Karsa Orlong

Looks like I'm not alone: Independent review of The Religion

The Religion by Tim Willocks This is a tough one. From the way it started I thought I was going to love this book. 770 pages later I was left feeling that it could have been brilliant but was let down in almost terminal fashion by Willocks's disturbing love of graphic sex, violence and endless descriptions of human excrement. The flowery, almost poetic prose that enchants and hypnotises in the first few pages quickly gives way to a marathon groan-athon of hilariously overwrought dialogue and battle scenes that blur into one simply because of a lack of clarity. At the start I felt as though I could almost touch the scenery, and the characters leaped off the page. Tannhauser, who witnessed the deaths of his mother and sisters when his village was sacked when he was a child (and was subsequently spirited away by the invaders), seems to be the very model of a lovable rogue but, by the end, it seemed to me that all he was interested in was the blood on his sword and the bulge in his pants. He is a trader, and has striven to build a life away from war. That is, until the lady Carla enlists his help to find the child that was taken from her at birth by her evil father - a quest that inevitably takes them into the middle of the 16th century siege of Malta. Tannhauser seems to profess, on many occasions, that all he wants is to take his love (the fact that he's sleeping with one woman - in any number of circumstances that Willocks takes glee in describing in minute detail - whilst simultaneously professing undying love for another just has the word 'wrong' written all over it) away from the war, and yet at every given opportunity he's out on the killing field wreaking havoc, or acting as the very traitor he accuses others of being by switching sides. It's obvious that, with this latter plot device, Willocks wanted to be able to show events through both Christian and Moslem eyes but he fails spectacularly. I reached the end thinking that, really, Tannhauser was a bit of an ass, the kind of person who - if I met them in real life - I would hate on instinct. There are, I think, only two truly sympathetic characters in the whole novel. One is Amparo. She comes across as a little simple, a result of events earlier in her life, and her view of the world is one of simple pleasures and undying loyalty to her mistress, Carla. That is, until Tannhauser comes along. Then she becomes a complete nymphomaniac, which is especially hard to believe considering the hell she went through when she was younger. The other is Carla's son, although he seems largely to be there to hero-worship Tannhauser (which begins to defy belief towards the end). Needless to say, he gets into danger on regular occasions, and one decision made half way through the book seems designed only to drag proceedings out beyond the necessary. Having ripped it apart, I have to say that there were large sections of the novel that I really enjoyed. I just didn't need to be constantly barraged with images of people's private parts, or the loose bowels that seemed to occur every other page. I also can't imagine that any woman reading it wouldn't find it immensely sexist. I'm now thinking this is rather generous but anyway ... 5/10

Thanks Pickle I'm trying not to read them too quickly so that I don't get 'Nesbo burn-out' So I still have The Snowman to read before thinking about The Leopard

I saw this thread on Amazon which is a little worrying - several people are reporting that the casing of their Kindles has cracked at the bottom corner(s) of the screen: Amazon thread Have any Kindle owners here encountered this?

I remember when we had to cling on to small victories Brilliant knock by Watson today. Shame he couldn't do it when it really mattered Joking aside, I think he's been the Aussies' best and most consistent player for the whole of the England tour and considering everything else that must be on his mind at the moment that was a truly great knock

The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo This was the fourth of my Nesbo reads and he hasn't let me down yet. The opening is interesting, as it takes place some 12 years before the events in the book, and tells of a particular crime, although we are not told who committed this act, or who the victim was. We then jump to the present day, when a member of the Salvation Army is shot dead at a Christmas gathering. We are told the tale from both Harry's point of view and that of the killer, whose identity naturally remains a mystery until the latter stages. It's another suitably tortuous plot that Harry Hole has to unravel and things get mighty personal. I'd say this is the first of Nesbo's novels that I've read which can probably be enjoyed without having read those prior to it (that are currently available in English). Whereas The Redbreast, Nemesis and The Devil's Star all had different main plotlines, they were effectively a trilogy as there was one particular strand that wove its way through them. That strand gets mentioned frequently in The Redeemer, but it doesn't play a major part in the plot as it did in the previous novels. Having said that, there is a revelation towards the end which I found quite shocking. Nesbo, for me, is a master at building suspense. Whilst he has never quite topped one particular sequence in The Redbreast, he comes very close on several occasions here. Harry's flaws are laid bare for all to see, and it's these flaws that make him such a winning character, imo. His friendships with Halvorsen and Beatte are tested thoroughly here, and a couple of new characters turn up who bring new dynamics to the table. None of them are quite on a par with Tom Waaler, though. Yet. In short, a fantastic read. If you haven't caught up with Jo Nesbo yet, and you're even remotely interested in crime fiction, I can't recommend his work highly enough. 9/10

Blimey, I can feel the pressure already

Yes, I shall endeavour to keep it up to date, promise!

