A friend in need???
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic over at the Broke and Bookish is:
Ten Books About Friendship
These are my choices this week:
- Magical – Harry Potter from JKRowling. Harry, Hermione and Ron. They go through all sorts of life threatening situations but stick together throughout.
- Best Friends forever – The Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch. Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen are literally friends for ever! I love the two of them. They’re awful to each other sometimes – but only for each other’s own good! These two can say anything, and frequently do, and there’s never any resentment or grudges.
- Dangerous – The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The friendship of the four women in this story is tense and leads to a story that is unputdownable.
- Remarkable – The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. Feels like a bit of a step out of character from her usual books but a totally compelling read told through the lives of four women whose lives become linked – even more remarkable as some of the events are based on true events.
- Not altogether human – Atticus and Oberon from Kevin Hearne’s Druid Chronicles – their friendship is totally brilliant, entertaining, funny and makes you wish you could share the same conversations with your own dog (or cat!).
- Scary – The Fool and the Serpent from the Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore. This is a strange friendship – based on need really – on both sides.
- Unconventional – Kaladin and Syl from Brandon Sanderson’s Way of Kings. A brilliant friendship based on mutual benefit.
- Bromance – Frodo and Sam, I couldn’t resist getting Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien into my list – I use every opportunity after all. The sort of friendship that gets you through the most impossible situations – “I’m going to Mordor” – “Of course you are. And I’m coming with you”.
- Foreboding – Marley and Scrooge from Dicken’s Christmas Carol – with friends like Marley, etc, etc. – although, even though he did have three ghosts pay a visit to his old friend Scrooge in the end it was for Scrooge’s own good!
- Dangerous – Miss Justineau and Melanie – from Girl with All the Gifts by M R Carey – be afraid to have this friendship!
So, who would you pick, out of all your books – who makes the best friends?
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
19 May 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: book No.1, Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools, Red Queen's War
Just finished reading Prince of Fools (PoF) by Mark Lawrence – who is definitely becoming one of those authors that I simply must read and eagerly anticipate his next in series.
Now, the next few sentences, I’ve unashamedly stolen because I don’t want to go too much into detail plotwise (and also I think you just need to read it yourself):
“The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire fear her as they fear no other.
Her grandson Jalan Kendeth is a coward, a cheat and a womaniser; and tenth in line to the throne. While his grandmother shapes the destiny of millions, Prince Jalan pursues his debauched pleasures. Until he gets entangled with Snorri ver Snagason, a huge Norse axe man, and dragged against his will to the icy north.”
I’m sure that I’m not the first, and probably won’t be the last to say this but I approached this book with almost equal measures of anticipation, expectation and trepidation. After all, this isn’t Jorg but it is the Broken Empire and I wondered if ML could work his magic again or whether Jal might become a little bit like Jorg in disguise. I don’t think I can deny that when I started reading I was thinking of Jorg. Then I mentally slapped himself as frankly I don’t think it’s fair to an author to have that mindset when you’re reading the next new series. Of course you compare, it’s inevitable, but I wanted to give this the same opportunity as I would have if I’d never read any of ML’s books before – so, yes, mental slapping went on! It may be that some people see similarities between the two but fortunately for me this wasn’t the case. The only similarities that I found was the consistency of the writing, the creativity and the sense of humour that ML undoubtedly manages to inject into some fairly dire situations.
So, we return to the Broken Empire but we not only go back for a visit but we also go back in time and look at things not only from a different kingdom but from a time when Jorg was still on his path of vengeance. We enter the realm of the Red Queen, a woman of iron – but then, seriously, she wouldn’t be ruling in this realm if she wasn’t. At the start of the story, apart from being introduced to Jal as he escapes a compromising situation, all the Queen’s family have been summoned. She’s brought them together to talk to them of grim portents for the future and doors that are opening that should remain closed. Of course, Jal, with his mind on other things is barely listening.
