Stardust - Magic!

When Neil Gaiman is on song (and when isn't he?), he is a joy to read. And so it proves with Stardust, a fairy tale for the more grown up amongst us. Not much happens in the small town of Wall, except, that is, for every nine years, when the Faerie Market takes place in the meadow on the other side of "The Wall". It's the only time when humans mix with the Faerie Kingdom that they live next door to, but totally separate from, thanks to, yes, you've guessed it ... The Wall! During one such market, Dunstan Thorn meets the alluring Una, and one thing leads to another! Nine months later, a baby boy is left at the gap in The Wall and Dunstan raises the child - Tristran. Unaware of his mixed heritage, when Tristran is 18, he falls for Victoria Forester. One night, they see a shooting star fall into the Faerie Kingdom, and in an effort to win at least a kiss, and hopefully her hand in marriage, he vows to retrieve it for her. And so begins Tristran's adventure as he leaves everything behind in search of the star. When he finally discovers it however, it turns out to be a beautiful young woman named Yvaine, and she is not happy! Tristran may be put out by her attitude, but persists with his quest, which inevitably, leads them into all sorts of scrapes. However, there are others who want to find the star too, including the Lillim - ancient witches who know that if they can secure the heart of the star, it will restore their youth - and nothing and nobody is going to stand in their way! This book has a great mix of good and evil, as you would expect in a fairy tale. There are some deliciously evil baddies, some incredibly inept baddies and a fine array of goodies, but none of them are sickly sweet. As you would expect in any book by this author, there is plenty of humour, especially if you like it on the dark side. There is real heart too (no pun intended), with the relationship between Tristran and Yvaine developing in an interesting, but ultimately satisfying way. The characters are plentiful, and each have a part to play - although not all of them were as well drawn as I would have preferred. This isn't a long book and while it raced along, I sometimes felt that some sections raced along just a little bit too speedily. But I am probably being a bit too picky here ... it's just that I was enjoying the story so much that I wanted it to last a little longer! I've just downloaded another of his books, in audio format this time, and am already looking forward to delving into it, especially as it is being read by the author himself.

My STAR rating: 4 STARS.

Length: 224 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE OFFER.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook.

The Blade Itself - Superb!

Why do I do this to myself ... I spot a book on offer and think, oooo, that sounds good, and then I read it and IT IS GOOD ... but it's the start of a series! So why is that a problem? Well, I am already in the middle of lots of book series, and I don't know when I'm ever going to get them all finished! As you can already tell by now, The Blade Itself: Book One Of The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, is one such book. And what a book! The action is full on from the start and I was hooked from the very first sequence which featured Logen Ninefingers fighting for his life. He is an infamous warrior from the North, who is in a blood feud with Bethod, the new King of the Northmen. Trying to flee from this feud and make a new life, he comes across an sickly man, and ends up taking him back to his home. It turns out that this man is an apprentice to Bayaz, the First of the Magi, who persuades Logen to accompany him to Adua in the Union Kingdom ... even though it's hard to believe that Bayaz is anything but a balding, fat fraud in the vein of the Great Oz! Meanwhile, Inquisitor Glokta, a former fencing champion and hero of the last war, but who, following his capture and subsequent torture during that war, now spends his days in endless pain, which only seems to be eased when he is meting out torture to the enemies of the Union! Also in the mix is Captain Jezal dan Luthar, a shallow, self-obsessed nobleman who has been chosen to take part in the upcoming fencing competition, but who would much rather play cards with his friends and live a life of ease. We spend much of the novel really getting to know these apparently disparate people as their stories slowly but surely start to converge against the backdrop of an impending war. There is so much to love about this book - the excellent characters who are all so well drawn, the action sequences so lovingly yet brutally told and the underlying threat from the Northmen that builds throughout the pages. The dialogue is spiky and believable and Inquisitor Glokta brings a darkly acerbic wit to the piece that even though he is not exactly Mr Nice Guy, you can't wait for him to reappear (think Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham). There are a couple of strong female characters in this novel, and I am hoping that they get more space in the next book. An excellent set up to the trilogy that I will most definitely be seeking out. I read the audio edition, narrated by the wonderful Steven Pacey.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 544 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.99
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook.

