The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: A Review

This much talked about novel has sat idle on my bookshelf for a fair amount of time, the beautiful design on its cover has finally drawn me to it as has the reading of a number of conflicting reviews online. I felt it was time to form my own opinion of a novel that continues to sell well from the shelves at work without even having to push it into the hands of customers. It seems it is indeed hard to resist the pull and the mystery of Erin Morgenstern's 'The Night Circus'. 

The title itself refers to a circus, one that appears unbidden and as if by magic. The tents and performers draped in black and white, the only real colours coming from the curious guests that pour through the circus gates. Little are these happy, wowed consumers aware that beneath the jovial, fun exterior of the circus there lies a secret, one that threatens to pull the circus apart along with everyone within it. 

First and foremost, this novel is just great fun. It never sways too far into the world of surrealism and magic to make it confounding and tricky yet doesn't brush too lightly across it's surface as to make the wonders of the tale seem trivial and unimportant. Morgenstern has created a tangible balance between realism and the world of magic that deserves a gargantuan pat on the back. I was completely and utterly drawn into this beautiful world and grumbled audibly whenever it needed to be put down for some reason or another. 

The narrative is written in chapters headed by dates and geographical locations, and it soon becomes clear that there is some time lapses going on. We are brought in towards the story's end as well as its beginning. I was expecting this to be aggravating as it has to be done well in order to allow for a tale to run smoothly. However, I was gladly proved wrong as the seemingly separate narratives reach a natural and unobtrusive convergence in a timely manner before the novel's grand finale is reached. The two stories that appear separate at the start feature characters that differ immensely from one another. One narrative string follows the awestruck Bailey and his obvious love of the mysterious Le Cirque des Reves, from his sneaking in during the daytime to his forming of a close friendship with the circus' only pair of children. The other takes us through the inception of the circus, created by an elite group of midnight diners and tells the intriguing love story of Celia and Marco, arguably the most important characters of the narrative.

It is tricky to write a review of this novel without giving too much away, because this is a book best read without really knowing too much about the direction of the story itself. So all I will say about the story is that the magic within the circus is as a result of a tortuous duel, one which even it's participants fail to understand the implications of. It is this duel that results in the creation of the circus itself as a stage, a place to show off one's skills, an extremely public stage nonetheless. The descriptions of the various attractions within the circus are intoxicating, each tent holds its own sort of magic. I was particularly fond of the ice garden, a beautiful display made from what appears to be a flowering garden hewn from ice. Even as the ice sculptures are accidentally broken, they reform to restore the beauty of the exhibition.

It is worth mentioning that the descriptions in the novel are more fleeting than padded, Morgenstern clearly does not feel the need to add too much and it is a tactic that works. Descriptions of time, place and magic are handled beautifully and well enough to conjure up dazzling images that stick with you and don't bore you slightly to death (ahem, Salem's Lot). 

I have drivelled on enough about the magic and intents of the circus, obviously the characters are important too. Morgenstern creates very believable personalities, none are all knowing and each of them has their flaws. Celia is a delight, a mistreated child grown to become a beautiful yet haunted illusionist, one who forms friendships somewhat easily yet suffers her losses greatly. Marco I found to be a bit of an enigma, his love is obvious but there is a cruelty to him that put me off of him a bit, but not in a disappointing way, it merely adds more depth. I fell in love with the clockmaker Friedrick Thiessen in much the same way as he falls in love with the circus, a kindly, pro active gent undeserving of his eventual fate. The only character I did not feel a particular affinity with was Bailey, he just felt a little under formed and in need of some vibrancy. 

All in all a fantastic well rounded and well paced read. It's style reminded me in parts of Audrey Niffenegger's writing and as such I am sure that if you have enjoyed her books then this will spark your interest as well. Be warned, once you start reading this the real world will lose its sparkle as you get drawn further into the enchantment that is 'The Night Circus'. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's a Review

I have had this recommended to me time and time again by close friends and customers and after reading The Great Gatsby I felt in the mood for picking up another short, modern great to leaf through. I feel it's important to note here that I knew nothing of the plot or the back story of this novel and neither have seen the film starring the charming Audrey Hepburn. I came to this novel a clean slate and left it wanting to know more about Truman Capote's inspiration and what other people thought about the rambunctious Holly Golightly. 

The story itself is a simple one, our helpful narrator sets the scene as he returns to an old local bar to reminisce about an unforgettable woman whose very presence affected those around her in number of ways. We are then transported back to his times as a writer struggling to be published living in a small flat in New York, this is when he met Holly and hence the tale really begins. The two become friends as Holly continuously forgets or loses her keys, forcing the narrator to have to let her into the building on any number of occasions. This is an unusual and passing friendship that feels almost voyeuristic to a point as he observes Holly's life from within, a whirlwind passing through New York. Parties, men, madness and tantrums ensue as we are given a brief peek at the tour de force that is Holly Golightly. 

This novel is absolutely brilliant, I enjoyed it immensely and fell head over heels in love with the exceptionally unusual Holly Golightly. It is this character and her brazenness that really makes this novella tick. At the time in which this story was written the open references to numerous sexual partners and homosexuality would have shocked Capote's audience and this is why Holly is so alluring, she doesn't give a rats arse what people think of her. The metaphors hidden in plain view about wild birds and cages allow us to understand the nature of Holly all the more, a wild bird that should always fly free. Obviously not quite so shocking now, Holly is still a character that should please and amuse a modern audience. 

Holly isn't the only character Capote exposes to the reader, yet each character has some sort of tie to Holly. There is the long lost husband, the smitten barman, her unpleasant model acquaintance and her eventual undoing, the gangster Sally Tomato. Each and every character seeks a bond with Holly in a manner of ways. All of these people give us a brief glimpse into a New York that has vanished with time. It's decadent, exciting and, to some degree, an age of innocence.

Perhaps the most interesting accompaniment to Holly is 'cat' an unnamed stray feline she houses in her flat. Unnamed because Holly does not wish to seek ownership over an independent being, yet by the time we reach the novel's conclusion 'cat' has found itself a home, somewhere to belong. Perhaps this is an implication that even the wildest of creatures can be tamed, maybe even Holly herself however we are never privy to this development. Holly's fate remains a mystery.

It is not all glitz, glamour and gaiety, Capote writes of a darkness hidden beneath the surface. Holly completely loses the plot when stricken with grief and her eventual arrest is as a result her involvement with her imprisoned gangster friend. It is this darkness that brings the reader back to reality, not everything in life is peachy. 

Written with grace and style this is a novel that will no doubt continue to stand the test of time effortlessly. It is a quick read, easily achieved in one sitting should you set aside the time for it. This novel is an enormously enjoyable and I would implore anyone to give it a go. As it stands I am currently planning a Breakfast at Tiffany's film evening with a few friends, fake pearls and party dresses in tow, all because this novel is unforgettable and deserves exploring even further. It also makes for the perfect gift, this is a story that demands to be shared with friends!

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King: A Review

I suppose it's natural in being a fan of various types of vampire fiction that I turn to one of the masters of horror, Stephen King, to get stuck into how he writes of these pesky monsters that chomp on their victims throats and drain them of their life giving blood. 'Salem's Lot has been evading me at the library for months, popping in every now and again to see if it's there and not ordering it in because I do quite enjoy the thrill of the chase (and it costs money, I am cheap). So I made squeaking noise when it finally appeared on the shelf, looking inconspicuous and like it had been there all along.

'Salem's Lot is a small town in New England, a town abandoned and one firmly set as a place of evil and myth. King begins his tale at it's end as two of the survivors of the 'Lot have hit the road and are trying to come to terms with the horrible past behind them. We are then yanked back in time to learn about the terrible tragedy that befell the town, one which evokes whispers and suspicions from the surrounding towns and folk. Ben, a novelist has returned to 'Salem's Lot to write, instead he falls in love, causes a stir and becomes an unlikely vampire hunter. It all starts to go horribly wrong when someone buys the long abandoned and supposedly cursed Marsten House set atop the hill overlooking the 'Lot. With the arrival of it's occupants comes chaos, blood and many, many sacrifices.

