Another winning instalment to the Whyborne and Griffin's saga.
I'm always amazed at the way Jordan L. Hawk manages to take well-known characters and seAnother winning instalment to the Whyborne and Griffin's saga.
I'm always amazed at the way Jordan L. Hawk manages to take well-known characters and settings and put them into new, intricate and unexpected situations.
The characters' arches and development are always perfectly woven into the main story and the background events and specifics of each novel are flawlessly balanced.
Now onto Balefire and after that, a bit of trepidation while waiting for Deosil .
Merged review:
Another winning instalment to the Whyborne and Griffin's saga.
I'm always amazed at the way Jordan L. Hawk manages to take well-known characters and settings and put them into new, intricate and unexpected situations.
The characters' arches and development are always perfectly woven into the main story and the background events and specifics of each novel are flawlessly balanced.
Now onto Balefire and after that, a bit of trepidation while waiting for Deosil ....more
Murmuration is, in the words of its author, a love song to 1950s' America (and Americana, an idealised vision of aAnother 5-star read from T.J. Klune.
Murmuration is, in the words of its author, a love song to 1950s' America (and Americana, an idealised vision of a country that perhaps never was) and to The Twilight Zone - mysterious, intriguing, suspended between a piece of historical fiction, sci-fi, romance and psychological drama.
It'd be impossible to get into the novel's plot and characters without inadvertently giving away too much and Murmuration must be approached and read with no previous insights, so I shall keep this short.
Mike Frazier and Sean Mellgard deserve all your attention and commitment. Their story, bringing together time plans, locations and characters, is carefully interwoven and kept tight and compelling throughout the book.
As with other novels by TJ Klune, details and layers are piled and crisscrossed little by little, chapter by chapter. The visual image of the murmuration, a seemingly chaotic but instead highly regulated movement of starlings in the sky is a very effective metaphor not only for the characters' lives but for the novel itself.
The apparent sense of confusion due to intertwining voices and POVs is slowly reorganised and explained as the story progresses and I was constantly left wondering about what would come next, what certain details or words would mean within the overall structure of the novel.
Murmuration is challenging, romantic, melancholic and hopeful. Read it!
Murmuration is, in the words of its author, a love song to 1950s' America (and Americana, an idealised vision of a country that perhaps never was) and to The Twilight Zone - mysterious, intriguing, suspended between a piece of historical fiction, sci-fi, romance and psychological drama.
It'd be impossible to get into the novel's plot and characters without inadvertently giving away too much and Murmuration must be approached and read with no previous insights, so I shall keep this short.
Mike Frazier and Sean Mellgard deserve all your attention and commitment. Their story, bringing together time plans, locations and characters, is carefully interwoven and kept tight and compelling throughout the book.
As with other novels by TJ Klune, details and layers are piled and crisscrossed little by little, chapter by chapter. The visual image of the murmuration, a seemingly chaotic but instead highly regulated movement of starlings in the sky is a very effective metaphor not only for the characters' lives but for the novel itself.
The apparent sense of confusion due to intertwining voices and POVs is slowly reorganised and explained as the story progresses and I was constantly left wondering about what would come next, what certain details or words would mean within the overall structure of the novel.
Murmuration is challenging, romantic, melancholic and hopeful. Read it!
If I had to chart this book as a diagram, I'd draw a steeply rising curve, followed by a slump, followed by another steep rise - a bit like a rollercoIf I had to chart this book as a diagram, I'd draw a steeply rising curve, followed by a slump, followed by another steep rise - a bit like a rollercoaster ride.
The first 85% (in Kindle terms) of the novel - (view spoiler)[ until Michael is finally reunited with John in New York (hide spoiler)] - kept me entirely gripped. The slow pacing of the story, the frank animosity between the two main characters and their tentative growing closer is incredibly well done.
Heavy issues such as shell-shock, the guilt of survival, isolation and sexual discrimination are all there but traced in a subtle and never overly dramatic manner. It may seem that nothing much happens in terms of external events in this first part of Bonds of Earth but the narrative tension and the characters are deeply absorbing. The slow pace needed by the garden to come back to life parallels John's gradual recovery. The soil becomes at the same time a powerful reminder of the possibility of a rebirth and of the rancid mud of the trenches stinking of death and decay.
As John points out to Michael towards the end of the book, these two men are much more similar than what they'd appear at first: the scarring, both physical and mental, is there confronting both of them in different yet equally brutal ways. They both struggle to express their feelings and can be unpleasant and self-absorbed. G.N. Chevalier, though, makes them always believable and worthy of our attention and affection.
After the 85% mark, however, the novel seems to fall a little apart at the seams. The hypnotically slow speed of the story suddenly jerks forward in a whirlwind of events that seemed a bit artificial and didn't convince me entirely. After this section, though, the novel recovers its original pace and right after the episode set in the alienist's office, we can focus again on the interior struggles and fears of the two main characters. The ending that focuses on (view spoiler)[ a prolonged and straightforward intimate scene (hide spoiler)] is a rather bold way to finish their story on a note of hope and rebirth.
The book is extremely well written and never cheap in its portrayal of sentiments and characters and its whole point is not, at least in my personal opinion, simply its involving love story but more complex issues connected to guilt, healing, and identity.
Despite its slight unevenness, I highly recommend it.
===============
Update after reread (January 2021)
I cannot but confirm all the things I've said on this moving novel after completing a second read. I still think there's a small balance problem in the last section of the book, but its humanity and depth are truly beautiful, and so are the story and characters.
Merged review:
If I had to chart this book as a diagram, I'd draw a steeply rising curve, followed by a slump, followed by another steep rise - a bit like a rollercoaster ride.
The first 85% (in Kindle terms) of the novel - (view spoiler)[ until Michael is finally reunited with John in New York (hide spoiler)] - kept me entirely gripped. The slow pacing of the story, the frank animosity between the two main characters and their tentative growing closer is incredibly well done.
Heavy issues such as shell-shock, the guilt of survival, isolation and sexual discrimination are all there but traced in a subtle and never overly dramatic manner. It may seem that nothing much happens in terms of external events in this first part of Bonds of Earth but the narrative tension and the characters are deeply absorbing. The slow pace needed by the garden to come back to life parallels John's gradual recovery. The soil becomes at the same time a powerful reminder of the possibility of a rebirth and of the rancid mud of the trenches stinking of death and decay.
As John points out to Michael towards the end of the book, these two men are much more similar than what they'd appear at first: the scarring, both physical and mental, is there confronting both of them in different yet equally brutal ways. They both struggle to express their feelings and can be unpleasant and self-absorbed. G.N. Chevalier, though, makes them always believable and worthy of our attention and affection.
After the 85% mark, however, the novel seems to fall a little apart at the seams. The hypnotically slow speed of the story suddenly jerks forward in a whirlwind of events that seemed a bit artificial and didn't convince me entirely. After this section, though, the novel recovers its original pace and right after the episode set in the alienist's office, we can focus again on the interior struggles and fears of the two main characters. The ending that focuses on (view spoiler)[ a prolonged and straightforward intimate scene (hide spoiler)] is a rather bold way to finish their story on a note of hope and rebirth.
The book is extremely well written and never cheap in its portrayal of sentiments and characters and its whole point is not, at least in my personal opinion, simply its involving love story but more complex issues connected to guilt, healing, and identity.
Despite its slight unevenness, I highly recommend it.
===============
Update after reread (January 2021)
I cannot but confirm all the things I've said on this moving novel after completing a second read. I still think there's a small balance problem in the last section of the book, but its humanity and depth are truly beautiful, and so are the story and characters....more
Back in the summer, I've read Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off the Ice and I was left completely speechless. TOTI is simply one of the best novels I'Back in the summer, I've read Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off the Ice and I was left completely speechless. TOTI is simply one of the best novels I've ever read - sad, funny, romantic and so very real.
