Karsa Orlong Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Happy New Year Steve! My challenge on this thread is not to buy half the books you review That's okay, I wouldn't buy them either Happy New Year to you too, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 The 2014 purchases have started, mostly thanks to Amazon's Kindle deals Dead Beat (Dresden Files Book 7) by Jim Butcher The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (been keeping an eye out for this one in the sales cos of Michelle's review last year ) Gordianus the Finder Books 1 - 4 omnibus by Steven Saylor (I've already read two of these, but it seemed silly not to get it for the other two when the omnibus was only £1.09!), so the two books added to Mount Doom are: House of the Vestals A Gladiator Dies Only Once These two in an omnibus for £1.99: Beyond Hades (Prometheus Wars Book 1) by Luke Romyn Slaves of Valhalla (Prometheus Wars Book 2) by Luke Romyn Never heard of them or him, but thought I'd take a punt for that price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Uh Oh , Steve ! I feel a bit like I did in my younger years ,when I went to the skating rink. One person falls, then the rest of us did . Kinda like Dominoes . If you've already begun buying , who will the next Domino be ? I bet I'll be one of them before the day is out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Happy Reading this year Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Well I have been experimenting with invisibility, to be fair Who said that ?! Happy New Year Steve ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Uh Oh , Steve ! I feel a bit like I did in my younger years ,when I went to the skating rink. One person falls, then the rest of us did . Kinda like Dominoes . If you've already begun buying , who will the next Domino be ? I bet I'll be one of them before the day is out . Does this make me a trend setter? Well there's a first Happy Reading this year Steve. Thanks Chrissy, and right back atcha Who said that ?! Happy New Year Steve ! Happy New Year, Sarah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Happy New Year, Sarah! << Runs screaming from room and hides behind sofa, clutching cat for safety >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I haven't bought a thing yet .. but I do have some books waiting in a virtual basket I could always empty it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Free Broken Empire short story on Mark Lawrence's blog! I haven't bought a thing yet .. but I do have some books waiting in a virtual basket I could always empty it though Let them wait in there, ready for a special occasion. Like your birthday. Or . . . Tuesday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I wish you many happy reading adventures in 2014, I look forward to reading your reviews. Happy new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 I wish you many happy reading adventures in 2014, I look forward to reading your reviews. Happy new year. Thanks Devi So I went up to the big Waterstone's at Piccadilly today, and then along to Hatchards. I went because I wanted to get David Gemmell's Morningstar. And I did get it . . . among others. And there might be another one in the post, too That's my book buying done for the next six months weeks days ours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 # 1 The Once and Future King by T. H. White 1958 - Voyage Classics hardback - 858 pages From Amazon: T.H. White’s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. Here all five volumes that make up the story are published together in a single volume, as White himself always wished. Here is King Arthur and his shining Camelot, beasts who talk and men who fly; knights, wizardry and war. It is the book of all things lost and wonderful and sad; the masterpiece of fantasy by which all others are judged. Thoughts: I think they're over-selling it a bit with that last line Anyhoo, this was a Christmas present, and it's a big old hardback, so I thought I should read it straight away, while I'm on leave. It contains the following five volumes: The Sword in the Stone, The Witch in the Wood, The Ill-Made Knight, The Candle in the Wind and The Book of Merlyn. All five were written in the late 30s/early 40s, but The Candle in the Wind was only published in 1958, as part of the collected edition, and The Book of Merlyn wasn't published until the 70s. T. H. White studied Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, and his love for and knowledge of that work shines through. So does his love of cricket, which is often used as a comparison for jousting and such. In fact, because Merlyn is living backwards through time, a lot of more modern references creep in. They can be a bit disconcerting at first if you're not expecting them - which I wasn't - but by and large it works. The Sword in the Stone tells the story of a young boy called Wart and his tutor, Merlyn. Why Wart? Well, it's the closest nickname they could come up with to the abbreviation of his real name. In this story, Merlyn teaches the young Arthur various lessons that will help him down the line, and encourages him to think about what he's learning. This invariably involves magicking the boy into the form of a variety of animals and experiencing life form their points of view. This story is the one most obviously written for children, and it is a lot of fun without getting too preachy. The Witch in the Wood (aka The Queen of Air and Darkness), tells of Gawaine and his brothers Agravaine, Gaheris and Gareth, and their mother, Morgause, and of Arthur's first tentative steps as King, of his desire to use Might for Right, and of the beginnings of the Round Table. This one starts to get darker and more serious in tone, although there are some nice comedic moments involving King Pellinore and Sir Grummore, who also featured in the first book. It's interesting that, after this, the books become far more serious, dark, and tragic in tone, and