First of all, I did love this. I do enjoy a good story that speaks of nasty, hissing grotesque vampires whose only desire is blood. King is one hell of a visual author and these creatures conjure up terrifying images as you read of their vile exploits. The thing that hit me the most was the parasitic spread of the vampires, a small town disappearing into the grip of a harrowing, unstoppable death. He hid them everywhere, in cupboards, food stores, cellars, under buildings and in any hole the nasty things could fit into. By the novel's grisly conclusion the vampires were literally everywhere in town.

As for the writing style, this is something that King is celebrated for. He has an exceptional attention to detail and in 'Salem's Lot he brings a whole town to life, you feel as though you have, at the very least, brushed past every occupant of the town and could give directions to anyone visiting. It wasn't only his thoroughness that grabbed me, this novel has a timeless quality to it in spite of the dates given. It would still work effortlessly if you said it was set in 2012, an impressive skill in light of his descriptive writing.

There was one thing that disappointed me, I never felt particularly engaged with the protagonists. King goes into so much detail about so many places and people that the focus which needed to be applied to the lead characters was lost in this jumble of small town folk. I must say this does improve as you hit the end of the novel, but only because most of the town have become the blood sucking undead. I did wince when one of the main characters fell down a pit onto a booby trap of knife blades, that affected me massively. So there are moments when you feel an affinity with these people, just not enough of them.

This is much more clever than your average vampire novel, and offers far more than constant action and gore. I can really see why Stephen King has a massive fan base and I know there are other novels by him that I would like to read. I just think 'Salem's Lot could have been a shorter novel, I was starting to struggle by the end and could tell that the novel would not have lost it's intensity if you were to cut out a few chunks.

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill: A Review

A kindly colleague at work secured an early reading copy of Dreams and Shadows for me to read, thinking that it looked like something I would enjoy. I have already told him that he was spot on, this is one hell of a book and I can't stop nattering about it's weird and wonderful creatures to my friends (soon they will be buying earplugs). Due out in February 2013 this is the debut novel from director C. Robert Cargill, known most recently for horror flick Sinister.

Dreams and Shadows is about a world that exists just out of our reach, a world where fairy-tales are real and they come armed with sharp teeth and pole-arms  The novel begins with a couple falling deeply in love, love at first sight, and they have a baby. A creature crawls down the bedroom wall of their love nest and promptly replaces the beautiful gurgling child with a changeling and then, all hell breaks loose. This all happens in the first few pages and the novel then descends into a world of darkness, where fairies hunt humans, the Wild Hunt decimates fairies and a small boy named Colby has his seemingly innocent wishes granted by a genie. Little does Colby know, but his wishes are set to change his life, and the lives of many others (fae and human alike) forever.

Love, fear, jealousy, innocence and vengeance permeate the pages of this amazing tale. I will be honest and admit that I was not too certain at the start. The tale seemed disjointed, jumping from one storyline to the next, integrated with fictional scripture on the world of fairies. However, it becomes apparent that this is deliberate as Cargill deftly merges each of these threads as the novel progresses. I found myself exclaiming aloud, "ahhhh I see", as I was leafing through the novels pages in my comfy chair at home. His style becomes addictive, you begin to love the insights of the mysterious Dr. Thaddeus Ray as he explains the pitfalls and nature of this magical world just beyond the grasp of us mere mortals.

The characters are explosive, Colby develops into a fascinating chap, trying so desperately to protect his friends, yet in spite of his wisdom he still has his wild mistakes to answer for. Ewan is a bit dippy, but this is to be expected of a child stolen by fairies, and his finale is suitably epic. Knocks, a disgusting changeling modelled on the form of Ewan, is a terrifying figure, his jealousy and vengeance oozing from the pages of the book. There are many more characters, but if I were to go on this would become a novel in itself. Needless to say, they are all memorable and leave remarkable visuals as an after-burn in the brain.

Moving on from characters, of course there is a host of weird and wonderful grotesques walking through Cargill's world. Most of these are explained by the rather helpful Dr. Thaddeus Ray as the narrative brings more and more weird and wonderful creatures to the fore. I was equally fond of and terrified of the 'red caps' a particularly nasty bunch of small chaps that survive only though keeping their rep hats dripping with the blood of their slain victims, lovely.

Speaking of visuals, the scenes are well written, the right amount of realism mixed with fantasy to create a world easily imagined and equally terrifying. There is a scene set atop a roof with a half cut angel and Colby that is impossible to forget as they pass a bottle of booze between them whilst watching the Wild Hunt from hell career through the streets below. Where would you be in an urban fantasy without some gore? Well there is a balanced amount of no nonsense blood splattering to be had, all of it relevant and none of it gratuitous which suited me just fine. Again Cargill writes enough into the descriptions to conjure up some savage visuals. This would certainly work as a film, crossing my fingers for that eventuality as I would love to see this world come to life again.

Hopefully this is not the last we will see from Cargill as an author, he has gifted to us an urban fantasy filled with action and enough of a social commentary centred on the back streets of America to keep it's feet firmly in the grounds of a good read. In my opinion a great read if you love Neil Gaiman, or like a great many of us, enjoy a journey into the more sinister world of fairies.

The Natural History of Unicorns by Chris Lavers, a review.

Who doesn't enjoy a good myth? Especially one filled with magical beasties that capture the imagination and never leave your memory. Unicorns have filled our tales with whimsy and beauty for centuries, and I am just as excited about the notion of their reality as anyone else, wishing deep down that a creature of such elegance and beauty once existed. Chris Lavers sets out to explore the origins of the unicorn myth in his book, The Natural History of Unicorns, and even promises to reveal to us some real unicorns along the way. Understandably I was completely sucked into this rather beautiful little piece of nature writing, hoping for an insightful journey into how the unicorn became.

I feel it is safe to say that this is a piece of non fiction written for a specific, rather learned audience and I can appreciate the fabulous effort that has gone into the research of such an interesting, much debated subject. The archive images are brilliant and well spaced throughout, these are well worth a little nose through alone. "A One Horned Ass" launches us into the world of unicorn hunting as Levers' first chapter, I felt drawn around in circles by it's references and had difficultly remembering one avid scientists name from the next, constantly having to back track to figure out whether names had been mentioned before. This repetitiveness and circling seems to dissipate as you progress, yet it still didn't grab me.

I was sadly a little disappointed by this book, not because of it's vast, exceptional research or because of its subject matter. I felt let down by the writing, lo and behold we are dealing with a magical creature here, yet the writing is rather dry, prescriptive and altogether lacking in sparkle. I can only assume this is aimed at a far more academic audience than the title implies. I cannot feel the passion of the writer behind the words and neither could I read too much in one sitting without my eyes beginning to droop and my mind beginning to wander. This is a fair old shame and resulted in me not finishing the book, half way through I had just had enough.

Not one for me, but I can appreciate its value in the world of natural history myth hunting. Stick with it and you might love it, or nod off, just like me. Back to the library for you mon cherie!

Lace by Shirley Conran, a review

After a prolonged absence from the world of blogging I have decided to return with a review of a scandalous classic. The past couple of months has seen me ploughing though about 40 books classified as children's titles, from picture books right through to teenage, so I felt it time to shrug off all the kid's literature and get my nose firmly inserted into Lace by Shirley Conran. What a blinder of a decision. This novel has consumed my life for the past fortnight and quite rightly so. This has just seen a big re-release after a few years out of print, having first been published in the 1980s. I have not doubt we are seeing this adorning our shelves due to the massive success of ladies smut as per the sales of the E.L. James Fifty Shades trilogy, but don't think this is the same sort of novel, you would be very, very wrong.

