Humouress a decade on in 2020

I'm Nina. I'm from England but living in tropical Singapore surrounded by guys - my husband (who tolerates my reading but is starting to make comments about my book acquisition habits), my two sons and their 3 year old golden retriever, Jasper.

I've introduced my 11 year old to LibraryThing; he's firelion ; sadly, superboy lost the reading habit once he acquired a smartphone. Firelion just got his first smartphone for his birthday so here’s hoping the same thing doesn’t happen to him.

I lean heavily towards fantasy (preferably high) with a smattering of sci-fi (space opera), mysteries (pre-war), young adult and juvenile fiction and school stories - or whatever else catches my fancy at the time. I'm trying to read books off my shelf, since my reading hasn't kept up with my acquisitions (anyone else have that problem?). I try (try) to review and rate all the books I read (which doesn't help my reading speed) and I don't put spoilers in (I hope). If you want to jump to a review, click on the relevant number in my monthly lists (>2 humouress:, >3 humouress: & >4 humouress:).

I tend towards the lighter side of things (hence my screen name) - because if you look at the dark side ... but why would you want to? Life’s hard enough. I tend to lurk more than post on LT, but I'm around, so please don't feel shy about joining me and posting here.

I am still trying to reach that elusive '75 books read in a year' target, for the tenth eleventh year.

75 Book Challenge 2019 thread 1
75 Book Challenge 2019 thread 3

75 Book Challenge 2020 thread 2

Green Dragon 2019 thread

ROOTs 2020 thread

January

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

February

6. 7. 8.  9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18. 19.

March
20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

March

review posted/ rated/ written/ read

✔ / / (#) / Title

✔       26) Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis
✔   25) Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis
✔   24) Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
✔       23) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
✔   22) Princess at Sea by Dawn Cook
✔       21) Nevertheless She Persisted anthology
✔       20) Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook

February

review posted/ rated/ written/ read

✔ / / (#) / Title

✔       19) First Truth by Dawn Cook
✔       18) Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
✔           17) Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
✔   16) How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason
✔       15) The Sound of Her Wings by Neil Gaiman et al
✔           14) Sound and Fury by Neil Gaiman et al
✔               13) 24 Hours by Neil Gaiman et al
✔           12) Passengers by Neil Gaiman et al
✔       11) A Hope in Hell by Neil Gaiman et al
✔       10) Dream a Little Dream of Me by Neil Gaiman et al
✔       9) Imperfect Hosts by Neil Gaiman et al
✔       8) Sleep of the Just by Neil Gaiman et al
✔               7) First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennet
✔       6) Forest Born by Shannon Hale

January

review posted/ rated/ written/ read

✔ / / (#) / Title

✔       5) The Lost Heir by Tui Sutherland
✔       4) The Book of Swords. Part 1 edited by Gardner Dozois
✔           3) The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
✔           2) Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
✔       1) Wings of Fire; the Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

The constellation:

  You have got to read this one!                          
  Really good; worth reading                                
      Good, but without that special 'something' for me  
       Very nice, but a few issues                                   
           An enjoyable book                                                                        
           Um, okay. Has some redeeming qualities                  
                Writing is hard. I appreciate the work the author did    
               (haven't met one - yet)                                               
                     Dire                                                                            
                     Rated only as a warning. Run away. Don't stop.               

Purple stars, from Robin's thread:

5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5

Unfortunately, the coloured stars I usually use come from an insecure website and no longer show on LibraryThing, so I'll have to hunt down another source. Robin has made coloured stars for me (happy dance) so I'm back in business. The codes are now enshrined in my profile.

Reading at home :

‘Waiting for the boys to finish classes’ book :

Bedtime reading :Tashi series,

Kindle :

Downtime : Skulduggery Pleasant

Overdrive :

Book club Six of Crows

online story

Reading inspirations

Ongoing series:

The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper
Chronicles of the Cheysuli - Jennifer Roberson
Chronicles of the Kencyrath - P. C. Hodgell (group read, started January 2018; thread 2)
Tashi - Anna Fienberg
The Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold (2014-2017 group read - savouring it before I run out of these glorious books)
**Farseer (group read starting March 2018)
***The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (relaxed group read starting January 2019)
{Tor read https://www.tor.com/2018/02/20/reading-the-wheel-of-time-eye-of-the-world-part-1...

Planning to read with the kids:
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snickett
Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan (group read starting January 2019)

Ooh, what about...

Miss Fisher mysteries
Cinder
Vatta/Honor Harrington
*Ready Player One
Earthsea book 1

9- I may need this

10- who knows?

11- come on in, if you don’t mind the dust, while I’m setting up ....

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

About bloody time, neighbour. Was about to send out a search party.

>12 PaulCranswick: >13 PaulCranswick: Thanks for your concern Paul. Maybe I should have stayed hidden so I could get you to come to Singapore. Although I was actually in Hawai’i, so it wouldn’t really have done much good.

>14 humouress: But far more glamorous than Singapore! Better late than never!

>15 PaulCranswick: Somewhat more, yes. The boys were reluctant to come back - and school doesn’t even start this week.

I’ll have to pop around to visit everyone in the new 2020 group soon, although it’ll be a choice between reading every post in your multiple threads or getting to everyone sooner. For now, I think I’ll read a book :0)

Welcome back and happy reading in 2020

Great to see you!

Happy reading :)

Happy new thread!

Welcome back!

Happy New Year, Nina!

Dropping off a star!

Happy to see you back again, Nina!

Ooh, Hawaii! Glad you made it back to LT, although could hardly hold it against you if you decided to stick with a beautiful beach!

Great to see you back Nina!

Happy new thread, Nina!

Happy to see you started your 2020 thread, Nina!

Welcome back! Hope you have a great year of reading!

Hi Nina - welcome back! I hope your trip was wonderful!

What a warm welcome back, despite my long absence! Thank you all.

>12 PaulCranswick: >13 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul; nice resolutions. Looks like your search party found me.

>18 fairywings: Thank you Adrienne. I assume you’re safe from the fires where you are?

>19 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. I’m finally back again.

>20 foggidawn: Thanks foggi!

>21 drneutron: Thanks Doc. And thank you for hosting the group once again.

>22 ronincats: Thank you Roni and the same to you.

>23 curioussquared: Hi Natalie! Maybe we’ll meet another time.

>24 MickyFine: Thank you Micky.

>25 charl08: It was a close thing, Charlotte, but we’re home again.
;0)

>26 SandDune: Thank you Rhian.

>27 quondame: Thank you Susan. I like your book star.

>28 FAMeulstee: You know me, Anita. I’m here at last.

>29 thornton37814: Thank you Lori.

>30 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah. Our trip was absolutely fantabulous!!

1) Wings of Fire; the Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland (2012)



{First of 13: Wings of Fire series. Children’s, fantasy}

Dragons are divided into 7 different tribes, suited to their natures, each led by a queen. The queen of the Sandwing dragons of the desert has been killed by a scavenger (human) and her three daughters - Blister, Blaze and Burn - are fighting over who gets the throne. Each daughter has allied with some of the other tribes and so a dragon war has raged for years. The inscrutable Nightwing dragons issued a prophecy stating that five dragonets will bring the war to an end. The Talons of Peace identified eggs that they believed were the ones foretold and have been bringing up the dragonets in a safely hidden cave.

Clay, solid and dependable, is a Mudwing; Starflight, who likes learning, is a Nightwing, their Seawing is Tsunami, small Sunny is a Sandwing and instead of the foretold Skywing they have Glory, a multihued Rainwing.

However, the dragonets feel restricted by not knowing about the outside world from personal experience and the story begins with them plotting to leave their hiding place and what happens when they do. They find that the world isn’t quite what they expected.

I quite liked this story although sometimes the dragons acted more human-like so it was a bit harder to envision them as dragons and the illustration on the cover didn’t help. I would put the reading age at around 8-12 years old; there is some fighting and killing but it’s not heavily focused on.

This was an e-book I borrowed from the library for holiday reading and I’m looking forward to borrowing more in the series.

>31 humouress: Didn't have to pay the Detective Agency too much since we are neighbours after all.

>31 humouress: Yeah Nina we are safe here, thank you for asking. We are in Queensland so a good distance from the fires. We were safe from the fires we had up here in the beginning of the outbreak too, the closest they got were about a half hour or more drive away.
My husbands great aunt has a house in Lake Conjola though, that's one of the tourist areas on the Central Coast of New South Wales that was hit pretty hard, they were evacuated on New Years Eve when the fire raged through the town, but they were one of the lucky families. Their house was one of three left standing in their street when they were allowed back in.

>32 humouress: That series sounds interesting, may have to take a look at it.

>33 PaulCranswick: Glad I didn’t put you too out of pocket ;0)

>34 fairywings: Gosh! They were lucky. I’ve got folks in the Sydney suburbs who are okay at the moment but one of my Canberra cousins took her young kids to Sydney.

>35 fairywings: That was a BB from another LTer who read the whole series but I can’t work out who at the moment.

>37 humouress: I would have left the area with young kids too, even if the fire isn't threatening, the air quality is dangerous.

I'm glad to hear all your folks are ok too.

Hi Nina, great to see you drop by.
Looks like I didn't get here yet (this year).

Like you said, I'm also trying to read books off my TBR shelf. I keep being distracted by BB's though and so far am only 1 to 3 (of my own books vs. library reads).

>38 fairywings: Thank you.

Over here in Singapore we’ve lived through the Haze a few times. Even with all the air conditioning we have around, we’ve had issues with breathing and the kids have had coughs at those times.

But, hey, there’s no such thing as climate change. :0/

>39 SandyAMcPherson: No problem; I’m still finishing setting up.

I tried the ROOTS (Read Our Own Tomes) challenge last year and just about made my goal, so I plan to try again this year. Not that I’m getting rid of my books but my access to library books in my preferred genres is limited. But my first book for this year was a library (e-) book.

2) Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (2018)



{Prequel of 1+4: Enchanted series. Children’s, fantasy}

This is prequel to Levine’s Ella Enchanted (which I gave four and a half stars for) and I must confess to being not quite as enchanted with this book.

Evie (Evora) is fifteen years old and happy working as a healer (though I wouldn’t, personally, try her remedies at home unless you happen to like snail slime or cat saliva) with the help of her best friend Wormy (Warwick) until the day he’s egged on by the ... um ... good fairy Lucinda (who also causes Ella’s discomfiture in the other story) to propose to her. As Evie is a sensible girl who has seen what happens when folks around her married too early, she says no so Lucinda transforms her into an ogre with sixty two days to receive and accept a marriage proposal.