To the characters. Jal is basically a coward and a womaniser. Throw in a bit of gambling, creativity with the truth and the ability to whack a man over the back of the head (when he’s not looking) and you have something of his measure. However, as you find out as you read on, you don’t have the full measure. Jalan is his own worst critic and as the story gains momentum you come to understand that he’s got more to him that he would have you believe. Yes, he wants out of the situation he’s in particularly if it’s a bit hair raising, and occasionally he tries to think of the easiest way to do so, but on the whole he’s not as bad as he likes to make out (and a LOT of people would try and find the easier way out of a tricky situation if they could)! He’s known as a hero in his heartland due to falling into a spot of bother whilst trying to run away from another. But, really, don’t be fooled by Jal’s own self evaluation. Read it and see. Now, on top of this, we have another character who Jal travels with, well becomes inextricably linked with is probably more to the point! Snorri ver Snagason – a gigantic norseman with an axe to grind – and literally he does have an axe – and is on a rescue mission. I could give a little air punch here but you won’t see it so I’ll just say that this story has Vikings!!! And, need I really say more. I really liked Snorri – he’s a great big no nonsense character. He smiles at trouble and definitely laughs in the face of impossible odds. I just loved him down to his (probably) furry boots and his grisly beard. Woof!
The setting – well, we are back to the Broken Empire but in a strange sort of way I felt like I visited more of it in this book than with Jorg. That could be true, or I could just be mislead but this particular plot feels a lot more vast in scope and seems to range far and wide taking in many landscapes! The two of them trek from here to there and then from there to here. Sometimes they get caught up in fights. Occasionally they have horses to ride. There are skirmishes along the way. There are shady characters and even Jorg makes a surprise appearance.
In terms of the writing – ML undoubtedly has a gift with words. He can make you feel comfortable with a character or envision a setting with ease. He doesn’t info dump and his writing flows in a very easy to read fashion.
Without a doubt, what made this novel so good for me was the fact that it almost feels like old school fantasy. We have Jal and Snorri bound on an adventure. Sometimes they find inns along the way, quite often they find trouble and they also find friendship. On top of that I found myself caring about both characters which I think is an accomplishment in itself. Old school-modern style. It of course has a few unexpected twists along the way and for your entertainment there are witches, circuses, fortune tellers and zombie type soldiers.
I received a copy of this book through the publishers. The above is my own opinion and I would certainly recommend this book to fantasy lovers.
I am submitting this for my Once Upon a Time event over at Stainless Steel Droppings and also my 100 books challenge.
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. The one her mother calls difficult and her father calls remarkable. On Sarah’s eleventh birthday, Hetty ‘Handful’ Grimké is taken from the slave quarters she shares with her mother, wrapped in lavender ribbons, and presented to Sarah as a gift.
I read this book a few weeks ago but couldn’t sort my thoughts out into a rational semblance of a review. I’m not sure that I’m still going to achieve that. Basically I thought this was a really good book and would definitely recommend it. Whether I’ll manage to give an articulate review of this remains to be seen though!
The story looks at the very different lives of two women living within the same household. One the daughter of a plantation owner and part of the upper echelons of the Charleston ‘first’ families. The other the daughter of one of the slaves who works out from the town house. The two women involved are Sarah Grimke and Handful. (Handful was called thus by her mother on the day of her birth – all the slaves name their children privately as their owners give them a name at birth. For the duration of the story we have alternate chapters from Sarah and Handful.
Sarah Grimke’s story is based on a true story that has been dramatised by the author and is brought to life in a wonderful and gripping fashion by SMK’s words. I also think Handful is based on a real character although not as much is known of her story and so a good deal of her story has been created for the purpose of this book. The author decided to use the two characters to add to the drama and it works really well here.
At the start of the story Sarah is given Handful as a birthday gift – decked out in ribbons. And so the horror begins – imagine being given to somebody as a gift!!! Horrified at the notion of owning another human being Sarah tries to free Handful. This is the start of years battling with her mother and most of the rest of her family about the abolition of slavery and also about women’s rights.
I’m sure that we all know some of the horror stories of slavery and so I’m not going to go into too much of the content of the story. What I think SMK manages to portray really well here is the fact that both Sarah and Handful are, in very different ways, captive. Sarah, very intelligent and able to reason and argue demonstrably well has been born either in the wrong body (i.e. female) or the wrong time (before abolition). She’s ahead of her time and as you can imagine her notions are not well received living where she does. Handful is a slave in the real sense of the word but she’s been brought up with her mother’s beliefs that nobody can really own her. She has a powerful sense of what’s right and wrong and although she’s a little bit naive at the start of the story she becomes a very skillful story teller. Of course, Sarah’s way of life can never be compared with Handful’s who suffers all sorts of abuse and indignities as the book progresses. Even when Sarah thinks she’s being hard done by her suffering is nothing compared to Handful’s.
