A bookish break
This weekend I’ve been out and about with the lovely hubby. We went to visit Hay on Wye in Wales. Known as the town of books and a general must visit place for all bibliophiles it hosts a yearly Festival which people travel all over to visit, details here.
We weren’t going for the festival but just a general visit to check out the town and more importantly the upward of 20 bookshops that reside in this beautiful village.
I bought a few books:
- Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
- The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
- The Enchanted Castle by E Nesbit
- Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
- London’s Hidden Walks by Stephen Millar – we’re visiting London shortly and this looks like a great way to explore. Thirteen planned walks with all sorts of random odds and sods of information that you would likely miss otherwise. I’ve already had a good look through this and it has the feel of a guided tour. I don’t think we’ll manage all 13 walks but we’ll choose a few of these and definitely give them a try.
So, HoW was great with lots of books for me to obsess over plus cafes, antiques, art and other lovely things that you would expect. On the way out we spotted an old castle and we then paid a flying visit to Ludlow. We even saw a dragon – although it was a wooden carving and I’m afraid my picture didn’t work out!
Art it Up: Dreamer’s Pool
Art it Up. This is a meme hosted by Tabitha over at Not Yet Read. The idea being to see if you can come up with some 
inspiration for a little sketch or doodle from your last week’s reading or just anything else in general. My recent reading includes the first part of Max Gladstone’s Three Parts Dead (as part of a readalong), His Own Good Sword, by Amanda McCrina Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell and Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier. Straightforward rough sketch this week.
Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier
Look, far be it from me to tell you to read a book – but just read this book, pretty please. I’m not going to beg – okay, I will, please, please, please read this book. That should probably give a slight hint as to my feelings for this story. It was great, it was enchanting, it put a spell on me which I couldn’t break until I’d completely finished reading – literally in virtually one day!
In a nutshell (a little acorn maybe) the story is about a woman, wrongfully imprisoned who accepts help from the most unexpected source. Blackthorn, as she will become known, is a wise woman and healer. She has been incarcerated in a miserable, filthy prison for too long, the only thing sustaining her the dreams she has of bringing down revenge on the head of the man who destroyed her life.
The story gets off to an immediate start as Blackthorn finds out that she is to be murdered rather than given the opportunity to air her tale. At the same time, she receives a visitor, Conmael, a member of the fae who has an unusual proposition in which Blackthorn will give up her desire for revenge, will live a life of good far away from this place and provide help to all those who ask. In return he will save her life and see to her escape. And so a pact is made, of course, a pact with a member of the fae is not to be taken lightly. The terms between Conmael and Blackthorn will remain intact for seven years. If the terms are breached, a year will be added for every time the pact is broken.
And so Blackthorn escapes into the night. Followed closely by a giant of a man, and former prisoner called Grim. The two will find themselves travelling to the land of Dalriada where their services will soon become in great demand.
To be honest I don’t really want to go into the plot. It’s just a magical explosion of gripping story told almost like an adult fairytale. The writing is simply gorgeous and evocative.
The story is narrated in three different voices, Blackthorn, Grim and Prince Oran. Crown Prince Oran of Dalraida has finally chosen a bride and although this is an arranged marriage the two have exchanged letters and seem to be perfectly well matched. Most believe that Prince Oran is too sensitive, he cares about nature, he’s respectful to people regardless of station or sex and he enjoys reading and poetry. And yet, in spite of the doubts of some, his little neck of the woods seems to run smoothly, his people wish to work for him and work hard to please and the villages within his remit are pleasant places to live. And then there’s Dreamer’s Wood. One of the old places, on the edges of the realm, it has a mystical feel and walking under the dark canopy usually produces a feeling of being watched. Nobody really enters the forest. The ‘others’ are believed to dwell there and none will brave the unspoken menace.
Why did I love this so much. It’s difficult to pin down. I wouldn’t say I had any difficulty in second guessing certain elements of the plot and I’m sure that others would no doubt do the same. But, there are a number of different strands to the tale and more than the actual main story, which seems to have turned into a mystery that Blackthorn and Grim will become involved in trying to solve on the Prince’s behalf, there are little jaunts into side stories not to mention a number of occasions where we look back at Blackthorn’s past. I also really enjoyed the three main characters and alternating the chapters between them gave the story an added pace and a more rounded feel.
Blackthorn is a great character, twisted with anger and yet the chances she has been given have already started to have a positive effect. We have Oran, the thinker – and in fact forward thinker given the way most nobles behave. And Grim. I loved this character. He’s a great hulk of a man with a quick temper that once roused is usually followed by a blinding flash of temper resulting in the use of fists – and yet he’s afraid of the dark and has developed a strong devotion to Blackthorn. Both of these characters are badly broken and yet in coming together they are forming a strange bond that is helping them to heal.
On top of this we have a setting straight out of a storytime read. Castles, damsels in distress. Wicked nobles and scheming fae. What’s not to love!
I really loved this book. I can’t give it enough feels. If you enjoy a story with beautiful writing, strong and intriguing characters, a fairytale setting and magical creatures then I think you will also enjoy this book. Juliet Marillier definitely goes on my authors to be watched and auto bought (yep, I’ve got my beady eye on JM!) And, given the way this book develops I’m expecting more instalments – at least six maybe???
