What have I read this week?

Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir

This is a nonfiction book about the Wars of the Roses. It’s a pretty accessible read.

Things I have learned:

• in the 15th century, it was English custom to kiss on the mouth when meeting
• people during the Wars of the Roses were prone to stunning attacks of incompetence – I’m looking at you, Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield

Favourite quotes:

Katherine had been born in 1401 in Paris of a demented father and a nymphomaniac mother, Isabeau of Bavaria.

It was perhaps fortunate for her that Douglas was murdered not long after his return to Scotland, which meant that she could no longer rely on substantial Scottish support.

Tiptoft remains one of the most enigmatic and repellent figures of the age.

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

This is a children’s book, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a bit of Snow White thrown in. This is a lovely illustrated version, with illustrations by Chris Riddell. I enjoyed it, but I am a fan of Gaiman’s work anyway.

© bardofupton 2018

What have I read this week? Not much, once again. I’m changing the titling of these posts, because I keep losing track of which number I’m on. Future posts will just have dates.

Foreign Devils by John Hornor Jacobs

This is the sequel to The Incorruptibles. I enjoyed it, although I found it slower going than The Incorruptibles. I am definitely going to read the third one, though, because I really want to know how everything turns out.

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What have I read this week? Not much.

The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs

This is a alternate-history fantasy novel about a half-man, half-dvergar (a dwarf equivalent) named Shoestring. Shoe and his partner Fisk are working as scouts for a party of patrician Rumans in the wilderness. I quite enjoyed this and will probably read the other books in the series.

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What have I read this week?

The World Beneath (The Mira Brand Adventures Book 1) by Robert J Crane

This is a YA fantasy novel about a girl named Mira Brand. She has a magical talisman that allows her to move between worlds and is seeking hidden treasures. This book was okay. The plot was okay, but I didn’t really like the characters. I won’t make any effort to read more in this series.

Nevernight and Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

These are the first two books in a series about a girl named Mia Corvere whose father is executed for treason. She vows to get revenge on his killers and joins a secret order of assassins. I preferred the first book to the second, as I found it a more compelling read. However, I enjoyed them both and will undoubtedly read the third.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

This is a YA book about an African boy named Osei who goes to an American school where he is the only black kid. It is a retelling of Othello. I didn’t really like it – I found the plot unconvincing, as it didn’t make sense to me that Osei would trust the Iago character who he has only just met.

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What have I read this week? Not much, as I’ve been on holiday.

Starborn by Lucy Hounsom

This book is a fantasy novel about a young woman named Kyndra. She is about to undergo her coming of age ceremony but it goes wrong. I enjoyed this book – I liked Kyndra as a character, and I liked the story. It was a fun read. I will probably read more in this series.

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What have I read this week?

The Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell

This is a historical fiction novel about the murder of Thomas Beckett in 1170. It is told from the point of view of the fifth knight who was present at the murder and a young nun. I found it a little tedious in places because I found the nun annoying. The plot was pretty interesting, though.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

This novel is about a man who collects lost objects and then passes his collection on to his assistant when he dies with the request for her to try to reunite the objects with their owners. It was readable, but I wasn’t hugely excited by it.

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman named Twylla who is taken from her family to become the embodiment of the daughter of the Gods. I enjoyed this a lot. It was interesting and exciting and I would definitely read other books by this author.

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What have I read this week?

The Soldier Son Trilogy by Robin Hobb

The trilogy consists of Shaman’s Crossing, Forest Mage and Renegade’s Magic. These books are about Nevare Burvell, a boy who has been raised to become a soldier, and what happens to him when he encounters the magic of the local conquered tribespeople. I enjoyed this trilogy. It was a good read, even if the main character was annoying occasionally. I’d definitely recommend it, but it does get pretty dark in places.

Pantomime by Laura Lam

This is a YA fantasy novel about a young person who runs away from their wealthy family and joins the circus. I’m not saying any more to avoid spoilers. I really enjoyed it, and I liked the main characters and the world they live in. I intend to read the other books in the series.

© bardofupton 2018

What have I read this week?

The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb

The trilogy consists of Fool’s Errand, The Golden Fool and Fool’s Fate. It follows on from The Farseer Trilogy, and continues the adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer. It’s set about 15 years after the events of The Farseer Trilogy. Fitz has changed his name and essentially been in hiding since the end of the previous trilogy. He is not allowed to continue hiding, however. I found these books interesting. I liked finding out more about what had happened to them since the end of The Farseer Trilogy. The books are a little bleak, however.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

The trilogy consists of Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin and Assassin’s Quest. This trilogy is about FitzChivalry Farseer, the illegitimate son of Chivalry Farseer, the King-in-Waiting of the Six Duchies. I thought I had read the entire trilogy before, but it turns out I had only read the first two books. These books are interesting, and I like the characters, although Fitz can be a little annoying sometimes. Overall I’d recommend it, although, again, they are a little bleak in some ways.

© bardofupton 2018

What have I read this week? Not very much.

Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford

This is a children’s book about a boy who goes time travelling to save his father’s life. It was fairly enjoyable, although I didn’t like it as much as The 1,000-Year-Old Boy.

The Inheritance by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm

This is an anthology of short stories. I enjoyed it, although I found the final story a little horrifying.

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What have I read this week?

Empire of Ivory and Victory of Eagles and Tongues of Serpents and Crucible of Gold and Blood of Tyrants and League of Dragons by Naomi Novik

These are books 4 to 9 in the Temeraire series. The series is set during an alternate universe version of the Napoleonic wars. The books follow a British naval officer called William Laurence who accidentally bonds with a dragon (Temeraire) and therefore has to join the Aerial Corps and leave the navy. I have read and enjoyed the previous three books in this series, and I enjoyed these also also. They are quick, fun reads, and I really like the characters, particularly Temeraire and the other dragons.

The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge

This is a children’s book about a girl who wakes up on her 10th birthday to discover that there is nothing outside of her house. There’s a lot of physics in this one, which is worked into the story, and overall I really enjoyed it.

© bardofupton 2018