6/30/2023 0 Comments The bone witch trilogyIn the land of Eight Kingdoms, there are two rules of magic that, if you know them up front, will make the series easier to delve into. Understanding The Bone WitchĪnd so, I do you a service because you all need to read these books. You’ll have to wait for the grand finale for that.īut damn, it’s so worth it. And I’ll tell you upfront: Reading The Bone Witch is, at minimum, a two-book commitment-since the storylines don’t converge in the first book, nor the sequel. The novel’s structure demands time and patience, as it flips between short italicized chapters in the present, and longer, more narrative chapters set in the past before the storylines converge. The worldbuilding-freshly un-Eurocentric and inspired by the mythologies of the Middle East and Asia-was, at first, confusing. I had tried reading this YA fantasy before and stopped a few times before filing it away and ultimately restarting. I’m going to confess: I picked up Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch with some trepidation.
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6/30/2023 0 Comments The travels of marco polo book iEvoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy, Marco's book revolutionized western ideas about the then unknown East and is still one of the greatest travel accounts of all time.įor this edition - the first completely new English translation of the Travels in over fifty years - Nigel Cliff has gone back to the original manuscript sources to produce a fresh, authoritative new version. His account of his travels offers a fascinating glimpse of what he encountered abroad: unfamiliar religions, customs and societies the spices and silks of the East the precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts of faraway lands. On his return to the West he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kublai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. Marco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. A sparkling new translation of one of the greatest travel books ever written: Marco Polo's seminal account of his journeys in the east. It’s about two magicians, in an alternative Victorian England, where magic is accepted as real but pretty much a dying art – now mainly read about in textbooks and discussed in public houses. I’m not going to go into detail on the plot on this one – there’s a lot of it and the premise is pretty well-known. It’s a blend of fantasy and historical fiction – with a little sprinkle of Austen-style satire and witty dialoge – and I really have never read anything quite like it. Clarke uses intricate details on every page to bring this world to life and language evocative of the time it’s set. It will take its time to fully immerse you into an alternative English history, taking you on a journey through York, London and far beyond. And, of course, plenty of magic.ĭon’t get me wrong, embarking on this epic tome is an investment. This book is long, but it’s rich in detail, luscious descriptions and an enchanting, intriguing plot. What about aall the other books I could be reading? What if I invest all that time and I don’t love it?īut I finally bit the bullet with this – the book Neil Gaiman was quoted on the cover saying is “Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic in the past 70 years.” And, I think he’s onto something. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who recoils at the thought of a book over 1000 pages. This book has been sitting on my shelf for years. 6/30/2023 0 Comments Ashes bickWhile I’m never a huge fan of ending a book on a cliffhanger, in this instance (after throwing things and drinking things and smashing things.okay, not REALLY but I thought about doing those things) it worked. When I closed the book I sort of sat there all huh, WTF. The ending is not at all what I expected, which isn’t a bad thing, but it definitely left me unsatisfied…at first. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, BAM! You’re wrong. But still, as a reader, you can’t stop reading – if only for the simple fact of NEEDING to know where Bick is taking you. I’m NOT saying for the worse, I’m just saying shiz gets weird. I enjoyed the action/suspense and overall creep factor A LOT, A LOT. Her writing is the perfect balance of giving the reader a clear picture of setting/emotion/ without slamming them over the head with weighty details. I’m normally not the HUGEST fan of third person narratives, finding it hard to really get into the main character’s head, but Bick did it right. Bick’s post apocalyptic/thriller/horror mash-up, ASHES. |