The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
The Secret Chord is Geraldine Brooks latest story and brings to us a fresh look at King David. I confess that I know very little of King David – apart from the very well know episode of David and Goliath of course – and this is a retelling of history and myth that is really intriguing to read told by an author who is an expert at delivering a well told tale.
The story begins with David, as an older man, sending Natan (his prophet) out to meet people from his life to record his story and so we begin with David’s mother and move on from there. As I mentioned above this is a story that I really knew very little about although I believe David’s life is well documented and this is a retelling of those events.
This is a bit of a step away from my usual type of read as it contains no fantasy or sci fi elements but is a very creative reimagining of David’s life. Told through the eyes of Nathan, David’s prophet, who became so at a young age, after he witnessed the massacre of his family at the hands of David and his men. Being a prophet Nathan was greatly feared, some believed him to be a sham, others avoided him like the plague, his life revolved around David but apart from that he seems to have been the one man who could deliver the truth, even if nobody wanted to hear it.
I think Geraldine Brooks is a master of storytelling. She could probably make a shopping list fascinating to read and so in that respect this is a compelling read. Although, I will just mention at this point that this is in parts a violent book. This is definitely an age of little or no remorse in the face of death, in fact reading this the one thing that really stood out was that life seemed incredibly cheap and to be honest David was not without taint in that respect. There are scenes of battle, murder and rape and although these are not sensationalist they may be upsetting for some readers so bear that in mind.
What Brooks does here is show a side to David that is new. He has a fairly sad start until he is anointed as the chosen one. He is then greatly beloved for his heroics in battle until King Saul becomes jealous of him and he of necessity undertakes the life of a fugitive. From there things move on – but I won’t document everything here.
The absolute winning element to this story is the writing. I admit that as I started reading I did wonder if I would get on with this book and then before I knew it I was glued to the pages. Of course, David had a fascinating life and the story unfolds here in a compelling manner, the scenery is set so well, and we see a side to David that is maybe not quite so endearing. At the end of the day these were not easy times to live in with much warfare and bloodshed.
In terms of criticisms – well, I can’t really say that any of the characters were particularly endearing to read about. Well, the main characters are clearly Natan and David and neither of them are easy to like in some respects. Natan is very solitary and a bit abrasive. David, well, he certainly doesn’t come across endearing here. Okay, he has the ability to be likable and fair but to counterbalance that he also appears vain, difficult, a pretty dreadful husband and father and not always the best judge of his own actions.
I enjoyed The Secret Chord, maybe not as much as some as Brook’s other work but still thought it was a compelling and quite fascinating read.
I received a copy of this courtesy of the publishers through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey, readalong week No.6
15 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Avatar, Readalong week No.6
Welcome to week six 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 Emily at Emma Wolf is our lovely host. Before reading further: a word of warning – there will be spoilers lurking below.
So, moving swiftly on:
Chapters 62-73
1. We see yet another attempt on Imriel’s life. Any new thoughts?
Well, it appears to be Valere doesn’t it? My thoughts about it are that seeing the amount of attempts on Imriel’s life in such a short span, and not even subtle attempts, it seems like he’s never going to live an untroubled life! He’s going to long for his days tending to goats in complete oblivion.
2. Imriel pulls the old switch-a-roo and ends up with Joscelin, Phedre, and Kaneka on their way to Iskandria. Phedre decides to press on rather than turn back. What do you think of her course of action? What do you think of Imriel’s trick? Some seem to be reminded a bit too much of Melisande’s escape from Troyes-le-Mont. What do you think? What do you think of Imriel’s rationale that he is in Hyacinthe’s debt?
In a way it’s not a surprise that Phedre continued on with her journey. At the back of their minds both Phedre and Joscelin have grown very attached to Imriel and the feeling is returned. They have a feel of a family unit and more than that they have a level of trust established. Understandably, Imriel thinks that only Phedre and Joscelin can protect him and I suspect that they’re beginning to entertain similar thoughts. I think Joscelin made a good point that Imriel’s switch-a-roo ploy may come back to haunt him because people will see Melisande in that simple manoeuvre – I really don’t blame him though and personally I think he would have come to harm on board that ship. I can also understand Imriel’s thinking, even though it conveniently allows them to continue on with Joscelin and Phedre, that without Hyacinthe Phedre’s search would have foundered.
3. Phedre meets with Pharaoh again…and threatens to tell Ysandre that Pharaoh has been in touch or in league with Melisande should something happen to her or Imriel. What do you think of her move?
Well, she has guts that’s for sure. At the end of the day she is simply trying to take precautions in whatever way she feels is best – and you can’t really blame her.