We are thrown into the tumultuous world of five very rich and very powerful women, sharing an unexpected and awkward reunion in a room in the centre of New York for one very important reason. Four of these women share a secret and the other is determined to discover an answer to a question that has plagued her life since childhood. Known worldwide as a film star, Lili wants to know "which one of you Bitches is my mother?" Conran takes us back in time to an affluent school in Switzerland to begin a tale of four young girls and their journey into adulthood. This story spans several decades and takes us from the charming streets of Paris to the war torn countries of the Middle East, from the fashion industry to the film industry, to the magazine industry. Most poignantly it reveals the lives of five very different women and the importance of their friendships above and beyond the glamour, the men and the money.

Wow, this was guilty pleasure central. A pulse beating, addictive narrative, impossible to put down. This is no flimsy tome either, at a staggering 750 pages, don't expect to finish it in a day.  In spite of the hefty page count, it never feels like a chore, this is a gossip columnist's dream, no story really goes on for too long and the novel is effortlessly split into manageable parts and chapters to allow the tale to move along quickly and offer very different stories within the main body of the narrative. We are drawn into the personal lives of all of these fabulous women, to see their strengths, their flaws and, not forgetting, their deepest desires. This is the sort of novel that leaves its mark, not in a deeply philosophical manner you understand, but in the manner of friendship, you feel as though each woman in the book has become your best friend over the course of the novel. It becomes effortless to empathise with Kate's attraction to awful, controlling men and with Lili's alluring innocence, exploited time and time again.

Let's face it, there is smatterings of sex throughout the novel, used to expose the characters in a multitude of ways and to reveal some very old fashioned ideas about sex and where women fit into the world. This adds an interesting insight into a time I never lived through, and am grateful for having avoided. These ideas are of course rather old fashioned now, but it is clear how much of an impact this novel will have had upon its release. People talk at great length about 'that goldfish scene', which to be honest loses it's shock factor in this day and age. I was more shocked by the revelation at the end, kept as a coveted secret throughout the telling of the story. Conran gives nothing away of Lili's parentage, whilst tossing red herrings here and there to keep us guessing. Crafty writing that will bring a smile, a tear or a grimace to every readers face this is certainly worthy of a cult classic status and I will be throwing this novel at every woman I know. It is true what India Knight says on the back of the new edition, "There was life before Lace and life after Lace, and nothing was ever the same again".

If you were ever tempted by the Fifty Shades trilogy, don't bother, read this instead and you wont be sorry!

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared: A Review

My goodness this book was amazing, the title alone had me drawn in like a fat kid to candy. We have seen great success with this one at work and I have been waggling it in the faces of anyone that asks me to recommend a good book! So a big thank you to the people at Hesperus that sent me a copy of this!

Jonas Jonasson introduces us to Allan, a centenarian no less, who has decided he does not wish to attend his hundredth birthday party at the nursing home in which he currently resides, oh no. So Allan takes it upon himself to climb out of his window, in his pee slippers of course, and embark on one last adventure across Sweden. It soon emerges that Allan is not quite as insignificant as one might think, he has had his hand in some of the major incidents in the past one hundred years of world history, and so follows a tale of atom bombs, murder, gangsters and a lovely elephant called Sonya.

You couldn't ask for a book with a more varied host of characters, not to mention some very famous historical figures and tyrants (such as Stalin, Mao and Churchill).  Allan is such an endearing, vodka swigging old chap whose influential adventures across the world will have you in fits of giggles, even if, like me, some of the historical references are a bit lost on you (I need to brush up on my history).

The light, playful humour throughout also offers a darker edge which will leave you pondering some of Allan's wise words and actions.  This novel is the perfect read for a lazy afternoon and it is easy to pick up again even if you have had to pop it to one side for a few days. Jonasson pokes a great deal of fun out of useless law officials and puts a cynical twist on anything even remotely political, Allan does not believe in politics you see. It is just pure black comedy genius.

My favourite part? When the rather lovely Sonya (the elephant) shows off her understanding of the word 'sit' to her new friend Allan, whilst a rather nasty chap is waving a gun around behind her. Brilliant. I was also quite fond of Albert Einstein's illegitimate brother, Herbert, a man of rather limited intelligence.

Essentially this novel is a completely bonkers road trip across Sweden, on the run from gangsters, police, journalists and the head of Allan's nursing home, it is also a glorious, humorous rewriting of some of the last century's key events. There are so many memorable moments in this novel you will be waffling to your friends about them for weeks. Jonasson's masterpiece has been, quite aptly, likened to the film "Forrest Gump" and I can't help agree with that perspective, but I loved this novel more because of its ability to be a story that just about anyone could enjoy!

The Teleportation Accident (an 'almost' review)

I never lay claim to having a vast level of intelligence, but, I am not uneducated.  So I thought nothing of it when I read the blurb for Ned Beauman's "The Teleportation Accident", it looked fun and unusual, always a good indication of an enjoyable read.  There is a slim chance I was very wrong here, this book made me feel rather uneducated as I would need to have a dictionary on my lap to make sense of Beauman's descriptive, rambling musings.

I am being a little unfair here, I didn't get far with this novel so there is a chance it is a work of complete brilliance and I shall never know of its delights.  I am a big fan of a good story, and when in the first few pages of a novel it doesn't feel as though a story really begins, I am unlikely to continue reading.  This is sadly how I found this novel, it is more a case of an author showing off his masterful grasp of language and vocabulary right from the starting line, and I just don't get on with that sort of thing.

I am sure Mr. Beauman is very deserving of being nominated for the Man Booker Longlist this year and I wish him the best of luck the running of the prize.  Maybe I shall revisit this when I can focus a bit more and have a little more time on my hands because the write up on the back sells it as a fascinating novel, but for now, I will stick to some lighter reads more suited to my level of understanding.

Perhaps this is a good read for someone that has inhaled a dictionary, so enjoy!

"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller (An unsung love story)

Well it's been a while since I have graced my keyboard with a good rat a tat tat but I just couldn't neglect writing a review for Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles".  Having won the Orange Book Prize this year I thought it would be rude not to dust off the proof copy adorning one of my bookshelves and give it a bash as I have yet to really indulge in any contemporary prize winners (I usually take one look at them, blink and walk away).  Why was this one different, well it's about the ancient Greeks and although I do love a good action movie based on the many myths and legends of Greece I am ashamed to admit I know very little about this era beyond the surface of sun bronzed, muscular Olympian demi gods and frequently savaged women. I wanted to learn a little bit more about the rich era of the Ancient Greeks.  From what I gather (and I say this because I have never read it) this is a retelling of Homer's great work "The Illiad", a tale of battles, godly intervention and great tragedy.

Patroclus, an unassuming Prince born to a King and his mentally unfit Wife, is exiled to a Kingdom far from his own and stripped of his titles.  It is here, in the court of Peleus, King of Phthia, that Patroclus first meets Achilles, Peleus' son, a Demi god born from the womb of a tempestuous sea nymph.  Thus begins a tale of love that stretches though childhood, into manhood and into the savagery of a war fought for the most beautiful woman of her time, Helen of Sparta.

This novel is just fantastic, it really is.  From the moment the young Patroclus first sees Achilles you are hooked.  Miller draws you in with sumptuous, liquid descriptions of Achilles' beauty and finesse and you can't help but fall in love with him alongside Patroclus as his and Achilles' bond becomes stronger and stronger.  This tragic yet gentle story of love is the focus of the novel and is handled with such taste and subtlety that you can see why Miller choose to write so fondly of such a pairing.  It is of course by no means the only element of the novel that will capture you, believe me, there is plenty of goings on to keep just about anyone happy, but this part of the story is unforgettable and it forms the core of the narrative.

