduction was too many coincidences rolled up into one to be a random act and in that respect was correct. But I hadn’t realised that really the Gods had chosen Imriel – not as a punishment but more as the only incentive that would have spurred Phedre into action and actually, ultimately, to prevent a far worse evil occurring. I think what Phedre, Imriel and Joscelin all went through was terrible but without them it would have been far worse.
3. How do you feel about Imriel and also who do you think is trying to assassinate him? Also, his reaction to his own family history – do you think that Melisande would ever have stood a chance to bend him to her will or not?
I’m not sure how I feel about Imriel just yet. In one respect he’s been through a helluva lot and managed to hold it together somehow. I can’t blame him for wanting to cling to Phedre and Joscelin – it seems he’s not safe anywhere else! I don’t like his whole spitting thing in fact I find it a bit repulsive but again I’m thinking he’s been through such a lot already – and in fact I think that now it’s clear who he is he will go through so much more. I’m not sure if Melisande could have bent him to her will – being brought up as he has been he doesn’t really have any closeness to her does he? But then again we’re only seeing him now after all his tribulations which he blames Melisande for. It will be interesting to see if she can turn him around.
4. Phedre and Joscelin – they’ve been through a lot and ultimately it’s taken a toll. Do you think this is something that they can get past particularly now that Joscelin has been injured – how do you think he will cope with that?
I feel so bad for Joscelin with his injuries and the way it’s affecting him. I think it will take some time for him to come round to be honest and if he doesn’t recover it’s going to have a massive impact on his whole being as he lives to serve and protect. I hope they can both pull through – I think they can but they’ll clearly need time.
5. It looks like Phedre’s cause to help Hyacinthe will be restored. It looks, at least, like she will have unexpected help along the way. What are your predictions in that respect.
Well, I like to think that Phedre and Joscelin can succeed. I think that Kaneka joining them will also be really intriguing and I look forward to learning more about her. She certainly doesn’t mess about. I loved the way she just jumped into the water to rescue Imriel – such a startling thing to do and not something I saw coming at all.
The other participants:
- Susan at Dab of Darkness
- Allie at Tethyan Books
- Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow
- Me at Lynn’s Book Blog
- Emily at Emma Wolf
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, readalong week No.1 #RRSciFiMonth
6 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #RRSciFiMonth, #SmallAngryPlanet, Becky Chambers, Readalong Week No1, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
Today is the start of a readalong of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. The readalong has been organised by Lisa at Over The Effing Rainbow and is part of this year’s Sci-Fi Month. The details for the readalong are here and the schedule looks like this:
Week 1 (Friday, November 6th): “Transit” to “Port Coriol” (95 pages)
Week 2 (Friday, November 13th): “Port Coriol” to “The Last War” (110 pages)
Week 3 (Friday, November 20th): “The Last War” to “Heresy” (107 pages)
Week 4 (Friday, November 27th): “Heresy” to end (90 pages)
All welcome.
So, to the questions, with a timely reminder before we start that the following may contain spoilers:
1. First things first, we get to meet the central cast – the crew of the Wayfarer. What are your first impressions of this crew? Which members, if any, stand out the most to you and why?
It’s a very interesting crew to read about so far with a lot of diversity and I’m feeling that this is a story that’s going to be strongly character based which I love. We’re already getting a good feel for Rosemary and the crew and we’re only a quarter in. This is only a small crew really aboard a big ship – I kept having mental images of Alien and Red Dwarf flitting through my brain, not to mention Star Trek (it’s a wonder I could even concentrate!) Rosemary is interesting and I wonder what her secret is. The Captain, Ashby, seems like a decent enough character, ambitious, Sissy is intriguing being from a different race and Corbin appears to be the onboard hypochondriac who we haven’t heard very much about yet so difficult to get a feel for him. So far, for me, Dr Chef and Kizzy are stealing the show. Early days I suppose. I love Kizzy’s over the top, optimistic energy and the way Dr Chef seems to be the homely, take care of everyone sort – which I suppose he’s well equipped to do with six feet/hands. Also we have Jenks and Lovey – Lovey is the AI – and it appears that her and Jenks are having a bit of a romance. I look forward to seeking how that develops. They’re a good bunch of characters to read about so far and Chambers has quite an easy and captivating style of developing them.