What are you waiting for. Get out of here and pick up a copy.
Other reviews:
And, if all that doesn’t convince you then I just despair. I do. I’ll just go dive into Dreamer’s Pool!!!!
Lord what fools these mortals be!
11 March 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fae, Fantasy Review Barn, Tough Travelling
This week over at the Fantasy Review Barn we are once again tough travelling with our trusty guide Nathan. This week our topic for discussion is FAE
Surprisingly not in the Tough Guide. How can this be? Fairies are a constant in the fantasy world and it is time they get their own week. Give us your Fae, be they sweet or nasty.
- The Rebel Angel series by Gillian Philip – sithe – some of these are nice (Seth) – some not so much (Kate McNiven)
- Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier – good old fashioned style fae, tricky, beautiful, ethereal – be careful what you agree to.
- Tithe/Valiant and Ironside by Holly Black – I loved this series and it’s the first I read that portrayed the fae as maybe not always so nice!
- The Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett – first the Wee Free Men, a type of fae (pictsies??) and then in the Wintersmith Tiffany gets embroiled with fae – if I remember correctly?? Maybe it wasn’t this book – doh – Nathan, chuck me a bone??
- Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – ‘methought I was enamoured of an ass!’ Full of Fairies – The King and Queen of the fae no less not to mention pesky Puck.
- Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver – appalachian fae – a unique read. Very good.
- The Blue Girl by Charles deLint – ghosts and fae in Newford Town – I’ve only read the one from Newford but I do intend to return.
- Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series – great books
Can I say the elves from LotR – and perhaps somebody can help me out here – are elves sort of related, in a far removed kind of way, to fae?? Or no????
His Own Good Sword by Amanda McCrina
10 March 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Amanda McCrina, His Own Good Sword, Mark Lawrence, Self Published Fantasy Blog Off
His Own Good Sword gets underway the first of my reviews for the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, brainchild of Mark Lawrence (in collaboration with Bookworm Blues) the details of which are here.
I randomly chose His Own Good Sword to start off with and actually I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It did get off to a little bit of a slow start but I soon became quite intrigued with the story of Tyren Risto.
This is very much what I would describe as alternative history with the Roman-like Varenos having conquered the Cesins. This has been far from a smooth occupation and over the years a number of rebellions have flared up. At the start of the story Tyren, second son to the noble Risto family, has been sent his new commission. Unfortunately he’s been posted to Souvin, not only an outlying backwater but something of an insult to the Ristos. It turns out that the Ristos have a long standing history of bad blood with the powerful Marro family and following a spat between Tyren and one of the Marros this Commission is a demonstration of just how powerful that family have become.
There are two strands to the story. Tyren’s posting in Souvin and the difficulties he encounters there in terms of rebellion and potential uprising and the story of the Risto family and the political maneouvering taking place behind the scenes to undermine not only them but the Senate itself.
I guess I’d call this something of a gentle read and I suppose what I really mean by that is that it crept up on me unexpectedly. Also, although the story involves conflict and bloodshed it’s not particularly violent or gory. The details of the fighting and injuries are almost delivered in a calm and measured tone. I don’t mean to underplay it by describing it that way – just that it has a realistic feel but narrated in a non-dramatic style. I liked, for example, the fact that during battle Tyren does become exhausted and the injuries he sustains have a real impact that knock him out for days and continue to cause him problems even later in the story.
We read primarily from the POV of Tyren with occasional chapters being led by his father Torian and this helps the plot to unfold in a fairly easy to follow style with a view on the bigger picture rather than focusing only on the potential uprising in Souvin.
I would say the story is primarily character led with Tyren being the main protagonist and quite a good supporting cast although that isn’t to underplay the plot which builds subtly to become quite compelling. The world building is fairly low key – not a problem although I thought it could have been added to a little just to give it a bit more flavour.
In terms of criticisms. Well, the pacing was a little slow and the dialogue felt a bit unpolished, particularly at the start of the story. Also, I did at times feel a bit put out with Tyren – he certainly didn’t make the best decisions and his lack of foresight and naivety proved costly to quite a few others – I sort of tempered this with the fact that he’s an idealistic 19 year old finding himself in charge of a garrison soldiered by older and more cynical men. I was also a bit perplexed with Tyren’s sudden liking for one of the rebel women – it just felt like it came out of nowhere and wasn’t entirely believable. I would say it took me a little while to become truly invested in the story but once I did it was definitely a good read and to be honest one that I would continue with.
The other thing I would mention is that if you’re expecting any fantasy elements in terms of dragons, swords or sorcery or unusual characters with pointy ears then you may be disappointed (well, not on the sword front maybe). This story is fantasy purely by dint of it being completely fictional. In other words it isn’t a work of fiction set in Rome and based on the wars and deeds of that time and place. The entire place, people and wars are fictitious.
I think that if you enjoy alternate history, particularly when based on the Roman Empire with politics, conflict and underhanded behaviour together with a protagonist who hasn’t yet proved himself but looks set to take events further with plenty of potential for development then this could be for you. I would continue with the series as I’m curious as to where it will go next.
I think this was a good start to the SPFBO
Books and travelling with Lynn 