I really enjoyed the setting – the fact that this is a slave’s story but from a different view set in town as opposed to being based out on the plantation. It’s interesting that the lives of the family and the slaves are different from those that I’ve read previously and yet no less harsh for Handful and the rest of the house slaves. It was also intriguing to watch the reaction of the owners, thinking themselves so civilised and yet exacting quite horrible means of punishment. Basically Handful and her mother are worth a good deal to the family. They’re both incredibly gifted seamstresses and therefore when they transgress from the rules the mistress wants to punish them – but not enough to do any really lasting damage which may impact upon her! It’s a very powerful story. It demonstrates how people can turn a blind eye to all sorts of abuse whilst hiding behind a thin veil of civilisation. And, it’s told so well!
Anyway, I will keep this fairly to the point as I don’t really want to go too much into plot. I enjoyed the story, the setting and the characters. I think that alternating the chapters in this way gave us a great chance to look at the two differing perspectives. It was good to see the two girls growing up and experiencing their own difficulties and the ending was both dramatic and tense. SMK is a lovely writer and I will just point out that although this is a story of slavery, and it’s well told and quite eye opening, it is in no way a bloodthirsty or gratuitous read so don’t be afraid to pick the book up on that basis. SMK has developed an ability to relay something that could be incredibly horrible to read in a way that retains the horror of the situation whilst being told in a captivating voice.
I was looking forward to reading this book for such a long time and it truly didn’t disappoint. I’m only sorry that I can’t give a more articulate review that really demonstrates how much this book really affected me.
Roll up, roll up…the Tough Guide to Travelling through fantasy..
Each Thursday, the Fantasy Review Barn takes a look at ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’. This gives us all an opportunity to become travel reviewers of the land of fantasy. Join in and take a look at what’s a ‘hot spot’ and what’s not! This week’s topic:
Fairground- This is like a MARKET, except it is much , much bigger and planted somewhere right in the middle of nowhere so that everyone can get to it. There will be rows and rows of TENTS and BOOTHS…
This is actually a bit tougher than I first expected. I confess that I’ve cheated a little!! These might not ALL be fairgrounds as such!
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
A dark, gothic tale of two teenage boys who save their town after it falls under the throes of an evil carnival that comes to town in the deep of night. What else would you expect – you can’t have a respectably sinister carnival that arrives in broad daylight after all! Primarily a halloween tale this particular story has a spectacular fairground with rides, stalls, attractions, a witch like woman, a carousel that literally ages you or makes you younger (maybe worth visiting if you’re interested in the secret of everlasting youth)! Visit this fair if you enjoy the buzz of adrenalin that you will undoubtedly receive as you barely escape with your life!
2. The Troupe by Robert J Bennett
The Troupe is a coming of age fantasy about a young boy who runs away to join the fair! Well, he runs away to join the Vaudeville circuit and search for his father.
So George, much like Nellie the Elephant, packed his trunk and joined the strange and mysterious world of The Troupe. They follow a gruelling schedule, in fact you’ll be lucky in you can catch a performance. Are the Troup running away from demons, they’re certainly followed by faceless men in grey who blend with the shadows. The imagination and fantasy contained here is really fantastic. It’s a gripping story.
The Troupe has it’s own strong man and a puppet master (creepy at all) and the Master of the show gives a spellbinding performance at the conclusion of each event that leave the audience, quite literally, spell bound.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman is a magical story of a boy who goes in search of a star, crossing beyond the wall in his village into the unknown and coming face to face with unicorns, witches and pirate ships that sail in the clouds rather than the sea. Where did the story start. It started with a faerie fair. An occasion that happens only once every nine years in the field beyond the village of Wall. On this one particular day the regular mundane people of the village mix with the fantastical, anything is possible and everything is probable. Visitors to the faerie fair beware however. Tristan’s father visited the fair and 9 months later found a small bundle wrapped in a blanket and placed in a basket left on his doorstep and so Tristan’s story did begin.
