Soul Music - Who knew death could be so much fun?

I do love it when Terry Pratchett gets it right, and with Soul Music he definitely strikes the right chord. With this book, the third in the Discworld "Death" series, we find Susan - an odd girl who doesn't really engage with her classmates or teachers, and has the unusual ability to make people not see her when she wants to. Susan is the "grand-daughter" of Death - he of the long black shroud and scythe. But, she doesn't know this until he turns his back on his duties and sets out to "try and forget" - and suddenly, Susan finds that she has, somehow, taken on his role for the Discworld. Despite people mistaking her for the Tooth Fairy, she gets to work, and soon realises that she can save people from their fate - people she doesn't think deserve to die at that exact time. One of these is a musician, who comes across a strange guitar that kind of possesses him. This guitar pretty much plays itself - and boy, how it plays. There unfolds a skit on the story of rock and roll and how it influenced an unsuspecting public as well as other musicians - let alone the managers who then proceed to make a whole lot of money out of the venture at the expense of the talent! There are some really clever moments and the story is jam-packed with humour. One of the lines that made me laugh out loud is to do with the standard counting in of a song, which, at one point, is performed by the troll member of the band - and due to his limited numbering system, the count goes "One, two, many, lots." Will Susan realise that she should not interfere with the destiny of the individual, even though it may not seem "fair"? And will Death pull himself together and get back to work? This book is well worth the few hours it takes to read - full of wit and wisdom and lots of rock and roll references (all with the Discworld spin of course). Enjoy!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 378 print pages.
Price I paid: £1.99.
Formats available: print; abridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

The Black House - a tale as rugged as the landscape

The Black House, by Peter May is the first of the Lewis Trilogy. I had heard great things about this series, and read plenty of good reviews, and I have to say, I was not displeased to have the excuse of this year's blog theme of "series and sequels" to get going with this set of books. The actions starts in Edinburgh, with our main character, DS Fin Macleod, reluctantly heading back to work after four weeks compassionate leave following the death of his young son. He is a broken man in many ways and is not impressed by the assignment his boss hands over to him - a murder investigation on the Isle of Lewis ... the place where he grew up and couldn't wait to get away from when he was 18 years old. The murder victim is known to Fin - a bully who victimised him and his friend Artair when he was at school. As the investigation takes shape, memories that have been locked away start to resurface as Fin meets the people who helped shape his life ... including his first love, Marsaili whose heart he broke. Events start to become more and more personal, with Fin slowly realising that he has more of a part to play in this tragedy than just doing his job. This is a dark and sometimes uncomfortable read. The switches between childhood and current events were smooth and there was always a point to each passage. The action matches the harsh reality of life on weather-beaten Lewis, an island off the north-west coast of Scotland. It's tough to make a living, and even tougher to find true happiness. This is a really good read, and is not as bleak as you might think, despite the subject matter. The characters are well-drawn and you cannot help but care about them. Maybe I was being a bit thick, but I didn't guess the big reveal towards the end of the book, which makes me very happy. All too often, things are sign-posted from an early point in a story which mean that genuine surprises are few and far between. I can definitely recommend this book and am really looking forward to getting stuck into book two! I cannot believe that this book was turned down by UK publishers and was first published in France. Whether you read the printed word or go for the audio edition, which I did, you are in for a treat ... a book that actually lives up to the hype!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 502 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.99.
Formats available: print; abridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Crossroads of Twilight - just get on with it!!!

Crossroads of Twilight is book ten of the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan. I have persisted with this series even though the last couple of books have been a bit mediocre, with much preamble before anything significant actually happening. I was hoping that this title would have got the series back on track. But no! 700 pages and almost nothing happened. It almost feels like you are reading something in real time, following the characters minute by minute as they mull over events and feelings. And, as usual, there are an immense amount of characters. It is so easy to lose yourself (and not in a good way) trying to get your head around who is who, as well as how and where they relate to each other in the story. The first few books had the main characters together in the thick of events, but now that they have all split up, it's as if you are reading six different books all at the same time. Of course there are still links, but they feel very weak. I am becoming increasingly frustrated by this series. I have invested a heck of an amount of time to it, and am being short-changed in the story-telling department. The plot, such as it is, was around what was happening just after Rand al'Thor - the Dragon Reborn - "cleansed" the male half of the True Source (magic to you and me). This power eventually kills men who use it - but only after it has sent them mad - but has Rand now prevented this from happening? The other characters don't know that this is what has happened as yet, just that a massive use of "the power" took place. Egwene is trying to keep all her Aes Sedai together and plans to take back the White Tower and bring all the Sisters back together as a cohesive group. Mat remains in hiding within the travelling circus, but is drawn to his captive - Tuon - who he is pretty sure he is destined to marry - even though he's not sure he actually likes her. Perrin is on the trail of his wife, and is determined to rescue her from the clutches of her kidnappers. Yes, that's two kidnap plots in the same book! Meanwhile, Elayne, who is pregnant by Rand al'Thor is still manoeuvring to ensure her ascendancy to the throne at Caemlyn. There are hints of intrigues and lots of talking and meaningful looks, but almost no action. Seriously, how long can this be strung out for? I'm begging for the story to reach the heights of the first few books, but doubt as to whether this will actually happen has set in big time. Will my plea of JUST GET ON WITH IT be heeded in book eleven? Fingers crossed all round!

