February 2020 Roundup – Reading, Writing and Blogging… #BrainfluffFebruary2020Roundup

And here we are in March, already… The final week of February proved to be a bit grim as I became ill and rather miserable. The unending rain didn’t help, either… Nonetheless, it proved to be a reasonably productive month as I wrote just over 49,000 words altogether, with nearly 35,500 words on Mantivore Warrior, just over 11,500 words on the blog and just over 2,000 in lesson planning and evaluations.

Reading
I read twelve books in February and DNF’d an audiobook because I couldn’t get on with the narrator – the first time that’s happened to me. This is the list of twelve books I completed:

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce – my outstanding read of the month
The Case of the Reincarnated Client – Book 5 of the Vish Puri series by Tarquin Hall
AUDIOBOOK Uprooted by Naomi Novi – audio read of the month
A Blight of Blackwings – Book 2 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne
P is for Pluto – Book 3 of the Molly Marbles series by Jackie Kingon
AUDIOBOOK Salt Lane – Book 1 of the DS Alexander Cupidi series by William Shaw
Sacred Bride – Book 3 of the Olympus series by David Hair & Cat Mayo
Skyward – Book 1 of the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson
The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter
Murder Your Darlings – Book 3 of the Francis Meadowes series by Mark McCrum
Magic Bites – Book 1 of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

Writing
I was some 75,000 words into Mantivore Warrior and decided that I was within touching distance of the end – so decided to blast for the finishing line. A mistake – I was nothing of the sort, given that I had a fair amount to tie up in this the last of the trilogy. And as I tried to prioritise my writing to the exclusion of everything else – I was a bit dismayed at just what a struggle it was as there are still a lot of calls on my time. And the stress of trying to push so hard pitchforked me back to feeling dreadful, both physically and mentally… Let’s hope I’ve learnt that lesson and don’t make the same mistake next time around.

Blogging
Given the car-crash I made of managing my work/life balance at the end of the month (I didn’t…) it won’t be a surprise to learn that keeping the blog going was an almighty fail. Sorry folks. It doesn’t help to drop all the balls, I know. But hopefully this won’t happen again! On the plus side, I’ve been buoyed and comforted by the kind messages and encouragement that I’ve been receiving about my decision to ease down on my blogging frequency. Thank you so much for taking the time to send said comfort – it’s been mightily appreciated and certainly justifies my decision NOT to completely walk away from my blog.

Sunday Post – 16th February, 2020 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

No Pilates or Fitstep this week, as our teaching is on a scuba diving holiday on the other side of the world – she surely picked a good time to go! On Tuesday, the Sleep Clinic contacted us to say that the sleep mask Himself had been waiting for had arrived, so we drove to Worthing hospital to pick it up. On the way back, we stopped at the Sea Lane Café and enjoyed a delicious vegan burger for lunch, looking out over the sea in lovely sunshine, though it was raining again by the time we got home.

On Friday, I travelled to Brighton to see Rebecca and little Eliza, who ran up to me – and went on going, past me, calling ‘Papa! Papa!’ She scrambled onto the settee to look out of the window and see if he was outside, ignoring me. And when we went over last week to babysit – did he play with her? Get her tea and feed her? Give her a bath and put her to bed? Nope, that was yours truly. Instead, he read his Kindle, looking up from time to time to acknowledge her chatter as she all but stood on her head to get his attention… Rebecca was in fits of laughter😊. That evening Himself made me a special meal for Valentine’s Day and you’ll be shocked to learn we exchanged books as presents to show how much we love each other…

