Head over to The Book Vixen to join the discussion about Book 1 in the series: Spider's Bite.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sue's Saturday Suggestions #15
Interesting Books
(Descriptions
from Goodreads)
Blood
Eye by Giles Kristian, review at Books
Without Any Pictures
In a thrilling adventure of brotherhood, warfare, and treachery,
Giles Kristian takes us into ninth-century England, a world of darkness, epic
conflict, and an unforgiving God served by powerful priests. On ships shaped
like dragons, bristling with oars and armor, Jarl Sigurd and his fierce
Norsemen have come in search of riches. And riches they are promised, by an
English ruler who sends Sigurd and his wolves to steal a holy manuscript from
another kingdom. Osric, an orphan boy, sees beyond the terror of these
warriors, and somehow knows the heathens’ tongue. Renamed Raven, rechristened
in blood, he will join them. They are his people. And they will be his fate.
I have
listed these titles in earlier SSS posts: check out my SSS Books Page for links to more reviews
Blades of Winter by G.T. Almasi, review at Bastard
Books
Fated by Benedict Jacka, review at Iceberg
Ink
Kiss of
Steel by Bec McMaster, reviews at One
Good Book Deserves Another & Parajunkee
Poison
Princess by Kresley Cole, review at Babbling
About Books, and More!
The
Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, review at Angieville
The
Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams, review at Travels
Through Iest
Giveaways
Blood Eye
by Giles Kristian at Books
Without Any Pictures
Full
Blooded by Amanda Carlson at Under
The Covers
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff at Cuddlebuggery
& The
Midnight Garden
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
A Challenge of Ice and Fire: Week 25
A Feast for Crows: Cersei III to the end of Cersei IV (p.
361)
12.
Cersei III
You remember how I was a little concerned about Cersei being a POV
character because I thought I might come to sympathize with her? Three chapters
later and I have come to realize that I was wrong to worry: following her
thoughts just makes her seem even more narcissistic and delusional than ever.
Hurray!
So, Cersei is grumpy about Tommen having to marry Margaery, and
also about the need for him to share a bed with her on their wedding night.
Although she could be forgiven for being overprotective and concerned for his
safety, that is not really what comes across. She is simply angry at having her
hand forced with regards to the wedding. It seems like anything that is not her
idea is wrong. She is also drinking for breakfast now, which does not seem like
a good sign. In many ways she is becoming the person she most despise: Robert. However,
he hated to rule and so found competent people to make decisions on his behalf,
whereas Cersei likes to micro-manage the realm and trusts nobody. We shall see
if all the wine she drinks starts to make her fat as well.
I am somewhat suspicious of Lady Taena Merryweather. I can
understand that she wants the best for her family, but that does not mean that
she is trustworthy. However, I do not imagine that Cersei will see the
possibility that she is being played. I am also doubtful about her interest in
Aurane Waters: he might be very handsome and look like Prince Rhaegar, but
Cersei does have dreadful taste in men. We see this in her blatant intimacy
with Ser Osmund Kettleblack as she watches the Tower of the Hand consumed by
wildfire.
The fire raises another issue. Why would you burn down a large
section of your castle? You will need to clear the area of the debris and then
rebuild, all of which will cost a lot of money. It certainly makes a great
spectacle, but Cersei’s determination that it will smoke out Tyrion and Varys
is amazingly simple-minded. I can only imagine what impression it gives to the
common people and her enemies.
We hear that a man wearing a hound helmet has been ravaging the
area around Saltpans. Although we know that The Hound was in this area fairly
recently, I am not sure that I can believe that he is riding with outlaws and
raping young girls: I do not remember hearing any suggestion that Sandor is a
raper.
13. The
Soiled Knight
Our POV character this time is Ser Arys Oakheart, the Kingsguard
sent with Princess Myrcella to Dorne.
Poor Ser Aerys is being shamelessly manipulated by Princess
Arianne. She has convinced him to break his vow of celibacy and he is tortured
by his guilt about this. It seems that she is determined to place Myrcella on
the Iron Throne, which would be correct according to Dornish Law because she is
older than Tommen. Although Aerys is happy to agree that Tommen is too young
and malleable to be as good a ruler as Myrcella, he knows that to support her
claim would be to turn traitor. However, Arianne is very persuasive and he is
too weak to resist her.
Although Arianne is the eldest child, and therefore the heir to the
throne, she is suspicious of her father’s plans for her brother Quentyn. He is
supposed to be in Northern Dorne, but she has heard rumors that he has crossed
the Narrow Sea. She worries that he is raising sellswords in order to steal her
claim to the throne, so it seems that she wants the power of the Iron Throne,
through Myrcella, to support her.
14.
