Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
29 September 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Bellman and Black, Diane Setterfield, Stainless Steel Droppings RIP
Bellman and Black’s is one of those novels that has been greatly anticipated by a good number of us since reading The Thirteenth Tale.
Its like waiting for Donna Tartt or Rothfuss or Lynch. The waiting becomes almost a part of the whole experience and sometimes the release is surrounded by so much hype that it becomes difficult to actually judge the book on its own merits.
Unfortunately this book is labelled as a ghost stoy and, as such, I was expecting a dark gothic novel.
Fortunately, having already read a couple of reviews I went into this with different expectations and I would urge you to do the same.
The story starts with a small group of boys playing harmlessly. One of them proudly wanting to exhibit his catapult claims to be able to hit an almost impossible target. Of course, as soon as he lets his missive fly it hits a perfect trajectory both hitting and killing a young rook in the process.
Firstly we have the guilt of the young boy, William. Then we have the rooks who have seen what he did.
William grows to be a man. His life appears to be gifted as though he can do no wrong. He takes a wife and they have beautiful children until one day the cruel hand of fate takes everything that William loves. Well almost.
In his deepest despair William meets a strange man clothed in black who he believes he makes a bargain with.
From there William builds a different empire and yet deep in his subconscious there is almost always something missing, undone, until his sucess yet again starts to slip inevitably through his fingers.
The point with this novel, for me, is not really one of a ghost story but more a tale of paranoia. William thinks he has done wrong and is constantly looking around corners imagining strange people. he believes that he’s made a bargain with a person that he never sees and consequently strives for success to fullfill what he deems to be his side of the bargain.
In real terms William leads a very successful life. He is sought after at social events and people want to be part of his circle. And yet he has no friends, doesn’t spend the money from his many successes and really has no form of life. Is he driven by is own personal demons or is there a message within the story about being held accountable for one’s actions?
You need to decide for yourself. In this context, this is a lovely tale that kept me thinking for days. Setterfield is a master of words and this story is beautifully woven. She uses words like an artist uses paint or a sculptor uses marble. She weaves into the tale some lovely pieces of fact and superstition about rooks that are fascinating to read about and pulls together an intriguing little story in the process. Is this as good as The Thirteenth Tale, maybe not. That story was very well received and almost an Herculean task to match. But, I thoght this was a beautifully written and thought provoking tale. I would definitely not describe this as a gothic ghost story so if that’s what you’re expecting you will be undoubtedly disappointed.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers through Netgalley. The above is my own opinion.
I am sumitting this as one of my reads for Carl, at Stainless Steel Droppings RIP event.
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Just finished reading Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. KD turns into an epic story embracing love, politics, betrayal and mammoth battles.
The story revolves around Phedre, unluckily named and marred in beauty by a red mote in her left eye, her early childhood leaves her sold into slavery to The House of Night whose inhabitants serve Naamah in the ways of pleasure. Phedre’s eye mote brings her to the attention of a wealthy noble, Delauney, who recognises Phedre’s strange eye mote for what it truly is and buys her marque. Phedre is an assignette, marked by Kushiel’s Dart and the only one of her kind to have been borne in years. She is one who enjoys both pain and pleasure and this blessing, or curse, will make her into the most sought after courtesan at court.
Delauney however as greater plans than simply pleasing the nobles. He trains Phedre, and his other student Alcuin, in the art of politics, languages and love. They become students of history and learn the true art of observation. Delauney intends to have not only two of the finest courtesans but also to teach the two to become spies adept not only in pleasing their patrons but enticing them to betray their secrets.
This novel is immense. The world building and attention to detail is second to none and the style of writing draws you into Phaedre’s tale in a beguiling fashion that makes it difficult to put the book down. I confess that I was doubtful picking this book up. Not only is it a huge tome but I wondered if it would turn more into some sort of erotica loosely dressed in fantasy robes but this wasn’t the case. Yes there are a number of sexual encounters but the detail is far from sordid and there are only a few, in order to give the reader an idea of Phedre’s world.
The crux of the story revolves around the sovereignty of Elan. The king is ill, and his only child and rightful heir to the throne is female and there are of course dissenters who would challenge her suitability. On top of this, to the North the Skaldic nations are for the first time joining their numbers, under the first man who would try to rule these wild tribes and bring them together under the one banner. Truly a force to be reckoned with whose sights are now set on the beautiful land of Terre d’Ange.
And so Delauney’s spies cast their nets and begin to uncover those secrets that are most deadly when exposed. Their lives become endangered and in a cruel twist Phedre once again finds herself sold into slavery, this time to a Skaldic tribe.
I won’t go further into the plot. Suffice to say there is much derring do, brave escapes, rallying of forces and other strange encounters culminating in the sort of epic battle you come to expect from the likes of Tolkien, with the few pitted against the many and where allies are garnered from the most unlikely sources.