Given this precedent, I approached You Could make a Life with some trepidation. Will it be equally good? Will I fall in love with the characters and the writing style? The answer is, yes. I did love YCMAL and it did bring me heartwarming feelings and joy in an otherwise frightening period. Perhaps I wasn't as blown away as with TOTI, but this was a very rewarding read nonetheless.
Dan and Marc are two lovely and well-rounded MCs. Dan was in my mind a sort of prototype for Mike Brouwer. His incessant internal monologue, the sarcasm through which he looks at the world around him, really made me think of my beloved Mike. Marc also presents some traits that were further developed in the character of Liam in TOTI. He's cocky, pretty much incapable of keeping his mouth shut but honest and steadfast.
Together, Dan and Marc form a lovely match and the nicest aspect in the book for me was to see them work hard to protect their relationship from all the blows and shakes coming from the outside world.
YCMAL is also infused with a lovely sense of humour - Dan's remarks and the secondary characters (from families to teammates) provide levity and a sense of delightful awkwardness to the plot.
Discovering Taylor Fitzpatrick has been one of the highlights of the past reading year for me - she has constructed an AU of characters and stories that move in and out of books, meet each other and expand in different directions. Ah, and she helped me become an ice hockey fan (and, being a lover and practitioner of figure skating, I don't say this lightly!)
Really recommended and if you still can, read You Could Make a Life before Thrown Off the Ice.
[image]
Merged review:
Back in the summer, I've read Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off the Ice and I was left completely speechless. TOTI is simply one of the best novels I've ever read - sad, funny, romantic and so very real.
Given this precedent, I approached You Could make a Life with some trepidation. Will it be equally good? Will I fall in love with the characters and the writing style? The answer is, yes. I did love YCMAL and it did bring me heartwarming feelings and joy in an otherwise frightening period. Perhaps I wasn't as blown away as with TOTI, but this was a very rewarding read nonetheless.
Dan and Marc are two lovely and well-rounded MCs. Dan was in my mind a sort of prototype for Mike Brouwer. His incessant internal monologue, the sarcasm through which he looks at the world around him, really made me think of my beloved Mike. Marc also presents some traits that were further developed in the character of Liam in TOTI. He's cocky, pretty much incapable of keeping his mouth shut but honest and steadfast.
Together, Dan and Marc form a lovely match and the nicest aspect in the book for me was to see them work hard to protect their relationship from all the blows and shakes coming from the outside world.
YCMAL is also infused with a lovely sense of humour - Dan's remarks and the secondary characters (from families to teammates) provide levity and a sense of delightful awkwardness to the plot.
Discovering Taylor Fitzpatrick has been one of the highlights of the past reading year for me - she has constructed an AU of characters and stories that move in and out of books, meet each other and expand in different directions. Ah, and she helped me become an ice hockey fan (and, being a lover and practitioner of figure skating, I don't say this lightly!)
Really recommended and if you still can, read You Could Make a Life before Thrown Off the Ice.
Well Traveled by Margaret Mills and Tedi Ward was a fabulous surprise.
Built as a long road trip from Montana to San Francisco, the novel follows the Well Traveled by Margaret Mills and Tedi Ward was a fabulous surprise.
Built as a long road trip from Montana to San Francisco, the novel follows the adventures of Gideon Makepiece and Jedediah Buffalo Bird, two amazing characters full of humanity, surprises and depth.
Gideon is a trick rider, raised by a rather unusual family and used to a roaming existence around the United States with a travelling circus. After a summer spent working in the small town of Livingston, and just when he's about to rejoin his extended circus family, he encounters Jed, a young Sioux man wounded and in desperate need of help.
This is just the very beginning of a novel full of interesting twists and turns that accompany the reader through the ever-changing views and realities of late-19th century America, its wild nature and its growing population and modernity.
Gideon and Jed, at first travel companions and then, slowly but surely and in a very believable way, friends and lovers, cross state after state discussing their views of the world, their beliefs, fears and hopes.
Gideon is way more at ease with words and knows how to be charmingly manipulative with them, whilst Jed is at times as silent as a quiet snowy morning, more oriented to speak his mind through deeds than words but surprisingly full of a mischievous sense of humour.
Their interactions, along with the growing intimacy of their relationship, go all the range from heartwarming to heartbreaking, from funny to melancholic and I really appreciated the constant change of pace in the book, its ups and downs.
Lengthy and well-worth a few long reading sessions, Well Traveled is certainly not only a great novel about the American frontier, but also a respectful and sensitive portrait of two very different souls who find each other in the most unexpected circumstances and learn to love and respect not just each other, but also their upbringings and beliefs.
Highly recommended and to be read together with its sequel Earth and Sun, Cedar and Sage that, despite the apparent levity of a Christmas novella, digs deep into the meaning of Gideon and Jed's lives and feelings.
Two very moving and wonderful reads.
Merged review:
Well Traveled by Margaret Mills and Tedi Ward was a fabulous surprise.
Built as a long road trip from Montana to San Francisco, the novel follows the adventures of Gideon Makepiece and Jedediah Buffalo Bird, two amazing characters full of humanity, surprises and depth.
Gideon is a trick rider, raised by a rather unusual family and used to a roaming existence around the United States with a travelling circus. After a summer spent working in the small town of Livingston, and just when he's about to rejoin his extended circus family, he encounters Jed, a young Sioux man wounded and in desperate need of help.
This is just the very beginning of a novel full of interesting twists and turns that accompany the reader through the ever-changing views and realities of late-19th century America, its wild nature and its growing population and modernity.
Gideon and Jed, at first travel companions and then, slowly but surely and in a very believable way, friends and lovers, cross state after state discussing their views of the world, their beliefs, fears and hopes.
Gideon is way more at ease with words and knows how to be charmingly manipulative with them, whilst Jed is at times as silent as a quiet snowy morning, more oriented to speak his mind through deeds than words but surprisingly full of a mischievous sense of humour.
Their interactions, along with the growing intimacy of their relationship, go all the range from heartwarming to heartbreaking, from funny to melancholic and I really appreciated the constant change of pace in the book, its ups and downs.
Lengthy and well-worth a few long reading sessions, Well Traveled is certainly not only a great novel about the American frontier, but also a respectful and sensitive portrait of two very different souls who find each other in the most unexpected circumstances and learn to love and respect not just each other, but also their upbringings and beliefs.
Highly recommended and to be read together with its sequel Earth and Sun, Cedar and Sage that, despite the apparent levity of a Christmas novella, digs deep into the meaning of Gideon and Jed's lives and feelings.
I've read Trick of Time by J.L. Merrow twice in the space of four days. The first time, I was so engrossed in the story that I basically devoured thI've read Trick of Time by J.L. Merrow twice in the space of four days. The first time, I was so engrossed in the story that I basically devoured the entire novella in one sitting. The second one, I've tried to pace myself to fully enjoy the lovely language and characterizations.
Ted Ennis, solitary and scarred by a tragic accident, works as theatre assistant at London's Criterion Theatre. One night, stepping out for a cigarette break, he finds himself in the dark and shady atmosphere of Victorian London.
Jem Pocket, a poor London lad, sensitive and surprisingly accepting of Ted's bizarre story, is one of the numerous mary-anns - rent boys - that wait around Piccadilly Circus to pick up clients.
How their story intertwines and the complications of their 'long-distance' relationship make this short novella (too short! That's my only complaint here) a real page-turner.
Merrow, also the author of the delightful Muscling Through, paces her story in a relentless fashion and manages to construct a narrative that can go from amusing to tragic in a matter of paragraphs. The second half of the book really kept me on edge and, even on second reading, I've felt the same pangs of anxiety for the characters.
Both Ted and Jem are men wounded by life, by harsh upbringing and dramatic turns of events and, although slightly insta, I really enjoyed the way they find comfort, support and understanding in each other.
The squalor and callousness of Victorian London are perfectly conjured up and I could almost experience while reading its smells, its noises, its dirt and grime.
Certainly Trick of Time had all the potential to be developed into a much longer narrative and it's a shame that the author didn't go for a full-length novel. Despite this, however, this was a really lovely read and I absolutely recommend it!