4. Kaneka finds some healing with Wali, and Phedre finds her way back from the darkness of Darsanga. Thoughts?
OMG – I had goosebumps. That is all. Okay, that is not all. Phedre and Joscelin finally getting back in touch with each other after all they’ve been through – literally that was one of the most lovely scenes of the series so far. I agree with Joscelin – he needs to go and catch more fist. Now, that is all. Go fish.
5. Phedre et al. journey down the Nahar, through the desert and into Jebe Barkal and Saba. What do you think of these new places and the new characters we meet?
Such an interesting journey. Yet again Carey manages to bring scenes to life before your eyes. Everywhere we go is easy to envisage and I just love the extra attention to detail – travelling across the desert you could almost feel the searing heat – I swear that my lips also felt cracked just reading those chapters. More tea was needed.
6. Phedre meets with the elders of Saba and is disappointed. Then she meets with some of the women. What do you think? Will they help her when the others didn’t?
I think they will. Hopefully I won’t be proved wrong! These are the wise women after all – and two things must ye remember about the wise women – 1. they are women; and 2. they are wise! if they don’t give up the info then henceforth they shall be known as the not-so-wise women and that’ll teach them a lesson!
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 Girl with Ghost Eyes by M H Boroson
The Girl with Ghost Eyes was such a great read that I simply have to start this review by saying go and give it a whirl.
The story is set in the late 1800s in San Francisco’s Chinatown and brings to us a compelling story with a wonderful protagonist. Li Lin is a Daoist priestess, daughter to a powerful exorcist who protects the neighbourhood from harmful spirits. Unfortunately Li Lin’s father has enemies who will go to great lengths to harm him and increase their own power and would use Li Lin to try and gain advantage. At the start of the story Li Lin is betrayed by a friend and tricked into a situation that places both her and her father at great risk and sets her on a course to seek the truth and prevent further damage.
How best to start this review. Well, firstly this story is packed with imagination. There are all sorts of spirits and monsters that frankly are great to read about. On top of this the author manages to evoke the period and open your eyes to the wealth of superstitions, folklore and myth that surrounded the people of the era. And, on top of that, I just feel like the author does an excellent job of bringing to us a likable protagonist who you can really feel for and get behind, especially given the restrictions of the era not only for a young woman but a young woman dealing with the loss of a husband and the shame of having yin eyes (the ability to see spirits). Li Lin struggles with her own self belief and also constantly strives to gain the affection of her strict father. In that respect this almost has a coming of age feel as we follow Li Lin on her journey and watch her develop not only her powers but her confidence in her own abilities. As the story gathers we learn more of Li Lin and her family circumstances which help to give her a very rounded feel although there are no info dumps, just steady development.
There is plenty of action and the story has almost a Ghibli feel to it. Fantastic monsters coupled with kung fu and Chinese gangsters plus fast pacing that have you jumping from one incredible dilemma to the next.
I don’t know how true to the period this is or how correct the terminology but it certainly reads well and feels as though the author has researched this well. It sort of put me a little in mind of the Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo although this story I felt had more action and more detail in terms of the spirit world.
In terms of criticisms. I didn’t really have anything to be honest. There was the odd occasion where the dialogue felt a little forced and i had the odd occasion of frustration with some of the limitations that Li Lin faced but frankly, given the era, it would have been unrealistic if Li Lin didn’t face such barriers.
To conclude, I really enjoyed this. It’s a fast paced and wonderfully fantastic tale with monsters and spirits, a great main character, evil baddies and friends where you least expect them with an excellent and dramatic ending. Although I’m trying desperately to avoid spoilers I simply have to mention Mr Yanqiu – he’s one of the best sidekicks I can ever remember reading about.
I have no hesitation in recommending. If you enjoy fantasy, myth, folklore, incredible monsters, spirits, excitement and kung fu then what you waiting for! Go and grab a copy and prepare to be thoroughly entertained.
I received a copy of this courtesy of the publishers. The above is my own opinion.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, readalong week No.2 #RRSciFiMonth
13 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #RRSciFiMonth, Becky Chambers, Readalong week No.2, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
Today is week two 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. There has been significant conversation about AI, what it means to be alive, whether or not AI should have rights, whether or not a person can fall in love with a specific instance of AI, etc. This is a bit of a sticky situation. After the discussion between Pepper and Jenks, how do you feel about Lovey’s and Jenks’ relationship? Should they move forward with their plan?