Brienne III
I knew that Brienne and Pod would make a good team. I am glad that
she is treating him as a proper squire and continuing his education. I love how
he keeps calling her ‘My Lady, Ser.’ :D
As they enter Maidenpool, they encounter Ser Hyle Hunt, who was the
ringleader of a very cruel ‘joke’ amongst Renly’s bannermen. They had a bet on
who would claim her virginity and so were all trying to outdo each other in
their kindnesses, giving gifts, making compliments and spending time with her.
This came to the attention of Lord Randyll Tarly, who called a halt to the
wager. However, he did not do this out of kindness to Brienne, who he blamed
for their dishonor because she should not be with the army. However, he accepts
her assertion that she did not kill Renly and passes on the news that Lysa Arryn
is dead.
She follows up on the tip to speak to Nimble Dick in the Stinking
Goose, and he agrees to take her to the same place as he sent the fool. This
seems like a perfect set up for a robbery to me, but I hope that Brienne and
Pod can handle themselves.
15.
Samwell II
For some reason I often find Samwell Chapters to be those most
evocative of the conditions surrounding our characters. I am not sure if this
is because Mr Martin really likes Sam, or whether it is a subtle way of
implying Sam’s inquisitive and observant personality. Also, Sam’s chapters are
always very internal as he berates himself about his cowardice and uselessness
and uses his surroundings to distract his thoughts from such negativity. He is
a person who worries too much and is constantly turning over his past, present
and future in his mind, just as I do myself, so that his voice is always
scrabbling like a rat in a trap.
He is suffering from terrible seasickness during the crossing to
Braavos. This is not something I have suffered myself, but we went on a whale
watching trip once with my niece, who threw up for the whole four hour trip, so
I have some idea of just how bad he must feel. On the bright side, he might
lose a little weight and feel a little better about himself because of that . .
.
The time on board is filled with very little, which is why Sam
spends so much time thinking. I love his devotion to Maester Aemon, although I
am very worried that the wonderful old man has become too ill to survive the
trip. It was great to hear him mention Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg: these are
the Dunk and Egg of the short stories that are also part of the A Song of Ice
and Fire Universe. Note to self: I must read those once I have finished the
novels. Old Aemon is a man of simple pleasures, and I was very touched by his
enjoyment of the rain on his face because it felt like tears. I fear that he
will die soon, which will be a sad day and a great loss. He is one of those
amazing characters that are hardly present in the books at all, but he makes
such a huge impression because he is so wonderfully written. I want to sit with
him and listen to his entire life story. I want to learn all that he knows
about history and the world. I would love to see him teaching bratty young
students in the Citadel, but I know that that will not happen and it makes me
sad.
I was shocked, but not terribly surprised, to find out that Jon had
sent Gilly away with Mance’s son rather than her own. It did seem obvious from
her comments to Jon as they left Castle Black, and it makes sense to protect
the innocent child from Melisandre’s fires. Sam has always seen Jon as a person
as soft hearted as he himself is, but that is not really true: Jon can do the
hard thing when he needs to. If he can send the elderly Maester away, even
though he might survive the journey, then it is nothing to send a baby away
with his wet nurse. I just hope that Gilly’s boy survives, because she has made
a huge sacrifice to save someone else’s child.
16.
Jaime II
Cersei really is an idiot for dismissing and insulting Ser Kevan.
He has served her father for many long years and so must be very competent: he
would make a perfect Hand. Of course, that might be the one reason why she does
not want him in the position: he would make a far better job of running the
realm than she will. He wrongly assumes that Jaime is still her lapdog and is
very cool to him, even going so far to make it obvious that he knows about
their incest. However, I cannot blame the man for wanting to leave Cersei to
deal with her own mess.
Good old Bronn: he has named Lollys’ bastard son Tyrion! That made
me smile because it showed that he has not vanished completely from the story.
Also I know that it will make Cersei angry, which is another plus to the
decision. I know that she will now try to have Bronn killed, but he will not
die easily and I hope that he will be sticking two fingers up to the Queen
Regent for many years to come.
Although this is a Jaime chapter, it really seems to say a lot
about Cersei. She discusses her new spy, Lady Taena, with him. He is worried
that the woman is a spy for Margaery, but Cersei is convinced that she is in
control of the situation and using Taena to feed misinformation. Obviously
Cersei does not realize that Margaery could be using Taena in exactly the same
way because, as the Queen, she can offer just as much of an incentive as Cersei
herself. We see the same poor judgment in her choice of Aurane Waters as the
new Master of Ships. He is very young to hold such an important position, but
he is pretty and willing to flatter Cersei: all the qualifications he needs.
Jaime sees the danger of Cersei’s decisions about her new
appointments, but she no longer listens to his advice because he is questioning
her and so is a traitor. Meanwhile, Jaime is becoming preoccupied by his role
in history, as we can see from his constant reading of the White Book. He is
obviously concerned about how he will be judged by later generations, in
contrast to Ser Loras, who is still young and brash, a constant reminder of
Jaime in his youth.
17.