You just know when Patroclus makes the decision to follow Achilles to war, that this is going to be a tear jerker (I was indeed weeping like a small child lost in a supermarket towards the end).  It is at this point in the novel that Achilles becomes what he was always meant to be, a warrior, and the strongest and most fierce of them all.  This shift in the novel is jaw dropping, there is a fantastic scene where Achilles throws a spear directly into the waiting Trojan army and it rips through the chest of an esteemed general.  We see Achilles for what he was truly meant to be, the greatest of warriors. There is no shortage of climatic scenes like this throughout, in one way or another as Miller deftly manages to control the pace of this legendary tale.

Patroclus and Achilles are not the only characters that play an important part here, this is the story of the great war between the Trojans and the Grecians over Helen of Sparta.  We also get to tag along with Odysseus, Menelaus, Diomedes, Ajax and of course the savage general, Agamemnon as they spend a decade fighting a bloody war on the battlefield.  In essence it is Agamemnon that makes us realise that Achilles is not as perfect as we were led to believe.  We learn of the price Achilles is willing to pay for eternal fame and to earn the chance of becoming a God.  It is at these times as well we begin to understand the importance of Patroclus, a mere mortal, yet a man that feeds his humanity into Achilles.  Patroclus' honest and brave nature help to shape Achilles' legend, not just as a warrior, but as a saviour of men and women alike.  It is heartbreaking when Achilles falls into a grievous rage, we know what is coming, Miller never hides that from us, but it still has the power to move you deeply.

There is of course plenty of wonderfully fantastic interventions from gods and mythical beasts, all of which are dealt with in such a manner that you are quite ready to believe that this all really happened.  Miller's description of place, of the sweeping scenes and even of the various smells, plant you firmly into Patroclus' well worn sandals, you feel a part of Greece, of the rich teachings of the gentle centaur Chiron and of the bloody and tragic battlefield of the Trojan War.  Nothing feels overdone, everything seems to have its place even to the point that it is quite easy to picture Apollo throwing Patroclus from the walls of Troy without it seeming fantastical.  This is a novel you become a part of, it is so easy to get lost in.  At no point does it become tedious, this is written with the reader in mind and is just glorious as it shrugs off the academia associated with the study of the ancients whilst remaining a cleverly written piece of fiction.

As you can probably tell, I loved this, it surprised me and I couldn't put it down.  I will be sharing this one with anyone and everyone and have already started to tell customers just how brilliant it is.  What an explosive debut!

P.S. Don't watch the film "Troy" after reading this, it sucks, not even Brad Pitt's bronzed good looks save it. I made the error of watching it and it was wet lettuce in comparison to Miller's decadent novel.

UFO in Her Eyes...a review

This is a sad, sad tale indeed.  A sighting of a UFO in a small rural village incurs a thorough investigation from a team of officials from Beijing.  This incursion brings about a gradual but catastrophic series of events that leads to a community all but vanishing in identity as it becomes influenced by contemporary blandness.  There is hope and black comedy installed into the writing itself, but the hope is for a better life in the city, not for the triumph of a vanishing community.

A very interesting novel, one that can easily be read in one sitting.  Xiaolu Guo uses interviews with the members of the village of Silver Hill to tell her story, giving you peripheral vision of the story itself.  I was not keen on the idea behind this and didn't see how the technique could be maintained throughout.  However, it works, and the style itself is perhaps a comment on the voice of the population of Silver Hill, that it is only vocalised through others, and that it has been reduced to a piece of paper locked away in a file in the basement of some nondescript government building.  There is certainly the implication that these people don't matter enough to speak for themselves.

I am making this sound far too depressing, but in many ways this is a sad tale and should be treated as such at the right points.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel, a blossoming romance dispels some of the sadness and the warm, yet dark, humour with which the novel is told overshadows some of the misery.  There is some brilliant wit injected into the words of the villagers, and the progress of the plain Kwok Yun as a character is just delightful.  Kwok Yun is the lucky character that originally spots the UFO and is thought of by her peers as an unintelligent woman with no chance of marriage, yet sometimes she seems like the most intelligent one of the lot.  Kwok's simplicity and innocence draws the reader in, it allows her story to perhaps be the little glimmer of hope, as she finds love and moves on from Silver Hill.

Now, that darn UFO.  This is the catalyst that pulls Silver Hill into the abyss and as such is an easy metaphor to identify.  This is an invasion, not of the alien variety, but of the modern life mentality.  Chief Chang's plans to change her village into a place for visitors begins with the sighting of the UFO, the phone calls start and she decides to plan a new future for her and the people of the village.  This future is one that sees nearly every villager lose their place. Supermarkets, apartment blocks and tarmac take over and the beauty and tradition of rural China dwindles.  What is so sad about this is that the Chief forgets the needs of her people even if she sees the changes as being positive to their wealth and their place in the world.  She has their best interests at heart but never actually consults with them.  The talk of Mao might imply that this is in some way the role the Chief assumes, one that is steeped in a desire to be better without considering consequence.

I am not the most knowledgeable person concerning China's modern history, but this novel certainly made me think about it and perhaps with a bit more context on my behalf I would have gotten a bit more enjoyment out of it.  That said, this was a good read, just the right amount of quirky and clever to keep you reading through to the end.  Worth reading if you want to try something a little different and especially worth reading if you know more about China's history than I do!

PURE by Julianna Baggott....or, mutants running around in an apocalyptic wasteland.

Sexy black proof copy on the table in the staff room, yes please.  There seems to be an abundance of titles at the moment that have been released with the word Pure in the title, probably best not to confuse them all as the Orange Prize winner by Andrew Miller is very, very different from this grim apocalypse laid out by Julianna Baggott.  This novel is likely to be referred to as a "Hunger Games" for adults, but I don't think that does it justice.  This is a cleverly written dystopia novel that echoes elements of Justin Cronin's "The Passage" and even Stephen King's "The Stand".  I am not saying she matches the rather legendary talent of Mr. King, but I feel it is more appropriate to compare this novel to his work than it is to compare it to "The Hunger Games".  In saying that however, this would be a brilliant novel to move onto after Suzanne Collins' masterpieces as it is certainly of the same genre and would be a good branch between Teen and Adult Fiction.

We are thrown mercilessly into the world of Pressia, a survivor of The Detonations, a series of bombs set off in America that genetically mutated or killed anything outside of a safe haven known simply as 'The Dome'.  Pressia must create small trinkets to earn food for herself and her Grandfather, in order to survive the barren and dangerous wasteland left behind by the bombs.  Everyone is mutated in some way, mostly by being fused to objects or other living beings.  Pressia wields a doll's head as a fist, fused to her wrist and her Grandfather wheezes through a handheld fan lodged in his throat.  This broken community lives in the shadow of 'The Dome', a place where a select few breathe clean air and are known as 'Pures'.  No one can get into or out of the Dome, or so both populations are led to believe.  Pressia's life is changed forever when she helps a young man escape death in an alley by the hands of thugs as she soon realises that he is a Pure, escaped from the Dome and is on a mission to find someone.  A mission that will take Pressia deep into the heart of corrupt leadership and connections to her own identity she thought all but lost.

This is truly a carnival of the weird, a collection of broken, mutated individuals, whose strength in survival is a testament to their endurance.  Baggott creates such vivid imagery, the characters we encounter leap from the pages and burn their identities into you retinas.  So brilliant and so unusual, I was almost expecting the descriptive imagery of the novel to somehow damage the integrity of the narrative.  I was so very wrong.  Every little detail and every little happening is integral to the story, everything has a role to play.  Prior to picking this up I did go through a few reviews online, and one stood out as saying that it seemed as if there are too many unessential stories in the plot itself.  I can only assume the person that wrote the review never finished the novel itself, because they couldn't be more wrong.  This is crafted almost to perfection, nothing stood out as unfinished, and in spite of this being the first in a series it ends well, the quest to find Partridge's mother comes to a conclusion and it is through this quest that more questions are raised and are unanswered.  So really, this leads well into what will be the second novel.

