Book Blog

The Official Spooky Season Book Tag

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Hello! I wasn’t tagged on this but I’m stealing it anyway because I think it sounds fun. I found it on Books Are 42′s blog.

This fun and spooky tag was created by Noly. 

The Rules

Tag the original creator (The Artsy Reader)
Use the official banner
Answer the prompts and questions
Tag 5 people
Have fun and get spooky!!!

Question 1: You hear a strange noise in the night – the monsters got inside! Which book character would you choose to protect you from harm? No questions, Cal Leandros. It’s basically his job to kill monsters and he’s pretty good at it.

Question 2: You go on vacation and your hotel is located right next to a cemetery. Which book character do you really hope is not hiding in the shadows? The Blade from Banshee Cries by C.E. Murphy. It’s a Banshee type creature that is all sharp angles and sounds scary as hell!

Question 3: It’s a particularly cold night and you decide to stay inside. Which three book characters would you like to spend a trivia quiz and board game night with? Hmm, let’s go with Harry Dresden, Mercy Thompson and Joanne Walker. No particular reason other than they came to mind lol.

Question 4: Time for a big adventure! The scary book you pick transports you into its world. Where do you end up? I don’t read a lot of scary books, so I can’t really pick one of those. However, I think living in the world of Game of Thrones would be pretty traumatic.

Question 5: No Halloween without Trick or Treat-ing! Which book character do you think has the sweetest tooth? Oh wow, I never thought about this. Um, I’m going to say Joanne Walker because she likes hot chocolate with a shot of mint and pastries.

Question 6: The fairies are angry and want a sacrifice from your bookshelf. Which scary book has to go and why? I think the only scary book I have is Rose Madder by Stephen King, so that would be the one to go.

Question 7: You decide you feel more autumnal rather than halloween-y today. Which book setting would you choose for a more cosy and less scary vibe? Hmm maybe somewhere real, like Chicago or Seattle in the fall.

Question 8: The witch is cooking up a spell in her cauldron and you have to add one magic ingredient. Which item from a book are you adding to the mixture? This is a really hard question! I can’t actually think of any kind of special plant or magic ingredient from a book.

Question 9: You get to decide which bookish place to visit for Halloween. Which book setting is the scariest – and gets crossed off the list? The Other World from Coraline. That place just seems horrid!

Question 10: The big day is finally here: it’s Halloween! Which book character do you dress up as, and what would be part of your outfit? Ya know what, I’m going to say Harry Dresden, even though I’m a woman. I would wear a long trench coat and carry around a wand of some kind.

I’m not tagging anyone but if you see this post and want to do this tag, please do so and let me know in the comments so I can read your answers too!

Life Update – October 2023

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My hamster died.

Friday night I realized I hadn’t seen him for awhile. That isn’t unusual as hamsters are nocturnal and I wouldn’t always see him in the evenings. I figured I should check his water but when I lifted the lid from his cage and he didn’t poke his little nose out to see what was going on (like he always did in the past) I knew he was gone. I looked in his usual spots and he wasn’t there. I found him under his sand bath, burrowed into the bedding. I uncovered him enough to know that he was there and definitely not moving.

My roommate was kind enough to “take care of it” for me as I can’t handle those sorts of things.

I know I should be sad over the loss of a pet, but honestly, I’m not. Even when i was cleaning up all his stuff, I didn’t really feel anything. I feel like a terrible person for not caring, but really, I was never able to bond with him. I tried, I really did, but he would bite me more often than not.

Previously, my roommate said that we could get a dog after the hamster passed away. We haven’t talked about it yet, but we set up a joint account as a “dog fund” some time ago so we have money ready for getting dog supplies and the adoption fee.

Other than that, life moves on as usual.

Monthly Reading Wrap up – September 2023

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Wow, September is already done and gone? How did that happen. Time seems to be going by faster and faster. Before we know it, it will be Christmas. I wouldn’t say September was a fantastic reading month, but I did read 3 books this month so it was an improvement by 50% from August.

So, what did I read?

I completed the Fool’s Gold trilogy by Jude Fisher: Sorcery Rising, Wild Magic and The Rose of the World.

Currently, I’m reading The Trillias Gambit by J.V. Hilliard which I accepted as a review request.

As for what I hope to read in October, I haven’t quite determined that yet. It will likely be a book from this Goodread’s list as I continue with my Clear the Shelf Reading Challenge for this year.

How was your September for reading? Let me know in the comments and as always, thanks for reading!

The Rose of the World – Fool’s Gold #3 by Jude Fisher

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The Rose of the World. Fool's Gold #3 by Jude Fisher

Title: The Rose of the World

Series: Fool’s Gold

Author: Jude Fisher

Sexual Content: Moderate

Objectional Content: torture, violence, rape

Synopsis: The brilliant conclusion to the “fascinating” (Anne McCaffrey) Fool’s Gold trilogy, The Rose of the World features one of the most dynamic and charismatic heroines to ever grace the pages of a fantasy novel. The godlike entity, Rosa Eldi, has escaped the clutches of the evil sorcerer Rahe. But will she regain her memory and restore her world before man’s baser nature triumphs and brings ruin to Elda forever?

My Review

I’m staring at this blank screen trying to figure out how to start this review, to figure out what I want to say so let’s start with the characters.

The majority of the characters in The Rose of the World, and indeed the trilogy, are despicable, horrible excuses for human beings. Katla, Saro and the Rosa Eldi are probably the only likeable characters, but they each have their flaws. Katla lets her anger rule her actions, Saro is too sensitive and the Rosa Eldi just doesn’t know who she really is. Overall, I’d say the Rosa Eldi is the most interesting because she doesn’t know who she is. She’s a mystery to herself and the reader. Unfortunately, the focus isn’t on her as much as I would like.