Cersei IV
Good grief: Cersei is encouraging people to kill any dwarves that
they find! This particular one sounds like the holy brother that Brienne met,
which makes the crime doubly awful. It is all the more pointless because Tyrion
is well aware of his distinctive appearance, so he is hardly likely to be
waking around in public.
I am very wary of Cersei’s dependence on Qyburn. I am sure he is a
good replacement for Varys, because he is probably very good at getting information
from people, but he is a former outlaw who likes to experiment on people while
they are still alive: this strikes me as someone to hang, not make your closest
advisor. But then, the rest of the Small Council is made up of toadies and
incompetents, and Cersei has renamed all the positions so that they are no
longer ‘masters’ of anything, so he might actually be the most talented of this
pathetic group.
It seems that Gregor Clegane is dead, and his skull is now ready to
be sent to Dorne. However, his name is not mentioned, so it could be that some
poor giant lost his head in order to provide a suitable imposing skull. I dread
to think what that means for Gregor if he is still suffering under Qyburn’s
tender ministrations. However, it seems that Ser Balon Swann is taking the head
to Dorne, but has other orders to fulfill whilst he is there. No doubt these
involve something subtle, like killing Prince Doran or Princess Arianne, since
it is obviously Cersei’s idea.
The High Septon has died in his sleep, which seems rather sudden
(*cough Qyburn *cough). As usual, Cersei cannot see a disaster waiting to
happen and is totally unconcerned that there is an influx of religious zealots
at a time when the Faith has no strong leader to keep them in check. I predict
a religious uprising, which could spell disaster to someone who has been
publicly accused of incest! A wise person would be making every effort to make
sure that the right person became the new High Septon . . .
However, this foolishness is nothing compared to her statement that
she will ignore the ironmen until she has dealt with Stannis. I am confused
about how she expects to do this. She has no army in the North because Roose
Bolton is held back by the ironmen in Moat Cailin. She is taking far too much
for granted and wildly underestimating Stannis’ strength. She is dismissive of
his possible alliance with the wildlings, again showing a lack of caution that
could be her undoing. I am shocked to hear that Davos Seaworth is being held
captive by Lord Manderly and that Cersei wants him killed: I hope that he
survives somehow. She also wants to kill Jon Snow, now that he is Lord
Commander of the Night’s Watch and is hoping to persuade Lord Frey’s heir to
murder some of his own family to appease the calls for retaliation after the
Red Wedding.
Perhaps the most foolish of her decisions is to defer repaying the
Realm’s debts to the Iron Bank in Braavos. This seems like the act of a
megalomaniac. Pycelle warns her that the Iron Bank is ruthless when it comes to
getting its money back, and it must have plenty of political power because it
loans money to all the most powerful people. I assume that we are not talking
of a small sum, so the Bank will be marching to Westeros with an army of
sellswords if she is not careful. Plus, she intends to also stop repayment to
the Faith as well, which could make the choice of the next High Septon even
more crucial, as it provides him with a great reason to cause trouble for her.
Finally, she uses her sexuality to manipulate Osney Kettleblack. It
seems that she has slept with him once, in order to get his loyalty, and now
promises to be his mistress if he will deflower Margaery, get caught, be exiled
to the Night’s Watch and kill Jon Snow. Not too much to ask, really! I know
that she is supposed to be very beautiful, but I have to wonder how dumb this
man can really be, if he expects to survive all that to become a Lord and get
into her bed?
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Sue's Saturday Suggestions #14
Interesting Books
(Descriptions from Goodreads)
Sorne, the
estranged son of a King on the verge of madness, is being raised as a weapon to
wield against the mystical Wyrds. Half a continent away, his father is planning
to lay siege to the Celestial City, the home of the T En, whose wyrd blood the
mundane population have come to despise. Within the City, Imoshen, the only mystic to be raised
by men, is desperately trying to hold her people together. A generations long
feud between the men of the Brotherhoods and the women of the sacred
Sisterhoods is about to come to a head. With war without and war within, can an
entire race survive the hatred of a nation? Rowena Cory Daniells, the creator
of the bestselling Chronicles of King Rolen s Kin, brings you a stunning new
fantasy epic, steeped in magic and forged in war.
In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the
powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of
Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a
generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a
chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would
both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting
to the death is the only way to try to live.
All Mallory knows of The City is that
her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the
human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a
little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away,
and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon
finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While
Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City
knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn
into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.
Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young
prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just
another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son,
Achilles. Achilles, 'best of all the Greeks', is everything Patroclus is not —
strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess — and by all rights their paths
should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his
wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast
friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and
medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper — despite the
displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess
with a hatred of mortals.
I have listed these titles in earlier SSS posts:
check out my SSS Books Page for links to more reviews
Giveaways
The
Artwork of Jian Guo
Thanks to A Dribble of Ink, who posted a link to
these amazing pieces: stained-glass images from The Lord of the Rings. They are
stunning and anyone wanting to buy me massive versions for Christmas will be my
best friend forever! :)
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