How To Train Your Dragon. Utterly, utterly loved it Although I'm still trying to work out why the adult Vikings spoke with Scottish accents whilst the kids were all American I want Toothless for a pet. So much smarter than my stoopid cat

Stand By, Stand By by Chris Ryan This is the first of Ryan's novels I've read as well, and the first of his Geordie Sharp novels. If anything, it's an even more testosterone fuelled rollercoaster than the Iggulden I reviewed, above. It concerns the Provisional IRA, and how Sharp (a member of the SAS) becomes embroiled in a personal crusade to hunt down one of its leaders. I don't want to spoil it any further than that, because the twist and turns are probably the most notable part of the book. It's a decent read, although there are many rough edges. This was Ryan's debut work of fiction, but I haven't read any others so don't know if his style improves. Again, I don't want to spoil any major plot points, but there was one particular life-changing moment for our Geordie to which his only response was "Oh no!" - which made me laugh. Of course, saying 'oh no' on its own isn't a problem but, given the context and the presence of the exclamation mark, it just didn't seem very convincing. Considering the depth of knowledge he brings to the subject, and his obvious efforts to lend authenticity to the situations, I would hope that Ryan has worked on his characterisation/dialogue in subsequent novels. Also, the latter stages of the book rely on your suspension of disbelief at one huge coincidence that happens half way round the world in Colombia. It was a little too convenient, imo. Having said all that, I did enjoy it. There is a nice build up of menace that escalates as matters progress, although I felt he could have done much more with it than he actually does. However, the ending has to be read to be believed - it's jaw on the floor stuff. 6/10 Edit: re the Kindle formatting, no complaints at all here.

Angel - Sarah McLachlan

Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden This was kind of an impulse purchase. I'd never read any of Iggulden's work before, although I have had the first of his 'Emperor' series sitting on the shelf for a few months (my boss, who is something of an expert on Ancient Rome, put me off reading it and steered me towards Steven Saylor instead ... ), but I wanted something a bit different to read on the Kindle I received for Christmas and this book sprang to mind. It's the first of his 'Conqueror' series. I suppose, in many ways, the book was exactly what I expected it to be: kind of a boy's own adventure using real events as a (loose) backdrop. But I think that actually does the author a disservice. Iggulden is actually a blimmin' good storyteller, and he kept my eyes glued to the page (screen!), and I found the highs and extreme lows of Temujin's early years riveting. I can't wax lyrical about it - it's not that kind of book. I reckon it's very much a 'bloke's' book, with its mixture of violence and revenge, and its 'boo-hiss' bad guys, who you can almost see twirling their evil moustaches. The women in the story aren't overlooked (Temujin's mother and his future wife are actually decent, well-rounded characters), but they definitely play second fiddle to the men. His mother comes into her own after one especially horrific and shocking event that occurs at about the midway point of the story - and event which completely changed my perspective on certain characters. I'd imagine, like my boss and the 'Emperor' series, this might have any historians of the Mongol Empire - and Genghis Khan in particular - probably started climbing the walls as they read this but for me, coming at it without much prior knowledge, it was a rollicking good read, and I've already downloaded the second book in the series, Lords of the Bow. Recommended. 9/10 p.s. And perhaps, as it's a Kindle edition, I should mention that the formatting is excellent, with no annoying errors, although it is the only Kindle edition I've read so far in which the text was not right-justified.

Hoping to be a bit more organised with this in 2011 ... My 2010 list

k = Kindle January 01. Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden 9/10 k 02. Stand By, Stand By by Chris Ryan 6/10 k 03. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo 9/10 k 04. The Religion by Tim Willocks 5/10 05. Splinter by Sebastian Fitzek 8/10 k 06. Endless Night by Richard Laymon 2/10 k 07. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo 10/10 08. 61 Hours by Lee Child 8/10 February 09. Worth Dying For by Lee Child 7/10 k --. Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre DNF 10. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 9/10 11. Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky 6/10 12. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo 9/10 k 13. Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden 6/10 k 14. Blue Heaven by C J Box 8/10 k 15. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson (re-read) 7/10 k March 16. Toll The Hounds by Steven Erikson (re-read) 9/10 k 17. Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson (re-read) 6/10 k 18. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson 9/10 k 19. Revelation by C J Sansom 9/10 20. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane 7/10 April 21. The Final Empire - Mistborn Book One by Brandon Sanderson 8/10 22. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay 10/10 23. A Game of Thrones - by George RR Martin (re-read) 9/10 24. The Well of Ascension - Mistborn Book Two by Brandon Sanderson 6/10 25. Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor 9/10 May 26. Zero Option by Chris Ryan 4/10 k 27. The Hero of Ages - Mistborn Book Three by Brandon Sanderson 7/10 28. Heartstone by C J Sansom 9/10 29. A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin (re-read) 8/10 k June 30. Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks 7/10 31. On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers 8/10 k 32. A Song For Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay 10/10 33. A Storm of Swords 1: Steel & Snow by George RR Martin 9/10 k 34. A Storm of Swords 2: Blood & Gold by George RR Martin 10/10 k 35. American Gods by Neil Gaiman 6/10 July 36. A Feast For Crows by George RR Martin 7/10 k 37. A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin 6/10 k 38. Crack'd Pot Trail by Steven Erikson 5/10 39. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 8/10 40. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin 8/10 August 41. Storm Front (Dresden Files 1) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k 42. The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story by Stephen Donaldson 6/10 43. Catalina's Riddle by Steven Saylor 8/10 44. Hyperion by Dan Simmons 10/10 45. Emphyrio by Jack Vance 8/10 46. The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris 6/10 k 47. Fool Moon (Dresden Files 2) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k 48. Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds 9/10 September --. End Game by Matthew Glass DNF 49. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 6/10 50. Waylander by David Gemmell 8/10 51. The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill 8/10 52. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre 6/10 53. The Voyage of The Sable Keech by Neal Asher 8/10 October 54. Prador Moon by Neal Asher 9/10 55. Orbus by Neal Asher 9/10 56. Zoo Station by David Downing 7/10 k 57. Fallen Idols by Neil White 6/10 k 58. All My Sins Remembered by Joe Haldeman 7/10 k 59. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8/10 k 60. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 6/10 k 61. Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell 8/10 November 62. Dracula by Bram Stoker 5/10 k 63. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver 9/10 64. The Infidel by Bob Shepherd 7/10 k 65. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 7/10 k 66. Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg 7/10 k 67. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt 9/10 k 68. Grave Peril (Dresden Files 3) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k 69. The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman 8/10 k 70. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey 7/10 December 71. The Winter King: Warlord Chronicles Book 1 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10 72. Enemy of God: Warlord Chronicles Book 2 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10 73. Excalibur: Warlord Chronicles Book 3 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10 74. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker 7/10 75. Lord Foul's Bane (Thomas Covenant Chronicles Book 1) by Stephen Donaldson 3/10 76. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 8/10 77. Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay 9/10 --. Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay moved to 2012 thread