Yesterday, I tackled the middle bedroom where Rob had put all the stuff he’d brought back from Cambridge, before flying out to LA, as we are expecting the children to stay during half term this coming week. By evening, Storm Dennis was howling around the house with rain lashing the windows, when I got a text from my sister to say that as she’d opened her back door, the wind took hold of it, swung it round and hit her in the face. She is now only ten minutes up the road, so driving through the height of the storm wasn’t too bad, though I wouldn’t have wanted to travel much further. She has a lump on her forehead the size of an egg, cuts across her nose and had bitten through her tongue. She is lucky to have escaped concussion and a broken nose, though she is developing two black eyes. Fortunately, although shocked and in a lot of pain, she was okay, however I stayed the night just in case. We had a cosy breakfast together, and I returned home mid-morning, though the pouring rain – though at least the wind has dropped. My thoughts are with all the poor souls who have suffered damage and flooding for the second weekend in a row…

Last week I read:
A Blight of Blackwings – Book 2 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne
SOLDIER AND AVENGER
Daryck is from a city that was devastated by the war with the Bone Giants, and now he and a band of warriors seek revenge against the giants for the loved ones they lost. But will vengeance be enough to salve their grief?
DREAMER AND LEADER
Hanima is part of a new generation with extraordinary magical talents: She can speak to fantastical animals. But when this gift becomes a threat to the powers-that-be, Hanima becomes the leader of a movement to use this magic to bring power to the people.
SISTER AND SEEKER
Koesha is the captain of an all-female crew on a perilous voyage to explore unknown waters. Though Koesha’s crew is seeking a path around the globe, Koesha is also looking for her sister, lost at sea two years ago. But what lies beyond the edges of the map is far more dangerous than storms and sea monsters. . . .
I thoroughly enjoyed this epic fantasy sequel to A Plague of Giants with a nifty plot device which works really well.

AUDIOBOOK Salt Lane – Book 1 of the DS Alexandra Cupidi series by William Shaw
DS Alexandra Cupidi has done it again. She should have learnt to keep her big mouth shut, after the scandal that sent her packing – resentful teenager in tow – from the London Met to the lonely Kent coastline. Even murder looks different in this landscape of fens, ditches and stark beaches, shadowed by the towers of Dungeness power station. Murder looks a lot less pretty. The man drowned in the slurry pit had been herded there like an animal. He was North African, like many of the fruit pickers that work the fields. The more Cupidi discovers, the more she wants to ask – but these people are suspicious of questions. It will take an understanding of this strange place – its old ways and new crimes – to uncover the dark conspiracy behind the murder. Cupidi is not afraid to travel that road. But she should be. She should, by now, have learnt.
This is a well written, strongly plotted contemporary murder mystery set in the striking setting of Dungeness, which I loved listening to. Ideal for fans of Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series.

Sacred Bride – Book 3 of the Olympus trilogy by David Hair & Cath Mayo
Prince Odysseus and the daemon Bria must penetrate the haunted caverns beneath Dodona, seeking a way to save their doomed nation, Achaea, from the might of Troy. The startling revelation that follows will set Odysseus on his most daunting mission yet, as he seeks to reunite the divided Achaean kingdoms before the rapacious Trojans strike. His journey will pit him against wrathful gods and legendary heroes, in a deadly contest for the hand of Helen of Sparta, the daughter of Zeus, upon whose choice the fate of Achaea rests…
This is the third book in the series charting the adventures of Odysseus in the run-up to the Trojan War. I love Greek myth retellings. The characterisation, worldbuilding and explanation of how the gods work and the political and financial pressures all leading to the war is done exceptionally well. Review to follow.

My posts last week:

Shoot for the Moon 2020

Friday Faceoff featuring Club Dead – Book 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of A Blight of Blackwings – Book 2 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Case of the Reincarnated Client – Book 5 of the Vish Puri series by Taquin Hall

Sunday Post 9th February 2020

Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last couple of weeks, in no particular order:

#writerproblems #writingawesome #characterdesign in three sentences or less https://jeanleesworld.com/2020/02/02/writerproblems-writing-awesome-characterdesign-in-three-sentences-or-less/ Jean’s writing advice and discussions are always worth reading – but this one particularly chimed with me. So very true!