Honestly, these books felt more like a long extended series rather than just a trilogy. I got very “Wheel of Time” vibes with the number of characters and switching POV all over the place.

I didn’t really love the ending. The major plot was concluded but there were so many little side things that weren’t properly resolved. It felt open ended, like the author might continue the series, might not. There doesn’t appear to be anything else written in this book world.

So, overall, am I glad I read this trilogy? I don’t know if I would say “glad” per se, but I don’t feel like I wasted time on reading it. I did genuinely want to know how everything was going to turn out. The writing was good and I did enjoy the progression as things that were introduced earlier in the first book began to come together.

My rating for The Rose of the World is 3 out of 5 stars. I’d recommend the Fool’s Gold trilogy to those who enjoy fantasy with multiple POV with some mystery thrown in.

Have you read this book/trilogy? Let me know what thought of it in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

The Oasis by Pauline Gedge – Book Review

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The Oasis, book 2 of the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy by Pauline Gedge

Title: The Oasis

Author: Pauline Gedge

Series: The Lord of the Two Lands

Sexual Content: None

Objectional Content: Incest

Target Audience: Adults

Synopsis: Using subtle means of political power and economic control, a foreign power known as the “Rulers of the Upland” has taken over Egypt to plunder its riches and eradicate its religion and culture. In “The Hippopotamus Marsh”, the stunning first volume of Pauline Gedge’s Lords of the Two Lands trilogy, the family of the last true King of Egypt chose to end 200 years of submission to King Apepa, and attempted to resurrect a dynasty, Seqenenra Tao began a courageous and tragic revolt that almost led to the destruction of his family. In this thrilling second volume, Seqenenra’s surviving son Kamose refuses an inheritance of failure, and chooses instead to continue his father’s fight for the freedom of Egypt and his family. He begins his desperate sweep north, collecting fighting men from the loyal towns and villages he passes. Will his savage brilliance bring him victory or defeat? And will his acts redeem him or drive him to the brink of madness?

My Review

The Oasis picks up where The Hippopotamus Marsh left off. Kamose begins his campaign to retake Egypt from the Setiu.

For a novel all about a war, The Oasis isn’t really that exciting. The focus is less on the war that is happening and more the mental and emotional impact it has on Kamose. This novel feels much like a character study and an in depth look at the toll being the leader of an army can have. The guilt of the things he has done weighs heavily on him. While at the same time he knows it is the only way to recapture Egypt and restore his family to their rightful place on the throne.

I never knew what to expect from this book. If I had any expectations, I don’t know what they were. I find that something amazing about Pauline Gedge’s books. I truly don’t know what to expect and I can’t predict how anything will go. Her writing is amazing. I love how well she describes the world without having to go into great detail. You can practically feel the hot Egyptian sun beating down on you.

The Oasis is a bit slow at points but in the last 100 pages it really picks up and I’m pumped for the next book!

My rating for The Oasis is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Egyptian fiction. Just read the Hippopotamus Marsh first.

The Hippopotamus Marsh by Pauline Gedge – Book Review

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The Hippopotamus Marsh, book 1 of the Lords of the Two Lands trilogy by Pauline Gedge

Title: The Hippopotamus Marsh

Author: Pauline Gedge

Series: The Lord of the Two Lands #1

Sexual Content: Minimal

Objectional Content: Incest

Target Audience: Adults

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: After a gradual and mostly bloodless invasion, Egypt has fallen into the hands of a foreign power known as the “Rulers of the Upland.” Using subtle means of political power and economic country, plundering its riches and slowly subverting its religion and culture.

But there is one family in Thebes, claiming descent from the last true King of Egypt, that cannot accept the rule of the foreign king Apepa. Defying him becomes the only clear option for the persecuted yet proud Seqenenra Tao, Prince of Weset, whose shocking revolt sets in motion a series of events that will either destroy his family or resurrect a dynasty and an entire way of life for Egypt.

My Review

The Hippopotamus Marsh is a bit of a deviation for me from what I normally read. This is historical fiction, rooted in history, with no trace of fantasy at all. I have read other books by Pauline Gedge which were recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed those books and I enjoyed this one.

I’ve always been interested in ancient Egypt and the different gods they worshipped. Pauline Gedge is amazing at bringing that ancient world to life. It is clear she has done her research and even includes a bibliography at the end of the book. The setting feels real and you can practically feel the heat of the Egyptian sun as you read.

Her choice of point of view leaves something to be desired, at least for me. The Hippopotamus Marsh is written in third person omnipotent, meaning that the character focus literally shifts between one character and another from one paragraph and the next. I’ve never really liked that. I like to be in the head of one character at a time and not switching around. The switch can be quite jarring.

The story itself is not quite what I expected. Once the head of the Tao family, Seqenenra decides that he can no longer abide the foreign king ruling Egypt, he sets in motion events that will either destroy his family or bring them to the highest level of greatness in Egypt. I was unable to predict how things were going to go and many things surprised me which was nice.

The characters felt like real people. They would make decisions that I could understand but at the same time shake my head at knowing that it would lead to nothing good. Lies lead to more lies afterall.

In ancient Egypt it was common for royal families to marry their siblings, so there is some incest in this book as Seqenenra’s oldest son and oldest daughter are married to one another. This was common practice and historically accurate. The sexual content is extremely minimal though.

Overall, I liked this book but I wouldn’t say that it wowed me to amazement. My rating for The Hippopotamus Marsh is 3 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially Egyptian history.

Thanks for reading!