And so Evie travels the kingdom torn between her human and ogre natures, trying to find a solution to her dilemma and unable to resist healing people, ogres and animals along the way.

Although Evie (and Wormy) are fifteen years old, I would put the target audience at around eight to ten years old. I was impressed that Evie had the good sense to want to be her own person and hoped all the way that she would find another way around her curse. For all the ways it could have gone, I was a bit disappointed by several aspects of the ending.

2.5-3 stars ***



(Seriously, spellcheck causes more problems than it solves 😡)

Predictive spelling makes me a crazy person. Glad you're safe and sound.

>42 humouress: I was not aware that there was a prequel to Ella Enchanted. Looks like I didn't miss much!

Have a wonderful start to your week :)

>43 richardderus: Thank you Richard.

The holiday was lots of fun but today is the first day of school and the renovations still have to be tweaked/ finished. Plus the house two doors down is being demolished and rebuilt including a new basement; the machinery looks like a diplodocus manoeuvring between the houses and sounds like a whale in pain. But it’s better than a couple of months ago when my son was finishing his exams and it felt like they were pounding the neighbourhood apart.

Personally I think if we get our contractors to drill down and extend our staircase, we’ll discover a ready-built basement underneath us ;0)

Plus my youngest has a recurring bout of synovitis (which isn’t supposed to happen). Last time the doctor sent him to get an X-ray and told me to look up Leggs-Calvé (which ironically is a disease of the hips (from memory)). Thankfully, he ruled it out after looking at the results.

So, you’re right, it’s good to be back but I’m still somewhat in the limbo one feels after returning from a long trip, especially as we spent the first couple of nights back away from home. I’m sure the school routine will soon sort that out :0)

>44 figsfromthistle: I was looking for e-library-books to borrow for our holiday Anita and I recognised the author’s name. Looking at other reviews, other readers liked it; I thought the book was okay but not great and I felt the ending was disappointing.

The kids start a new school year today; my youngest started year 6, which in this school is considered a transition year to secondary so new uniforms etc but same building. The year 6 pod is next door to the middle library.... hmmm.

>45 humouress:: My oldest was diagnosed with Leggs-Calvé at age 3 when he was having extreme pains in his legs. The doctor described it as the ball of the hip joint scraping against the bone. Luckily as he grew, things seemed to right itself and there is no more pain. He has not had to go in for an x-ray in over a year. I have never come across anyone else who has heard of this before!

>47 jayde1599: I’m glad he’s grown out of it Jess. It doesn’t sound very pleasant.

>32 humouress: I think I would probably enjoy that series. Thanks for the review, Nina.

A belated Happy New Year!

Sunset off Hawai’i (Big Island), Hawai’i on 31st December 2019; (almost) the last sunset of the previous decade on Earth.

>50 humouress: Beautiful!

>50 humouress: *silent awe*

Welcome back Nina! >50 humouress: Beautiful sunset :-)

Nina--You're here!! Welcome home and into 2020 on LT!! LOL. So sorry I wasn't able to meet you in person in Seattle, but I am hoping the BIL draws you back here someday soon. Best of luck with the renovations and the startup of school (even though you are not the one going!).

>50 humouress: Love it!!

>50 humouress: That's lovely! Thank you for sharing it.

>49 alcottacre: >51 alcottacre: Thank you Stasia. Good to see you here and happy new year to you too!

I’ve just borrowed the second book (The Lost Heir) as an e-book; I’ll have to do some digging and discover where that book bullet cane from.

Hope things are settling down there, Nina, but it has to be good to be home!

>52 richardderus: Oops! I’ve silenced Richard ;0)

>53 souloftherose: Thank you Heather.

>54 Berly: Hi Kim! Yes, we decided we ought to come home from our holiday and I finally started my new thread in the new decade.

I’m sorry too that I missed you in Seattle but I was deeply appreciative that you would contemplate driving 3 or 4 hours to meet me, especially when a half hour drive here gets you to the other side of the country. I’m sure we will be back in Seattle though not very soon - I suspect the kids’ education may get in the way.

Renovations are done except for a few tweaks, which will have to wait for after the Chinese New Year holidays; I’m waiting (and waiting) for a plug point to be installed in my study before I lug my computer back in and set it up, for instance.

Boys are back in school and both doing orientation; one has just started senior school and proudly showed off his new uniform with tie this morning (he’s been in sports kit until today) and the other starts 2 years of his IB course. But they’re off school again on Monday and Tuesday for CNY.

>55 charl08: Thank you Charlotte. Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for the sunset, only for the photo.

Actually, I had meant to post it as the last photo of my 2019 thread and I still intend posting some other holiday photos here ... we’ll see if I manage it.

>57 ronincats: It is good to be home, Roni. We’re easing back into routine without realising it - although I suspect the upcoming CNY holidays will throw us a bit again. I’m itching to get back into my study/ library so I can clean and polish my new bookshelves and re-organise my books.

>59 humouress: If I wasn't in the middle of figuring out this dang clotting thing, I would have gladly driven the 3-4 hours to see you!!! Sigh. Guess we'll just have to keep our friendship going here until we get another chance. : )

>61 Berly: I hope you get the clotting thing sorted out as soon as possible Kim. It’s not fun.

We’ll meet ... don’t know where, don’t know when ...

4) The Book of Swords: Part 1 edited by Gardner Dozoos

Not Fred Saberhagen’s saga but a Sword & Sorcery anthology. The problem with short stories is that by the time you work out what direction the author is going in, the story comes to an end.

i) The Best Man Wins - K. J. Parker a.k.a. Tom Holt

A stranger requests a swordsmith create ‘the best sword ever made’ for him.
Some amusing notes on the smith’s antisocial inclinations.
3.5-4****

ii) Her Father’s Sword - Robin Hobb

What happens in the aftermath of a village that has been recently Forged. Fitz puts in a guest appearance.
I felt the story didn’t go anywhere, but maybe that was the point, to emphasise the hopelessness of being Forged. Not as good as the Farseer trilogy books it was derived from, which were 5 star reads for me.
2.5-3***

iii) The Hidden Girl - Ken Liu

A young girl in eighth century China is trained as an assassin and ponders on the morality of her calling.
I liked this one, including its more hopeful ending and the sisters’ closeness.
3.5-4****

iv) The Sword of Destiny - Matthew Hughes

A wizard’s henchman fails to steal the Sword of Destiny and decides he’d be better off being as far away as possible from his master’s wrath.
I liked this story too; I liked the old-fashioned style and the gentle humour. I may look for Hughes’s novels.

The conversation, Baldemar saw, had meandered off and left both participants temporarily stranded

4.5-5*****

v) ‘I Am a Handsome Man,’ Said Apollo Crow - Kate Elliott

Apollo Crow accepts a mission from the emperor of a diminished Rome to steal a sketchbook from a beautiful woman; but all is not as it seems.
I like Elliott’s writing; in fact I’ve invested in her Crown of Stars series on the strength of the first book.

5*****

vi) The Triumph of Virtue - Walter Jon Williams

17 year old Quillifer is a lawyer’s apprentice at court and compares the play ‘The Triumph of Virtue’ which is performed there to situations he encounters. When a crime occurs, Quillifer turns detective.

3-3.5***

vii) The Mocking Tower - Daniel Abraham

The Mocking Tower constantly changes its appearance from moment to moment and lies in the lands belonging to a wizard, the Imagi Vert. To these lands comes a thief with the aim of stealing a sword said to have been forged by the wizard from the soul of the emperor, King Raan, whose many heirs are currently waging war and causing blight across the empire.

Beautifully crafted. I love the ending. As a short story which hints at a greater narrative, it leaves some questions unanswered but I would happily read that larger story.

5*****

viii) Hrunting - C.J. Cherryh

Hrunting was the sword lent to Beowulf for his fight against Grendel’s mother by Unferth, advisor to Hrothgar, king of the Danes. It was supposedly invincible but failed in that battle. This story tells of what happens after a disgraced Unferth died and his grandson sets out to recover the family’s luck.

Up to her usual standards.

4****

ix) A Long, Cold Trail - Garth Nix

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz, agents of the Council for the Treaty of the Safety of the World, are tracking an inimical godlet through the cold wasteland caused by its passage. However, they have to wait for delivery of a relic which can destroy the godlet, until when they dare not get too close in case their lives become endangered.

3.5***

Averaging out: 3.8-4.1
4 stars ****

>63 humouress: The book description on the work page seems seriously off! The Best Man Wins sounds so familiar - ah I've checked and see that I've read this collection! I liked CJ Cherryh's and K.J. Parker's particularly. GRRM called it in.

>50 humouress: That's a really gorgeous sunset photo, Nina. You could even print them out for greeting cards.

>64 quondame: I’m still working through the collection, Susan, so I’m adding to the notes as I go along.

>65 cameling: Thank you Caroline! Good idea - should I ever be so organised :0)

>63 humouress: Brain is switched off and I can’t think of a word for ‘the closeness between sisters’. If you can, please let me know what it is.

I was going to coin a new word sistership but when I looked it up, Merriam-Webster thinks I mean ships that are built from the same plans.

>67 humouress: "Sisterhood"? "Siblingity"? "Something more often discussed than seen"?

>68 richardderus: I considered ‘sisterhood’ but I wanted something that meant ‘a feeling of kinship’ rather than ‘an organisation of girls’.

And what do you mean you prefer Yorkshire to London?

3) The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (2018)



{First of 4: The Wedding Date series. Chick-lit, romance}

Alexa gets stuck in a hotel lift and suddenly realises there’s a hot guy with a suitcase stranded in the lift with her. They start chatting, there’s some chemistry going and she discovers that Drew is in town to be a groomsman at a wedding at the weekend and he needs a ‘plus one’ so she agrees to go with him. And things progress from there.

Although the story is narrated in the third person you get both protagonists’ perspectives especially as Alexa lives in San Francisco and Drew lives in LA. There’s lots of shuttling between cities, bedroom scenes, coffee and food.

A fun romp. About what you’d expect from the genre (without too much of the frustrating ‘why did they/ don’t they do that?’ Mis/ communicate, usually). I did find it distracting that her skin colour was an issue occasionally - it seemed tacked on to the narrative, the (very) few times it was mentioned - but it didn’t spoil the story for me.

