Review: The Brothers of Gwynedd - Edith Pargeter

 SUNRISE IN THE WEST

Pages: 722
Published: May 1st 2010 Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Historical fiction

A Burning Desire for One Country, One Love, and One Legacy That Will Last Forever.

Llewelyn, prince of Gwynedd, dreams of a Wales united against the English, but first he must combat enemies nearer home. Llewelyn and his brothers—Owen Goch, Rhodri, and David—vie for power among themselves and with the English king, Henry III. Despite the support of his beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution could be his very downfall.

Originally published in England as four individual novels, The Brothers of Gwynedd transports you to a world of chivalry, gallant heroes, and imprisoned damsels; to star-crossed lovers and glorious battle scenes; and is Edith Pargeter’s absorbing tale of tragedy, traitors, and triumph of the heart.

I am a part of Sourcebooks Summer reading club, and we will read this big book over the summer, and have a few chats along the way. This is then a review of the first book, Sunrise in the West.

The first Blog Chat Night will take place on May 24th at 7:00pm EST and is hosted by Amy of Passages of the Past.Join us there.

I do confess that I am pretty happy to only have read book 1 so far because this book is pretty big, but then there are four novels in it.

This is the story of 4 brothers, with the focus on Llewelyn ap Gruffyd, he is the second born son to Gruffyd ap Llewelyn. The Welsh did not look at bastards like the English did, but because of who Llewlyn the Great was married to, an English Princess, it was the second born son that took the throne of Gwynedd and Gruffyd was not happy about that. There was war, and Gruffyd and his oldest son Owen was inprisoned. Later on they were again imprisoned in England together with his wife Senena, and their sons Rhodri and David. Only Llewlyn managed to stay in Wales and grew up fighting, and later fighting the English.

Sounds complicated? Well that is history. Later when all brothers are back, and the former Prince David is gone they divide the kingdom between each other, and well that is never a good idea. Because they all want a piece and Llewelyn understand how Wales should stand united against the English that is breathing down their necks.

This book follows the childhood, and up to their adulthood when they are all back in Wales. It is very much a brother against brother story, as it is Wales against England. The English who do not understand their customs.

My favourite part, haha, they mentioned Mur-y-Castell, because they were riding there, I mean I had to love them mentioning the name of my blog.

But this is also a very heavy book, the language felt very, 50s,60s 70s? Old, in a way written back then and it was written in the 70s. It's not an easy book to read, it can be a bit dry. I have no problems with Welsh names, surnames and place, I did choose my blogname for a reason, so that is not the problem. It was more her way of writing.

This is then a book for the hardcore historical fans because I promise that it is filled with history. And all seen through the eyes of Samson, who later becomes the scribe of Llewellyn. And you will certainly learn a lot.

There are plenty of other reviews to check out as the tour continues:

May 18 Reviews

Between the Pages 

The Broken Teepee 

Books and Coffee     

Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff
Passages to the Past 

The Book Faery     

A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore
Martha's Bookshelf
   

May 19 Reviews 

Beth Fish
Deb's Book Bag
Book Tumbling
A Work in Progress
Stiletto Storytime
Queen of Happy Endings
   
May 20 Reviews

The Literate Housewife
Reading Adventures
Books Like Breathing
Kailana's Written World
Confessions of a Muse in the Fog
Wendy's Minding Spot
The Life and Lies of a Flying Inanimate Object
Starting Fresh
   

And there are more dates :)

Review: The Girl with Glass Feet - Ali Shaw

The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

Genre: Fiction, ?
Pages: 288
Published: 2010 Henry Holt and Company

Strange things are happening on the remote and snowbound archipelago of St Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around icy bogland; albino animals hide themselves in the snow-glazed woods; jellyfish glow in the ocean's depths… and Ida MacLaird is slowly turning into glass.

A mysterious and frightening metamorphosis has befallen Ida – she is slowly turning into glass, from the feet up. She returns to St Hauda's Land, where she believes the glass first took hold, in search of a cure.

Midas Crook is a young loner, who has lived on the islands his entire life. When he meets Ida, something about her sad, defiant spirit pierces his emotional defences. As Midas helps Ida come to terms with her affliction, she gradually unpicks the knots of his heart, and they begin to fall in love…

What they need most is time – and time is slipping away fast. Will they find a way to stave off the spread of the glass? The Girl with Glass Feet is a dazzlingly imaginative and gripping first novel, a love story to treasure. 

I honestly do not know where to start. How do I explain a book like this, how can I get you all to see the magic in it?

It is a strange tale about a girl, Ida who returns to St Hauda's Land in search for answers. Her feet are turning into glass, yes glass. She does not know why but she remembers a man who had mentioned glass bodies in the bog. Could he hold the answer? Here she meets Midas, a strange young man who loves to take photos, and they fall in love, slowly, awkward, but in love.

Perhaps you now see the strangeness in this book. Her body is slowly being transformed into glass, and when it finishes, well no one can live in a body of glass. These islands are a strange place. There is talk about a strange animal with white eyes, and this whole place seems to ooze strangeness. Like it is some kind of distant land far far away where these strange things can still exist, hidden away from the rest of the world. And the people here have grown used to them. Used to finding strange things like moth-winged cows.

It was a great story, hauntingly beautiful and sad. I felt like I was there, on this damp, cold island. The language took hold of this feeling and made me stay. It is not a happy story, there is coldness creeping in the edges of this book and there are a lot of unhappy people in it. Still it felt magical.

The story is not just a story, it jumps in time. We get to see Midas' dad, who wasn't a nice man, and who shaped who Midas is now. We also get to see Ida's past, and she hadn't a nice dad either. Their mothers seemed frail. And then there is the longing, both had mothers who others longed for. Lost passions, with more sad flashbacks. To understand the now, you have to understand the past.