My Favorite Books of the Decade: 2009-2019 https://coffeeandcatsblog.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/my-favorite-books-of-the-decade-2009-2019/ I loved this list, and agreed with a couple of the choices – but then also started wondering which books I’d include on my own list. What about you?

An Interesting Character Study: Malvolio from Twelfth Night https://interestingliterature.com/2020/02/character-study-malvolio-twelfth-night/ 
I recall seeing Ken Dodd perform the final speech of Malvolio’s during a Variety performance and being transfixed at just how WELL he did it. This intriguing article explains what drew him to the character…

John Gorka: Semper Fi https://theimmortaljukebox.com/2020/02/09/john-gorka-semper-fi/ Once again, a warm, wonderful piece of writing that makes you think. Thom’s blog epitomises the best in blogging…

Thursday Photo Prompt #Choice #writephoto https://indishe.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/thursday-photo-promptchoicewritephoto/ These posts are always gold for writers seeking inspiration – and I love this one…

Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you have a wonderful week.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of KINDLE Ebook A Blight of Blackwings – Book 2 of the Seven Kennings series #Brainfluffbookreview #ABlightofBlackwingsbookreview

I was very impressed with the first book in this series, A Plague of Giants – to the extent that I pre-ordered this one, which is something I don’t do all that often.

BLURB: SOLDIER AND AVENGER
Daryck is from a city that was devastated by the war with the Bone Giants, and now he and a band of warriors seek revenge against the giants for the loved ones they lost. But will vengeance be enough to salve their grief?
DREAMER AND LEADER
Hanima is part of a new generation with extraordinary magical talents: She can speak to fantastical animals. But when this gift becomes a threat to the powers-that-be, Hanima becomes the leader of a movement to use this magic to bring power to the people.
SISTER AND SEEKER
Koesha is the captain of an all-female crew on a perilous voyage to explore unknown waters. Though Koesha’s crew is seeking a path around the globe, Koesha is also looking for her sister, lost at sea two years ago. But what lies beyond the edges of the map is far more dangerous than storms and sea monsters. . . .

Firstly, if you haven’t yet read A Plague of Giants, then whatever you do – don’t start here. You’ll be flailing around in a welter of names and places that mean nothing to you for far too long to make sense of what is happening. This is, after all, a multi-viewpoint, epic fantasy which sprawls across continents as the natural disaster causes a massive invasion of a displaced people, creating havoc and aftershocks in its wake. I’ll be honest – this isn’t generally my favourite sub-genre, as too often plotting and scene-setting trump strong characterisation. However Hearne has hit upon a nifty way to sidestep some of the limitations of an extensive cast and numerous settings, by having the story told through a bard with magical abilities to take on the characters he is depicting. So we always get a first-person viewpoint and as the bard gives an introduction to his audience, we also get a brief reminder of the character he is about to personify. I think it’s a device that works exceptionally well – particularly as the bard’s abilities are nested within the magical system that runs within the world, anyway.

This slice of the action is a strong continuation of the story that started so successfully in A Plague of Giants, and we get a further progression of the unfolding drama, with more insights into the main characters – good and bad. I also appreciated that we got to know more about the kennings – the magical abilities that some folks have; how they manifest, their limitations and the costs of such magic.

This is a hefty read at over 500 pages, but they flew by as I always picked up the book keen to dive back in and find out more. I’m looking forward to A Curse of Krakens and this one comes highly recommended for fans of epic fantasy peopled by well-depicted characters.
9/10

Review of KINDLE Ebook A Plague of Giants – Book 1 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne

I loved Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series – you can check out my review of Hounded. So when I heard that he had embarked on an epic fantasy, I was intrigued.

In the city of Pelemyn, Fintan the bard takes to the stage to tell what really happened the night the giants came . . . From the east came the Bone Giants, from the south, the fire-wielding Hathrim – an invasion that sparked war across the six nations of Teldwen. The kingdom’s only hope is the discovery of a new form of magic that calls the world’s wondrous beasts to fight by the side of humankind.