The narrative itself is told in chapters headed by Pressia, Partridge (the escaped Pure) and Lyda (left inside the Dome), there is also one chapter headed as El Capitan.  This approach gives the reader a much more rounded view of each of the characters and of the lives they lead.  Pressia's chapters were my favourite, probably because she is the character with the most depth and the most courage.  The blossoming and fraught story of love between Pressia and Bradwell (a boy with live birds fused, flapping in his back) is just beautiful.

Baggott works with a lot of themes in the novel, family, loss, identity and even religion.  In the opening pages the week following the Detonations is set out for us as flyers are dropped from the sky, into the arms of those left outside the Dome.

"We know you are here, our brothers and sisters.

We will, one day, emerge from the Dome to join you in peace.

For now, we watch from afar, benevolently."

Those inside the Dome have assumed the role of a deity, creators that control the fortune of those within and without the boundaries of their safe haven.  I think we all know what happens when individuals adopt the role of God, it never ends well for them.  This is certainly the case for the man in charge of the Dome.  More and more of the cracks beneath the surface emerge as the narrative goes on and we are exposed to his role in the horrific Detonations and to his own desperation.  This is a brilliant warning, and one that fits well into this apocalyptic future.

As with any good fantasy, there are of course some startling revelations and twists but it would certainly ruin the story if I were to reveal them in this review.  You can see some of these coming and the narrative allows you to second guess yourself a lot, this novel was just great fun to read.

Another part of it that I loved was the description of the landscape outside the Dome, ripped apart by the brutal detonations.  Everything is covered with ash, an ash that whips up storms and fills peoples lungs.  The landscape itself is also full of danger as there are living beings that have fused to the very ground itself, Dusts that prey on anything that moves.  These monsters are brilliant and make more than one appearance in the novel.  The attack by a swarm of Dust mice is particularly memorable.  So bleak and so barren, it conjures up some amazing visuals as you read.  It is not just the Dusts that pose a threat, there are also death marches  by an insurgent group called the OSR that also steal away children as soon as they turn sixteen.  Such a dangerous world to be a part of, yet somehow there are those that survive.

I could go on and on about the different oddities that surface in the novel, but I would be here all day and it is probably best for the reader to stumble upon these treasures themselves.  Basically, you should read this, it is absolutely fantastic and I can't wait until the next one comes out! 

Starters....the apocalypse theme has me by the throat.

Hunger Games + Death of Grass = An uncontrollable thirst for teen dystopia novels

I have been rooting though my rather large collection of reading copies lying about in the flat and have tracked down all of the ones that squeeze nicely into the Dystopia theme, and Starters by new author, Lissa Price, was on the top of the ever increasing pile.  An eye catching book with a beautifully rendered sketch on the front of a girl with mismatched eye colours, I knew nothing of the book or the author and I do so love surprises.


Starters is set in a future a healthy distance away from the present, with holo technology saturating the human landscape and a world dealing with the aftermath of biological warfare.  The Starters are essentially children, and Enders are of an older generation, capable of living past the 200 years mark.  Anyone in between perished during the conflict as a result of an infection spread by spores, lending to the name of the war as the Spore Wars.  Callie is a Starter, and one without any legal guardian, with both parents dead she must squat in abandoned buildings with her younger brother Tyler in order to survive, all the while trying to avoid getting shipped out to the Institution, a place for any unclaimed Starters and a place where you would never want to end up.  In order to provide a better life for herself and her brother, Callie makes the difficult decision to offer her body up for use to Prime Destinations, a company that 'rents' the bodies of Starters out to wealthy, thrill seeking Enders.  But nothing is ever that simple, and on her final contracted job Callie is inhabited by an Ender with a plan, a plan to expose Prime Destinations for what it really is and someone who is willing to kill to get her own way.

This was an excellent exploration of humanity, and such an awesome way of stretching and testing the relationships between the very young and the very old.  Callie's characterisation is strong and really becomes the driving force for this fast paced, inventive narrative.  I am by no means saying I have not come across similar concepts before, I mean I loved the TV series "Dollhouse" which deals with similar ideas for a more adult and cult TV based audience.  However, Callie is a very fresh and interesting character, one with which the reader can easy empathise as she takes on the role of being a parent as well as a loving sister.  Her decisions are almost all based on her being able to offer Tyler something more than the life they now lead, trying to take back some of the life they once had.  She is an admirable girl whose deepest emotions and fears are laid bare for us to devour in very much the same way as her body is used as a holiday in the novel.

Set amongst the action, the thrills and the epic plot twists we are also treated to some romance, not too much, but just enough to get you rooting for Callie to steal a kiss with the wealthy and incredibly handsome Blake.  Not forgetting that there is the implication of a blossoming love triangle.  Even this element of the plot is not what it seems, and I just love how Price makes every little detail matter, every interaction and every memory, even down to the tiny detail of a photograph taken on a mobile phone that becomes an important key in the relationship between Callie and Blake.  It is this wonderful grasp of plot and character that makes this such an engaging read.

Starters is a hard book to ramble about without giving too much away of the plot, it is a novel that is much more fun to be surprised by as a reader rather than approached with an intimate knowledge of it's key players.  So I shall cease my rambling, to a point.

This is beautifully written, poignant read for the "Hunger Games" generation of teens (and adults) that challenges our very notion of what it is that makes you who you are.  Deliciously sinister and packed full of promise for further instalments in the the series.  Starters does end well, and you are not left with too many loose ends, just the right amount to make you want to read on in the follow up novel "Enders" which I believe is due out next year (2013).  I loved this novel and I always enjoy a quick read, you can't go wrong with something like this, it has a little bit of something for everyone....unless you detest science fiction, in which case, go pick up a Mills and Boon novel or read some Jane Austen.  This one gets a massive thumbs up from me and I will be sharing it amongst my friends just to see if they agree.

The Death of Grass....a forgotten apocalyptic classic

I had never heard of John Christopher and in turn, of course, I had never heard of his most famous novel "The Death of Grass".  I am rather thankful for our lovely library here in Chichester as this skinny little book looked the perfect size for a short read and the blurb on the back grabbed me right away.  I will warn you, this is not a happy book, it is by all accounts brilliant, however it is one of the bleakest books I have ever had the pleasure to read.

*****BEWARE SPOILER ALERT*****

A deadly virus wipes out all types of grass, including crops, as it sweeps through Asia.  Horror stories of piles of bodies and cannibalism filter through to the media in the United Kingdom, but no one is really worried because the Government tell them they have a plan.  They have an anti virus that will wipe out the Chung-Li virus before it lays any further waste to civilisation.  The Government......are lying.  The Chung-Li virus makes it's way to every corner of the globe and slowly depletes the landscape of it's life giving grasses.  John Custance sets out from London with his family and gathers companions along the way as he plans to reach the sanctuary of his brother's farm in the formidable valley of Blind Gill.  The group must face tough decisions and brutality along the way as humanity reverts to it's rawest form of survival instincts and morality all but vanishes from its embrace.

The exploration of societal breakdown here is terrifying.  The swiftness with which people resort to barbarism to save themselves, to survive, is truly harrowing.  Even with John and his group's first leg of the journey we see them taken to the extreme of shooting their way through manned roadblocks, killing those that are trying to keep them confined in the doomed metropolis of London.  From the very start of the narrative is is clear that authority loses it's function, it is no longer of any importance.  The Government makes plans to drop hydrogen bombs on the largest settlements in England in order to kill enough people to make food supplies stretch that much further.  It is this final revelation that pushes society to the brink, people start to riot, they start to kill and it all becomes a case of the survival of the fittest.  This really is a world you would not like to set foot into, but is it one that could become our own future?  This is certainly the question Christopher is trying to raise here, a grave portent of things to come.