[image]
Merged review:
I've read Trick of Time by J.L. Merrow twice in the space of four days. The first time, I was so engrossed in the story that I basically devoured the entire novella in one sitting. The second one, I've tried to pace myself to fully enjoy the lovely language and characterizations.
Ted Ennis, solitary and scarred by a tragic accident, works as theatre assistant at London's Criterion Theatre. One night, stepping out for a cigarette break, he finds himself in the dark and shady atmosphere of Victorian London.
Jem Pocket, a poor London lad, sensitive and surprisingly accepting of Ted's bizarre story, is one of the numerous mary-anns - rent boys - that wait around Piccadilly Circus to pick up clients.
How their story intertwines and the complications of their 'long-distance' relationship make this short novella (too short! That's my only complaint here) a real page-turner.
Merrow, also the author of the delightful Muscling Through, paces her story in a relentless fashion and manages to construct a narrative that can go from amusing to tragic in a matter of paragraphs. The second half of the book really kept me on edge and, even on second reading, I've felt the same pangs of anxiety for the characters.
Both Ted and Jem are men wounded by life, by harsh upbringing and dramatic turns of events and, although slightly insta, I really enjoyed the way they find comfort, support and understanding in each other.
The squalor and callousness of Victorian London are perfectly conjured up and I could almost experience while reading its smells, its noises, its dirt and grime.
Certainly Trick of Time had all the potential to be developed into a much longer narrative and it's a shame that the author didn't go for a full-length novel. Despite this, however, this was a really lovely read and I absolutely recommend it!
I've devoured this novel by Harper Fox over a couple of days spent in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the more I get to know this beautiful city (I travel theI've devoured this novel by Harper Fox over a couple of days spent in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the more I get to know this beautiful city (I travel there regularly for family reasons), the more I learn to find around me the places and signs of novels such as this or her Half Moon Chambers.
Locations such as the Powerhouse club, Fenwicks department store, the Laing Art Gallery, the Half Moon Chambers building but also the very atmosphere of Newcastle, cold but welcoming, harsh but sparkling with sudden bursts of light, are all infused deeply into the bones of these stories.
In Life After Joe , Matt is left stranded and bewildered after the unexpected breakup with his long-time partner who leaves him for a girl with whom he's been having a secret affair.
As Matt drily remarks in the novel's opening, just before meeting his undoing and public humiliation in the middle of the Powerhouse's dancefloor, it's not the breaking up that can kill you but its aftermath. And the aftermath of his break-up seems to be on its way of doing just that: Matt is quickly spiralling into a serious alcoholic addiction, his medical career is falling apart and he spends his nights lost in meaningless sexual encounters that often become dangerous for the survival not just of his soul but of his body.
His downfall is unstoppable until he meets Aaron - a quiet, rugged and caring outsider who seduces Matthew by giving him that respect and dignity that he seems to have lost along the way.
But is Aaron exactly who he says he is?
There's a little mystery going on in LAJ that provides friction and angst to Matt and Aaron's growing love story but the obstacles they really face are all internal, emotional, connected to their fears and reluctance to let go and embrace the blessings and risks of a new relationship.
As usual with Harper Fox's novels, the motions of grief and abandonment are articulated with great attention and sensitivity. Matt is out of control, incapable of coming to terms with Joe's rejection not only of their relationship but of his own identity.
Matt's response to his unexpected loneliness is self-destructive and may come across as selfish and unpleasant, whilst Aaron's answer to loss is fully internalised and expressed through his quiet but steadfast will of taking care of Matt and his shattered bits of life.
Harper Fox's writing style is always beautiful and sensuous, enveloping the reader in Matt's self-deprecating and despairing POV from the very first line.
Reading this novel was a deeply emotional experience. LAJ is sad, raw, desperate but also curving towards an uplifting turn of events (including a surreal incursion onto an oil rig) that was moving, heartwarming and very romantic.
Another 5-star read for me and, just like with all Harper Fox's novels, a sure re-read.
I've devoured this novel by Harper Fox over a couple of days spent in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the more I get to know this beautiful city (I travel there regularly for family reasons), the more I learn to find around me the places and signs of novels such as this or her Half Moon Chambers.
Locations such as the Powerhouse club, Fenwicks department store, the Laing Art Gallery, the Half Moon Chambers building but also the very atmosphere of Newcastle, cold but welcoming, harsh but sparkling with sudden bursts of light, are all infused deeply into the bones of these stories.
In Life After Joe , Matt is left stranded and bewildered after the unexpected breakup with his long-time partner who leaves him for a girl with whom he's been having a secret affair.
As Matt drily remarks in the novel's opening, just before meeting his undoing and public humiliation in the middle of the Powerhouse's dancefloor, it's not the breaking up that can kill you but its aftermath. And the aftermath of his break-up seems to be on its way of doing just that: Matt is quickly spiralling into a serious alcoholic addiction, his medical career is falling apart and he spends his nights lost in meaningless sexual encounters that often become dangerous for the survival not just of his soul but of his body.
His downfall is unstoppable until he meets Aaron - a quiet, rugged and caring outsider who seduces Matthew by giving him that respect and dignity that he seems to have lost along the way.
But is Aaron exactly who he says he is?
There's a little mystery going on in LAJ that provides friction and angst to Matt and Aaron's growing love story but the obstacles they really face are all internal, emotional, connected to their fears and reluctance to let go and embrace the blessings and risks of a new relationship.
As usual with Harper Fox's novels, the motions of grief and abandonment are articulated with great attention and sensitivity. Matt is out of control, incapable of coming to terms with Joe's rejection not only of their relationship but of his own identity.
Matt's response to his unexpected loneliness is self-destructive and may come across as selfish and unpleasant, whilst Aaron's answer to loss is fully internalised and expressed through his quiet but steadfast will of taking care of Matt and his shattered bits of life.
Harper Fox's writing style is always beautiful and sensuous, enveloping the reader in Matt's self-deprecating and despairing POV from the very first line.
Reading this novel was a deeply emotional experience. LAJ is sad, raw, desperate but also curving towards an uplifting turn of events (including a surreal incursion onto an oil rig) that was moving, heartwarming and very romantic.
Another 5-star read for me and, just like with all Harper Fox's novels, a sure re-read.
Last year was rich for me in terms of literary discoveries. I was lucky to read a number of amazing books and to discover some new authors that have qLast year was rich for me in terms of literary discoveries. I was lucky to read a number of amazing books and to discover some new authors that have quickly become very dear to my heart. Last, in order of time, is the wonderful T.J. Klune. His meditative novel Into This River I Drown - possibly one of the most haunting titles and covers I've ever come across - touched me in some very deep and personal ways and it's a book I won't ever forget.
Benji is twenty-one and still profoundly grieving for the death of his father - the wondrous Big Eddie - who drowned in the Umpqua river after a freak car accident. Constantly obsessing over the facts surrounding Bid Eddie's death and missing him more than ever as time passes, Benji is slowly losing his mind to grief and loss. Nothing, not his mother's and aunts' affection, not his best friend's Abe efforts, seems enough to shake him out of his slow descent into depression and madness. His shaky mental state is further strained by recurrent dark dreams of roaring waters, crosses and mysterious blue lights and feathers. One fateful night and at the end of his tether, Benji finds himself begging for help at the very spot where his father died when a blue light comes crashing down from the sky.
This is just the premise of a book where the impossible meets the improbable and where very human themes, such as grief, love, loss and betrayal, get interwoven with big questions relating to life, death and faith.
I felt deeply for Benji's sense of loss and anger at his father's death - his sense of feeling abandoned, his guilt at not having done anything to prevent the unfolding of the events, are raw, real and understandable. The novel, which is narrated from Benji's POV, follows him in the twists and turns of his grieving mind and I truly loved the way the author combines the recounting of present events with past memories and abstract reflections on the sense - or lack thereof - of life and death.
As stated in one of the novel's opening pages:
This is at once a beginning and an end. This is the story of my love for two men. One is my father. The other is a man who fell from the sky.