What do you do if you wish to portray your epic world through the eyes of eleven protagonists? Well… there is always the George R.R. Martin option, I suppose. But Hearne has gone for a different approach – he has a bard with a magical ability to take the shape and persona of the characters, who then tells their slice of the adventure to a city of refugees caught up in the war. It’s a nifty device to sidestep the problem of trying to get the reader to keep track of exactly who is doing what to whom – especially as at the start of each performance, the bard tells the audience who will be introducing the character who will be taking the stage.

Does Hearne succeed? I’ll be honest – A Plague of Giants took some time to grow on me. Himself immediately was drawn into the world and kept imploring me to keep going, not that I was tempted to DNF it – the writing is too good, for starters. But I was about 20% into the story before the world seeped into my bones and I was reaching for my Kindle with eagerness. Once I was familiar with the cast of characters and the narrative had taken root, I was won over. Because of the structure, this epic fantasy is completely character-driven and I’m a real sucker for character-driven plots.

As we drew closer to the climax, I was holding my breath because we already knew that the giants had very little wriggle-room – they couldn’t return to their homeland due to the volcanic eruption devastating their island. And because a significant number of the giants also wielded fire as their kenning (read magical talent) they were lethal. I also have to warn you that not all the eleven protagonists survive to the end of the story – I was shocked to discover who doesn’t make it and the manner of their death. Inevitably, the story is somewhat fragmented, given it is told piecemeal by a variety of characters – some of them not human. But I grew to really enjoy this world and the diversity of species who are caught up in the conflict caused by the giants’ invasion.

The ending was suitably dramatic and despite the book being 600+ pages, when I got to the end I was genuinely sorry this instalment of the tale was over. While I’m aware that there has been a mixed reception to this one, if you enjoy well-written epic fantasy that gives an insight into the political machinations as well as plenty of action, both military and magical, then go looking for this one. While I can’t guarantee you’ll love it – if it does tick your box, you’ll really, really thank me.
9/10

Sunday Post – 19th November 2017

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

I’m beginning to sound like a cracked record… yes – you’ve guessed it – it was another busy week… Oscar’s party last Sunday evening was delightful – it was lovely watching him discuss all his Lego projects and watch him open his presents and card.

I was teaching Monday and Tuesday – both Creative Writing courses for the Spring term at Northbrook are now full and the Summer term for my Monday course is also full with a waiting list. On Wednesday, as J was also off work, we had lunch at The Arun View with my sister – it was lovely to see her fit enough to go out and about again. On Thursday evening I popped over to do a rehearsal session with a couple of the actors in Tim’s film for a crucial, rather emotional film and then onwards to Writing Group. Though none of us had any writing… Still, it was lovely to catch up with everyone and talk through our various projects, though I’m now wondering why the idiot wearing my body thought it a good idea to bring out Dying for Space this side of Christmas.

On Friday I was teaching again – and then I spent the evening at my sister’s putting the world to rights as she cooked us a delicious meal. On Saturday we were back together again as we went up to The George at Burpham and had a lovely meal with Mum and Dad to celebrate their upcoming wedding anniversary – 45 years – what an achievement! Afterwards, I drove over to Lancing to pick up the grandchildren. Oscar is returning home this evening, but as Frances has an INSET day, she will be returning home on Monday evening.

Today, Frances and I have been in the middle of Bognor, filming the final scenes for Tim’s film which we have now finally finished. It’s been great fun, but the sense of relief that the filming phase is now over is huge… I cannot get over the weather today after the cold, rainy Saturday we endured – as with every single filming day we have done, it has been bright and sunny all day.

This week I have read:

A Plague of Giants – Book 1 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne
In the city of Pelemyn, Fintan the bard takes to the stage to tell what really happened the night the giants came . . . From the east came the Bone Giants, from the south, the fire-wielding Hathrim – an invasion that sparked war across the six nations of Teldwen. The kingdom’s only hope is the discovery of a new form of magic that calls the world’s wondrous beasts to fight by the side of humankind.
I really enjoyed this one, once I got used to the unusual structure, where the bard relives the experiences of all eleven protagonists – it’s a nifty way to handle a large cast and mostly worked. I shall be reviewing this one in due course.