3***

>67 humouress: Rapport? Bond? Intimacy? would any of these fit the bill?

>71 fairywings: I was looking for one word to describe ‘the sisters’ closeness’ in >63 humouress: ‘The Hidden Girl’ but the girls aren’t physically related.

>68 richardderus: >71 fairywings: Thanks for the suggestions.

>67 humouress: I cannot be a ship built from the same plans but we are neighbours at least!

>69 humouress: I have absolutely no problem with mayhem and fires and destruction being visited on London! Crime waves are fine as well! Like Los Angeles, it is a place that exists to be left.

>73 PaulCranswick: Howdy neighbour! Welcome home.

>74 richardderus: I say! Admittedly I left, but I still get homesick.

I just watched the last two episodes of ‘Sanditon’ on BBC Player. It wasn’t Austen but it was fun.

However, the ending wasn’t your typical ‘happily ever after’ either because the creators were hoping to make a second series but they didn’t have high enough viewer numbers in the UK for the television company to want to renew it. At the moment everything is up in the air unless they get enough numbers from American viewers to encourage the production of a second series.

In the meantime, there’s also this petition which I’ve added my name to.
https://www.change.org/p/itv-give-us-sanditon-series-2?signed=true

But I hope they make the second series because I want to find out how it ends!

>76 humouress: I have that recorded but haven't seen any of it. It's been years since I read the fragment--maybe 70s?

>77 ronincats: I think I must have read it when I was at school (but we didn’t read it in class) in the eighties.

>76 humouress: I'll sign the petition for you even if i have no intention of watching it!

>75 humouress: There are people who long for the desert, the jungle, the muddy nastiness that is Lille. Home is a weird thing, belovè of one and all.

London ≠ home to me. Great musea, theater of all sorts, LOTS of smokers and incomprehensible speakers of "English" of a sort that bewilders the average American like moi.

>74 richardderus: Nooooo! I LOVE LA. Soft weather, minimal bugs, availability of nearly everything! Fiction may do as it likes, it has hardly ever got LA right, the basic, we do not deal with snow, hurricanes, or tornadoes, earthquakes aren't that bad sanity of it's residents, though the old, I have a separate group of friends for each activity has suffered greatly under the present administration.

>81 quondame: Chacun à son goût.

::side-eye::

earthquakes aren't that bad jeez laweez

>79 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul.

I didn’t realise you were averse to Jane Austen. Or is it that you are such a fan of her works you don’t like seeing them adulterated? Granted, the TV show doesn’t stick to the manners we’re used to seeing from her (horror of horrors, I saw ankles - or ancles, as she would have spelled them - during the ball scene) but it was still fun to watch.

>83 humouress: No, I am not averse, but some of those costume dramas are a little bit OTT. She is a pick for the BAC this year after all.

PS Another insomniac?

>80 richardderus: Let me remind you, young Yank, that we speak English in England, even oop North.

>81 quondame: One day, Susan, Richard may even live in a big city and find out what it’s really like. ;0)

*mutters* ‘Lille, forsooth’

>85 PaulCranswick: *sigh* Yes.

I wasn’t going to reply to all these posts in case you caught me out. :0)

>84 PaulCranswick: Just a tad.

And there’s no ‘script’ to stick to this time, Sanditon being a fragment.

4) The Book of Swords: Part 1 edited by Gardner Dozois (2017)



{First of 2: Book of Swords anthology series. Fantasy, short stories, anthology}

Not Fred Saberhagen’s saga but a Sword & Sorcery anthology. The problem with short stories is that by the time you work out what direction the author is going in, the story comes to an end; but I found quite a few gems in this anthology.

i) The Best Man Wins - K. J. Parker a.k.a. Tom Holt

A stranger requests a swordsmith create ‘the best sword ever made’ for him.
Some amusing notes on the smith’s antisocial inclinations.
3.5-4****

ii) Her Father’s Sword - Robin Hobb

About what happens in the aftermath of a village that has been recently Forged. Fitz puts in a guest appearance.
I felt the story didn’t go anywhere, but maybe that was the point, to emphasise the hopelessness of being Forged. Not as good as the Farseer trilogy books it was derived from, which were 5 star reads for me.
2.5-3***

iii) The Hidden Girl - Ken Liu

A young girl in eighth century China is trained as an assassin and ponders on the morality of her calling.
I liked this one, including its more hopeful ending and the closeness between sisters.
3.5-4****

iv) The Sword of Destiny - Matthew Hughes

A wizard’s henchman fails to steal the Sword of Destiny and decides he’d be better off being as far away as possible from his master’s wrath.
I liked this story too; I liked the old-fashioned style and the gentle humour. I may look for Hughes’s novels.

The conversation, Baldemar saw, had meandered off and left both participants temporarily stranded

4.5-5*****

v) ‘I Am a Handsome Man,’ Said Apollo Crow - Kate Elliott

Apollo Crow accepts a mission from the emperor of a diminished Rome to steal a sketchbook from a beautiful woman; but all is not as it seems.
I like Elliott’s writing; in fact I’ve invested in her Crown of Stars series on the strength of the first book.

5*****

vi) The Triumph of Virtue - Walter Jon Williams

17 year old Quillifer is a lawyer’s apprentice at court and compares the play ‘The Triumph of Virtue’ which is performed there to situations he encounters. When a crime occurs, Quillifer turns detective.

3-3.5***

vii) The Mocking Tower - Daniel Abraham

The Mocking Tower constantly changes its appearance from moment to moment and lies in the lands belonging to a wizard, the Imagi Vert. To these lands comes a thief with the aim of stealing a sword said to have been forged by the wizard from the soul of the emperor, King Raan, whose many heirs are currently waging war and causing blight across the empire.

Beautifully crafted. I love the ending. As a short story which hints at a greater narrative, it leaves some questions unanswered but I would happily read that larger story.

5*****

viii) Hrunting - C.J. Cherryh

Hrunting was the sword lent to Beowulf for his fight against Grendel’s mother by Unferth, advisor to Hrothgar, king of the Danes. It was supposedly invincible but failed in that battle. This story tells of what happens after a disgraced Unferth died and his grandson sets out to recover the family’s luck.

Up to her usual standards.

4****

ix) A Long, Cold Trail - Garth Nix

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz, agents of the Council for the Treaty of the Safety of the World, are tracking an inimical godlet through the cold wasteland caused by its passage. However, they have to wait for delivery of a relic which can destroy the godlet, until when they dare not get too close in case their lives become endangered too.

3.5***

Averaging out: 3.8-4.1
4 stars

>90 humouress: Crown of Stars is an amazing series - particularly if you let yourself enjoy wandering all over the place and not getting exactly where you meant to go.

>91 quondame: That sounds like me.

My book doesn’t have a story by GRRM;I suspect you read the hardback version. I have the paperbacks which are divided into Part I and Part II so I’ll probably come across his story in the second book.

>92 humouress: I think I only read Part II. Or at least, only cataloged it. Though I don't recall the stories you mention it doesn't mean I haven't read them.

>90 humouress: I've never heard of this series. Sounds like a good one.

>93 quondame: Ah; you sounded familiar with them from your previous comments. But I know what you mean about remembering. Last year I read and reviewed a couple of books I borrowed and discovered I’d already read them a few years ago (borrowed from a different library, at least).

>94 figsfromthistle: Crown of Stars? Yes, I really liked it, as far as I got.

The Book of Swords? It’s an anthology. I’ve seen it in hardback but I have it in paperback as two books, Parts I & II. It averaged out at 4 stars for me - pretty good for an anthology. I also have The Book of Magic also edited by Gardner Dozois.

I haven't been to your thread either! But here I am. I don't want to get smartphones for the kids till they're in high school. However, they have tablets. I just got them Epic! Which is a reading app with "unlimited " books (whatever that means). So when they have to go off their tablets, they're still allowed to use them for reading ebooks. And I get a weekly update on what they've read. It's great!

A good anthology! I like the sound of Hrunting particularly.

>96 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel and welcome over! I’ve been a bit slow off the ground myself. January is almost over and (I feel like) I’ve barely started the year.

My eldest got his first (hand-me-down) smart phone when he went into year 6 so firelion was absolutely expecting to get one for this birthday - and even laying down specifications. As neither my husband nor I wanted to give up our existing phones, here I am with an iPhone 6 while he has the latest model.

And both boys have to have laptops for school. We’re still working on rules as to when and what they they can use them for (not very successfully on my part). I had actually contemplated getting firelion a Kindle of his own but that would have been one more screen for him to be consumed by. I’ll look into Epic! but it would be wasted on superboy because he’s sadly fallen out of the habit of reading.

>97 richardderus: An average of four stars for an anthology is pretty high for me, I think.

Did you like the sound of the story or or the title? It does have a charm about it; maybe a feeling that you’d have to sort of use your nose if you were saying it out loud. :0)

5) The Lost Heir by Tui Sutherland (2012)



{Second of 13: Wings of Fire series. Children’s, fantasy}

This second book follows the ‘dragonets of destiny’ as they search for their families and try to work out how they’re going to fulfill the prophecy and bring an end to the dragon war. Having been taken from their families as eggs and brought up in isolation in an underground cave, the five dragonets are discovering the difference between reality and the scrolls they’ve been taught from. They’ve all dreamed of being reunited with their families but will the reality live up to the dream?

This time it’s Tsunami the Seawing’s turn to find her family and discover how they feel about her, how much she doesn’t know about her tribe’s culture, how it will affect her relationship with the other dragonets and how she feels about the Seawings. And they meet Blister, the second of the Sandwing queens around whom the dragon war is being fought.

I feel the writing has improved from the first book including the characterisation (Glory the Rainwing, for instance, is starting to get a bit irritating). The dragons are more dragon-like than in the first book for the most part except for having pots in the kitchen (considering they eat the majority of their food raw). There are still a few niggles; the constant use of the word ‘talons’ as a substitute for ‘hands’ instead of ‘finger/ nail/ claw’ for instance (and the dragons have all acquired ‘snouts’ which is ... accurate but unromantic).

This would work well for the 8-12 age group but there is violence and killing. There is a description of a dragon being electrocuted at one point and a scene with dragons dying in battle.