And 'the man who fell from the sky', Calliel, with all his mysteries and angelic lore is the one who will not only tug Benji along the painful and rough road to recovery but who will also reassess what it means to be human and thus be allowed to exercise free will and to have the freedom to choose for oneself.
There is certainly a lot of romanticism and heartfelt emotions at work in the beautiful relationship between Benji and Cal. T.J. Klune, however, uses their story as a thread that unifies characters and events whilst being at the same time brave enough to place it often in the background of the story. He thus leaves centre stage to the other crucial relationship in the novel, that between a father and his son (Benji and Big Eddie, for sure, but also Cal and his Father), and to Benji's journey of discovery towards the real meaning of love, sacrifice and self-knowledge.
The novel is incredibly well written - the author's language is rich and nuanced, the alternation between objectiveness and subjectiveness carried out in a self-assured and compelling manner. The touches of levity that suddenly appear in the book - Cal's wide-eyed inexperience of the world, his sweetly eccentric behaviour that could appear to clash with his incorruptible sense of loyalty and justice - add a further note of humanity to the novel that makes its painful parts even more heartbreaking.
As I write this review I’m listening to the book's playlist as suggested by T.J. Klune in a post on his blog page A Fistful of Awesome (note: that page is now closed but T.J. has a new blog page) and I'm quite astonished by the variety and beauty of the songs suggested as the novel's soundtrack. Somehow, this playlist confirms for me the first impression I've had of this author: eclectic, profound, complex, capable of reaching painful and hidden places in the reader's heart and mind.
I highly recommend Into This River I Drown and I surely cannot wait to start making my way through T.J.'s other works.
Merged review:
Last year was rich for me in terms of literary discoveries. I was lucky to read a number of amazing books and to discover some new authors that have quickly become very dear to my heart. Last, in order of time, is the wonderful T.J. Klune. His meditative novel Into This River I Drown - possibly one of the most haunting titles and covers I've ever come across - touched me in some very deep and personal ways and it's a book I won't ever forget.
Benji is twenty-one and still profoundly grieving for the death of his father - the wondrous Big Eddie - who drowned in the Umpqua river after a freak car accident. Constantly obsessing over the facts surrounding Bid Eddie's death and missing him more than ever as time passes, Benji is slowly losing his mind to grief and loss. Nothing, not his mother's and aunts' affection, not his best friend's Abe efforts, seems enough to shake him out of his slow descent into depression and madness. His shaky mental state is further strained by recurrent dark dreams of roaring waters, crosses and mysterious blue lights and feathers. One fateful night and at the end of his tether, Benji finds himself begging for help at the very spot where his father died when a blue light comes crashing down from the sky.
This is just the premise of a book where the impossible meets the improbable and where very human themes, such as grief, love, loss and betrayal, get interwoven with big questions relating to life, death and faith.
I felt deeply for Benji's sense of loss and anger at his father's death - his sense of feeling abandoned, his guilt at not having done anything to prevent the unfolding of the events, are raw, real and understandable. The novel, which is narrated from Benji's POV, follows him in the twists and turns of his grieving mind and I truly loved the way the author combines the recounting of present events with past memories and abstract reflections on the sense - or lack thereof - of life and death.
As stated in one of the novel's opening pages:
This is at once a beginning and an end. This is the story of my love for two men. One is my father. The other is a man who fell from the sky.
And 'the man who fell from the sky', Calliel, with all his mysteries and angelic lore is the one who will not only tug Benji along the painful and rough road to recovery but who will also reassess what it means to be human and thus be allowed to exercise free will and to have the freedom to choose for oneself.
There is certainly a lot of romanticism and heartfelt emotions at work in the beautiful relationship between Benji and Cal. T.J. Klune, however, uses their story as a thread that unifies characters and events whilst being at the same time brave enough to place it often in the background of the story. He thus leaves centre stage to the other crucial relationship in the novel, that between a father and his son (Benji and Big Eddie, for sure, but also Cal and his Father), and to Benji's journey of discovery towards the real meaning of love, sacrifice and self-knowledge.
The novel is incredibly well written - the author's language is rich and nuanced, the alternation between objectiveness and subjectiveness carried out in a self-assured and compelling manner. The touches of levity that suddenly appear in the book - Cal's wide-eyed inexperience of the world, his sweetly eccentric behaviour that could appear to clash with his incorruptible sense of loyalty and justice - add a further note of humanity to the novel that makes its painful parts even more heartbreaking.
As I write this review I’m listening to the book's playlist as suggested by T.J. Klune in a post on his blog page A Fistful of Awesome (note: that page is now closed but T.J. has a new blog page) and I'm quite astonished by the variety and beauty of the songs suggested as the novel's soundtrack. Somehow, this playlist confirms for me the first impression I've had of this author: eclectic, profound, complex, capable of reaching painful and hidden places in the reader's heart and mind.
I highly recommend Into This River I Drown and I surely cannot wait to start making my way through T.J.'s other works....more
Another great addition to the Magpie Lord universe.
Rag and Bone picks up Ned and Crispin's story a few months after the events narrated in A Queer Another great addition to the Magpie Lord universe.
Rag and Bone picks up Ned and Crispin's story a few months after the events narrated in A Queer Trade.
Crispin is undergoing his retraining as a practitioner and Ned tries to adapt his life to the magic - take this word in its most ample meaning - brought to it by his encounter with the shy magician from Cornwall.
The plot of the novel is tightly packed with surprises and unexpected events and the pace is really relentless.
I love KJ Charles' skills in recreating a world that is at the same time normal and uncanny and her action scenes can really pack a punch. The atmosphere in the book is eerie and menacing and the witchcraft aspect of this particular novel is really quite disturbing.
By reading the books in the series back to back, I've found myself growing really fond of the characters, not just the main ones, but also the secondary types hovering around the Council. Then, of course, all the main characters are wonderful creations and I'd be hard-pressed to name my favourite one/s (although, I must admit a weakness for Stephen and Jonah...).
It was also very nice to see how this series is thoroughly thought-out - the references and glimpses into other plots and other novels are never overwhelming or done simply to show off but can keep the curiosity of a reader 'in-the-know' endlessly entertained.
The writing is, as usual, fantastic.
Highly recommended (but don't jump into Rag and Bone without reading the previous books first)!
Merged review:
Another great addition to the Magpie Lord universe.
Rag and Bone picks up Ned and Crispin's story a few months after the events narrated in A Queer Trade.
Crispin is undergoing his retraining as a practitioner and Ned tries to adapt his life to the magic - take this word in its most ample meaning - brought to it by his encounter with the shy magician from Cornwall.
The plot of the novel is tightly packed with surprises and unexpected events and the pace is really relentless.
I love KJ Charles' skills in recreating a world that is at the same time normal and uncanny and her action scenes can really pack a punch. The atmosphere in the book is eerie and menacing and the witchcraft aspect of this particular novel is really quite disturbing.
By reading the books in the series back to back, I've found myself growing really fond of the characters, not just the main ones, but also the secondary types hovering around the Council. Then, of course, all the main characters are wonderful creations and I'd be hard-pressed to name my favourite one/s (although, I must admit a weakness for Stephen and Jonah...).
It was also very nice to see how this series is thoroughly thought-out - the references and glimpses into other plots and other novels are never overwhelming or done simply to show off but can keep the curiosity of a reader 'in-the-know' endlessly entertained.
The writing is, as usual, fantastic.
Highly recommended (but don't jump into Rag and Bone without reading the previous books first)!...more
I should know by now that Kim Fielding is always a guarantee for very well-developed plots, rounded and solid characters and excellent writing.
RattleI should know by now that Kim Fielding is always a guarantee for very well-developed plots, rounded and solid characters and excellent writing.
Rattlesnake, set in a small Californian town that gives the name to the novel, is no exception and it made me in turns hopeful and sad, happy and desperate at the bleakness of its characters' lives.