The Hidden Face – Book 1 of the Fifth Unmasking series by S.C. Flynn
A face without a face – an unmasking that leaves the mask. Once every few hundred years the sun god, the Akhen, takes on human form and descends to earth. Each Unmasking of the Face of the Akhen ends one era and begins another; the last one created the Faustian Empire. Where and when will the Face next appear, and who will he – or she – be?
Dayraven, son of a great hero, returns to Faustia after years as a hostage of their rivals, the Magians. Those years have changed him, but Faustia has changed as well; the emperor Calvo now seems eccentric and is controlled by one of Dayraven’s old enemies. Following the brutal murder of his old teacher, Dayraven is drawn, together with a female warrior named Sunniva, into the search for an ancient secret that would change the fate of empires.
This intriguing epic fantasy is full of ancient riddles designed to ensure that the powerful secrets surrounding the rite of the Unmasking stays safely away from those who would abuse the power. That’s the theory, anyway. This time around there are a whole bunch of people who will stop at nothing to get hold of those secrets – and only two people who have the correct training to be able to unlock the elaborate codes and puzzles surrounding them…

My posts last week:

Sunday Post – 12th November, 2017

Review of Whirligig: Keeping the Promise – Book 1 of Shire’s Union by Richard Buxton

Teaser Tuesday featuring A Plague of Giants – Book 1 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearne

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring The River Keepers by Michael F. Stewart

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

Friday Face-off – Snap! – featuring The Dark Mirror – Book 1 of the Bridei Chronicles by Juliet Marillier

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Artemis by Andy Weir

Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:

Worlds to Visit – https://navigatingworldsblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/worlds-to-visit/ 
This entertaining blog considers various science fiction and fantasy world Mr N would love to vacation at… Has he included your favourites?

Writing Nameless Things: An Interview with Ursula K. LeGuin –  https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/writing-nameless-things-an-interview-with-ursula-k-le-guin/  What a wonderful opportunity to hear the thoughts of one of the legends in the genre…

10 of the Best Poems About Hair – https://interestingliterature.com/2017/11/15/10-of-the-best-poems-about-hair/ And at least one of these isn’t talking about the hair you’d think…

5 New Science Books to Look Out For https://librarystaffpicks.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/5-new-science-books-to-watch-out-for/ Another useful list of books from this award-winning library site

Book Nerds Don’t Get Old… https://powerfulwomenreaders.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/book-nerds-dont-get-old/  And I couldn’t agree more with this nifty quote featuring a stack of books😊

Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site and may you have a great week.

Teaser Tuesday – 14th November, 2017

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is my choice of the day:

A Plague of Giants – Book 1 of the Seven Kennings series by Kevin Hearn

72% The bard ends his completely miserable audience by saying he’ll stay at the Raelech embassy and then tosses out a wish for me to “be well,” which is more alarming than the news of my army’s destruction. People are beginning to notice. To question my health. My sanity! My fitness to rule.

BLURB: In the city of Pelemyn, Fintan the bard takes to the stage to tell what really happened the night the giants came . . .

From the east came the Bone Giants, from the south, the fire-wielding Hathrim – an invasion that sparked war across the six nations of Teldwen. The kingdom’s only hope is the discovery of a new form of magic that calls the world’s wondrous beasts to fight by the side of humankind.

This epic fantasy has an interesting structure – we learn about the unfolding drama as a volcanic eruption triggers a major and unwelcome migration of a people through a magically enhanced bard. He recites the story of what happens, complete with the resulting political fallout to a bulging city of refugees, taking on the persona of the various key characters through his magical gift, or ‘kenning’. I’m enjoying it – though having to really concentrate to keep track of the eleven protagonists that keep popping up. Himself has raved about this one, so I’m looking forward to a climactic ending…