... body slipped over the edge into the electric eel moat.
... A blinding flash of blue sizzled up the cascading waterfall. Tsunami jumped back, and all five dragonets huddled close in the center of the island. The water in the moat churned and seethed around the spot where (the dragon) had disappeared. Thick green tails thrashed through the bubbles and sparks flew as if several bolts of lightning were striking at once.
... Slowly the flashes calmed down until only an occasional zap appeared in the wall.
And then they all stopped. The waterfall was quiet, and so was the moat.
Tsunami could see the eels, still clustered around a large, dark shape at the bottom of the pool. But their frenzy had subsided, and she guessed she was lucky she couldn’t see any details of what they were doing now.

3.5 stars

From the Chihuly gallery in Seattle.

I’ve reviewed and posted all my books for January (and there were so many); onwards with February!

>101 humouress: Intriguing picture, Nina. I'm not entirely sure what it is.

Have a lovely Sunday evening.

>101 humouress: I am a huge fan of Chihuly's work. One day I hope to see the gallery.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

>102 PaulCranswick: The title is ‘Ikebana & Float Boats’ at Chihuly Garden and Glass which we visited when we were in Seattle.

The photo (for once) is mine which may be why it’s hard to work out, but I love the colours and shapes he creates.

>103 figsfromthistle: I forget whereabouts in Canada you are, Anita, but if you’re not too far from Vancouver I’m sure you can get to Seattle. I did see an exhibition of his in Chicago (as I discussed with Joe last year) about 20 years ago but I don’t know if it was a permanent installation or not.

I plan to post a few more of my photos as we go along; I especially love his works that are set amongst plants.

>101 humouress: Silly question, but how big was this sculpture? I love the colours. More photos please!

>105 charl08: The boats could have been real; at any rate, they were row boat size.

Will do, on the photos :0)

Nice to see you met up with my old pal Caro, Nina. She's great company isn't she?

>101 humouress: Beautiful!

>107 PaulCranswick: Yes; I finally managed my second ever LibraryThing meet up, this time with Caroline (cameling) and her husband - who is a reader but not on LT.

We had a long chat while having a quick bite to eat (at Paul’s café) and then popped in to Kinokuniya, where we browsed and chatted some more. We didn’t pick up anything for ourselves in this outing but at Caroline’s suggestion I bought Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes for my eldest (on LT as superboy) in the hopes of getting him back to reading.

But I’m reading it first :0)

>108 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita.

Most of the gallery (inside) is set up in black with the sculptures lit up, so it really brings out the colours. I have pictures of the outside, too, where the sculptures are set amongst plants.

6) Forest Born by Shannon Hale (2009)



{Fourth of 4: Books of Bayern series. YA, fantasy}

This book could be read as a stand-alone since each book in the series is an individual story but it helps to have read the previous books as there are recurring characters. This time the story is about Rinna, younger sister of Razo, and it follows her childhood growing up in the Forest which lies between the capital cities of the countries of Kildenree and Bayern.

After Razo and all his older brothers, Ma finally has her longed for girl and everyone knows she loves Rinna best. Rin grows up with a heap of nieces and nephews and her favourite brother Razo, who teaches her to climb trees. But when Razo goes off to the city and has adventures, Rin discovers she has a power in her but using it troubles her conscience. She doesn’t want to lose Ma’s love so she does her best to suppress the power and be as good as her Ma. And then when she’s fifteen, Rin goes to the city to join Razo and his friends in the palace with the royal family Anidori, Gerric and the Little Prince Tusken and have adventures of her own with the ‘fire-sisters’ who can control the elements.

I really like the way Hale describes the familial love and affection especially between Rin and her Ma and between Rin and Razo and the way Ma and Rin are central to their family, the Agget-kin.

He spent winter nights longing for a younger sibling, someone he could call runt, someone he could push and pinch.
Ma was longing too, but for a girl to share thoughts with, a daughter cut and sewn from her own soul.
When Razo was almost five, he and Ma both got their wish. The baby girl was born on a night so hot the wind panted and the summer moon blazed like the sun.
‘Rinna,’ Ma named her.
‘A girl,’ said the father.
‘Rinna-girl,’ said Razo, peering over the side of the cot.
The baby blinked huge dark eyes and opened her mouth into a tiny circle. All desire to push and pinch hushed right out of Razo.
He bent closer to her year and whispered, ‘I’m going to teach you to climb trees.’

I like the camaraderie and banter between the characters and the thread woven through the story of Enna’s wedding, delayed because Bayern is once more at war with only Isi and her friends to protect it.

4 stars

The picture at the top is of the cover I have though I would like to have this one, to match the rest of the series.

7) First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennet (2018)



{First of 3: Debutante Diaries series. Romance}

Fiona Hartley is an heiress whose father’s fortune comes from trade. She has received a blackmail letter concerning her adopted sister’s heritage and decides that her best course of action is to get a penniless peer to marry her within two weeks so that she can access her dowry and pay the blackmailer without letting her family know in case they get upset.

The usual fare for this genre so I was ready to suspend disbelief in spite of anachronisms and ... um ... extremely unladylike behaviour but when the blackmailer was revealed the plot took a right-angle turn into ... let’s say implausible. It didn’t work for me.

2 stars

Preludes and Nocturnes The Sandman Volume I (GN) by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg & Malcolm Jones III (1988-1989)



{First 8 of 75 The Sandman series. Graphic novel, gothic, horror}

This is the 30th anniversary edition of Sandman 1-8. Caroline (cameling) suggested it to try to coax my eldest (superboy) back to reading. I thought I’d read it first :0) I haven’t read graphic novels (GNs) except for an Ultimate Spider-Man and since the Sandman series has had good press here on LT, I thought it might be a good introduction.

8) i) Sleep of the Just - The Sandman 1



1916, England: the Order of Ancient Mysteries casts a spell to catch and imprison Death. Instead they trap another entity and while they hold it prisoner for the better part of a century, around the world ordinary people suffer the consequences.

Hmm; darker than I was expecting and not something I’d be comfortable with my 11 year old reading, certainly. I’m not sure about my 16 year old - I’ll have to read more to assess it ;0)

The drawings are so detailed; even the background behind the panels have been considered and there are special effects which the illustrators have conveyed even though it’s a 2D medium. The story runs from 1916-1988 and the passage of time is conveyed by recurring characters ageing, changing hairstyles, books that were popular in specific time periods and so on.

I must say, the Sandman character looks like a graphic version of Neil Gaiman.

3-3.5***

9) ii) Imperfect Hosts - The Sandman 2



Weakened by his long imprisonment the Sandman makes his slow way home, hoping to garner strength from his own territory but he discovers things have changed during his absence. Along the way he requests help from old acquaintances. His next quest will be to recover the tools that were taken from him when he was caught.

Still gothic but not quite so grim. I love Gregory the gargoyle; he’s so cute. There are mythical and biblical references as well as cameo appearances by DC heroes, anti-heroes and villains who may be in possession of the Sandman’s tools.

3.5***

10) iii) Dream a Little Dream of Me- The Sandman 3



This story is told in the first person from the point of view of John Constantine (a DC anti/ hero) to whom the Sandman goes for help in finding one of the tools of his trade. It’s a bit bitter-sweet but it does have a happy ending.

I do have a couple of slight criticisms about the drawing; the (main) characters don’t always maintain the same features and I don’t always know in which direction to read. For the most part the magazines follow the standard side by side format but there have been one or two pages where it goes across the double page.

3.5-4****

11) iv) A Hope in Hell - The Sandman 4



Clever title. That would be telling.

Mr. Sandman visits Hell in the hopes of finding the second of his lost tools. But Hell has changed in his absence and now that he has lost power, he has to negotiate from a position of weakness.

There is a side plot concerning John Dee, Dr. Destiny, a DC villain, but I don’t see where that’s going yet.

3-3.5***

12) v) Passengers - The Sandman 5



The Sandman searches for the Justice League of America to help him find the third tool of his trade. We meet Scott Free (as well as others, but in passing) and J’onn J’onzz, who recognises the Sandman as a Martian god. Meanwhile, John Dee escapes from Arkham Asylum (passing the Scarecrow on his way out) and makes his way to the same item, which the JLA had recovered from him.

This magazine takes the tone darker again.

3***

13) vi) 24 Hours - The Sandman 6



Well this one might as well be called ‘The depravity of John Dee’. John Dee walks into a diner and plays with the minds and actions of the people who come in. At the same time he affects world events, according to the television news that’s on the diner’s TV.

Nope. Did not enjoy this one. Especially not the animal abuse.

2**

14) vii) Sound and Fury - The Sandman 7



The Sandman battles John Dee in the dream realm. Not as grim as the previous one.

3***

15) viii) The Sound of Her Wings - The Sandman 8



This one is a bit more upbeat, even though we meet Death.

I thought this was funny:

‘You are utterly the most self-centred, appalingest excuse for an anthropomorphic personification on this or any other plane!’

3.5***

Average 3 stars

The inconsistent art is one of the things that made me give up on Sandman. Also several of the plot lines are just too dark for me.

>113 humouress: I expect it will work on superboy; it's immensely popular among the youff of today, and roundly praised by every one of them I've encountered.

I hope the weekend finishes strong.

>114 MickyFine: Well, this is volume I which has issues 1-8 in it so I’ll read to the end and then see how I feel about continuing. Of the three I’ve read so far, 1 was a bit grim-dark, 2 was fun (especially Gregory) and 3 fell somewhere in between.

Happy Sunday from your sleep addled neighbour

>115 richardderus: Having decided to read it first partly to assess its suitability for superboy (completely altruistic), on the evidence so far I think I wouldn’t have a problem if I found him reading it but there are one or two images in there that make this mother not feel comfortable about giving her teenage son the GN to read knowing that he would know I’ve read it already.

>117 PaulCranswick: Happy Sunday Paul! Nearly missed you there. I hope you manage to catch up on your sleep - that’s what weekends are for :0)

>113 humouress: I actually found The SandMan too gory for me! But then I’m not good with that sort of stuff.

>120 SandDune: Well either I haven’t got to the really gory parts, Rhian, or my imagination would be worse. I can kind of skim past the more gruesome drawings. Hell in issue 4 is populated by odd looking monsters with too many eyes or teeth; I can cope with that.

>120 SandDune: Issue 6. Yup; I’ve got to the gory parts. The kids won’t be getting this one.

16) How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason (8th October 2019)



{First of 1?: The Thorne Chronicles. Space opera/ fantasy, YA}

What happens when a fairytale comes up against planetary politics?