the humour largely drops away. The ending of this part is truly doom-laden and brilliantly done. The Ill-Made Knight is all about Lancelot and Guenever, starting when Lancelot is a boy. This is a very different Lancelot to the one I am used to from various other portrayals. He is not the handsome character that I've come to expect. Rather, he is ugly, and something inside him is broken. For years he trains to become a knight at Arthur's Round Table, and also to become the greatest knight in the world. You know what happens next. This is the longest volume but it never drags. It's a gripping version of the tale, beautifully written. The Candle in the Wind is further about Lancelot, Guenever and Arthur, but now Mordred - Arthur's illegitimate son - comes to the fore, and a right piece of work he is. Here the hope and friendship of the previous volumes gives way to despair and tragedy, and I thought it was an absolutely superb piece of writing, and would have been quite happy for the book to end here. But unfortunately it all then goes a little bit . . . pants. The Book of Merlyn was originally omitted from the collected version, and I wish it still was. There is no plot to it, very little character, and it's only reason to exist seems to me to have been for White to vent his spleen about how to put an end to war. This involves Arthur sitting in a room with Merlyn and all the animals from The Sword in the Stone, whilst Merlyn spouts endless pages of philosophy. It even includes two long sections from the first book, repeated word for word. I suppose you have to take into account when it was written, with World War II ongoing, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the book, in my opinion, and I could've done without it. Here, White's modern-day references go overboard, even referring to a copy of his own notes that Merlyn has somehow got hold of. It's only in the last 10 to 15 pages that it really had anything to interest me but, even then, I wish the novel had ended at the close of the previous volume, cos I hated this. Individually, I would score the books like this: The Sword in the Stone 7/10 The Witch in the Wood 8/10 The Ill-Made Knight 9/10 The Candle in the Wind 9/10 The Book of Merlyn 2/10 That last book has dragged the score down in the end, but, overall, it's a fantastic read for anyone interested in Arthurian legend. The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind are superb pieces of writing, with brilliant characters, and full of tensions brought about by the knowledge of what will inevitably happen, which is a neat trick if an author can pull it off well, which White definitely does. Just give the last book a miss. Overall score: 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (been keeping an eye out for this one in the sales cos of Michelle's review last year ) I always get scared when I read this - please don't hate me if you don't like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 I always get scared when I read this - please don't hate me if you don't like it! Of course not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) Congratulations on your new purchases! The Gemmell look awesome. How close are you to having a complete collection? Great review of the BAH - what a shame the last story dragged it all down. The Witch in the Wood sounds like the Mary Stewart novel The Wicked Day (the only one I really enjoyed), which was also about Mordred and Morgause and the dark deeds of Sir Gawaine and Agravaine and the rest. Edited January 2, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Congratulations on your new purchases! The Gemmell look awesome. How close are you to having a complete collection? I've only got three left to get, I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I've only got three left to get, I think Is that not a good thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Let them wait in there, ready for a special occasion. Like your birthday. Or . . . Tuesday! I like the Tuesday option best? Steve!?! .. you are spending for the rest of us Nearly everybody else is saying 'no book buying/spending/licking/drooling over books this year' and you are just shovelling them into your basket You're out of control .. I think they sell patches for it at the chemist Happy Reading!! *seek help* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Kay's got a point there Steve where's the restraint....did you get a lot of gift vouchers for Chrimbo? You could tip us all into the abyss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Kay's got a point there Steve where's the restraint....did you get a lot of gift vouchers for Chrimbo? You could tip us all into the abyss To be fair, Steve's keeping all the bookshops going for when we're all ready to dip into our purses again .. somebody's got to keep them afloat I actually bought two books today myself .. it's just two seems such a small number as to be almost not worth mentioning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Is that not a good thing? No, cos there'll never be any more after that Steve!?! .. you are spending for the rest of us Nearly everybody else is saying 'no book buying/spending/licking/drooling over books this year' and you are just shovelling them into your basket Yeah, but everybody else is in denial, I'm just being realistic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Great review, Steve! I quite like to read about the Arthurian times. Your new books are looking wonderful, I hope you'll enjoy them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Yeah, but everybody else is in denial, I'm just being realistic I bought 11 this afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 I bought 11 this afternoon. Mwahahahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Mwahahahaha! Don't you go out and buy 12 tomorrow, or this could turn into a dangerous game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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