Book Review – ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series

Carly has been reading A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of epic fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. “Having been inspired by the HBO television series Game of Thrones, I decided to try the books that inspired the TV show. Fantasy and historical fiction isn’t usually what I enjoy reading, but I was immediately sucked into the story. It surprised me how easy it is to follow Martin’s style of writing.

The story is full of battles, warriors, swords and sorcery, and follows many different plot lines. Despite this, though, the book is very well paced and doesn’t feel ‘rushed’. One thing I really enjoyed about it is that there are many supernatural aspects, but they don’t feel out of place or unbelievable. Martin is well known for killing off some unexpected characters, so don’t get too attached to any of them.

I would definitely recommend these books to anyone who watched the TV series, enjoys a good adventure and can read about many different characters without getting too confused!”

Find the first book in the series by clicking here.

Classic graphic: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

A graphic novel adapted by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Mario Gully.

I have always remembered a story I read in primary school about Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood. Living in the damp Scottish climate and being susceptible to bronchitis, he spent long periods of time confined to his bed. He would pretend that the bed spread was the countryside, lift up his knees under the covers to create mountain ranges and valleys, imagine battles and make up stories to tell his nurse.

I have seen film adaptations of some of his novels but I have never got around to reading his books. So I was really pleased to discover that the Library now has Kidnapped in graphic novel through Marvel comics.

It’s an exciting way to introduce readers of all ages to Stevenson’s works. Set in 18th century Scotland, young David Balfour makes the journey to meet his elderly uncle Ebenezer, following the death of his father. With the aim of stealing his inheritance, avaricious, wicked Ebenezer sells Davey into slavery and the adventure begins.

Davey is forced to fight for his life and freedom when he meets the legendary Alan Breck Stewart onboard ship. He unwittingly becomes caught up in the Jacobite cause and flees from English patrols across the highlands with Stewart, in order to reach his home and recover his inheritance.

I was impressed that Roy Thomas provides readers with a good historical background about the real life Alan Breck Stewart and the Jacobite cause and rebellion. The graphic novel also features a glossary of Scottish terms and information about Stevenson’s life and writing. Illustrations are colourful, emotive and dynamic.
You can also read Stevenson’s other classics, Treasure Island and The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in graphic novel at the City of Tea Tree Gully Library.

Book Review: The Book of Fires

The Book of Fires

Set in 1752, The Book of Fires is the first novel by Jane Borodale. Seventeen year old Agnes Trussel is the daughter of an impoverished farming family. She runs away in fear and shame to London, pregnant and believing that she will be convicted for thievery. By sheer chance, Agnes is fortunate enough to find work in the house of John Blacklock, a brooding man, who is a fire-work maker.
She shows a talent for the craft and becomes his assistant. However, disaster seems imminent with her advancing pregnancy.

 

The novel is told from Agnes’s perspective and she describes her surroundings with the language of somebody who is a painter.

The Book of Fires is also about the social conditions in 18th century England and in particular, the status of women at this time. Agnes is appalled by the poverty and squalor she encounters in London, in contrast with her home in rural Sussex.

The Reader comes to realise that Agnes is naïve about many things. From a modern perspective Agnes’ unwarranted guilt about how she came to be expecting a baby is interesting. The fate of Lettice Talbot, a high-class prostitute who tries to befriend Agnes, is moving and demonstrates the hypocrisy of the era. When Agnes confides in Lettice that she is thinking of turning herself into the police Lettice dissuades her “At best you would be transported at His Majesty’s pleasure to some barren hell-hole two months’ voyage over the high seas”. I think we know where that is!

It’s obvious that the author has done a lot of research about the history of pyrotechnics as the descriptions of firework making were fascinating. Jane Borodale weaves into her story the experiments which lead to the discovery of coloured fireworks.

I really wanted to finish this book and find out what happened to Agnes. The Book of Fires gives the reader a lot to think about after you have finished the final chapter. The author also suggests some questions for use by book discussion groups.

Book Review: Raft

Dr Howard Goldenberg, a white older Australian and a practicing Jew has spent numerous periods working as a relieving doctor for Aboriginal communities in remote places and inside an outback prison.
In Raft he records some of his experiences and dealings with patients. The Australian newspaper has described Howard Goldenberg as presenting us with the human face of Aboriginal Australia.
You cannot read Raft without feeling compassion and empathy for Aboriginal people.

The title of his book alludes to an artwork by Ron Moss which shows Aboriginal people marooned in a landscape.

Howard presents us with numerous stories of despair that describe the shameful state of Aboriginal health in outback communities. However, there are also stories that inspire hope. Others are humorous, such as Howard’s quest to find a didgeridoo for his cousin in Argentina, related in ‘Un Didge Authentico’.

I also realised that some of the issues facing Aboriginal Australians in remote areas such as the abuse of alcohol and drugs, are the same problems that we are seeing reported in the media of late in our cities.

What comes through in Raft is Howard’s genuine care concern for all his patients as a doctor, no matter what their background or failings and his efforts to help people to the best of his ability. He is also realistic when he writes that there are no simple solutions to helping underfed, unwell, Aboriginal communities living in poverty.

Howard’s love for the Australian landscape is evident. He also reflects on his Jewish identity and the similarities he feels with Aboriginal Australians; a spiritual attachment to ancestral land that defines a people, the bonds of an extended family, exile from your homeland and persecution for what you are. Howard’s writing can perhaps be overly poetic but I certainly learned a lot about Aboriginal culture, the distribution of different groups of Aboriginal peoples throughout Australia and that they are true survivors.

Book review: The blood countess

The latest from Tara Moss

The Devil wears Prada meets blood sucking supermodels?
Former model and Australian mystery writer Tara Moss brings together a host of the supernatural in the first of a new series, The blood countess, which may appeal to young women or to lovers of fashion and the undead. 
It’s a light and entertaining read.
I also think that Tara Moss is making fun of the wraith look once popular in modelling.

Nineteen year old Pandora English moves to New York seeking employment as a writer at a fashion magazine and moves in with her eccentric elderly great aunt Celia.
Celia, who lives in a gothic style apartment building in a suburb which doesn’t appear on any maps (which makes getting a taxi somewhat difficult) used to be a fashion designer to the stars in the golden age of Hollywood and still looks amazingly good for her age.
Charming Celia has a wonderful wardrobe of vintage designer label clothes that she lends Pandora and she offers great fashion advice, “True style is not about fashion, style is individual.  Style is part of the great theatre of life.”
Celia conveniently keeps an axe in her closet for dealing with evil visitors and never leaves the house during the day.  But is Auntie what you might think?
Pandora secures a job at an offbeat magazine for which she seems destined.  Working for a demanding boss, trouble starts when Pandora sets out to expose a miracle wrinkle cream ‘Blood of Youth’.
Soon Pandora is on her way to finding romance, facing life-threatening situations, discovering her family legacy and special talent.