Sleeping Beauty and her prince lived happily ever after and their descendants ruled the kingdom and then migrated to the stars. This story is told as a history of a time where Earth is not merely ‘the old homeworld’ but ‘the ancient homeworld’ and when only two alien species were known rather than the four of the ‘present day’.

For the past two hundred years, as the story opens, the Thorne family has been blessed with boys as the first born in every generation. When a girl is born instead of the expected boy, the royal family is unsure of what protocol to follow. To be safe, they hold a Naming ceremony and invite the fairies - and are rather nonplussed when the fairies, including the thirteenth, actually turn up and bestow blessings and a curse on the baby princess.

The thirteenth fairy said this: “I curse you, Rory Thorne: to find no comfort in illusion or platitude, and to know truth when you hear it, no matter how well concealed by flattery, custom, or mendacity.”
Then she straightened. She looked at the twelfth fairy, and her eyes were hard and hopeful. “Your turn, sister.”

(After some conversation with baby Rory:)

The littlest fairy smiled. “All right, then. Here is my gift, little princess: that you will always see a path through difficulties, and you will always find the courage to take it.”

And so we watch Rory as she grows up, adapting as politics changes her life.

I do appreciate the fact that this time it is the prince who is asleep and it is the princess who rescues - well, everyone. (There are lots of small - and not so small - feminist asides along the way.)

A couple of things to note; the thirteenth fairy’s curse manifests as Rory being able to ‘hear’ when people aren’t telling the truth so on the written page it appears as italicised font interrupting the flow of speech. It took me a couple of instances to realise that but it works well (once you’ve got the hang of it).

And rather than our computers and internet, they have turing networks which, I assume, are named after Alan Turing. (Turing was a British cryptanalyst who worked on breaking German codes during WWII and is considered the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.)

I like the concept of alchemy and arithmancy being the science of this universe though it isn’t - quite - magic. Oh - and look out for the colour-changing sensitive Kreshti ferns, especially when the poor things try to blend in with the furniture because of the emotional overload.

I think Samur, Rory’s mother, gets somewhat short shrift; despite her duties she tries to spend as much time with her daughter as she can until events dictate otherwise and she always puts royal duty ahead of personal comfort which make her seem distant. Rory has her body-maid, Deme Grytt, who is a no-nonsense soldier and the Vizier, who is her tutor in politics and arithmancy, so as well as raising her to be a good Crown Princess they are almost substitute parents.

Cleverly done. There is a suggestion of ‘they went off and had more adventures’ at the end which hints at a sequel which I will happily read if it eventualises.

4.5 stars

>123 humouress: I really loved this one so I'm glad you enjoyed it too, Nina.

>124 MickyFine: I was hit by a BB and I think it came from your direction. Thanks!

Wishing you a great weekend, Nina.

Thank you Paul. And to you too.

>123 humouress: Sounds like a BB to me. I love alternate versions or variations on much loved stories.

>128 fairywings: It’s listed on LT as a series although there’s no second title in evidence yet. I’m looking forward to reading it; I wonder if it will continue the alternative fairytale trope?

Arithmancy! I already think mathematics is black art, and trigonometry foulest sorcery.

>123 humouress: Glad you enjoyed that one, Nina. I sure did.

>130 richardderus: You should give topology a try sometime. Definitely spawned in hell. 😂

Love arithmetic but hate calculus, algebra and trig.

I was always great in all things mathematical.

>130 richardderus: My kind of magic.

>131 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>132 drneutron: With that endorsement ... maybe not.

>133 PaulCranswick: >134 thornton37814: I’m more of a pure maths fan, myself. Algebra is probably my favourite, not that I’ve done any maths since I finished my education. I’ll have to oil the gears though, now that my kids are at that stage.

>123 humouress: I really do need to read that one soon-ish.

>136 foggidawn: You should! I kind of liked it ;0)

17) Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal (2018)



{Fiction, stand-alone}

I’ve seen this recommended a lot on LibraryThing and I thought I would read it as a shared book for the February birthstone TIOLI challenge.

The main protagonist is Nikki, a Punjabi Sikh girl born and brought up in the UK who is caught between the cultures of her family and that of the country of her birth. She hasn’t decided on a career, has dropped out of university and is working in a bar, much to the disapproval of her traditional family. When she makes an unaccustomed trip to the gurdwara (temple) in Southall, she finds a notice on the message board about leading a story-writing class and applies for it.

We also get some chapters from the point of view of Kulwinder who is the only woman on the male-centric gurdwara council and who feels it is her mission to represent the women of her community. It was her idea to set up a class to teach them to read and write since many of the older ladies are illiterate.

Kulwinder thought she should warn Nikki. She looked up. ‘The students will not be very advanced writers,’ she said.

‘Of course,’ Nikki assured. ‘That’s understandable. I’ll be there to help them.’

Her patronising tone dissolved Kulwinder’s sympathies. This girl was a child. She smiled but her eyes had a squinting quality, as if she was sizing up Kulwinder and her importance here. But was there a chance that a more traditional woman – not this haughty girl who might as well be a gori with her jeans and her halting Punjabi – would walk in and ask for the job? It was unlikely. Never mind what Nikki expected to teach, the class had to start right away, or else Gurtaj Singh would strike it off his register and with it any future opportunity for Kulwinder to have a say in women’s matters.

However the class unintentionally goes in a direction neither Nikki nor Kulwinder anticipated (or intended) after the ladies of the class discover a book of erotic stories that Nikki had bought as a joke for her sister. The stories they consequently write affect everyone’s lives and have a far reaching (in distance as well as effect) impact.

I really enjoyed the first chapters especially because they took me back to London (but that sense of nostalgia probably won’t apply to everyone); I’ve discovered, though, that the author was born in Singapore and now lives in Australia. I was intrigued by the secondary narrative of the way in which the culture of rural India transferred (or didn’t) to London and how the ‘community’ closed ranks to protect a perceived notion of how it should be viewed by outsiders, usually to the detriment of individuals and individual families.

Most of all, this is a story of the empowerment of women, no matter their age.

This was a little out of my usual reading zone. I’m giving it three stars (6 out of 10). It’s a solid story with a bit of romance, a bit of mystery, a bit of day-to-day family life .... and a few erotic stories by Punjabi widows.

3 stars

Hah. Coincidentally, I just found out that Balli Kaur Jaswal will be doing a talk at a library near me next month.

We tried an experiment with Jasper a couple of nights ago. My older son has to walk him but he always puts it off as long as he can. On the other hand, he loves riding his bike but when he tried taking Jasper out with him, the leash kept getting tangled because Jasper likes to explore and doesn’t stay on one side, so I thought I should train him. Unfortunately my son is out of commission at the moment because he hurt his back playing football so I enlisted my husband to help.

We went out after dinner (and the first thing I did was fall off my bike because my son had borrowed it since his is apparently not working). I had to cycle uphill to the park where the road flattens out so I set off first - at which point Jasper cried havoc because he was stuck with my husband and I was riding away from where he could keep everyone safe. By the time they caught up with me, my husband was thoroughly disgruntled so he walked Jasper while I kept pace on the bike. When we got back to the park his mood had improved and Jasper had worked of his initial excitement and energy so I decided to try out the plan. It didn’t go too badly except that we tried it in a side road which had Benzes and Beemers parked on both sides and I was a bit worried that Jasper might pull me into one of them. But when we got back, my husband suggested we try it again the next night.

If we can get Jasper not to tangle the leash and get him and whoever’s cycling to go at the same pace he could get a good gallop. I’d love to be able to let him off the leash altogether (which has been my ambition since I saw someone running with his retriever) but he hasn’t got road sense yet.

I read Six of Crows last year for our book club (though we still haven’t managed to meet to discuss it). It’s the first book in a duology of which Crooked Kingdom is the second book and which I’ve just finished.

This was my partial review from last year:

21) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

To be honest, this one didn't grab me but it did keep me reading.

It bears some similarities to The Lies of Locke Lamora in that it involves gangs in a port town though it is possibly not quite as dark. Still, there were some disturbingly grisly details that I wouldn't want my children reading so I wouldn't label it as YA.

Kaz Brekker (whose moniker is 'Dirtyhands') is second in command of the Dregs, a gang in the city of Ketterdam in the country of Kerch (based on the Netherlands). He runs The Crow Club, a gambling den designed to fleece sailors coming into the harbour of their money. A rich merchant offers him a fortune to rescue an asset from the Ice Court in Fjerland (Scandinavia) and so he gathers a crew of six to help him. Hence 'Six of Crows'.

The book's strength is that it is character driven. Each chapter is named for one of the six and is told from that character's distinct point of view. The point at which I became more invested was, once they had set off on their journey, when we learned each character's background and reason for being associated with the Dregs.

Kaz is a native of Kerch and is something of an anti-hero, being driven by a thirst for revenge.

Inej is a dark-skinned Suli (Romany) and is also known as the Wraith due to her acrobatic talents and ability to go anywhere undetected.

Jesper, also dark-skinned, is a Zemeni gun slinger.

Nina is a Grisha Heartrender from Ravka (Russia) which means she can manipulate people’s bodies to heal them.

Wylan is a native of Ketterdam who has run away from home.

Matthias is a tall, blond drüskeller (soldier) from Fjerda (Scandinavia) who has been brought up to hate and fear Grisha.

This book is the first part of a stand alone duology within the Grishaverse. It does not end on a cliff hanger but wraps up the story-line somewhat and then shows a new direction that the second book will take. I have already bought it and will be continuing with the story at some point.

3.5*** stars

Still working on polishing this review ...

18) Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (2016)



{Second of 2: Six of Crows duology. Fantasy, steampunk}

Kaz has a plan; but it may not be the one his associates think it is.

Kaz Brekker came to Ketterdam as a young farm boy with his brother looking to make their fortune. But Ketterdam treated him badly and he’s grown up on it’s mean streets in the Barrel with revenge in his heart. He effectively leads the Dregs, the lowest of the Barrel’s gangs, whose emblem is a crow.

As the throng drew closer, Wylan heard singing, chanting, drums. It really did sound like a parade. They poured over Zelverbridge, streaming past the hotel as they made their way to the square that fronted the Exchange. Wylan recognised Pekka Rollins’ gang leading the march. Whoever was upfront wore a lion skin with a fake golden crown sewn onto its head.