Finally – and this is a BIG liberty – The Lost Boys. It’s not a book is it!! But, a lot of the action takes place at the fairground (or the Boardwalk). There’s more to this fairground than meets the eye as Santa Cruz Boardwalk is home to vampires. 
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson readalong week 7
This week is week 7 of our Words of Radiance readalong. This week our lovely host is Lisa from Overtheeffingrainbow. I can’t believe how quickly this readalong is flying by. To be honest – you’re probably a tad late to actually catch up now unless you read like a maniac – in which case jump on in, you’ll be in good company. I will also give the obligatory spoiler alert – mischiefspren are throwing a spoiler party below and you’re all invited.
So there are people with Radiant powers appearing the world over… What do you think of Lift and her “awesomeness”? And what about “Darkness”? Do you think Lift’s part in the story will tie into the main plot at some point?
Oh yes! If she can stay alive long enough I think Lift will play a part in the plot. However, Darkness doesn’t seem like the kind to be easily put off and he seems to want her dead! We’re seeing so much more about what the radiants can really do – imagine if you had an army of these – unbeatable hey? Maybe! I like Lift already. She went back to save her accomplice in crime even though it meant putting herself at risk.
Szeth seems to finally be taking control of himself… Will this be good or bad for Kaladin, do you think? Not to mention those who’ve been controlling him until now…
I don’t imagine anything good coming from Szeth – but I think it might just be the fact that I’m not overly fond of him. I’m half hoping that he decides he’s been used terribly and wants to come over to the ‘good’ side! I’m definitely hoping that whatever he decides he doesn’t come back for a repeat assassination attempt whilst Kaladin is locked away! And who has been controlling Szeth!?*
Eshonai is getting more and more dangerous in her new form. Do you think she’ll succeed with her plans? What about the dissenters who have escaped? Where do you think they’ll end up going – assuming they survive the next storm?
I’m kind of hoping that the escapees will either find a way of warning Dalinar about the oncoming attack or – perhaps they’ll go to this hidden/city that Shallan is looking for. I don’t really know though. I’m glad they’ve escaped and can’t believe Eshonai even had her own mother in the group and seemed unmoved by the fact.
Wit returns to pay Kaladin another visit, leaving him with an important thought… What did you make of the story? And now Wit has visited Kaladin and Shallan both. Do you think he sees some connection between them? If so, any thoughts as to what sort?
I so like Wit – I think he sees that Kaladin and Shallan are more than they appear, in fact I’m quite sure he knows of their abilities and potential. He seems to be trying to guide them but in a way that allows them to think they’re guiding themselves. The story seems to be about somebody keeping going despite incredibly bad odds. I can’t say I enjoyed the ending to the story *gulps* but I’ve decided not to take that literally. More that Kaladin has to aspire to the next level or let go of his old self and embrace the new – I dunno but I’m refusing to look at the whole ‘dead’ scenario.
Shallan’s continuing to develop her skills, but refuses to listen to Pattern’s advice about remembering what she already learned. It seems she’s almost afraid to, not that I blame her… Do you think she’ll change her mind on her own?
I think her memories are going to break through in spectacular and unexpected fashion. I don’t know why I think that other than she is putting herself at risk and I think she’ll have a sort of breakthrough moment when she’s in most trouble and needs to find out what she can really achieve. Then. Bam!
Kaladin’s reaching a dangerous position regarding the King… Do you think he’ll really go through with some plan to kill Elhokar?
I don’t like it – and I don’t see how Syl can stay with him if he continues to think like this and he follows these thoughts through. Elhokar is a pain in the proverbial but you just can’t go around killing kings and not expect consequences. Something else needs to happen to Elhokar, something that doesn’t make Kaladin compromise himself and his own sense of honour. I can’t help wondering whether Moash’s accomplices might do something while Kaladin is out of the way. Or maybe there’ll be some sort of attempt on the King’s life and Kaladin will, yet again, have to rescue him.
Lastly, what do you make of the snippets of the letter that start off each chapter? Who could be writing it, and who is it addressing?
I confess that I’m a bit clueless to be honest. I really must go back and reread all of these. Somebody chuck me a fricking bone here!!
Books and travelling with Lynn 