I truly enjoyed this, it took a little while to really find it’s feet but once it got going it was very entertaining. The characters are well rounded, the world building is nothing if not grand and, okay I admit, the young Cassiline warrior who becomes Phedre’s bodyguard is very easy to read about! There, I’m fickle, but come on, nothing wrong with a bit of mind candy after all.
Lowering the tone aside, a really good read and apparently many more books already out there to continue the saga.
A few random bookish facts, part II…
A few random bookish facts, part II… (here’s part I)
28. Favorite reading snack? It depends when and where I’m reading. Sometimes I read during my lunch – so I eat my lunch which is something usually very exciting and exotic like a sandwich or a soup! I read on the bus – so I don’t tend to eat then and I read in bed and I don’t tend to eat in bed really.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. Mmm, not sure whether it’s the hype that ruins my experience or the fact that my expectations have gone into orbit. Struggling to think of a book – I enjoyed Jo Walton’s Among Others but it wasn’t what I was expecting and so I did feel a little disappointed immediately on finishing. On reflection, if my expectations hadn’t gone on a tangent I think this is a story that I would have loved.
30. How often do you agree with critics on a book? I enjoy reading reviews, particularly from bloggers whose opinions I’ve grown to trust, but I still think we all have our own opinions so I like to make up my own mind.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I don’t really enjoy giving a negative review but I think you have to be honest. I would never probably give a really scathing review as I tend to think that the enthusiasm you feel or not should come across in the language you use. If I really didn’t like a book I would probably just say that it hadn’t worked for me but may appeal to others but I would try to outline my own reasons why.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose? French .
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read? This is really quite difficult. We need to talk about Kevin – don’t know whether I’d say intimidating but it took me at least 100 pages to actually feel invested in the story, I thought the way it was written was a little ‘showy’ on the part of the author and also it’s a fairly grim read. However, I did get used to the writing and ended up being gripped.
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Couple of possible candidates – Les Miserables – because it’s such a chunkster and it just worried me but I’m determined to read it or – The Mote in God’s eye – for very similar reasons and also it’s sci-fi and I always feel intimidated by sci-fi, like it’s going to make me feel stupid or inadequate.
35. Favorite poet? Dont’ read a lot of poetry so would have to go old school – Wordsworth
36. How many books do you usually have check out of the library at any given time? About 4
37. How often have you returned a book to the library unread? Not many times. Once because I bought the book as it was a great bargain, a couple of times because about six books have come in at once – you can’t always plan these things after all and if there are others waiting to read then it feels fair to take the book back. Maybe 5 a year.
38. Favorite fictional character? At the moment, Jean Tannen
39. Favorite fictional villain? Iuda from Jasper Kent’s vampire/historical, russian series
40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? Same books I read all year to be honest. It’s what I like.
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading. Probably 3 or 4 days tops.
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. It sort of goes against my own ‘rules’ to diss a book if I haven’t at least done it the courtesy of finishing.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? Twitterverse and the blogosphere.
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel. Lord of the Rings – all three films
45. Most disappointing film adaptation? I am Legend. I think it’s a good film in it’s own right but I hated the changes particularly the change of ending.
46. The most money I’ve spent in the bookstore at one time? If I told you, I’d have to kill you – or, more to the point, my husband might actually read this and kill me.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Never. I might pick it up in the bookstore and look at the first page or two to see if I get an immediate feel for the author’s style but really I never skim through it.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? The most obvious thing for me would be if the author’s style of writing irritated me. Also overuse of sex or violence just purely for shock value.
49. Do you like to keep your books organised? I would love to – but I don’t. I’m your basic shambles.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? Bit of both. I keep the books I love. The rest I (eventually) part ways with.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? Well, see above – Les Mis and The Mote! Actually I quite often avoid the last book in the series which is the oddest thing, as though I’m determined not to let the series end.
52. Name a book that made you angry. 50 Shades. (I should have never read it, I knew I shouldn’t have read it – and I was right)
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did? Foundations by Asimov. I was almost in fear of reading these books but then ended up loving them.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t. Well, at the moment I’m struggling to finish Dangerous Liaisons – which is a surprise. But maybe I need to give it more time.
55. Favorite guilt free, pleasure reading? I don’t tend to suffer guilt over any of my books really but fantasy is my favourite reading zone.
Skulk by Rosie Best
20 September 2013
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Rosie Best, Skulk, Stainless Steel Droppings RIP
Just finished reading Skulk by Rosie Best which was a good, entertaining read.