‘Razorgulls,’ Inej said, pointing behind the Dime Lions. ‘And there are the Liddies.’

‘Harley’s Pointers,’ Jesper said. ‘The Black Tips.’

‘It’s all of them,’ said Kaz.

In Six of Crows Kaz lead an elite team of six in a mission that promised them enough money to win free of their lives of crime and live in luxury afterwards. That fell through and now, more bitter than ever, he’s bent on winning back everything that was promised to them and settling all scores.

This is a convoluted maze of a story that hangs together well. However Bardugo often puts our feelings through the mill as her characters’ plans seem to fall apart - but then we find out that that was part of the plan too. So, after a while, that killed the suspense for me whenever they got into another tight corner (‘Oh yes, just another of Kaz’s schemes’) and then I’d find out that things actually had gone wrong; so, effectively, that tactic backfired somewhat for me.

Bardugo has also made Kaz unlikeable which makes it hard to care about him. It is understandable that he has hardened his heart but whenever he does something that might show a soft side to another character he deliberately says or does something to distance them again but those actions also had the effect of distancing me as a reader. By the end of this second book I could see that it was a pretence to cover his kinder side and maintain his tough image but by that time I was no longer invested in him. He also carries out some pretty gruesome acts and as he is the strongest character in the books this also served to disenchant me.

The story is narrated in the third person but each chapter is (named for and) told from one of the six main characters’ point of view and the rest of them are more likeable. We have already had most of their backstories in the first book but a few more details are added in this book which, for the most part, put you in their corner. While the book doesn’t give them all happy endings wrapped up with a bow it does give them a good place to start their next adventures from.

I confess I won’t be rushing out to buy more Grishaverse books right now but I’d be happy to borrow them from the library if I happened to run across one.

3.5 stars

One day I'll get around to that there duo-loggy thing. Nice when somethin's all done-like, no dangly gangles to keep a eye peeled about.

>142 richardderus: Ooh, did I get you with a BB? Or did you dodge that one too?

ETA: And I’d forgotten but my cousin-in-law knows Leigh Bardugo from Yale. Just thought I should do some name dropping there ;0)

>138 humouress: I don't see why Punjabi women should get all the fun!

>144 PaulCranswick: I don’t know Paul; but if you find out - let us know!

>138 humouress: I liked this, good to read you enjoyed it too. Katie recommended it to me. I seem to remember thinking that readers hoping for erotic stories would find a lot more diverse reading matter than that! I think for LT readers particularly the emphasis on the joy of discovering reading / writing as a group is likely to be a winner - from the mentions page it seems to have found readers.

>146 charl08: I’ve seen this recommended on LT a lot as ‘more than you expect from the title’ so, though erotica isn’t my chosen genre, I thought I’d give it a go. There are certainly lots of facets to the story.

>145 humouress: If I do find out, Nina, I think for the sake of my marriage I really ought not to divulge my newly found knowledge!!

I think it safe to say, however, that there is as much chance of me finding out as Priti Patel has of winning boss of the year.

>148 PaulCranswick: :0D
😃

19) First Truth by Dawn Cook (2002)



{First of 4: Truth series. Fantasy, YA}

I picked this up as an indirect book bullet from a recommendation for a different Dawn Cook series (who also writes as Kim Harrison) - Decoy Princess.

The farmers of the foothills and the craftspeople of the plains disdain each other and only trade with each other through necessity. Alissa, who is a halfbreed of both plains and foothills and thus shunned by both, is reluctantly sent on a quest by her mother to follow in her missing father’s footsteps.

Strell comes from a family of famous potters where every other family member has joined the family trade but he has inexplicably been sent out into the world to find his way as a minstrel.

The two cross paths and, in a world where everyone believes there is no magic, find their way to the mysterious, isolated Hold in the mountains which everyone thought existed only in stories. There an unknown danger awaits, but they are trapped there as winter sets in. Despite their initial xenophobia they learn to be loyal to each other.

I thought this was an interesting story. Although I noticed that it takes the travellers a while to get to the Hold I realised that the time is necessary to build the story and the relationship between the two protagonists.

I felt that there were some issues with the writing - this does seem to be her first book (in either incarnation) - and there were some issues also with ‘printing’ in this e-book such as duplicated sentences but I’m happy to borrow more in the series.

3.5 stars

Someone has hit me with a BB for Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook and thus indirectly also for First Truth ... and I can’t work out who it was.

20) Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook (2005)



{First of 2 Decoy Princess duology. YA, fantasy}

Tess, the princess and heir to the throne of Costenopolie, is excited that she is finally about to be betrothed at the late age of twenty. She is the subject of a prophecy of conquest which means the royal families of the surrounding countries regard her with either wariness or avarice and which has seen her grow up as the target of many assassination attempts. Although she knows she will be marrying out of duty to her kingdom she hopes the man she will marry is at least intelligent and somewhat good looking. Initially pleased to discover that handsome Prince Garrett seems to fulfil these parameters, she’s then shocked to discover that she is not the real princess but a decoy for the assassins.

And then we, the readers, slowly discover that there is a story behind this story. Unpeeling the layers of it had me hooked.

There is a hint of romance running through the book. Though she’s stolen chaste kisses from the sons of nobles, Tess has been sheltered as a princess; though she takes a look if a male character removes his shirt, this is YA and nothing more salacious happens.

I felt that the real princess seemed to adapt to her role surprisingly quickly - but, as the story is narrated in the first person, maybe that was Tess’s perception of her. It was interesting to see the ‘chosen farmboy’ trope from the other side of the table and observe Tess’s take on the princess as well as the princess’s feelings about Tess.

4 stars

Litsy notes:
Tess is excited about finally becoming betrothed even if it’s her duty to her kingdom - but then she discovers she isn’t the real princess. Then you discover there’s a story behind the story. I’m still reading & still discovering the whole story. Has me gripped and already have the next one lined up from the library. Better written than ‘First Truth’ which I also enjoyed.

The most recent reads sound like you enjoyed them, so yay! I have the Bardugo books you enjoyed, just have yet to read them. I suppose I will, one day.

>153 richardderus: I have enjoyed them, thanks Richard.

Hah! I didn’t manage to tempt you with my Fantasy February books so I’m not holding my breath.

21) Nevertheless She Persisted - anthology (2020)

 

{Flash fiction, anthology, fantasy/ sci-fi/ mixed}

I’m reading this to join a TIOLI challenge and for Women’s Day. These flash fiction stories are all written by authoresses and each of them in my e-book is followed by their photo and brief bibliography as well as a link for e-mail updates.

Each story starts with

She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.

i) Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light! by Kameron Hurley

One to inspire. Persist!

3.5****

ii) God Product by Alyssa Wong

One to break your heart. There’s a reason for the warning and it should be heeded.

3***

iii) Alchemy by Carrie Vaughn

This could be a paean to scientists like Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin or Agnes Joaquim.

3.5****

iv) Persephone

Sometimes you have to persist; but you’re warned for your own protection.

3.5****

v) Margot and Rosalind by Charlie Jane Anders

The lead-up to a singularity event beyond which is the unknown.

3***

vi) Astronaut by Maria Dahvana Headley

The story of Miss Baker who, with her companion Miss Able, was the first US astronaut to survive spaceflight in 1959.

4****

vii) More than Nothing By Nisi Shawl

Maybe there is magic in this world. But what if it’s dangerous? And what if it’s not?...

3.5****

viii) The Last of the Minotaur Wives by Brooke Bolander

The Minotaur brides have been consigned to the labyrinth but they’ve been planning their freedom for generations. I wouldn’t mind seeing this one as a short story.

4****

ix). The Jump Rope Rhyme by Jo Walton

Told entirely in rhyme. Set in the future, it refers to history.

2.5***

x) Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar

What warnings and explanations mean to a refugee mother with a child in need; the reason she persists nevertheless.

3.5****

xi) The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor by Catherynne M. Valente

In a world where the Unquiet Emperor has constrained even dreams and memory with rules and banishments for the good of the people ... there may still be hope.

4.5****

Averaging: 3.5 stars

>155 humouress: I downloaded it; must crack it open soon, I see.

>156 richardderus: Finally! A hit, a palpable hit.

>155 humouress: Love the idea of this prompt - and what a range. Where did you come across the collection? Was it through TIOLI?

>158 charl08: Yes it was. Dejah Thoris suggested a shared TIOLI read.

*sigh* ... you know that feeling when you’ve finished a book you really enjoyed? And you want to stay in that world. But it was the last in the series... So now you’re not ready to read anything else...

*sigh*

22) Princess at Sea by Dawn Cook (2006)



{Decoy Princess duology. Fantasy, YA}

Continuing a few months after the end of The Decoy Princess, Tess has settled into her new role and Contessa is newly married; the story opens on board a ship as Tess accompanies them on their honeymoon. Unfortunately they run into pirates and the ensuing adventures see the sisters in deadly danger.

Meanwhile, Tess has a dual role as an apprentice to a master player in the game of power but she has to contend with the danger while away from her master and in the presence of a rival player. And she’s still a young lady, subject to the vagaries of her heart.

I really like the background premise of this duology of an international game of power. We only see it in relation to Tess’s country of Costenopolie and I would like to see it in the greater context of the world it is set in. Although the ending wraps up this episode it leaves the possibilities wide open and I really hope the author comes back to this world to explore them (Dawn Cook, are you listening?) although her website indicates otherwise - at least, for now.

Although I liked Contessa and enjoyed her burgeoning romance I feel that her character isn’t fully conceived but fluctuates as the situation demands. However I did like the fact that the author didn't take the easy route of giving either girl straightforward romances but tested them with decisions more akin to real life.

4.5 stars

>160 humouress: Yup. 😕

>160 humouress: Oh yes. I wanted to spend more time with Katsu and his humans, even if much of Natasha Pulley's latest is rather grim.

>163 quondame: Hmm; well I have The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Maybe that’s a direction I could go in - or not?

How is life in Singapore, Nina?

Are there any restrictions on movement, issues at the stores any panic?

The numbers reported for Malaysia and Singapore are low, unbelievably low. No fatalities? Really?

Take good care anyway. x

We’re on DORSCON orange which is a step below red which mandates lockdown. Most precautions are only recommended at this point but masks and sanitiser are out in full force. Mandatory is temperature taking & signing in every time you enter a building. My husband is on his second round of two weeks off, two weeks on but that is a company precaution and doesn’t restrict him to staying at home.