2. Rosemary gets a rather entertaining physics lesson regarding space tunnelling from Kizzy, upon her first full day as a crew member. What are your thoughts on the science part of the fiction?
This is the one things that I worry about when reading sci-fi. Basically, I’m a bit like Rosemary in that I’m sort of a sci-fi newbie – or, more to the point if things get too complicated I zone out a bit or just become bored. I want accessible sci-fi that I can understand and so far, I think I’ve got a pretty good handle of what’s going on – after all the explanation with the fruit punching through the porridge was easy to grasp even for me!
3. We go into the story aware that Rosemary is hiding something from the rest of the crew, and that she’s gone to great lengths to do so. Any ideas/suspicions/speculation you’d like to share on what her secret might be?
I really don’t have the faintest notion what she’s hiding although whatever it is she seems to think she was innocent (and these are her internal thoughts so perhaps she is – she’d be more likely to be expressing guilt internally otherwise?). I can’t help thinking, reading between the lines so far that whatever it is she’s running from maybe isn’t as bad as she thinks – but then I think why would she go to all this trouble and be hiding her identity if it wasn’t such a big deal? Maybe she’s just made a big mistake and was the talk of the town and is running away to hide her embarrassment more than anything else? Basically the TL:DR is I don’t know but I have a feeling that she’s maybe made it into something bigger than it really is. I’m usually wrong however so watch this space.
4. Ashby scores a huge job – and a huge potential payout – for the Wayfarer, but it means possibly having to get mixed up in a violent civil war. What do you make of what we know so far about the Toremi?
I have that feeling of ‘if something seems like it’s too good to be true, then maybe it is’ – but perhaps that’s too pessimistic and I have no real firm thoughts yet on the Toremi. Plus I feel like the crew have to reach their destination before they can contemplate the pitfalls of becoming involved? I can’t help feeling that something will go wrong along the way – after all, we’ve had the ‘punching a tunnel through space’ lesson – perhaps next we’re going to discover how it can all go wrong?? And, this is called ‘the long way’ etc, etc – so anything could happen couldn’t it?
Very intriguing story so far, compelling from virtually the get-go!
Relevant hashtags: #RRSciFiMonth or #SmallAngryPlanet
Goodreads group readalong link here.
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius
4 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Military Genius, Tough Travelling
This week, over at the Fantasy Review Barn, Nathan is taking us travelling once again through the tropes of fantasy. This week the topic for discussion is:
MILITARY GENIUS
Let’s face it. Fantasy life is often a life of war. One can only hope to serve under a commander who has some clue what they are doing.
So my choices this week:
Kaladin from Brandon Sanderson’s Way of Kings and Words of Radiance – I did think about going for Dalinar but I think Kaladin showed his skill when he joined the bridge crew and managed to not just train them into the ways of staying alive but also to make them feel more positive. Gone from strength to strength.
Rig Black from Erin Lindsey’s Bloodforged. Wow, can this guy form a good battle plan or what – risky, but good! The Bloodforged is the second book (the first being Bloodbound and they’re both very readable.
Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich from the Thousand Names by Django Wexler. This character really is a military genius – but maybe he’s not all he seems. Or maybe he’s more than he seems!
Merros from James A Moore’s Seven Forges and Blasted Lands. Merros starts out as a soldier but pretty quickly rises through the ranks to become General. He becomes responsible for training up the gone soft Fellein army. Year’s of peace have left the army in poor shape and with an army marching on their doorstep they need a good leader.
Reva from Anthony Ryan’s Tower Lord – really comes into her own in this story and helps to form a plan to defend the city.
General Anhalt from The Vampire Empire series by Susan and Clay Griffiths. Cool headed and incredibly correct – a great character to have on your side when the vampires are swarming!
That’s it for me this week
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
Waiting on Wednesday: Soulfinders
4 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Breaking the Spine, Maria V Snyder, Night Study, Soulfinders, 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 No.2 in the Soulfinders series by Maria V Snyder:
Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana’s has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.
Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he’s quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he’s been keeping secrets from Valek…secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander’s mysterious plans, they realize it’s far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.
Due for publication January 2016 – so not a long wait for more Yelena and Valek.
Books and travelling with Lynn 