Jimmy Dorsett is a drifter - a ghost, as he calls himself in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book - he moves from town to town, from job to job, sleeping rough or in temporary accommodations, without any support or friends. A small act of kindness towards an old hitchhiker will trigger a series of events that will change Jimmy's life.
Shane Little used to be a cowboy, but a car accident has broken his mind and body that now need extra care and patience. His spirit, however, remains strong and positive and the supportive and slightly belligerent family at his back give him the confidence to live an independent life.
In different ways, the two men share a deep-seated solitude, a sadness that is hard to shake off and can only be relieved by being shared, despite fear and lack of hope.
The novel is a very slow-paced story, made up of small events - or big events played out in the most understated manner - and it's infused with a sense of reality and objectivity that can be hard to found in books that often rely on cheap narrative twists and unbelievable characters.
At times deeply moving and at others gently amusing, Rattlesnake is Kim Fielding's writing at its very best - sensuous, melancholic, romantic.
This is a book that must be savoured and enjoyed, and I cannot but highly recommend it.
Perfect soundtrack with very relevant lyrics: Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom that I kept humming in my mind throughout the reading.
Merged review:
I should know by now that Kim Fielding is always a guarantee for very well-developed plots, rounded and solid characters and excellent writing.
Rattlesnake, set in a small Californian town that gives the name to the novel, is no exception and it made me in turns hopeful and sad, happy and desperate at the bleakness of its characters' lives.
Jimmy Dorsett is a drifter - a ghost, as he calls himself in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book - he moves from town to town, from job to job, sleeping rough or in temporary accommodations, without any support or friends. A small act of kindness towards an old hitchhiker will trigger a series of events that will change Jimmy's life.
Shane Little used to be a cowboy, but a car accident has broken his mind and body that now need extra care and patience. His spirit, however, remains strong and positive and the supportive and slightly belligerent family at his back give him the confidence to live an independent life.
In different ways, the two men share a deep-seated solitude, a sadness that is hard to shake off and can only be relieved by being shared, despite fear and lack of hope.
The novel is a very slow-paced story, made up of small events - or big events played out in the most understated manner - and it's infused with a sense of reality and objectivity that can be hard to found in books that often rely on cheap narrative twists and unbelievable characters.
At times deeply moving and at others gently amusing, Rattlesnake is Kim Fielding's writing at its very best - sensuous, melancholic, romantic.
This is a book that must be savoured and enjoyed, and I cannot but highly recommend it.
Perfect soundtrack with very relevant lyrics: Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom that I kept humming in my mind throughout the reading....more
The novels set in and around KJ Charles' magpie universe continue to surprise me with their great storylines, wonderful characters and sparkling proThe novels set in and around KJ Charles' magpie universe continue to surprise me with their great storylines, wonderful characters and sparkling prose.
Jackdaw centres on Jonah Pastern, windwalker, thief and reluctant villain of the previous book, and on his loving but fractured relationship with ex-policeman Ben Spenser.
Unlike the previous novels, Jackdaw doesn't have a complicated plot or a super-villain to defeat but it's more about the growth of its characters and their peregrinations in order to find a place to live together and in peace.
What is really at stake in the book are Jonah's life and choices and Ben's willingness to forgive his previous betrayal.
The main characters from the series (Stephen Day and Lord Crane, Merrick and Jenny Saint) all make some very interesting incursions in the novel's plot.
This was such an entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
The novels set in and around KJ Charles' magpie universe continue to surprise me with their great storylines, wonderful characters and sparkling prose.
Jackdaw centres on Jonah Pastern, windwalker, thief and reluctant villain of the previous book, and on his loving but fractured relationship with ex-policeman Ben Spenser.
Unlike the previous novels, Jackdaw doesn't have a complicated plot or a super-villain to defeat but it's more about the growth of its characters and their peregrinations in order to find a place to live together and in peace.
What is really at stake in the book are Jonah's life and choices and Ben's willingness to forgive his previous betrayal.
The main characters from the series (Stephen Day and Lord Crane, Merrick and Jenny Saint) all make some very interesting incursions in the novel's plot.
This was such an entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dex is a young Irish Traveller tragically used to a lifetime of sexual abuse, violence and slavery at the hands of 'Uncle' Braden and his gang. A brieDex is a young Irish Traveller tragically used to a lifetime of sexual abuse, violence and slavery at the hands of 'Uncle' Braden and his gang. A brief encounter in Padstow during a too-short Cornish summer with Seb, a gentle and sweet-natured pastry chef, gives him a glimpse of a life lived free from fear and subjugation.
Garrett Leigh's beautiful and moving novel Heart chronicles Dex and Seb's struggle to make this new life a concrete possibility but nothing will come to them easily and without a price.
I've found this book interesting and engaging for a number of reasons. Dex and Seb are two exquisitely-crafted MCs who always remain believable and rounded even in the midst of the inescapable amount of angst that such a grim story inevitably carries along.
'What do you want, Dex?' - this apparently simple question seems to me to be at the core of the novel.
Dex is not used to assert his own opinions and desires - he's just ready to drop his head and do whatever people tell him to do. Not only that - but his difficulty of navigating the world for himself is exacerbated by the prejudice coming at him because of his ethnic origins (he's scared of entering shops or even move freely at first around Seb's flat because racist responses towards Irish Travellers are ingrained in his DNA) and by the dramatic detail of his illiteracy. Not being able to read or write makes Dex exposed to a world that is often incomprehensible and therefore terrifying. The huge effort he makes to eventually learn to read and write was for me particularly touching but also truly hopeful. Knowledge - even in its most basic forms - is power and Dex will slowly grow confidence and independence by gaining literacy and skills in the restaurant kitchen in London's Dalston district where he eventually finds himself working elbow to elbow with Seb.
In all the turmoil and insecurity marking Dex's life, Seb is a solid and unwavering port of call. The novel indeed opens and closes with chapters focusing on him instead of Dex. We are thus able to gain insight into his inner world that is not tragic or terrible like Dex's but is still marked by a degree of endearing uncertainty when it comes to Dex's feelings towards him. Leigh deftly refers to Seb's fragility with little descriptive touches focusing on his eyes and gestures. Seb is patient, not forceful, willing to let Dex decide what it is that he truly wants - his questions are probing but never pushy. The gentleness in Seb's personality makes him a character really easy to strongly root for.
Choice and self-determination may seem to us givens but this novel challenges this acquired notion. It does that by interweaving a compelling story with two wonderful central characters and by always sustaining it with a lovely sense of place - the quiet Cornish harbour towns, the lively and buzzing London's East End - and excellent prose.
Highly recommended.
Merged review:
Dex is a young Irish Traveller tragically used to a lifetime of sexual abuse, violence and slavery at the hands of 'Uncle' Braden and his gang. A brief encounter in Padstow during a too-short Cornish summer with Seb, a gentle and sweet-natured pastry chef, gives him a glimpse of a life lived free from fear and subjugation.
Garrett Leigh's beautiful and moving novel Heart chronicles Dex and Seb's struggle to make this new life a concrete possibility but nothing will come to them easily and without a price.
I've found this book interesting and engaging for a number of reasons. Dex and Seb are two exquisitely-crafted MCs who always remain believable and rounded even in the midst of the inescapable amount of angst that such a grim story inevitably carries along.
'What do you want, Dex?' - this apparently simple question seems to me to be at the core of the novel.
Dex is not used to assert his own opinions and desires - he's just ready to drop his head and do whatever people tell him to do. Not only that - but his difficulty of navigating the world for himself is exacerbated by the prejudice coming at him because of his ethnic origins (he's scared of entering shops or even move freely at first around Seb's flat because racist responses towards Irish Travellers are ingrained in his DNA) and by the dramatic detail of his illiteracy. Not being able to read or write makes Dex exposed to a world that is often incomprehensible and therefore terrifying. The huge effort he makes to eventually learn to read and write was for me particularly touching but also truly hopeful. Knowledge - even in its most basic forms - is power and Dex will slowly grow confidence and independence by gaining literacy and skills in the restaurant kitchen in London's Dalston district where he eventually finds himself working elbow to elbow with Seb.