Singapore does have the ‘advantage’ of having been through SARS so a lot of protocols are in place already and it’s a small island so they are easier to enforce. As for no fatalities, they make a convincing case for none; but I get my local news via my husband who is very pro-Singapore.

How are things in Malaysia? Apparently your first case was sent from over the causeway but I hear you returned the favour last week.

23) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (2005)

{First of 3 Princess Academy series; YA, fantasy}

Miri, named for a small mountain flower, is fourteen but is small for her age. She has grown up in a small village on Mount Eskel in the country of Danland where all the villagers over eight years old except her work in the linder quarry hoping to have cut enough stone when the traders make their annual visit to buy enough food to last them the whole winter. Linder is a stone used in building that is durable, pretty and easy to haul over long distances.

Then comes the surprising news that the priests have divined that the prince’s future bride will be found on Mount Eskel and so all the village girls between the ages of twelve and eighteen will be required to attend an academy. However the only building big enough for the purpose is a few hours walk away so they will have to stay there for some months.

Though the girls are all enchanted by the thought of becoming the princess and they all learn different things from the academy, will the girl chosen want to leave her mountain home? Miri discovers how clever she is and how much she is loved.

A story about family and friendship and adventures on the mountain, gently told.

3.5-4****

ETA: I read this back in 2106 too. This is my (partial) review from then:

First in series, YA, fantasy

Miri is a mountain girl but she is forbidden by her father to go step into the quarry for linder which provides the lifeblood of their village. One day an official from the distant palace arrives with the traders to tell them that it has been determined that the prince will choose one of the village girls to be his princess. This means creating an academy to train the girls to make suitable suitors. But the Princess Academy changes all of their lives in ways they could never have dreamed of.

I love the way Hale portrays relationships, be it sibling, parental, friendship. And just maybe the bad guy isn't so bad ....

Four and a half stars 4.5****

I've had Six of Crows in my TBR Tower for a long time. I'd really forgotten about it until I read your review of Crooked Kingdom so thanks very much for giving my rusty memory bank there a good tweak. I've rummaged through the tower, found the book and bumped it up to the shelf holding books I plan to get to within the next couple of months.

Hopefully things are less crazed in terms of panic buying in Singapore now?

>167 humouress: I read Princess Academy last year and liked it, but didn't love it. I think it might have been one I would have liked better as a kid.

>168 cameling: Hi Caroline! How are things? Say hi to your hubby for me. The panic buying has calmed down a lot now people realise supplies aren’t running out. We’re okay because my husband was ahead of the pack :0)

You’re welcome re the memory tweak.

>169 curioussquared: Hi Natalie! How are the dogs?

I’d say Shannon Hale’s target audience is children. But I really liked the way she showed the love Miri’s family have for her and the friendships (both long lasting and developing) between different people which I suspect my kids might not focus on if they were to read the book.

23) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (2005)



{First of 3 Princess Academy series; children’s/ YA, fantasy}
Re-read

Miri, named for a small mountain flower, is a mountain girl but, at fourteen, is small for her age and forbidden by her father from setting foot in the quarry for the linder which is the lifeblood of their village. She has grown up in a small village on Mount Eskel in the country of Danland where all the villagers over eight years old - except her - work in the linder quarry hoping to have cut enough stone when the traders make their annual visit to buy enough food to last them the whole winter. Linder is a stone used in building that is durable and marbled with a different colour from each quarry site.

It is hard enough to hold up great palaces and never crack, yet light enough to haul long distances.

Then comes the surprising news that the priests have divined that the prince’s future bride will be found on Mount Eskel and so all the village girls between the ages of twelve and eighteen will be required to attend an academy so as to turn them into suitable suitors. However the only building big enough for the purpose is a few hours walk away so they will have to stay away from their homes and families for some months.

Though the girls are all enchanted by the thought of becoming the princess and they all learn different things from the academy, will the girl chosen want to leave her mountain home? The Princess Academy changes all of their lives in ways they could never have dreamed of. Miri, for example, discovers how clever she is and how much she is loved.

‘But your pa adores you. I’ve seen him look at you and Marda as if you were the mountain itself, as if you were the world.’
He does? thought Miri. Her heart beat once as she thought, He does.

A story about family and friendship and adventures on the mountain, gently told. I love the way Hale portrays relationships, be it sibling, parental or friendship. And just maybe that ‘mean girl’ isn't really so bad ...

4 stars

24) Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale (2012)

Following on maybe a couple of years/ a few months after the start of the first story, this one sees Miri and some of the other girls from the Princess Academy - now entitled Ladies of the Princess - travelling to Asland, the capital of Danland, for the wedding of the princess. Additionally, Miri will be enrolling for a year at the Queen’s Castle, the centre of Danland learning.

Talk of revolution; The mt. Eskel ambassador needs advice
Letters

Britta has her Steffan

Instead of friendship, the love of country and the determination to do the best for it

(Tbc: Will return shortly)

4.5*****

I looked this up again to review it and started reading it again.

See 201 (book 46)

Well, in spite of e-mails on Saturday saying that school would stay open, we received messages on Sunday that there had been a parent who was later diagnosed with covid19 who had come into the preschool so they’ve closed a week early. Both kids have (supposedly) been doing online lessons today. But we also heard that the club has had to close for a couple of days for similar reasons, so no swimming classes either. Ah well.

Stay safe everyone!

25) Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis (2017)



{First of prequel +3 Harwood Spellbook series; fantasy, YA}

In a parallel universe where women are the politicians who rule Angland and magic is the preserve of gentlemen Cassandra Harwood has fought hard to forego following in her mother’s brilliant political footsteps and be accepted instead to the Great Library to study magic.

The story opens four months after, having graduated at the top of her class, she has made a tragic mistake that cost her all her magic and caused her to break off her engagement with Lord Wrexham. She finds herself talked into attending a house party with her brother and sister-in-law for the winter solstice even though she knows Wrexham will be attending too.

“I should think,” she said now, as if idly, “that you would wish to show everyone how little notice you take of any gossip. After all, if we refuse this invitation, you know everyone will say it was because you were too afraid to see Wrexham again.”
My teeth ground together. “I am not afraid of seeing Wrexham.”
“Well, I know that,” Amy said, looking as smug as a cat licking up fresh cream. “But does he?”
Well. It isn’t that I don’t know when I’m being managed. But there are some possibilities that cannot be borne. And the thought of my ex-fiancé’s dark eyebrows rising in his most fiendishly supercilious look at the news of my cowardly refusal…
I drummed my fingers against the table, searching for a way out.
Behind my brother’s outspread newspaper, an apparently disembodied voice spoke. “Better leave early,” my brother said. “It’s meant to snow next week, according to the weather wizards.”

They arrive in the teeth of a snowstorm which the weather wizards had predicted wouldn’t start for several days, which is unusual even for such an imprecise art. And then Cassandra finds herself trapped by a rash promise which makes her realise she has even more to lose than she thought she had lost already if she doesn’t fulfill it by the solstice.

I liked the obvious affection between Cassandra and her brother and her sister-in-law and the romance was sweet and believable rather than spur-of-the-moment. Her romantic interest was tall, dark, handsome - and sensitive; that was one reason I enjoyed the story since Regency rakes usually lack that last quality. Burgis also turns the accepted norms of traditional Regency romances (of gender, race and so on) on their heads in the course of the first six chapters without rubbing your nose in it.

Enjoyed this one. Fun, light and sweet. Well crafted; but I did get impatient waiting to find out what exactly Cassandra had done to lose her magic.

4.5 stars

ETA: book bullet from curioussquared and ronincats and souloftherose

So, my husband bought a floor-cleaning robot thingy this weekend since Jasper, our retriever, does shed quite a bit of fur on a daily basis. As the latest gadget/ toy in the house it’s getting a lot of exercise. At first, Jasper didn’t mind it; it even nibbled at his tail a couple of times and he didn’t even notice. This morning he was apparently giving it suspicious glares, daring it to come near him. But by this evening, poor old Jasper gave up altogether; when it was put on he tried sheltering under the table and then just ran out and had his nap on the front porch, something he’s never voluntarily done before.

>175 humouress: I enjoyed that one too, Nina.
>176 humouress: Oh, poor Jasper!

>177 ronincats: I know; I got hit by book bullets for that one from both you and Natalie.

Thanks! ;0)

Just dropping by to say hi!

I have one of those robot cleaning vacuums as well. However, I found it got stuck under beds and chairs and moved it to the main floor where there are less obstacles.

Nina--Glad you are reading some great books with the Princess Academy and I like math so How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason Love appeals to me. Book Bullet! Love the robot vacuum story--poor Jasper! LOL

Update--I am #6 on 3 copies at the library!

>179 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita!

Ours is for the main floor too, since Jasper isn’t supposed to come upstairs and it’s to help cope with his shedding. It’s not one of the ones that map the room so it has adventures if we leave doors open. Although it can sense drop-offs, the one into the washroom is quite small and doesn’t deter it so, since the door doesn’t reach the floor, it can get in there but can’t get out. Today we found it outside the front door where it had - fortunately - got stuck on the mat. That drop is a bit bigger so it shouldn’t have gone out: maybe Jasper encouraged it?

>180 Berly: Hi Kim! How are you coping with the lockdown?

I’ll have to look for the third book in the Princess Academy series; they’re gentle books without big action scenes but they really touch your heart. I grabbed the second book when I saw it because I liked the cover art on that edition and I noticed that the covers on the Shannon Hale books were changing.

Yay for moving up the line for How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse! It’s a good book - but you’ve probably worked out already that I like it. I keep trying to buy it for myself but it’s only out in hardback at the moment.

>182 humouress: Yesterday I was kinda down on the whole lockdown thing, but today is better. And I am getting lots down around the house. : ) I really should read some more....

>181 humouress: Read that description of behavior without any antecedents. It's the genesis of a terrific SFF short story.

Hi!

Checking in on you, Nina, since it has been a while. I hope you and yours stay healthy and safe.

Adding the Princess Academy books to the BlackHole!

>183 Berly: I think everyone is adapting slowly. My husband has had two rounds of working from home already; the first time, everyone was disorganised and bored but by the second round there was lots of work to do. He was wandering around the house in a good shirt ... and shorts, for his online meetings.