The journey that John takes is as much a metaphorical one as it is a physical one.  His experiences of brutality, rape, theft and life threatening situations build a big change in character as the narrative progresses.  He starts as a father and a loving husband and ultimately becomes a tribal leader, someone who must make hard, cutting decisions about life or death and about the usefulness of his followers.  Even his own family begin to fear him.  The biggest turning point for John is when he allows Pirrie, a vicious pit bull of a man, to execute his own adulterous spouse, a woman hell bent on sleeping her way to the top of the food chain.  She makes the fatal error of making a pass at John and Pirrie sees it as his right to finally do away with the wife that has wronged him for so many years.  It is this allowance that turns the dynamic of John's group, his tribe, into something altogether more sinister and Pierrie's role as somewhat of a lieutenant becomes set in stone.  John knows he needs this crazy rifle wielding psycho for his skills with a gun, and his tactical approach to defence and attack.  Even when Pirrie asserts his right to take a new wife, a young girl still captured in the throes of childhood, John allows him this right, against the behest of his own wife.  The old order of morality slowly becomes lost, and barbarism rises it's ugly head to the surface.

I found it truly fascinating that the loss of one type of plant could cause such devastation and would love to investigate further as to the validity of the claims made in the narrative.  Something as simple as the disappearance of grass snowballing out of control as the livestock that feeds on it dies, and in turn human food sources dwindle.  Regardless of the possibility of this, the idea in itself is inspired and gave birth to the apocalypse of this narrative.  It really is amazing what we take for granted, just imagine a world with no green fields, no crops, I am sure it would be remarkably barren and not at all easy on the eye (not to mention of course the famine that would rip through the land).

Having been written in the 1950's, during the tense era of the Cold War, it is no surprise that Christopher has leant towards the dramatic theme of apocalypse.  This particular apocalyptic vision is disturbing because we become our own downfall, we let go of the things that hold a society together and lose ourselves along the way.  England becomes a war zone, destroyed and made perilous by it's own citizens.  If this is not a warning worth heeding I don't know what is.

Maybe even more poignant now than it was when it was first released, "The Death of Grass" is a brilliantly written novel that allows us to investigate, to ask questions about and to fear the coming of an unexpected threat.  Easy to read, yet still written with skill and pace, this is the perfect novel for fans of H.G. Wells and even fans of J.G. Ballard's "Drowned World".  There is so much one could write about the themes, the tense relationships and the rapid progression of barbarism but it would take me hours and hours to write a piece worthy of this narrative, and some serious rereading of course.

This is a novel that should be considered by a wider audience as a modern classic and I am so glad that Penguin Modern Classics have brought this almost lost masterpiece back into print.  An amazing, albeit incredibly bleak, read.

Oh and just a warning, there was a film adaptation made of this novel titled "No Blade of Grass", don't bother with it, even the author couldn't sit through more than a couple of minutes of it as it was a heap of crap.  Read the book, don't ever, ever watch the film!

Although....the rather epic film poster did make me giggle, epic taglines...."No room the run.  No Place to hide".  I can see why John Christopher was not best impressed.  He imparted a bold and important message, and the film makers seemed to fail in capturing the same feeling.  Shocker!

Will Storr Vs. The Supernatural....things that go bump in the night

An irresistible purchase, believe me you can't go too far wrong for 99p and it piqued my curiosity, who isn't tempted by the musings of a guy that has immersed himself in the world of ghostly goings on?  Well, uber sceptics wouldn't read this I must admit, but I loved the idea of it and have previously heard good things about it from colleagues at work.  I will admit I have absolutely no idea who Will Storr is and this is his only book, but, anyone who is willing to sit in a supposedly haunted house for hours on end has my respect.  Because, whether you believe in this stuff or not, that's some scary shit right there.

This is a journalistic foray into the world of spirits and ghosts as Storr interviews a plethora of different types of people involved with the exploration, or debunking, of ghostly goings on.  Storr also goes into the history of ghostly experiences, the different types of hauntings and some notable events.  It is as much an expose as it is a journey for Storr as he battles with his own experiences and opinions over the course of the book.  He spends nights in famous haunted houses, holds seances, experiences EVP (electronic voice phenomena) and gets exorcised by a high ranking Vatican exorcist, along with some other decidedly random experiences.

First of all, Will Storr sets out as a sceptic in these endeavours, however, he is quite possibly one of the most unconvincing sceptics I have ever encountered.  Storr seems incredibly ready to believe in the things that happen around him in his first vigil with a demonologist in the States, he doesn't just dismiss everything that happens around him with rational explanations.  So as far as his stance is concerned I was rather unconvinced, other than that this is a fantastic book.  Storr's level of belief peaks and troughs throughout the book as he experiences the truly unexplained and also experiences the frauds, the believers that believe wholeheartedly in their abilities, yet they are clearly leading themselves along a strange and unconvincing path.

The best thing about this piece of work is that is doesn't answer any questions, it just raises further ones.  I love this because it inspires you to delve deeper, to ask questions yourself.  It certainly has raised some interesting discussions in my household and I think that is what makes a good piece of journalism, it creates a thirst for knowledge and understanding. Storr's extensive research into philosophy, mental illness and science add new levels to the subject of ghosts and the afterlife.  I was particularly interested in his basic summary of string theory, how the frontier sciences may end up revealing more about our world than we have ever really known.  You can't fault Storr for his thirst for knowledge and his commitment to the research of this work.

Storr is very careful throughout not to ridicule any of his interviewees openly and, to be honest, the real kooks end up ridiculing themselves far too easily.  Storr's encounter with a group of mediums is really just laughable as they talk utter rubbish to him, guessing at the identity of a spirit that apparently wishes to communicate with him.  The best part was his revelation about the set of Most Haunted, it was an episode I have actually watched, the scripted nature of Derek Acorah's happenings and the utter bullshit they claim to have seen off camera.

Not everything in the book verges on the ridiculous.  Storr does encounter some very odd goings on that make you shiver when you read his accounts, and as he himself points out, some of the people he encounters are incredibly rational.  It will have you looking for ominous black shadows every night before you go to sleep, it is very, very creepy in places.  I even went so far to check out some of the references made to haunted places and exorcisms online, and the details of these cases did not help me sleep at night.  I don't recommend you Google EVP, it's doesn't make for a pleasant listening experience, real or not.

Although this book does not answer any of the big questions about ghosts it is still a fantastic read, perfect for anyone who has any level of interest in the subject.  It is made all the easier to read due to Storr's delightful humour and wit throughout, and the level of personal interest he bestows to his work.  It is hilarious in places and terrifying in others. Expect to spend a lot of time thinking about the subject long after you have finished the book, and it is a piece of work you will find yourself revisiting.

Casino Royale......Bond, James Bond

Completely outside of my comfort zone and my first real foray into the espionage genre, and what a place to begin.  No one can deny that this is one of Britain's more famous fictional characters and thanks to a massive fan base I am pretty sure there are very few people you will encounter that have not heard of James Bond.  I fancied something a bit different and I certainly got that.  I have obviously seen a lot of the rather cheesy Bond movies and I have also watched Casino Royale, which was by far my favourite of the franchise (and not just because of Daniel Craig being cast into the lead role).  I loved the raw, somewhat harsher Bond that Royale brought to the table, and as it turns out, this is a Bond we see in the novel as well.

As I am sure most of you are aware, this is the first of Fleming's novels about the famous James Bond.  Our introduction to Bond thrusts us into his world of indulgence and risk as he takes on the sinister Russian operative known as 'Le Chiffre'.  Bond's mission is to drive him to ruin at the baccarat table, forcing his employers to retire him for his lack of funding.  But of course, no one really plays fair and Bond must face his own confusing emotions over a dangerous female agent alongside the terrifying consequences of pushing 'Le Chiffre' too far.  We learn about what it takes to become a double 'O' as well and we get our first glimpses of 'M' Bond's elusive boss.