Tales of Nibiru: Volume One Z.I.R.M. - The Zombie Revolution starts here!

In the strange world of Nibiru, one young vampire - Rhaul - becomes increasingly disturbed by the treatment being meted out on anyone who isn't one of his kind. His parents had fought for the rights of all beings, but since their untimely "permanent" deaths, these rights have slowly, but surely, been eroded by their new leader, his uncle Derek. Rhaul would do almost anything to stop his world slipping back into the dark days of the past where his best friends, a feisty Werewolf and stoical Zombie (name of Timothy!) would end up as second class citizens, and vampires would get to indulge their bloodlust to their cold unbeating heart's content! He takes a stand against his own kind and joins forces with Z.I.R.M. (Zombie International Rights Movement), resulting in the most unlikely battle where body parts are not only lost, but end up being used as weapons! Tales of Nibiru: Volume One Z.I.R.M., by B.B. Taylor romps along at great speed and features some memorable characters - especially Viola, the fabulously blood thirsty librarian (note to self, never take a book back late to her library!). Full of surreal images and big dollops of humour, this short book is aimed at younger readers who like it a little dark and are fed up of sparkly rainbows. It will take you to a strange world where your sympathies will definitely lie with the Zombies - and there aren't many of those! By no means a perfect book - the kindle edition does have some typos and not all the sections flow smoothly - however, I think that this has potential, and may just be the beginning of a bonkers new world that may come to inhabit the fantasy literature shelves in future years.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 60 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE.
Formats available: print, ebook.

A Spool of Blue Thread - Families!

I am new to Anne Tyler, and wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, but it was recommended to me by my Mum and I'm very happy that she did. A Spool of Blue Thread is the tale of the Whitshank family and the house that they have lived in over several generations. We start with Red and Abby who are starting to struggle a little, and whose children - now with children of their own - rally round to give them support. Inevitably, and despite their best intentions, the old irritations and arguments that the children have been harbouring all their lives resurface. One son, Denny, is a particular source of tension - he never tells anyone what is going on in his life, and comes and goes at a moments leave. When tragedy hits the family, they make the tough decision to leave the house that was built by Red's father. We then go back in time to see how Abby and Red fell in love, which is quite a sweet tale. But then we go back a further generation to Red's parents and see how their story began. Pretty much all the action is centred around the family home which is definitely a character in its own right. This is a book full of emotion - with so many kinds of relationships on show that it is hard to imagine anyone not being able to relate to some of the characters. We witness the effect of things being left unsaid within a family and how hard it can be to realise that you've left it too late. There are heartbreaking moments, but there is humour too, and above all, there is an overwhelming feeling of people trying their best to do the right thing, and, especially with the older generation, to stick it out even when you feel like turning tail and heading for the hills. On the face of it, there may not seem to be much going on, but this is a story about how humans live and love in the world, and the bravery shown by those who, when faced with adversity, just get on with it. I will definitely be seeking more works by this author.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 465 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my Mum.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook.

Barnaby Rudge - worth the effort!