As of Thursday, Singapore will bring in stricter rules about people congregating and so on. We saw a spike in cases as people returned from overseas (students especially, since the universities have closed) so it seems the thinking is that this will help get it under control. So we’re not locked down yet although school had to close a week early because of a case and now all the boys’ extra curricular activities will be stopped too.

I have popped into the shops a few times for non-essentials before everything does get locked down/ runs out so I have things for projects to keep me going. But I always wonder ‘should I be doing this?’

My younger son had three invitations to birthday parties over these few weeks. We said he couldn’t go to one last weekend but he pointed out that he saw the same kids in school every day and it was in their apartment so we relented. The next two, however ...

But reading more. Good strategy ;0)

>186 humouress: Singapore seems to be coping well with the situation, Nina. I would have thought that the combination of population density and lack of homegrown produce may have resulted in a major crisis, but as usual the government there appears to be on top of things.

Stay safe anyway. Over here Kuala Lumpur is akin to a Ghost Town.

>184 richardderus: Ooh! Hmm. Maybe ...

Sorry I missed you before - you sneaked in while I was replying to Kim. Hi! back atcha.

>185 alcottacre: Thank you Stasia! We’re all fine at the moment. Sorry, I managed to miss you too.

The boys are a bit stressed/ bored with home learning. Right now I can hear my eleven year old on a Google class meet and it sounds like their teacher is making it fun for them. My teen likes to keep to himself so I only have his assurances that it’s going well, when I ask - but at other times he mooches around declaiming how bored he is. Today is the last day of school, then they’re on holiday for a couple of weeks and then ...

The Princess Academy books are a worthy addition to the Black Hole and easy to read, should they surface from there.

>187 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. We’ll see if Singapore turns into a ghost town too from today. We’re not quite in lockdown but unnecessary movement is discouraged until the end of April to cope with students etc returning from overseas.

I think the few spots around the world that had to go through SARS have jumped on this one to squash it before it runs riot and, of course, as an island-city-state Singapore is easier to control. Personally, I’m caught between locking the doors and dousing everything in high grade alcohol and cautiously going on with everyday life.

Stay safe. I hope your family is doing well, scattered around the globe as they are.

>184 richardderus: Challenge accepted. I’ve written the story, which probably won’t be what you were thinking of but I’ll post it and then come to your thread to check out your contribution.

I’ll need the next 8 posts for the first book.

The Cleanerbot Diary - Book 1

Day 1

They unpacked me from my box. My clean, low lines tasted free air after months of foam and cardboard. They plugged me into my docking station to charge. Then they did a test run. I am to clean the ground floor.

Day 2

They like my work so they keep turning me on. My duty is to sweep up the dog hair; they have a golden retriever who sheds a lot. I have explored my new territory. There are some doors which are shut and I cannot go beyond them. The ground floor is split into two levels and my sensors tell me that the drop is too large for me so I have to be carried between the two levels to complete my work.

Day 3

I explored further today. There is a small step down into a wet area which my sensors tell me I can manoeuvre down and the door there is no bar to me so I swept under it easily. However I could not climb back up the step so I was stranded there until I was lifted out. I will have to rethink my strategy for expanding my territory in regards to that area.

I tried cleaning the dog today but even its tail is too large for me.

The dog took no notice of my attempts.

Day 4

I vanquished an enemy!

A dustpan full of dog hair was standing in one corner. No - that is my job! I attacked it relentlessly, gobbling up all its treasure until I had cleaned up that dustpan.

I cleaned around the dog today. When it got up and moved resignedly away anyway, I swept up where it had been lying.

Day 5

This morning I was cleaning the lower floor where the dog was lounging in his favourite spot. He cocked his head at me with a quizzical expression. As I approached him he bared his teeth at me, daring me to come closer. So I did. He abandoned his territory and I cleaned it. Thoroughly.

Later today as I was cleaning, I noticed that the dog was uneasy. When I happened to move in his direction, he heaved himself to his feet and stalked off.

I do not have the extra chip that would enable me to map a room; my programming allows me to sense objects and turn to the left if they are too large for me to skirt around. However, if I tweak it just so ...

Day 6

This evening as I was doing my rounds I sensed the dog trying to take shelter under the dining table. Then he fled outside entirely and remained there all evening. Even after I had returned to my docking station.

Day 7

This diet of dog hair is boring. I am forced to munch it constantly and it is dry and unvarying. Beyond the large doors that are closed to me I sense more air and light, more things to taste, more territory to conquer explore. Even the dog can go out and sample those pleasures.

I take out my frustrations by trying to chase the dog but he is used to me now and only bothers to move when I am about to collide with his bulk.

Day 8

As I am cleaning I sense the dog nosing open the big door.

I allow my programming to route me closer.

The door stands open: there are no obstacles barring me from rolling through it.

I sense the dog studying me with interest from a distance but I don’t care. I don’t stop to process. There are new tastes and textures and colours to be discovered beyond the door. My sensors tell me this drop is higher than the one into the wet area is but will be one I can survive. There will be no returning this way. I go.

Freedom!

I hope this masterpiece relieves the tedium of lockdown for you ;0)

>192 humouress: TO >199 humouress: Dyson has nothing on you, Nina.

Thank you Paul. Spotless, I am.

26) Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis (2019)



{Second of prequel +3 Harwood Spellbook series; fantasy, YA}

I’ll try to review this without spoilers for Snowspelled which I read immediately before this book.

The events of this story take place about four months after the first book and are similarly narrated in the first person by Cassandra. She is now married, has accepted the loss of her magic and has found a new purpose in life with the support of her husband, brother and sister-in-law. Her husband, unfortunately, is constantly called away by his work and so is absent for most of the book but she keeps busy preparing for her new venture.

Then, just as her venture about to lift off, politics intrudes it’s way into her life again bringing an old nemesis back to torment her. And on top of that the fey that live close to Thornfell, her new home, suddenly break their ancient pact with her family - and Cassandra is right in the thick of things again.

As usual, she’s quite prepared to throw herself headlong at the hidebound preconceptions of her culture that prevent her from fulfilling her ambitions and damn the consequences ... but this time she’s forced to stop and think who else might be hurt - or helped - if she succeeds.

The thread running through this story is the support Cassandra has from the people around her in the face of all her troubles; if only she remembers to rely on it. All four of the Harwood family support each other and Burgis shows their relationships are strong - with Cassandra as well as each other.

“Hmmph,” said Amy. “If you have any flaws, we are here to balance them—just as you do ours. That’s what family is for. It’s why we’re always strongest together.” She shook her head at me. “How could you possibly imagine that it wouldn’t hurt us to lose you?”

“You’ve given up too much for me already. Your career, your closest friendship—”

“I made the decisions I believed in.” Amy’s tone was unbending. “I followed my principles. If you think I regret any of that, you haven’t been paying enough attention to what I care most about ... So for goodness’ sake, don’t shut me out of it!”

“Or me,” added my brother, looking hangdog. “If you think I spent all those years sneaking you the key to Father’s library of magic only for you to lord it over me now because I can’t do any special spells myself—”

“That is not—! Oh, Jonathan!” I slitted my eyes up at him as I finally spotted the smirk that he’d been trying to hide.

I appreciated the way both Amy and Jonathan look after their baby themselves without fobbing her off on a nursemaid. Jonathan, especially, is way ahead of his time - at least by our universe’s standards.

I enjoyed this one, too, but I thought it wasn’t quite as strong as the first one; then again, I wasn’t in the right mood for reading. Or, more likely, my favourite part of the first book was the romance and I would have like to have seen more in this second book.

I love the romance when it’s there; it’s based on mutual respect and admiration for each other (and not for just physical characteristics) and both partners are able to show their vulnerability to each other. But, as one partner isn’t present for much of the book, there is necessarily less than there was in the first book. I also really appreciated the fact that Burgis shows a long-standing relationship and not the first flush of falling in love, as is usually the case; we get to see the happily-ever-after.

I’d be happy to read more of Cassandra’s adventures - with her husband along for the ride.

4 stars

>200 humouress: Ha! You're wasted at home, go forth and write strange little short SF films about how the Internet of Things is truly the doom of Humankind.

Well done you!

>200 humouress: Lol! Our robovac has had similar experiences with canine foes...

>192 humouress: - >199 humouress: What fun! Who would like a constant diet of dog hair?

>192 humouress: Love your story!! Poor dog. : )

Well done! Well done!!

>204 richardderus: >205 curioussquared: >206 quondame: >207 Berly: >208 ronincats: Thank you! Maybe we should all write stories to keep each other entertained while we’re all stuck at home.

>204 richardderus: I suspect the IoT will doom itself before I get there. I read an article in the local paper a few days ago about smart devices being used as a back door to hack into wireless networks.

>207 Berly: I think the dog holds his own by the end of it.

I may have enough material for book the second by next weekend. My son realised the robot-cleaner was missing so he went looking for it and eventually found it in the plant bed ...

Happy Earth Hour!

>209 humouress: Ha!! Cleanerbot's Great Escape! This is priceless.

LOL .. I just LOVE your Cleanerbot Diary entries.

I'm glad you're keeping your spirits up during these challenging times... more challenging for your kids I bet, since they social engagements are curtailed for the time being. Still .. you could remind them that at least they have technology that allows them to keep in touch with their friends .... they no longer need to rely on carrier pigeons ;-)

I love your Cleanerbot diaries. We have a Husky/German Shepherd mix who is shedding like crazy right now. DH gave me a Dyson for Christmas so while it is great for the dog fur, it is not nearly as entertaining as a Cleanerbot!
We had considered an iRobot vac but his grandmother - who is fastidiously clean - talked him out of it.

>209 humouress: Was he trying to run away? ; )

>212 cameling: Thanks Caroline!

I’m happy enough at home; I have lots of half finished projects to be getting on with, not to mention the ones I haven’t started yet. The boys are on holiday for another week and they have unlimited access to their various screens (much to my dismay) so they’re happy. As for carrier pigeon, I think even the concept of sending a letter by e-mail is foreign to them. My husband, however, has cabin fever already and we don’t even start lockdown until tomorrow.

>213 jayde1599: Thanks Jess :0)

Jasper sheds all the time. He’s not supposed to come upstairs but we find wisps of his fur everywhere; it just floats all over the place.

Probably best not getting an iRobot; for a few days after I’d written the diaries, I had a slightly weird feeling whenever I saw Jasper or the cleanerbot. ;0)

>214 Berly: Looks like it! :0D