Now, we all know Bond from the films as a charming, ruthless spy with some cringe worthy one-liners and a penchant for martini (shaken not stirred).  The Bond in this novel is not what you would expect if you have only seen the films.  He is a cruel, cold man that drinks to excess, smokes far too much and has a huge love of gambling, not to mention of course his misogynistic thoughts about women.  Yep, that's right folks, the guy hates women and he cannot cope with the idea of having to work with one as his thoughts drift to unprofessional behaviour and weakness.  In spite of this Bond is of course a brilliantly drawn character that you can't help wanting to follow through the novel, his drive to focus on the job at hand coupled with his vices gives us a more believable characterisation of a human being, this is not someone who is perfect, and I liked this.  I also can't fault him for his love of vodka, a good choice in my opinion.

As for the narrative, just brilliant.  It's easy to follow whilst somehow remaining complex, as I am sure all good spy novels need to be.  It is also surprising, it's unpredictable, I was open mouthed when the two guys with bombs end up blowing themselves up in a botch job on Bond's life.  Flemming's description of said explosion is harrowing, even down to the detail of "an obscene smell of high explosive, of burning wood, and of, yes, that was it-roast mutton."  Gory stuff and a definite extreme of attention to detail.  I did not expect this from the novel at all so was still in a state of surprise when Bond gets tortured to the brink of insanity or death, whichever got to him first.  Incredibly gripping writing.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of the novel was Flemming's description of the game at hand, baccarat.  It is not the boring, tiresome explanation I was expecting (I had been forewarned).  Let's just say I now want to high tail it off to some fancy casino and play baccarat until I pass out from sleep deprivation or alcohol consumption, whichever hits me first.  The description is looped into Bond's playing of the game itself, and it's just brilliant.

It is said that Flemming wrote much of his own personality into Bond's character, and having browsed over his biography online I can well believe that.  Flemming was a talented writer but must have been a formidable man and it is sad that he only lived long enough to see two of his novels adapted for the silver screen.  It is safe to say he managed to create one of the most talked about and loved franchises of both British cinema and literature.  You can now add me to the list of fans, I thought this novel was a fantastic read and will be recommending it to anyone that has not yet picked up one of Flemming's novels (and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' does not count).  I have already picked up a copy of Moonraker to delve further into the world of James Bond.

It is worth pointing out that if you are expecting the novel to be 'exactly' like the film, well, it ain't.  Both formats are highly worth indulging in for their own merits, so go get your Bond on.

Wyrmeweald: Returner's Wealth......there be dragons, many, many dragons

If a book turns up in the post with a dragon on it there is a very likely chance I am going to read it.  Not only did Wyrmeweald boast a rather beautifully drawn white dragon on the front cover but it is also shiny, impossible to resist in other words.  Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell are a duo that are not to be trifled with, they have shared a great deal of success with past ventures in the kid's market and it is rather nice to see them venturing forth into the Teenage market with a darker, more adult, fantasy novel.  Now let's be honest here, there was absolutely no chance that I was going to dislike this novel and this was obviously the case, I loved every second of it.

BEWARE, I have included some spoilers in this review.

Wyrmeweald sets the scene in a fantasy world rife with dragons, travellers and epic, unforgiving landscapes.  Micah leaves home to search for his own helping of Returner's Wealth, said to be abundant in the Wyrmeweald, a dangerous and barren place filled with cut throat pioneers and a whole host of dragons just waiting to make the most out of another lost and naive adventurer.  As expected Micah's time in the weald is nothing but dangerous, exciting and a steep learning curve as he encounters a whole host of wonderfully drawn characters.  After a rather unfortunate incident on the wrong end of a Wyrmekin's lance Micah is introduced to Eli, a man who will become his guide and who is full of surprises about the Weald.  Eli is a man of secrets and honour, a rare find.  An troubling incident with a dragon's egg results in another addition to this unlikely pair of travellers in the form of Thrace, a Wyrmekin.  The trio must work together to overcome their obvious differences and act out a revenge most foul on those that have wronged them and the careful balance of the world of the Weald.  Micah must make his own decisions about the influences that surround him  and whether or not to respect the dragons of the Weald or to exploit them to earn his wealth.

This is such a wonderful novel about overcoming difference, and is essentially a coming of age novel for Micah (if you can say that about a fantasy novel).  Micah's character is so gentle yet strong of spirit that you can't help but be drawn to him and empathise with the losses and gains that he endures in the novel.  The budding romance between himself and Thrace is enticing and complicated, and one that you want so badly to bloom in spite of their obvious differences.  It is not only Micah's characterisation that is strong, all of the characters you encounter are so intricately woven that they seem real, there are multiple levels to each of them.  You will find no one dimensional characters in this novel.

There are just dragons absolutely everywhere in the book, in the landscapes, in the skies, in gatherer's luggage.  The people of the Weald live off of hunting or scavenging from dragons, this is how they obtain the coveted Returner's Wealth which is the element that drives Micah into the wilds in the first place.  The notion of this is so interesting, and of course indulgent of you are as much of a fan of dragons as I am.  The creative genius of these two is utterly overwhelming, and I love it, right down to the stunted blind Wyrme on a rope.

It is not just the story that will grip you, it's the style in which the novel is written.  At the beginning the location and time changes from chapter to chapter to build the foundations of the story, and this is done incredibly well.  These individual stories gradually merge as all of the parties involved encounter one another within the narrative, every little detail is important, there is no padding whatsoever in the telling.  For example, Micah's encounter in a cave as he begins his journey becomes all the more relevant at the conclusion of the novel, the danger he initially faced becoming all the more clear.  There are characters like this too, not just locations, Ichabod the Preacher's harsh madness is explained by the time you finish reading and it invokes a great sadness as you realise he is as much a victim as those he tricks on his travels.

This is yet another wonderful addition to the legacy that is Stewart and Riddell and works well as a standalone although it is the first of a series.  If you have never read anything by them this is as good a place as any to start and there might be a chance you won't be able to stop.  It is brilliant to read something a bit darker, a bit more vicious and all the more tender for it in places, I can't wait for the next one in the series.  Maybe they will take a step further after this and explode onto the adult fantasy market as Wyrmeweald really isn't too far off in my opinion.  This is a great read for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy, especially if you are after a lighter, quicker read than something as epic as George R. R. Martin or Stephen Donaldson.  This is a fantasy world you will love.

Wyrmeweald: Returner's Wealth is out now in paperback with the follow up Bloodhoney just out in hardback.

John Dies at the End.......or does he?

STOP.

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED THIS BOOK WITH YOUR BARE HANDS

NO, DON'T PUT IT DOWN.  IT'S TOO LATE

THEY'RE WATCHING YOU

Unsurprisingly this rather caught my attention and I thought I had some sort of work of creative genius on my hands.  It would seem I was rather sadly mistaken.

This is a novel primarily about Dave, our narrator, and John the rather random namesake of the book.  These two different yet inseparable friends attend a raucous, drink fuelled party and the aftermath sets us up for the rest of the novel.  John wanders off with a group of people, some of which are never found again, all of which took a substance referred to throughout the novel as "Soy Sauce" (imagine if Satan created his own brand of LSD and you have it nailed).  "Soy Sauce" opens up a world of madness to it's imbibers as they begin to see some rather nasty critters and attract the attention of some even nastier foes.  Dave and John seem to attract the bulk of this attention and the rest of the novel explores that, albeit a bit non-cohesive in parts.

So......

The novel started well, it really did.  It grips you right from the first page through equal measures of mystery and outright weirdness, both of which egg you on to read further.  The wit in it is sharp and peculiar with a very cult like feel to it and the brief visions of what I can only say are of some sort of Hell are retina burning.

But.....

The novel does not really go anywhere, it starts but it doesn't gather pace beyond the first 200 pages, and when it racks up nearly 470 pages that is a bit worrying.  It feels like a collection of three novellas rather than one novel as there are three very distinct stories in the book which are held together by the notion of Dave telling a reporter about his exploits in the world of the paranormal.  I just found stories 2 and 3 repetitive and dull, not quite so well formed as the first and I was left feeling disappointed by this.  It feels as through the sharp witty writing style got tossed out of the window.  But I persevered through the terrible penis jokes and wandering narrative to the end of the novel, and thankfully I was surprised.