Skulk is the tale of Meg (Margaret to her mother) who whilst out late one night encounters a wounded fox. Unbelievably the fox shifts to become a man, equally as injured as the fox. In the man’s dying moments he hand’s meg a strange precious stone. Little does Meg know that she has received much more.
The story starts with Meg sneaking out of her bedroom window at night. At first you think she’s going to a party and indeed this opinion is reinforced as she almost bumps into her two friends all glitzed up for a night on the tiles. But Meg is virtually unrecognisable in her hoodie and passes on without being seen. Meg is a graffiti artist and on the above night in question is about to create what she thinks of as a masterpiece – on her school’s walls. However, her plans go somewhat awry after the arrival of the fox and with a naked dead man now on the scene she is forced to flee home. A few days later Meg is the victim of a mugging but as the would be thieves are about their business Meg herself, full of adrenaline and fear changes into a fox – her attackers are a little surprised to say the least and take off. From there onwards all sorts of strangeness occurs. Spiders, red eyed pigeons and even crows seem to take an unhealthy interest in Meg and her comings and goings. Basically the author has come up with a new (to me at least) world of protectors, five sets of shifters, butterflies (I know!), foxes, spiders, crows and rats. Each group has six shifters, no more no less. I won’t go too much more into the whole workings, whys and wherefores as I think it is best revealed during the story.
Now, firstly, I enjoyed this. It’s an entertaining read, I felt like it was fairly original (and yes, I’ve read about shifters before but this seemed quite a unique concept so far I believe). What I really liked is that the author has stepped outside of the realms of normality in terms of her main protagonist, particularly in terms of the YA genre. Meg isn’t perfect. She’s from a very wealthy, some would consider privileged background, but behind closed doors a different story is revealed with a very controlling and abusive mother who expects nothing less than perfection and a father who is apparently ignorant of what is going on in is own home, or worse, chooses not to care. That aside Meg’s not a perfect size zero or absolutely gorgeous. Frankly, she’s normal. She has a normal figure, maybe a little plump(ish) and a pretty if not outstanding face. What a breath of fresh air is that! In terms of her school life – she’s not a super bitch but equally she’s not without friends or the victim of bullying. She isn’t the object of attention of the most gorgeous boy in the school and – oh well, I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this!
So, onto my niggles! I think my main niggle with the story was how quickly Meg adapted to everything and the fact that nothing ever phased her. In general, I liked her character, she’s quite unassuming, she cares about people and even though her family are far from ideal – they’re still her family – but I think she needed a lot more emotional development. She was far too complacent about the extraordinary things that were taking place around her. See a fox turn into a man – yep, no biggie there! I would probably have ran like an athlete off that school property, not be standing around waiting to see what happens next. Okay, so maybe I’m a wimp – but just supposing I stuck around to listen to the naked dying guy’s final words and let him pass me what was probably a priceless gem (okay maybe I should stick around more often in these situations) – I still think watching a person die might dwell on the mind a little bit. Not to mention turning into a fox – whilst being mugged! Come on, I needed a bit more emotional depth with these bits – surely you would be panicking a little if you were changing into an animal? No pain. No confusion. That’s all I’m saying. On the reverse side of course I can see that Meg had a very unhappy home life and was so overwhelmingly happy to enter a world that was new to her that she seemed about ready to accept anything.
I think on the whole that sums up my niggles – the emotional aspects of the story need a little bit more input. I realise I’m not the target audience for this of course so I could be wrong but I wanted a bit more range from Meg.
Otherwise this was a fun read. I never felt the need to put the book down. I was at no time bored with the story and it was fairly quick paced. I think the target audience will love this and I will probably read the 2nd book just to see how Meg adapts.
I received a copy of Skulk through Netgalley. This review is my own opinion.
I am submitting this as part of Stainless Steel Dropping’s RIP event. Details here.
Seven Forges by James A Moore
Just finished reading Seven Forges by James A Moore. I really enjoyed this. It starts out by totally grabbing your attention and pretty much doesn’t relent for the rest of the novel.
At the start of the story Captain Merros Dulver is leading a party of people on an expedition to map the Seven Forges – a large, previously unexplored mountain range. The country they cross is barren and the weather is fierce and at the start of the story the soldiers are preparing to try and repel an attack from some of the massive and savage creatures that hunt in this part of the country.
The Empire of Fellein controls most of the land. The Seven Forges lie on the fringes and have remained un-passable due to their wild and desolate nature. They are the legacy, presumably, of some sort of Cataclysmic event which left the land uninhabitable for many many years and are now plagued by furious storms, freezing temperatures and conditions so harsh that nobody lives there. Well, that was the previously held suspicion. As it turns out the Seven Forges are home to a race of people not previously encountered and following a chance meeting with Merros these people accompany him back to try and form a pact with the Emperor.