I shall not forget the lovestory. Midas meets Ida, they see something in each other. The slowly move towards each other, and they seem so perfect for each other. But the clock is ticking, not only to find a cure, but for them to finally do something. 

I liked Ida, I would not have been as brave as she was, to see my feet turn to glass would surely have driven me insane. And I had to love Midas, he was strange, but so lovable. I could picture him before me.

This is Shaw's first novel, and if he continues in this style then I am sure we will hear much more about him.

If I sum it up, it is like a strange fairytale, the girl with glass feet, and the awkward prince she meets.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Simple and nice.

Reason for Reading: I picked this one from their catalogue and got it from the publisher.

Final thoughts: This is just a book you have to try for yourself. Words can't describe it....4

Review: Changeless - Gail Carriger

 Changeless by Gail Carriger

The parasol protectorate, book 2

Genre: Historical, romance, steampunk, paranormal
Pages: 374
Published: 2010

Alexia Tarabotti, now Lady Maccon, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears -- leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her into the backwaters of ugly waistcoats, Scotland, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only a soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it. 

First oh oh oh, the end! But ok I will not start there, so re-wind.

Alexia is happily married with her husband, well as happy as those two can be, because they love to tease each other for sure. She is now quite fashionable, and people actually do speak about her. Not to mention that she is secretly the mujah in the city. But then the book starts with a bang, a missing husband, a city with no paranormals, well except those camped on her lawn, and Ivy with big news. Soon she puts her foot down and gets to the bottom of things.

I kept marking pages where I found good quotes and then I gave up cos good and funny quotes were just everywhere.

Everyone else was outraged, imagine the wife of an earl appearing at dinner with frizzy hair. Even in Scotland such things were simply not done.

This is one of the reasons why I love this book and series. The proper manners. I kept giggling everywhere when people gasped because someone mentioned shaving or things like that. These things are one of the highlights with this book.

Another reason is the witty language, that combined with my first love and the mix is just simply wonderful.

Of course I do love Alexia too, she is very logical, might be the soulless part, and she loves her manners too. Even if I think she was somewhat changed now. Must be the constant nudity she sees around werewolves ;) And Conall is still mmmmm, what a werewolf!

Lord Akeldama not to be forgotten, I have to love him. And he calls her the strangest things. I have fallen for Ivy, she was so much fun, and she has her romance in this book too. I wonder what happens in book 3? Carriger always has got some great side charcters.

Now where was I? The book is funny, giggles promised! The language is witty, the manners are excellent. The plot is interesting, I the reader do not know who to trust or what is going on. There is romance, and hot werewolves, with a sprinkle of some very proper vampires.

But then the big OMG! The ending, oh how it left me wanting more. I do confess that Carriger is very evil indeed, she made me wish I could invent a time-machine and go straight to September and buy book 3. I need book 3 this instance to find out what is gonna happen. I do warn you, it is somewhat of a cliffhanger and it will make you drool for book 3, Blameless.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Lovely.

Reason for reading: own copy.

Final thoughts: If you haven't noticed by now that I loved this book then you haven't been paying attention ;)

Review: Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks

Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks

Night angel triology, book 2

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 608
Published: 2008

Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over, new city, new friends, and new profession.

But when he learns that Logan might actually be alive and in hiding, Kylar is faced with an agonizing choice: will he give up the way of shadows forever and live in peace with his new family, or will he risk everything by taking on the ultimate hit?

This book took some time to read, not cos it was big, but cos it was so emotionally draining. I read 50 pages and had to stop. And took a break for some time. The reason, well let me put it like this. I saw a glimmer of hope, then I turned around and Weeks stabbed me in the back and left me bleeding.I should have learned not to trust it but I kept turning around and getting hit again and again.

He is an excellent writer and he has created a rich world, but there is darkness, such darkness that I had to take those breaks from it.

And the darkness he creates it not a darkness that I read and think no way (well except for those cannibals, but then that happens too, like that plane crash in the Andes.) But here the deal was war, and what happens during and after it. People do not live happily ever after. No there is death, rape, and bloody murder. It is brutal and it happens every day in real life too. The thing is just that Brent Weeks put it here for all to see, and he really pushes it.

It is not a gore fest in blood and guts. Yes there is death, and horrible things. But he tells about them, without going in to details, because that would really have been bad. Now they are just there in this dark, dark world without hope.

But ok, something about the story then, Kylar has left the fallen city and gone to another with Elene and young Uly.. But then he hears that Logan might be alive, but in a place worse than hell. Can he really turn his back on his nice new life and go back to what he used to be? The answer is pretty obvious, he may be a killer but he is also nice and wants to help his friends. He is loyal, and righteous (well most of the time, I mean he was an assassin.)

This story started away from the horror, but went there via the side characters, while Weeks dealt blow and blow of hopelessness. But he has such strong characters that never give up even after the horrors that are happening to them. And there is still one more book, this one left with hope again but there are things to be seen too. I just have one hope, that he keeps Kylar alive, because I want him to be happy.

One other thing is how he made me see one character in a new light, one I should, have hated, but even among this hopelessness there is forgiveness. All hope is not lost.

Great series, even if it is dark. Take your time reading it, or perhaps you are not like me and I can deal with these things. I always have a hard time to deal with sadness, and darkness. Which is weird since I love fantasy and big war scenes, but I still wanna live in lala land and see HEAs and freakin unicorns.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: What can I say, I like it.

Reason for reading. My own book

Final thoughts: Dark fantasy, but awesome.