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 700 print pages.
Price I paid: £3.00 (at a fantastic second-hand bookshop in Whitstable).
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Whispers Under Ground - fantastic fantasy

In Whispers Under Ground, the third book in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, our hero, PC Peter Grant is once again caught up in the middle of a new mystery, set, primarily, in the dark and murky landscape of the London Underground and the sewerage system. Mmmm! It's a few days before Christmas, there's snow in the air and a body is found at Baker Street station. Horrible, but not unusual you would think except no one can work out how the dead man got there without being picked up by the myriad of CCTV monitors, and how come the murder weapon seems to be a bit of pottery? Anything out of the ordinary and the Met's Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka 'The Folly' is called in ... and so enter PC Grant - apprentice wizard. He detects the tell tales traces of the use of magic, and sets off to find the culprit. Peter is accompanied on his investigation by WPC Leslie May who was severely affected by magic in the first book, and now wears a mask to cover her horrific facial injuries. They are friends as well as colleagues and there are touching moments between them as they both try to come to terms with the past. A third wheel comes on the scene in the form of FBI Agent Reynolds, who is called in because the victim is the son of a US Senator. She is not exactly a believer in the supernatural, but she does pack a mean gun and isn't afraid to use it ... which comes in handy! There are twists and turns and a huge dollop of humour. I think this is the best of the series so far - the characters are great and Peter, as narrator, brings wit and cynicism in equal measure. Brought to life by the fantastic narration of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, I can thoroughly recommend the audio book edition. This is a sharp, crisp thriller that should please those inclined to crime novels as well as fantasy.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 400 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Catching Fire - The Hunger Games turns epic!

Catching Fire is the second in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. We catch up with our heroine, Katniss Everdeen, who, since her spectacular victory in the Hunger Games at the end of the previous book, is back home in District 12, living a much more comfortable life in terms of having more than enough food and living in a nice house with her mother and little sister. However, her personal life is not her own. Still having to maintain the pretence of being in love with her fellow victor, Peeta, she and her childhood friend Gael have grown apart. This is not helped when she and Peeta are forced to go on a victory tour at the behest of President Snow, who threatens all she loves if she does not play ball and do everything she can to help quell the unrest around the Districts. She plays her part well, but witnesses parts of the uprising and the swift injustice shown to those citizens involved. Back home, the grip from the Capitol tightens and Gael is brutally whipped. Katniss decides it is time to make a break for it with everyone she cares about ... but President Snow has other plans. It's the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games, and to celebrate, the participants are taken from all the previous victors, no matter what their age or state of health. Katniss and Peeta end up back in the games in a watery, new arena. This time, she is determined that if there is only to be one survivor, it will be Peeta. When unusual alliances form, and fellow competitors are helping her, instead of trying to kill her, Katniss struggles to get her head round this turn of events. Should she trust them (not her strong suit) or take the first opportunity to kill them and give Peeta better odds to come out of the Games alive?

This is an excellent sequel to the first book and leaves the reader on a fantastic cliff hanger. The dystopian world created by the author is a cruel and violent one, but the increasing number of small acts of kindness start to build traction, and it feels like the fight back against the oppressive Capitol is becoming inevitable, with Katniss becoming the poster girl for the rebellion. This is a swift paced book, with more than enough action to keep anyone interested. The only thing that lets this book down for me is the narrator, Carolyn McCormick, who has a bit of an unbalanced delivery for me. I am now hooked on finding out what happens and will be seeking out the final part. I also have a sneaky desire to watch the films too, to find out how they have portrayed the characters, the costumes and the action scenes.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 480 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

A Monster Calls

I have been vaguely looking at Patrick Ness books for a wee while due to excellent reviews for things like The Knife of Never Letting Go. So when I saw one as part of a special offer on Audible, narrated by Jason Isaacs, I couldn't resist. And I am so pleased that I did. A Monster Calls is a little gem. Connor is having nightmares, he's been having them since his mum began her treatments for cancer. It's the same nightmare every time - with a huge, dark monster. One night, at 12.07, his name is called by the monster ... but it's in his back garden, and it's not the one he was expecting. This is ancient, earthly and takes the form of a yew tree. And it wants the most scary thing of all ... the truth! Patrick Ness creates this powerful tale of love and loss from the final idea of the Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Yes, this is a book aimed at a much younger audience than myself, but it is so full of genuine feeling that I would defy anyone not to be moved. It's a book that seems to be staying with me, as little snippets keep popping back into my head - but that is also due to the phenomenal narration by Jason Isaacs. Both funny and heart wrenching, this little piece of literary heaven will not disappoint.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 216 print pages.
Price I paid: £3.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

The Pagan Lord - Saxon blood and guts

Lord Uhtred, the central character of The Warrior Chronicles series by Bernard Cornwell, finds himself out of favour with King Edward of Wessex, son of Alfred the Great. He makes matters worse by killing a priest and goes on the run, disowning his eldest son who had become a priest, and elevating his younger son to the position of first born - renaming him Uhtred. Almost in desperation, and with very few loyal men left in his band, he goes on a daring raid to Bebbanberg, his childhood home - and Northumbrian fortress - to wrest control from his uncle, who had stolen it from him following his father's death. Things don't quite go according to plan - though he does kill his uncle and kidnap his cousin's wife and son in order to escape. In an odd symmetry, he discovers that he is being blamed for kidnapping the family of Cnut Longsword - his old Viking enemy - and the man who is leading the Danes in the North, ready to invade the Saxon held areas, including Wessex. Lord Uhtred is The Pagan Lord of the title and sets out to scupper the invasion plans, primarily to save Aethelflead - his lover - and sister to King Edward. As always with Mr Cornwell, this is a total page-turner. So pacey that it almost leaves you breathless at times. The characters are now so well-developed (this is the seventh book in these tales) that it's like hooking up with old friends - albeit exceptionally foul-mouthed and violent friends who you just wouldn't cross! The reader is immersed in the filth, politics and uncertain nature of the times. It feels so authentic that it's hard not to feel your blood rising and heart rate increasing with every twist and turn. Another great book from one of the most consistent authors alive today. If you haven't read one of these thrilling tales, what are you waiting for?

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 320 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.