Barnaby Rudge, by Charles Dickens is a book I knew nothing about except for the title. It is certainly not one of his better known books and is a little different to the other works of his that I have read. It is set against the backdrop of the Gordon Riots of 1780, an event I also knew nothing about. There are many characters, which is par for the course with Dickens, but they are all clearly drawn and I certainly didn't get as confused as I have done in previous works. The action centres around three families - the Haredales (Geoffrey and his niece Emma), the Chesters (Sir John and his son Edward) and the Vardens (locksmith Gabriel, his wife and his daughter Dolly). Their lives are intertwined by love, hatred and tragedy. Within the same orbit, lives Barnaby Rudge, a simple young man whose mother is desperate to protect him from the cruelty of the world. When a strange man calls on them, she flees in an effort to protect Barnaby, but nowhere is safe from this man, and this event marks the beginning of a downward spiral for Barnaby. Along with most of London, all our characters are engulfed by the wave of anti-Catholic feeling being promoted by Lord George Gordon and his followers. Barnaby is duped into joining the ensuing mob and is caught up in the resulting riots. There is so much going on in this book, but it is all expertly tied together - although it sometimes takes a little while to see how. There isn't as much comic relief here as there is in other works, with only Miggs - the servant of the Vardens - being the one truly silly character. The passages about the riots and especially the burning of Newgate prison are epic. And, as you would expect, there are some great characters who display every side of the human condition. It is serious and long, but I thought it was definitely worth the effort - although it might have helped that I read the audio edition narrated by the glorious Sean Barrett!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 800 print pages.
Price I paid: £3.86.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, mp3 CD, ebook.

The Girl With The Cat Tattoo - unusual take on a romance

In this unusual romantic novel by Theresa Weir, the narrator is a cat called Max. His mistress, Melody, was widowed two years ago when her cop husband was murdered in their own home. Max has become increasingly concerned about the way Melody is living - she has shut out almost all of her old friends, and has become a bit of a party girl, sometimes bringing home strange men for the night. Max decides to play matchmaker and heads out to find someone more suitable. He ends up in a night shelter and is drawn to a guy named Joe, who is helping out there by serving the food. Max brings the two together and romance blossoms. However, Joe is not what he seems and when he is shot one night, all of Melody's bottled up fears and traumas  that stem from her husband's murder rise to the surface again. Has Max made a big mistake, and will Joe and Melody find happiness? This is primarily a light book, easy to read and merrily skips along. There are some darker undercurrents too, which prevent it getting overly sweet. I did wonder where things were going at one point when Ellen DeGeneres made an unexpected appearance in the plot. That bothered me a little as I thought it was an unnecessary plot device and totally unbelievable ... then again ... this is a story about a match-making cat, so hey, I suppose you have to suspend your disbelief in quite a big way anyway! I actually liked Max, the cat, as a character and there were some funny touches that helped you get inside his head - I'm now more sure than ever that cats are always up to something! However, I wasn't as sure that the two main human characters were as well drawn, and some elements didn't ring true. For a quick, light read with an ending that you can be sure of, you could probably do a lot worse than The Girl With The Cat Tattoo. Not one I would heartily recommend, but as it was free, I can't really moan.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 166 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE.
Formats available: print, ebook.

Sharpe's Waterloo - Not enough Sharpe!

It pains me to say this, but for the first time reading a Bernard Cornwell book, I have felt a little disappointed. Sharpe's Waterloo is number 20 in what has been a fabulous series of historical novels centred around an iconic, heroic character. Richard Sharpe, born in the gutter, has worked his way up the ranks in Wellington's army. He had thought his fighting days were over and was living peacefully in France with his new love and their child. All was going swimmingly until Napoleon escaped and mobilised the French once again. It's June in 1815, and Sharpe heads back to war, but this time, as part of the Prince of Orange's personal staff. Needless to say, Sharpe is not impressed by the impetuous young man and they are soon at loggerheads. As Napoleon's army crosses the border into Belgium, the British and Prussian armies are separated, and know that they face defeat unless they can make a final stand just outside a small place called Waterloo. The British must hold firm until the Prussians can rejoin them, but the odds are stacked against them. There is much to like about this latest sojourn for Sharpe, the description of the skirmishes and battles, full of rich detail are a grizzly delight. However, for me, there just wasn't enough Sharpe. There was stacks of action and incident, but featuring characters that I wasn't invested in. It felt like a novel about Waterloo, that happened to have a cameo of Richard Sharpe dropped into it to make it a "Sharpe" novel. Maybe it's just me, but to leave your best asset on the sidelines for much of the book left me a little flat. This penultimate (number 20) Sharpe book is definitely not one of the best. Hopefully the final book in this series will be a belter!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 435 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.49.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio cassette, unabridged audio download, CD-ROM, ebook.