Sword-Bound

by on November 20, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

Roberson’s latest Tiger & Del novel keeps up the high quality of the series. The pair are finally settled down and going off into ever-after land, when Neesha decides he wants more adventure. This doesn’t turn it into Neesha’s story. The viewpoint is still very solidly Tiger’s, and he is still the center that events move around.

Tiger is getting older, and certainly the tone is a lot different than where it began, but he truly has things he wants past his own ego now. It doesn’t seem like Tiger is slowing down, but the story itself is a bit slower than previous books, perhaps showing through plot that he is, just a bit mind you, past his prime.

The plot itself rambles a bit more than normal, with it going through several important bits that don’t necessarily tie directly to each other. But the beginning and end tie together very directly, and the middle does tie the various threads together.

Of course, this has always been a character-driven series, and the characters, as ever, make the book. I recommend the entire series, and while it actually wouldn’t too bad to start here, the other books are well worth reading, so go and read them.

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Persian Fire

by on November 13, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

The story of Persia vs the Greeks is one that has told many times over the centuries. Part of this is because we have some very good Greek sources about the conflict, so that we know more about these wars than nearly anything else before it (other parts are the high drama, and Ancient Greece’s place in the foundation of Western thought).

Tom Holland’s Persian Fire tries, and largely succeeds in expanding the Persian point of view. He starts out with the rise of Persia, and how it took over from Media and Assyria. This section is very well done, and well worth the price of admission if you already have all you need of the later parts with Darius and Xerxes. He then proceeds through the histories of Sparta and Athens in turn, showing just how they had evolved from somewhat typical Greek city-state beginnings to the distinctive forms that we are used to hearing about.

From there, discussions of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis are a bit more typical, but there is still effort to see just what was going on in the heads of the principles, especially Xerxes. However, the writing in the entire book is very good, so even if you’re very familiar with the subject, this telling is very well done. He also does a good job with Platea, though I thought it was lacking compared to other parts of the book. Also lacking is his analysis of what kept Persia from coming back for round three, though he does talk about it some.

Overall, I’m very happy to have picked up yet another book on this subject. Holland does a very good job at the overview, and widens the scope of his gaze just a bit more to make this the best ‘lighter’ book you’re likely to find on the two Persian invasions of Greece.

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The Six Wives of Henry VIII

by on November 5, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

After the Wars of the Roses, some much-needed stability started returning to the English court. Alison Weir starts her book with Henry VII’s negotiations with Ferdinand of Castile to marry his son Arthur to Ferdinand’s daughter Katherine.

Nearly half of this book is with Katherine of Aragon, a bit surprising when you think of the bare fact of the book is split into three parts, but this was the most stable part of Henry VIII’s reign. And, as already mentioned, there’s plenty of background before Henry comes on the scene. The negotiations were protracted, and then when Prince Arthur dies months after their marriage, there are more protracted negotiations all around for a second marriage to Henry.

From there, it’s the more familiar tale, but told in much detail, and careful looks at all the principle actors. That said, I’ve only ever known the barest outlines of this period, so it was all very informative for me. Between Henry, his current wife, whoever he’s starting to look at next, advisors, ambassadors with vested interests, and a few other subjects, there’s a lot of things to keep track of at the same time. Weir handles all of this very well, while sticking with a fairly strictly chronological format. This is deeply appreciated, and cannot have been easy to manage.

Weir’s writing here is also the best I’ve seen from her, and helps carry a complicated narrative forward with infectious interest from the author.

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Castle Hangnail

by on October 29, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

I mostly know Ursula for Digger, and other less kid-oriented books. Those all show a wonderful sense of humor that would find itself at home in a younger audience, and so it is here. A definite advantage of her younger books is that you get even more of her wonderful art, which is nicely formatted in on the Kindle version (generally not a given).

Pretty much all the action happens in Camp Castle Hangnail and a nearby village, which feels a bit like it should be in England, but everyone’s using dollars, and I should probably just stop trying to look at the setting too closely. The cast of characters never gets huge, but there are a lot, and they’re nicely paced out through the story so there’s no chance of getting overwhelmed by them all. In fact, overall, the pacing of the story is pretty much perfect, a few slow bits to show Molly’s life and growth, and some real action when needed.

A really nice touch is that while Molly is the central character, she is not the only viewpoint character, and both her and Majordomo (the other viewpoint character) get an opportunity to really grow. It’s Molly’s coming-of-age story, but both characters learn something from their experiences.

Definitely a fun and worthwhile read; Ursula has yet to disappoint.

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‘Ware Hawk

by on October 23, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Books

This was something of a random pick up in the middle the Estcarp books. It stands well on it own, though there is a lot that follows from the previous few books. However, a three-page summary of the major events of the previous books more than covers what is needed here.

Again, this is an independent novel, and reads well as such; the cast of characters is all new. (The early books all follow Simon Tregarth, but this period is all more independent.) Previous books had fairly earth-shattering consequences, and this is more of an adventure in picking up pieces.

This starts with the main characters, where we start with the main character, Tirtha, and slowly pick up everyone else over the course of the book. It is very much in the ‘journey’ style of plots, with both physical and mental/social travels being made. This is well done enough that it’s hard for the climax to entirely measure up. This is made more difficult by the final parts being a bit hard to follow. The worst problem is that Tirtha gets disabled for a bit during important events, and as the only viewpoint character, the narrative gets a little confused. Compounding this, it is easy is mistake just what has happened to her, and miss the corrected explanation later.

I’m pretty sure I read this back in the ’80s. I kept half remembering things as I came across them. But that would have been a borrowed book, and I’m glad to have my own copy now. Certainly recommended, and a good entry-point into the Estcarp series.

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