Thanks Frankie, and same to you. I'm sure I'll be around more, now that I'm back at work ...

And the first I have been able to watch live on tv And the first time my Aussie colleagues have been old enough to know a home defeat The only thing I can imagine being a better feeling than this is our lot winning the footie World Cup - and that isn't going to happen in my lifetime by the looks of it Well done Straussy and the boys, you've done us proud.

Wow, that's a name from the past. I haven't read Boy's Life, but I vividly remember reading Stinger and Wolf's Hour by the same author, many moons ago - probably more than 20 years ago (shudder!). Stinger still rates as one of the scariest books I've read

You're right, the UK press is very harsh. They take great delight in building people up and then knocking them down with a wrecking ball. I can already see the headlines if we don't do well against India in the summer

Hi Frankie, sorry for the delay in replying - I haven't been around for a few weeks Yes, I did know about Angel's Game. I haven't got it yet - like you, I've been kind of worried by the reviews I've read which have said it's a let down in comparison ... I'm sure I will read it, though. Let me know if you get to it before I do!

I never do that sort of thing. Not me. Never.

Got one for Christmas and am absolutely delighted with it. I had a previous generation Sony eReader which I was very disillusioned with and had pretty much given up on (poor screen quality, clunky to use, extortionate book prices etc) and think the Kindle blows it away. I've read four books on it so far and am reaching the point where I don't want to put it down to read all those real books that are still sitting, unread, on the shelf The only problem I've had so far was a bit of panic on Christmas morning when I unwrapped it and found there was no 3G. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that they'd sent me the wifi-only version in error, only to find out later that Whispernet had been down all morning And it's far too easy to go on the Amazon store and start buying loads of books

It is a strong word, maybe too strong, but I was watching when it happened and I thought the Aussie appeals were bang out of order. Sometimes, when the ball hits fingers and ground at the same time, it's understandable - but that ball hit the ground six inches in front of him. Cook knew he wasn't out, and I think Hughes knew it full well. It smacked more of desperation than cheating, to be honest. Re thrashing the Aussies, I for one have had to put up with years of gloating from my Aussie colleagues, so these past two weeks have been an absolute joy, and I make no apologies for gloating right back at 'em Happy days! I remember watching the Headingley test in '81 when Botham and Willis turned the whole series on its head. And 2005, and that thrilling series. But this has topped them all, for me. I think it's too easy to say the Aussies are in decline - I think our lads have been magnificent. With the exception of two or three days in the entire series they've outplayed the Aussies in every department. Even in the Perth test the bowling was still good. T20 World champs and the Ashes in Australia within 12 months. Fantastic! Team of the Year and Coach of the Year at the next Sport Personality Awards, surely?

I suppose we should view it that - when he's having a moan - it means the Aussies aren't having things their way. He's a great player, I just wish he'd shut up and get on with it. A bit like KP ... Sorry Kylie! Must admit, when Strauss gave his wicket away in the first over of the day I thought 'here we go', but after Hussey put Trott down you kind of got the feeling it was going to be our day. Looking very similar to the first test at the moment - only in reverse.

Think I'll wait and see what happens, but it was certainly a great start for us. Shame Ponting had to find something to whinge about, as usual

I love that song! Rainbow Box by Riverside