In all the turmoil and insecurity marking Dex's life, Seb is a solid and unwavering port of call. The novel indeed opens and closes with chapters focusing on him instead of Dex. We are thus able to gain insight into his inner world that is not tragic or terrible like Dex's but is still marked by a degree of endearing uncertainty when it comes to Dex's feelings towards him. Leigh deftly refers to Seb's fragility with little descriptive touches focusing on his eyes and gestures. Seb is patient, not forceful, willing to let Dex decide what it is that he truly wants - his questions are probing but never pushy. The gentleness in Seb's personality makes him a character really easy to strongly root for.
Choice and self-determination may seem to us givens but this novel challenges this acquired notion. It does that by interweaving a compelling story with two wonderful central characters and by always sustaining it with a lovely sense of place - the quiet Cornish harbour towns, the lively and buzzing London's East End - and excellent prose.
Set in a very small village in the Australian Victoria around 1891, the book chronicles the encounter and relationship between Anglican priest Matthew Ottenshaw and police Sargeant Jonah Parks. I won't give any details of the plot away here because it's really worth it to discover on your own the tentativeness, fears and ultimate rebellion that Matthew and Jonah enact upon in the story.
I think it'd be enough to say that both characters really touched my heart - Matthew, apparently more indecisive, is portrayed as honest and true to his deepest beliefs but also ready to reconsider things and decisions in the light of the momentous events that take place in his life after meeting Jonah. And Jonah himself is a true force of nature, his commitment to Matthew steadfast and unwavering from the very beginning.
If Matthew is the voice of caution and spiritual thinking, Jonah is a modern and rational thinker who's capable of assessing their situation - and the unwelcome intrusion of state and church into private matters - with clarity and articulation that make him sound well ahead of his time. This slight anachronism appeared to me as a willing disregard for historical accuracy on the part of the writer and responds well to the militant tone that acts as an undercurrent throughout the novel and it's reinforced by the book's Epilogue that - although a bit contrived - celebrates the contribution of "invisible" queer people to the history and making of a nation.
Once Matthew and Jonah get together, there's really no doubt about the solidity of their love and all the uncertainty encroaching their relationship comes from the outside in the form of unwanted intrusiveness that could ruin not only their reputations but their entire lives. There's no shattering sense of guilt, no excruciating doubt in them - just quiet acceptance and constant growth and I really appreciated this aspect of their story.
The historical reconstruction of the Australian province and of Melbourne at the end of the 19th century is very interesting and really transmits a sense of stifling conformism and social scrutiny (despite some beautiful figures of rebellious women such as the Campbell sisters in Dinbratten or Myrtle in Melbourne) that makes you wish for a quick and definitive escape.
I really recommend this novel and Welton B. Marsland is a writer that I'll certainly continue to follow.
Set in a very small village in the Australian Victoria around 1891, the book chronicles the encounter and relationship between Anglican priest Matthew Ottenshaw and police Sargeant Jonah Parks. I won't give any details of the plot away here because it's really worth it to discover on your own the tentativeness, fears and ultimate rebellion that Matthew and Jonah enact upon in the story.
I think it'd be enough to say that both characters really touched my heart - Matthew, apparently more indecisive, is portrayed as honest and true to his deepest beliefs but also ready to reconsider things and decisions in the light of the momentous events that take place in his life after meeting Jonah. And Jonah himself is a true force of nature, his commitment to Matthew steadfast and unwavering from the very beginning.
If Matthew is the voice of caution and spiritual thinking, Jonah is a modern and rational thinker who's capable of assessing their situation - and the unwelcome intrusion of state and church into private matters - with clarity and articulation that make him sound well ahead of his time. This slight anachronism appeared to me as a willing disregard for historical accuracy on the part of the writer and responds well to the militant tone that acts as an undercurrent throughout the novel and it's reinforced by the book's Epilogue that - although a bit contrived - celebrates the contribution of "invisible" queer people to the history and making of a nation.
Once Matthew and Jonah get together, there's really no doubt about the solidity of their love and all the uncertainty encroaching their relationship comes from the outside in the form of unwanted intrusiveness that could ruin not only their reputations but their entire lives. There's no shattering sense of guilt, no excruciating doubt in them - just quiet acceptance and constant growth and I really appreciated this aspect of their story.
The historical reconstruction of the Australian province and of Melbourne at the end of the 19th century is very interesting and really transmits a sense of stifling conformism and social scrutiny (despite some beautiful figures of rebellious women such as the Campbell sisters in Dinbratten or Myrtle in Melbourne) that makes you wish for a quick and definitive escape.
I really recommend this novel and Welton B. Marsland is a writer that I'll certainly continue to follow....more
The Tin Box by Kim Fielding is a deeply moving novel that brings together the stories of three young men in a fascinating weave of time plans and na The Tin Box by Kim Fielding is a deeply moving novel that brings together the stories of three young men in a fascinating weave of time plans and narrative threads.
William Lyon is a young psychologist working on his PhD dissertation. In need of a quiet place to work and to put together the pieces of an existence forcibly lived under a layer of repression and denial of his true identity, he finds a job as a live-in caretaker in an abandoned mental asylum.
After the first few days spent in the town of Jelley's Valley, William meets two other young men who will change his life: Colby Anderson and Bill Wright.
Colby is the apparently optimistic owner of the local grocery store and immediately strikes William with his bright smile and outgoing personality.
Bill, instead, is a ghost , a young gay man forced to enter the asylum at the end of the 1930s to be 'cured' of his homosexuality and who is present in the story through the letters addressed to his lost lover Johnny that William finds in a tin box hidden away in a wall.
Through the relentless chronicle of Bill's awful suffering at the hands of the doctors, and with the help of Colby who gently tugs him out of his protective shell, William starts reconsidering the way he's lived his life and gaining the courage to being his true self.
This novel moved me and upset me in equal measure - William and Colby, both damaged and insecure in their own different ways, go from friends to lovers in what I felt was a genuine progression, rich with all the uncertainties and fragile hopes love can have. William may seem cold and detached but he has a troubling past history that slowly emerges in the book to justify his initial attitude. Colby is also a very nicely layered character. He's sincere and proud, but also scared and frail and more similar to William than what may immediately appear.
But the real focus of the novel for me was Bill - brave and never forgotten. Defiant and true to himself in the face of authority but ultimately overcome by the brutality surrounding him, Bill touched my heart so deeply that I cannot really stop thinking about him and I feel so damn angry for him and for all the people who had to undergo his same ordeal.
The strange alternation between his heartbreaking words - that are amplified by his sudden, tragic silence - and William and Colby's story, which is sad in parts but is overall lit up by the happiness brought on by their new-found love, made this novel even more poignant for me.
The Tin Box is an emotional rollercoaster, with passages marked by a raw hopelessness, and it's not an easy read. The ending - and the importance it places on memory and on the passing on of the voices and experiences from the past - is a truly powerful moment and, if possible, even more relevant when read during Pride Month.
Merged review:
The Tin Box by Kim Fielding is a deeply moving novel that brings together the stories of three young men in a fascinating weave of time plans and narrative threads.
William Lyon is a young psychologist working on his PhD dissertation. In need of a quiet place to work and to put together the pieces of an existence forcibly lived under a layer of repression and denial of his true identity, he finds a job as a live-in caretaker in an abandoned mental asylum.
After the first few days spent in the town of Jelley's Valley, William meets two other young men who will change his life: Colby Anderson and Bill Wright.
Colby is the apparently optimistic owner of the local grocery store and immediately strikes William with his bright smile and outgoing personality.
Bill, instead, is a ghost , a young gay man forced to enter the asylum at the end of the 1930s to be 'cured' of his homosexuality and who is present in the story through the letters addressed to his lost lover Johnny that William finds in a tin box hidden away in a wall.