This is a really fascinating train of thought to be honest. Clearly a person can fall in love with an AI and Jenks is the proof of that. And I can understand why Lovey wants a body – she’s an AI, she develops and learns and I suppose having a body will give her much more freedom to do so. Can she feel for Jenks in the same way that he does for her? It’s really difficult to know isn’t it. Is she manipulating him in order to get a body? It’s a possibility I suppose – and she does need him in that respect – does she equate need with love? Again, I’m not sure. More importantly why does she want a body – does she want a body in order to break out of her confines and learn more, does she want to progress their relationship, does she think it will please Jenks? And, no matter what the answer – are any of those things really so bad? Then again, does Jenks need Lovey – not in the same way perhaps but certainly it must be appealing to him that Lovey has no judgement in terms of him and his stature for example. In that respect they’re both equal in that they haven’t judged each other or had prejudices based on expectations and whatever feelings they have are built on something other than appearance. I am enjoying this storyline and I’m keen to see how it develops. In terms of Pepper and her fears, well, perhaps there is a time in history where AIs had bodies and maybe things didn’t go so well – maybe they did rise up – a la Terminator style- although clearly a body isn’t totally necessary to cause destruction is it? I’m not totally sure that I’ve answered anything here – in fact I seem to have come up with more questions than answers. I’m interested to see what happens but whatever action they take – well, it could have implications for others. So, in one respect I really find it kind of sweet but in another, well, we’ll have to see.
2. In the chapter “Intro to Harmagian Colonial History,” we see Dr. Chef’s perspective of having been a mother, though he is currently male, and Sissix’s perspective that children aren’t people yet. Ohan is referred to as they/them. The Akarak are referred to as xyr/xe. These perspectives and preferences are perspectives actually held by different groups of humans in our own world. Do you think assigning these perspectives to aliens rather than humans make them easier or harder to sympathize with?
I guess it makes it easier in a way – although barely. Probably just that thing about looking for common ground. People – and aliens are all different though aren’t they – as we see from this book.
3. How might the ship robbery have been different if the Wayfarer were armed?
Well, I suppose it depends on how it was armed. I think it is a good idea to take precautions against being attacked – like a shield. However, I think it could have potentially been a lot worse if they were more armed. Both were only small parties but if one person started shooting then they all could have started shooting and it could have escalated massively. At the end of the day they can replace the goods. The only injury was Ashby and that was simply as a result of a misunderstanding in communication. So yeah, I think there’s wouldn’t be any harm in taking some precautions – just be reasonable about it. Ashby seems to have his head screwed on in that respect anyway.
4. As I finished the fourth chapter in my section, “Cricket,” I thought it might be a good place to stop and talk about some of our favorite humorous moments so far. What scenes really tickled your funny bone? Who makes you laugh the most?
I like the humour. It’s not like outright guffawing but I enjoy keeping my dignity when I’m reading in Public! The humour is more subtle – like Rosemary being consoled by her Pixel plant after a dressing down by Corbin. I liked the humour between Dr Chef and Sissix when they were talking about humans – and putting something into the food to stop them being so smelly. Or, after the robbery Sissix saying ‘I took some time to freak out. Didn’t you?’ I loved the chapter ‘Cricket’. The planet and the way the people live – reminiscent of earlier settlers from history – who have little but band together to help each other. And I liked Bear – he’s a gigantic softie isn’t he – building guns and other things – and letting Kizzy plait his hair. Good stuff.
‘All’s well that ends well…’
12 November 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fantasy Review Barn, Peaceful endings, 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:
PEACE AT LAST
Life in Fantasyland is often hard but even the hardest fought battles can come to an end. The good guys win, the quest is over, evil is gone. Yes, the land can finally know peace when the protagonist reach their goal.
Peace at last – okay, I think I’ve gone with a lot of fairly obvious choices here but.. Also, given that we’re talking of endings here there could be potential spoilers lurking below. Beware!
- Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings – I simply had to go there. The ring has been cast into Mount Doom and there is simply no way for Sauron to recover from this one. Peace at last has come to Middle Earth.
- JKRowling’s Harry Potter – he who shall not be named is finally gone. And didn’t they all just go on and live happily ever after!
- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis – the White Witch is dead, Narnia is no longer living in perpetual winter and all the little critters that were turned to statues, including his good self Mr Tumnus, have been restored to life. Good times.
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett – in which, thankfully a terrible apocalypse is prevented – at the very last minute!
- The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence. Not to give too much away, maybe not an all singing and dancing, happy bunnies bounding through the fields type of ending – (SPOILER) not if your name is Jorg anyway, but, certainly a peaceful ending in terms of necromancers and armies of the dead being thwarted at the last minute!
- The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum – okay, maybe the woman in the pointy hat with the green tinged skin wasn’t too happy at the conclusion of this story but the Munchkins were throwing a party!
- Bear with me with this one – I am Legend by Richard Matheson – okay, the protagonist is due to meet a sticky ending – but – SPOILER – in a land now overrun by vampire type creatures, where he is the only human, he has in fact become the bogeyman and by killing him the vampires can finally live in peace.
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula. No explanation needed.
That’s it for me this week.