At last....

The ending has it's own twist as the story really comes together, I loved the ending of the third of Dave's tales and it led well into the conclusion of the novel.  The cleverness reappeared, thank goodness.  It is just such a shame that the beginning and end of this novel was marred by an awful middle.  At least I am glad to say I finished this, but I doubt many others would persevere unless they were getting a lot out of the lucid and disturbing imagery Wong shares with us.

This novel is perfect fodder for the cult market and already seems to have it's own following online.  Maybe not one for everyone's bookshelf (including mine) but this Internet sensation surely has it's fans and I hope they love the sequel.  I, however, will not be reading it.

The Age of Miracles....a warning to us all!

This is one of the much heralded titles on the Waterstones 11 list this year.  This is a list of, yes, 11 debuts that are set to be the next big thing, this is the only title so far that has appealed to me.  I would not have even picked the novel up unless one of my colleagues thrust the proof into my hands telling me that it was my sort of book, they weren't wrong.  It seems I am getting far too predictable in my tastes, makes life easy I suppose.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker really is not what you would expect.  It is somewhat of a cautionary tale of humanity and has inklings of a coming apocalypse, something out of our control and totally unexpected.  Walker renders the a scene of American suburbia in crisis, the knock on effect of a worldwide catastrophe.  The spinning of the Earth on it's axis is slowing and scientists can neither explain nor prevent the phenomena.  Walker goes on to describe the ascending progression of this catastrophe, starting with the lengthening of daytime and nighttime by minutes and moving on to the deaths of birds and crops.  The reader has this story explained to them by the young, revealing narrator Julia.  This wonderful character describes the world around her as everything that we take for granted starts to fall apart, friendships, families and natural ways of life.  The story seems all the more harrowing told through the eyes of a teenager struggling to deal with the effect this global occurrence has on the world around her.


I would love to know more about the science of this novel, the details were very interesting and thought provoking.  The author must have put some really hard work into researching the effects of prolonged sunlight and prolonged nighttime as you never doubt the knowledge you are presented with.  It is weird to think of days and days of sunlight and how this would effect our world, and how dangerous it really would be, I would not recommend sunbathing at all!!  This is set off by the long nights and the effect of these on plant and animal life, how ecosystems are just completely destroyed.

I was moved throughout this book, Walker cleverly combines science with moving passages about the people of this story.  She reveals a human resilience, our need to carry on with routine, to follow a clock that no longer reflects night and day.  Alongside this resilience we see rebellion as well, as individuals decide to live their lives by the sun rather than by the 24 hour clock.  It is all very saddening as you can't help but feel for the people that are trying so hard to live how they want, yet become discriminated against by people that used to be their allies, their friends and neighbours.

The dramatic altering of day and night is obviously a very clear and important part of this novel, however, Julia's story is just as important.  It is this story that leads us through the novel and Julia's perception of others that make it such an engrossing read.  There is romance, heartbreak, loss and persistent challenges to face as Julia has to continue being a part of a world that is crumbling around her, literally and metaphorically.  Her family life becomes one of secrets, and we are encouraged to understand that sometimes secrets are what saves people from harm.  It is a very interesting and difficult view to digest, but one that Walker expresses with tenderness and tact.

The most moving part of the novel for me was a scene set upon a beach as Julia acts impulsively to join her crush, Seth, to look at the beached whales.  It is so sad to think of these beautiful creatures driven to confusion over the changing of tides and times, dying helplessly in the blazing sunshine and there is just nothing that can be done to help.

From moving to haunting, the message of the book is very clear on the notion that there are just some things we cannot prepare for or reverse.  Global warming and nuclear holocausts are things that can be affected by human behaviour and in some cases controlled, the looming apocalypse in this tale is completely out of human control and it is terrifying.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good old fashioned end of the world sci fi.  This novel is more subtle, it is more gentle, but you wont be able to put it down because it is never a heavy read.  Also good for folks that want a thought provoking read, you really don't need to be a sci fi fan, there is no fancy gadgets or futuristic spaceships in sight.  Maybe I am just saying that anyone could enjoy this, it is just a clever, brilliant read.

Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker is due out 21/06/2012

The Lies of Locke Lamora......lots and lots of lies and some sparkles too!

Having not read a big, chunky fantasy in some time the urge to get stuck in for hours caught up with me and I just had to indulge.  A friend at work recommended "The Lies of Locke Lamora" to me, a debut from the up and coming Scott Lynch.  This rather long, and vicious novel fit the bill perfectly, and I loved it.  A good old fashioned fantasy with a rather blue approach to language, these characters all need their mouths washing out with soap!  It's this rather more realistic take on language that makes this stand out from the rest, and for some reason, it works.


Locke is a rather clever, somewhat proud, thief, whose band of merry men have earned a reputation for stealing from the rich, an act that breaches an unwritten rule of thievery in the city of Camorr.  This reputation is hidden from the team's peers by their rather unusual approach to the art of thieving, the whole team are an ingenious bunch of con artists with a whole manner of tricks up their sleeves.  Life is pretty straight forward until a gentleman calling himself "The Grey King" appears and sets his sights on taking out the biggest gang leaders in the city.  Locke is drawn into the killing and the double crossing and his life gets thrown to the sharks.

Locke is an easy character to fall in love with, as is his closest comrade Jean.  It is these two that really engage with the reader and make the story such a tough one to put down.  I would certainly not mess with the two of them, I would either end up penniless or dead!

This is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever laid my grubby little paws on.  The narrative is crafted with the utmost skill, balancing past with present and using some very sharp wit to get across the dark humour that saturates this pacey read.  Don't worry, you can't have a fantasy without magic of course, it's not all thieving and killing.  Lynch scripts the Bondsmagi as a vicious bunch of guild based magicians whose magic dominates others and protects their chosen clients from harm.  They are a particularly nasty bunch and the one the Locke crosses paths with is a cruel, focused and vindictive fellow.  If the mage himself was not enough, he is referred to as the Falconer, due to the Scorpion Hawk that accompanies him, think falcon with a scorpion sting instead of one of it's claws, a pretty nasty feathered fiend.

The world in which the novel is based is so rich in detail and culture it becomes hard to forget that this is not a part of the world we live in.  Lynch takes great pleasure in describing the succulent dishes that his characters eat and just as much detail is given to the traditions and the culture of the city and the world in which these characters roam.  One of the most interesting traditions I found was the somewhat gladiatorial shark fighting, watched by the nobles of Camorr for light entertainment.  This takes a whole new approach to the ring fighting of the Roman Gladiators as sharks launch out of the water with frenzied blood lust to tackle maidens of battle armed with spears.

I found I wanted to know more about the creators of this fantasy world, the races that crafted the Elder Glass that litters Camorr with beauty and intrigue.  At one point in the novel we are introduced to a garden of roses made entirely from this Elder Glass, all so sharp that the lightest of touches would result in blood shed and rumours imply that the roses will suck the blood out of anyone careless enough to brush past or fall upon them.  I suspect that Lynch will take us further into the history of this world in later novels, and I can't wait to see where he will lead us.

A novel full of corruption, friendship, grand schemes and deadly magic, what more do you need?  An absolute blinder for a debut novel, it is worth knowing that this is the first in a series too, so be prepared to want to read more.  Perfect for fans of just about any fantasy in my opinion, but a particularly awesome read if you enjoyed Brent Weeks' "Night Angel" trilogy.

Oh, and did I mention it was brutal?  Some of the violence and gore in this is a bit strong, not one for the faint of heart......you have been warned!  There is a particularly unpleasant scene involving a bag of smashed glass and someones face, nasty business.