Through the relentless chronicle of Bill's awful suffering at the hands of the doctors, and with the help of Colby who gently tugs him out of his protective shell, William starts reconsidering the way he's lived his life and gaining the courage to being his true self.
This novel moved me and upset me in equal measure - William and Colby, both damaged and insecure in their own different ways, go from friends to lovers in what I felt was a genuine progression, rich with all the uncertainties and fragile hopes love can have. William may seem cold and detached but he has a troubling past history that slowly emerges in the book to justify his initial attitude. Colby is also a very nicely layered character. He's sincere and proud, but also scared and frail and more similar to William than what may immediately appear.
But the real focus of the novel for me was Bill - brave and never forgotten. Defiant and true to himself in the face of authority but ultimately overcome by the brutality surrounding him, Bill touched my heart so deeply that I cannot really stop thinking about him and I feel so damn angry for him and for all the people who had to undergo his same ordeal.
The strange alternation between his heartbreaking words - that are amplified by his sudden, tragic silence - and William and Colby's story, which is sad in parts but is overall lit up by the happiness brought on by their new-found love, made this novel even more poignant for me.
The Tin Box is an emotional rollercoaster, with passages marked by a raw hopelessness, and it's not an easy read. The ending - and the importance it places on memory and on the passing on of the voices and experiences from the past - is a truly powerful moment and, if possible, even more relevant when read during Pride Month....more
I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Jensen's Man and Beast, a novel that I've had in my TBR for far too long.
The way Jensen conjures up the extremely dangeI thoroughly enjoyed Michael Jensen's Man and Beast, a novel that I've had in my TBR for far too long.
The way Jensen conjures up the extremely dangerous and volatile atmosphere of life on the frontier is fantastic - you can almost taste and feel the grime and mud and blood of surrounding the characters.
Based on the historical character of Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman finds himself cold, lost and hungry outside an isolated cabin in the inhospitable outpost of Warren. The cabin's sole inhabitant grudgingly shelters him for the winter but things are way more complicated than what they seem.
The novel's plot presents many twists and turns and goes from being a wildlife adventure, a bit in the style of Jack London, to a nightmarish stalking story, to a tender romance.
I've appreciated the progression of the narrative and how Jensen manages to be informative about specific aspects of frontier life, without ever becoming either boring or overly didactic.
The main characters - John, Daniel, Palmer and Gwennie - are all well constructed and fascinating and I loved following John's internal monologues and decision-making strategies.
My only complaint would be a rather abrupt ending but, having now started to read, the novel's following, I can say that my curiosity about the characters' fate is more than being repaid.
This novel presents some trigger warnings - a hefty dose of violence and gore, racism, sexual violence - so be aware of that before picking it up. If you do, however, I'm sure you'll be rewarded by its story and by the author's gorgeous writing style.
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Jensen's Man and Beast, a novel that I've had in my TBR for far too long.
The way Jensen conjures up the extremely dangerous and volatile atmosphere of life on the frontier is fantastic - you can almost taste and feel the grime and mud and blood of surrounding the characters.
Based on the historical character of Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman finds himself cold, lost and hungry outside an isolated cabin in the inhospitable outpost of Warren. The cabin's sole inhabitant grudgingly shelters him for the winter but things are way more complicated than what they seem.
The novel's plot presents many twists and turns and goes from being a wildlife adventure, a bit in the style of Jack London, to a nightmarish stalking story, to a tender romance.
I've appreciated the progression of the narrative and how Jensen manages to be informative about specific aspects of frontier life, without ever becoming either boring or overly didactic.
The main characters - John, Daniel, Palmer and Gwennie - are all well constructed and fascinating and I loved following John's internal monologues and decision-making strategies.
My only complaint would be a rather abrupt ending but, having now started to read, the novel's following, I can say that my curiosity about the characters' fate is more than being repaid.
This novel presents some trigger warnings - a hefty dose of violence and gore, racism, sexual violence - so be aware of that before picking it up. If you do, however, I'm sure you'll be rewarded by its story and by the author's gorgeous writing style.
Set in and around London towards the end of the 19th century, The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles is the first in a series of novels following the advenSet in and around London towards the end of the 19th century, The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles is the first in a series of novels following the adventures of Lucien Vaudrey, Lord Crane, a British aristocrat recently returned to England after spending twenty years in Shanghai, and Stephen Day, a 'justiciar', a practitioner of magic in charge of controlling and supervising the deeds of other magicians.
The story is thrilling, full of twists and turns, eerie occurrences and moments of delightful magic, (view spoiler)[ such as the magpie tattoos migrating from Crane's chest to Stephen's body every time they make love or Stephen's electric fingertips channeling and directing his magical powers. (hide spoiler)]
KJ Charles' writing is full of energy and her characterisation of the two main characters is really delightful. Crane is foul-mouthed and reckless, shaped by his time in Shanghai and not at all your average British aristocrat. Day is diminutive and skinny, apparently harmless, but full of such magical power and interior strength to become often commanding and even scary.
I loved the chemistry and the banter between Crane and Day and the relationship between the former and his manservant/sidekick/father figure Merrick.
The Magpie Lord is certainly a great beginning to the series and I cannot wait to start reading book 2, A Case of Possession.
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Merged review:
Set in and around London towards the end of the 19th century, The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles is the first in a series of novels following the adventures of Lucien Vaudrey, Lord Crane, a British aristocrat recently returned to England after spending twenty years in Shanghai, and Stephen Day, a 'justiciar', a practitioner of magic in charge of controlling and supervising the deeds of other magicians.
The story is thrilling, full of twists and turns, eerie occurrences and moments of delightful magic, (view spoiler)[ such as the magpie tattoos migrating from Crane's chest to Stephen's body every time they make love or Stephen's electric fingertips channeling and directing his magical powers. (hide spoiler)]
KJ Charles' writing is full of energy and her characterisation of the two main characters is really delightful. Crane is foul-mouthed and reckless, shaped by his time in Shanghai and not at all your average British aristocrat. Day is diminutive and skinny, apparently harmless, but full of such magical power and interior strength to become often commanding and even scary.
I loved the chemistry and the banter between Crane and Day and the relationship between the former and his manservant/sidekick/father figure Merrick.
The Magpie Lord is certainly a great beginning to the series and I cannot wait to start reading book 2, A Case of Possession.
Another exciting and compelling historical novel by KJ Charles.
Spectred Isle takes place in the same narrative universe of Charles' The Casebook ofAnother exciting and compelling historical novel by KJ Charles.
Spectred Isle takes place in the same narrative universe of Charles' The Casebook of Simon Feximal and moves the action to 1923 when the after-effects of both WW1 and of the War Beneath are still acutely felt.
The two main characters in the novel, disgraced archeologist Saul Lazenby and occultist Randolph Glyde meet by chance on a series of sites where supernatural events are taking place. Unbeknownst to Saul, Randolph is part of the society of Green Men, a group of ghost hunters and occultists in charge of controlling the thin veil existing between everyday reality and the world beyond it.
Initially suspicious of each other, (view spoiler)[ then reluctant allies and finally lovers, (hide spoiler)] Saul and Randolph are both scarred by the war and its aftermath and observing their attempt to regain confidence in themselves and in their fellow human beings, adds a beautiful layer of emotional weight to their story.
The supernatural plot is, as expected, fast-paced and truly gripping. The book opens on an oak tree self-combusting in a park and also features a couple of amazing chapters set in a sort of liminal world where the laws of time and nature cease to exist.
KJ Charles' writing is a real delight - witty, relentless and full of depth. The homage to magazines such as the Strand and to Victorian and early 20th-century pulp fiction - in this book done through references to Robert Caldwell's accounts of Simon Feximal's adventures - adds a great meta-layer to Spectred Isle that is at the same time, its own story and part of a larger web of characters and narratives.
Great fun and really recommended.
Merged review:
Another exciting and compelling historical novel by KJ Charles.
Spectred Isle takes place in the same narrative universe of Charles' The Casebook of Simon Feximal and moves the action to 1923 when the after-effects of both WW1 and of the War Beneath are still acutely felt.