Of course, things can never be quite as simple, or as friendly as first suspected can they? This new race of people, the Sa’ba Taalor worship the Gods of War. They are a statuesque race, trained in the art of fighting and warfare as soon as they are capable of holding a sword they’re trained in it’s use. They are largely unforgiving as a race, their every action is dictated by the gods (seven, one for each Forge) that they worship and it could be that they intend more than to form a peaceful treaty.
They enter the Empire where the army have become complacent and lethargic with nothing to keep them occupied or sharp and the Court are more concerned with a few trivial rivalries and what colours of silk should be worn this week than protecting their realm. The contrast in the two is quite acute. We have a small band of highly trained, efficient warriors, completely fearless and who actually enjoy conflict compared to a large sprawling, almost ramshackle, disorganised and undisciplined army. It feels a little bit like inviting a lion into the hen house for a nice cup of tea! Hey, lions could drink tea – if they wanted!
There are a number of threads or stories that we follow. Captain Dulver, or Merros. His arrival was anticipated by the Sa’ba Taalor although the reason behind that is still a mystery – to me at least. Merros is no longer a soldier and finds a living being hired as a mercenary. He is of course accompanied by his trusty friend and sidekick Wollis. I actually liked this pair. They probably don’t break the fantasy mould in any way but they’re easy to read about and quite amusing in parts. Upon their return to the empire the two are split. Merros accompanies a small company of the Sa’ba Taalor to an outlying village where trouble is brewing on one of the islands off its coast. Tales seem to be spinning out of control there and nobody really seems to know what is truly taking place.
We also have the story of a young boy called Andover who after being viciously punished by the town’s Watch is left with terrible injuries. His plight comes to the attention of the visitors who bestow upon him a most unusual and unconventional gift. Andover is besotted with a young girl who serves as apprentice to the Wizard advisor. The two of them will eventually be asked to return to the Seven Forges on behalf of the empire.
And, of course, we have the everyday goings on at the palace – where things have been turned a bit upside down with the arrival of these new people. I’ve probably made that sound a good deal more pedestrian than it really is. There’s plenty of action here, particularly considering the length of the novel and perhaps the world building could have been a little stronger although personally I felt I had a good feeling for the general layout and I respect that the author was trying to keep a sense of mystery about this strange new world and it’s inhabitants.
In terms of characters, like I said, I quite liked Merros and Wollis. Andover, I’m not sure about at this point. I think he definitely suffers some weaknesses in character and that could be why the Sa’ba Taalor are so interested in him – perhaps they think he will be easily manipulated. Desh the Wizard is something of an enigma. Apparently hundreds of years old and surrounded by all manner of stories about his past, none of which can be easily confirmed or denied, everybody fears him, even the Emperor. He is assisted by three sisters – again, not too much information or back story on these three at the moment but again, maybe that will be examined in future stories. And we have the Sa’ba Taalor, Drask and Tusk being the central characters. All of them are larger than life. They have no qualms about taking the course of action they think best in any situation. They are basically, confident, self assured fighting machines. Strangely – all of them cover their faces with cloth masks which they never remove – obviously we’ll find out why that is at some point (perhaps they have smelly breath!! or maybe they have rows and rows of sharp pointy demon teeth or long lizardy tongues!)
On the whole I thought this was an enjoyable and entertaining read. I did have a couple of minor criticisms, for example, the three glamorous assistants – one blond, one auburn one dark haired – why was that really necessary. And, what I mean by that is why do they all have to be at one end of the spectrum in terms of hair colour and why do they all have to be beautiful – other than as some kind of distraction for Merros! Okay, just to be clear here, I don’t have anything against beautiful people it just seems a bit too much that he’s surrounded by these gorgeous women who are also very magical – reads more like a wish list Also, at the start of the story, and I’m not going to give too much away here, but we end up with Merros and his company following Drask – now what I can’t understand is that in later comments Drask says he was looking for Merros – so why was he riding away from the band of travellers? I’m pretty sure I’ve missed something fundamental there so if anyone want’s to pounce all over this with an explanation then be my guest.
Other than my couple of niggles I thought this was really intriguing, it’s a fast paced story and fairly short for a novel of this type of scope. I suppose a little more detail wouldn’t have gone amiss although to be frank I didn’t feel that the story suffered as a result. I will definitely pick up the next novel to see what happens in this world. The Sa’ba Taalor are very interesting and I’m keen to see how the other characters develop. Actually I’m gagging to know what is under these mysterious face cloths – perhaps it will just be normal everyday faces – that would be a bit of a giggle wouldn’t it! (Note to author: I could have done without the monumental cliffhanger – just saying).
I received a copy of this from NetGalley in response for a honest review. The above is my own opinion. Also, what about Angry Robots. So many good books coming out of their house at the moment!