The two main characters in the novel, disgraced archeologist Saul Lazenby and occultist Randolph Glyde meet by chance on a series of sites where supernatural events are taking place. Unbeknownst to Saul, Randolph is part of the society of Green Men, a group of ghost hunters and occultists in charge of controlling the thin veil existing between everyday reality and the world beyond it.
Initially suspicious of each other, (view spoiler)[ then reluctant allies and finally lovers, (hide spoiler)] Saul and Randolph are both scarred by the war and its aftermath and observing their attempt to regain confidence in themselves and in their fellow human beings, adds a beautiful layer of emotional weight to their story.
The supernatural plot is, as expected, fast-paced and truly gripping. The book opens on an oak tree self-combusting in a park and also features a couple of amazing chapters set in a sort of liminal world where the laws of time and nature cease to exist.
KJ Charles' writing is a real delight - witty, relentless and full of depth. The homage to magazines such as the Strand and to Victorian and early 20th-century pulp fiction - in this book done through references to Robert Caldwell's accounts of Simon Feximal's adventures - adds a great meta-layer to Spectred Isle that is at the same time, its own story and part of a larger web of characters and narratives.
This was my third Adam Silvera's novel in a little over four months and, oh my god, his books keep costing me a small fortune in disposable hankies!
IThis was my third Adam Silvera's novel in a little over four months and, oh my god, his books keep costing me a small fortune in disposable hankies!
I'm still somewhat choked up from this novel that, although not being as totally awesome as Silvera's previous two books (More Happy Than Not and History is All You Left Me) was still compelling, moving and quietly devastating.
They Both Die at the End brings together a number of themes that are already present in Silvera's other books. Like the Leteo procedure in More Happy Than Not, the Death-Cast system that is at the basis of the story in TBDATE introduces an element of dystopian sci-fi to the story. At the same time, the personal stories of the two main characters - reclusive and anxious Mateo Torrez and outgoing but deeply grieving Rufus Emeterio - investigate themes such as identity, acceptance and grief that were already explored in Aaron Soto, Griffin Jennings and the other characters in his previous books.
The novel revolves around a simple but overwhelming question: if you knew you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your last day? With his usual ease at constructing parallel storylines and at bringing together narrative threads, Adam Silvera drags us into the lives of Mateo and Rufus as they get connected through the Last Friend app and set out to spend together their last day trying to be not weighted down by the prospect of death but propelled on by the will to make it memorable and unforgettable. At the same time, we're invited to follow, in short, apparently disconnected chapters, the lives of other Deckers and non-Deckers, whose impact on the last 24 hours of the two main characters will become apparent at different stages in the novel's plot.
The full disclosure cleverly placed by Silvera in the book's title did not prepare me for the huge blow packed by its ending. Knowing that both characters would die at the end - and let's be absolutely clear, they do and there's no magic potion, time machine or crazy scientist here to perform the miracle of saving their life - didn't make their passing less painful or heartbreaking. It also made me very upset at the thought of wasted time and wasted opportunities and although Mateo and Rufus do get to live a memorable last day, the sense of emptiness and loss not just for those who die but also for those who remain behind was there, bitter and raw.
In both MHTN and HIAYLM, the characters find a sense of closure or a small glimmer of hope in the midst of their tragic stories but what remains here after reading the last line is an overwhelming void, only slightly redeemed by the narrative satisfaction of seeing Mateo blossom into a confident young man and Rufus find some peace of mind through the sense of guilt that haunts him for having escaped the death of his family.
What I thought was the strongest point of the novel was its emphasis on friendship and on how you might get the chance in life to build connections that are often stronger and more meaningful than your family ones. Mateo and Rufus develop an amazing friendship in the book through challenging and nudging each other to face their fears and step out of their comfort zones and I think I would have liked to see more build-up in the evolution and discovery of their romantic feelings for each other or perhaps skip the romance completely.
The writing, as usual with Silvera's books, was incredibly good - going all the range from moving to lighthearted and never turning morose or sullen. And, let me be honest, the Your Song scene was a mean sucker punch.
Definitely recommended.
BR with my Team Silvera girl (and all-round favourite buddy reader) Polly, who graciously ignores my constant bullying to get her to read whatever novel we choose at a manic pace. Shout-out!
Merged review:
This was my third Adam Silvera's novel in a little over four months and, oh my god, his books keep costing me a small fortune in disposable hankies!
I'm still somewhat choked up from this novel that, although not being as totally awesome as Silvera's previous two books (More Happy Than Not and History is All You Left Me) was still compelling, moving and quietly devastating.
They Both Die at the End brings together a number of themes that are already present in Silvera's other books. Like the Leteo procedure in More Happy Than Not, the Death-Cast system that is at the basis of the story in TBDATE introduces an element of dystopian sci-fi to the story. At the same time, the personal stories of the two main characters - reclusive and anxious Mateo Torrez and outgoing but deeply grieving Rufus Emeterio - investigate themes such as identity, acceptance and grief that were already explored in Aaron Soto, Griffin Jennings and the other characters in his previous books.
The novel revolves around a simple but overwhelming question: if you knew you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your last day? With his usual ease at constructing parallel storylines and at bringing together narrative threads, Adam Silvera drags us into the lives of Mateo and Rufus as they get connected through the Last Friend app and set out to spend together their last day trying to be not weighted down by the prospect of death but propelled on by the will to make it memorable and unforgettable. At the same time, we're invited to follow, in short, apparently disconnected chapters, the lives of other Deckers and non-Deckers, whose impact on the last 24 hours of the two main characters will become apparent at different stages in the novel's plot.
The full disclosure cleverly placed by Silvera in the book's title did not prepare me for the huge blow packed by its ending. Knowing that both characters would die at the end - and let's be absolutely clear, they do and there's no magic potion, time machine or crazy scientist here to perform the miracle of saving their life - didn't make their passing less painful or heartbreaking. It also made me very upset at the thought of wasted time and wasted opportunities and although Mateo and Rufus do get to live a memorable last day, the sense of emptiness and loss not just for those who die but also for those who remain behind was there, bitter and raw.
In both MHTN and HIAYLM, the characters find a sense of closure or a small glimmer of hope in the midst of their tragic stories but what remains here after reading the last line is an overwhelming void, only slightly redeemed by the narrative satisfaction of seeing Mateo blossom into a confident young man and Rufus find some peace of mind through the sense of guilt that haunts him for having escaped the death of his family.
What I thought was the strongest point of the novel was its emphasis on friendship and on how you might get the chance in life to build connections that are often stronger and more meaningful than your family ones. Mateo and Rufus develop an amazing friendship in the book through challenging and nudging each other to face their fears and step out of their comfort zones and I think I would have liked to see more build-up in the evolution and discovery of their romantic feelings for each other or perhaps skip the romance completely.
The writing, as usual with Silvera's books, was incredibly good - going all the range from moving to lighthearted and never turning morose or sullen. And, let me be honest, the Your Song scene was a mean sucker punch.
Definitely recommended.
BR with my Team Silvera girl (and all-round favourite buddy reader) Polly, who graciously ignores my constant bullying to get her to read whatever novel we choose at a manic pace. Shout-out!...more
Leave it to the fabulous Tamara Allen to grip me with a novel focusing on the depreciation of silver towards the end of the 19th century's in the UnitLeave it to the fabulous Tamara Allen to grip me with a novel focusing on the depreciation of silver towards the end of the 19th century's in the United States.
Tightly plotted, with well rounded and believable characters. Allen never fails to impress me and I'm just sorry she's not a more prolific writer. ...more
A passionate and engaging memoir on the crucial years of the Oizumi Salon and the experiences of the group of mangaka who revolutionized the world of A passionate and engaging memoir on the crucial years of the Oizumi Salon and the experiences of the group of mangaka who revolutionized the world of shojo.
Takemiya recounts the highs and lows of her early career and the male-dominated and still rather stilted world of manga of the 1970s with personal touches and great honesty.
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