Boudica Marginalia

The Memoirs of Cleopatra

2012-01-26T09:30:00.000Z

I love a big book - it's very satisfying. There is a depth of immersion that just can't be achieved in anything less than 500 pages. The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George is a big book at 960 pages and it is well worth the effort.

The memoirs tell the story of the whole life of Cleopatra; from growing up in Alexandria to her death by suicide at the age of forty. It covers her relationship with Caesar, her part in the chaos after his death and the side she eventually chose. That was the side of Marc Anthony and the book details their unsuccessful war with Octavian.

Margaret George derives a lot of the events from the historical record - relying on a broad range of sources and stripping away the exaggerations and defamations of Cleopatra's enemies. Some things are fictionalised but as much as possible is derived from the historical clues available.

It is an interesting story in that it is essentially the story of defeat all the way through. Cleopatra snatches her country from the machinations of her siblings and aligns herself with Caesar to preserve her throne. Which fateful decision sets her up for a lifetime of trying to prevent Egypt from becoming a Roman province. She fails at that, and ironically, it is a far richer prize at the end than it would have been if she had not saved it in the first place.

This was utterly engaging. The worldbuilding is very good and Rome and Egypt are fully realised. The staggering wealth of Cleopatra is effectively conveyed. I really enjoyed this.

A Diary of The Lady

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000Z

So, how do you review a book you didn't finish? There might be a few more of these this year.

A Diary of The Lady by Rachel Johnson is an account of her time as editor of The Lady magazine. She is the sister of Boris Johnson, a columnist for one of the broadsheets, and a novellist. I got about a quarter of the way through before abandoning it.

I stopped reading because I found the writing dull and leaden. It could have been an interesting, funny story, but Rachel Johnson contrives to make it and herself come across as boring and unpleasant. Give it a wide berth.

I learnt a new word

2012-01-19T13:39:00.000Z

I love new words. Especially when I've been looking for them for a long time. For ages I been trying to think of a way to describe those little phrases and saying that seem harmless but are actually harmful. They're often said without intent, but tend to provoke defensiveness when challenged.

Lo and behold, someone has coined a word to describe these things: microagressions. And helpfully, there is a blog full of examples.

I've started so I'll finish

2012-01-16T14:25:00.000Z

Our lives are controlled by the things we believe and we're not totally aware of everything we believe. Our beliefs can be revealed to us in the little phrases and sayings that we like to use. One of mine is 'I've started so I'll finish' and variations on that theme. The belief is that if I've started something I should finish it. While that can be a useful piece of advice, because some things are better finished, it can more often be a source of stress. It is not true that everything should be finished. The things that are unfinished because I no longer want to do them become part of a to-do list which can get overwhelming.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to admit you're never going to finish something and get rid of it. So, in the spirit of making my life less stressful, I've been through book mountain and found thirteen books I'm not going to finish reading.

1. A Time of Exile by Katherine Kerr. I picked it up from the book drop at work as I needed something to read on the way home. I read about fifty pages and I'm not going to read any more. I don't like the style of writing - it's too high fantasy for my taste. Back to the book drop.

2. Dark Secret by Christine Feehan. I actually got three-quarters of the way through this, but one day I put it down and didn't pick it up again. It's paranormal romance and I don't like the highly traditional gender roles advocated by the book. Charity bag.

3. Labyrinth by Kare Mosse. This was given to me and I do think it's the polite thing to do to read something given to you. But I tried and I just didn't engage with it. Charity bag.

4. The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova. See above.

5. & 6. Magic Study and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder. These are parts two and three of a trilogy I foolishly bought all together. I read the first one, Poison Study, and I really didn't like it. I haven't been able to bring myself to read the other two. Charity bag.

7. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I bought this because a friend raved about it. That was before I read Captain Corelli's Mandolin on his recommendation and realised I hate his taste in books. Charity bag.

8. Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley. I've made two attempts at this and I just can't get into it. To me, it seems like a massive, poorly executed, rip-off of Game of Thrones. Charity bag.

9. Medusa Rising by Cindy Dees. It's Mills & Boon with a modern military setting. Did. Not. Like. Charity bag.

10. Once by James Herbert. It started off ok but got really slow in the middle. Once I'd stopped reading it I developed an aversion to starting it again. Charity bag.

11. "Dumbth" by Steve Allen. I understand this man is supposed to be funny. I don't think so. The premise is interesting - 101 ways to think better - and there are some great concepts in here. Unfortunately it's all conveyed covered in nasty, judgemental, mean-spirited mocking of people perceived by the author as stupid, rude or uneducated. Reading it was a horrible experience. I want to burn it.

12. Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden. Should be the sort of thing I would enjoy, but the writing wasn't great. It is heavy on exposition and I got bored. Charity bag.

13. Wildwood by Roger Deakin. This one I'm actually a little sad about. I so wanted this to be good, but I've given it a couple of tries and I was bored by it. I know someone who wants to read it and hopefully he will enjoy it.

Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession

2012-01-12T13:22:00.000Z

New for 2012! Book reviews for non-fiction titles! I read quite a bit of non-fiction and, as my reviews have slid away from being purely about what I've learned about writing through reading into more traditional book review territory, I thought it was time I started recording those as well. First book of the year is Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession by Craig Childs.

The book is an exploration of the ethics of archaeology and I was attracted to reading it because I have a love for the artifacts of the past. Archaeologist was one of my many answers to the question 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'. The book isn't quite what I thought it was. I expected a more scholarly approach to the complex and ambiguous question of what we should do with old stuff.

Who should have it? Does it belong in museums where it can be studied? Lots of the stuff in museums has been obtained unethically, especially in the top institutions. Should it go back to the culture it came from? Are artifacts art or information? Should they be displayed for aesthetic enjoyment or catalogued for posterity? Should they be owned by private collectors or held by governments and public insitutions?

There are no easy answers to these questions and Childs presents a range of views in an objective and non-judgemental way. He tells his own stories of his experience of making archaeological finds and what he has done with them, as well as the stories of people involved at various levels of the antiquities trade.

In the end, Childs' view is that artifacts should be left where they are found, in context. But this view is based on feeling and he struggles to articulate why that is the right thing to do, so the reader is left to make up their own mind if they can.

I enjoyed this, even though it wasn't quite what I thought it would be, and if you're interested in old stuff, museums or archaeology it's worth a read.

I'm not sure that was a joke

2012-01-09T09:14:00.000Z

Under the label 'Things I wish I'd written', because they express a point I've been wanting make for ages, is this post from The F-Word blog on that hateful phrase 'can't you take a joke?'

When someone says this to you, it isn't because you had a sense of humour failure, it's because they're being hostile.

Kindles and page fondling

2012-01-08T10:28:00.000Z

I got a Kindle for Christmas. Yay me. Not exactly newsworthy on its own, but I noticed something interesting the other day. When I'm reading a book I get a tactile experience that reminded me of the habit forming behaviours that go along with smoking. With the Kindle, my hands are fidgety.

I'm not a luddite in any sense. I love technology and usually can't wait to get my hands on new kit. I've only delayed getting a Kindle this long because of the sheer number of unread books in my house. I thought that having a Kindle would mean I wouldn't read any of them and I promised myself I could have it when I'd read all the unread books. What actually happened was that I kept buying books so the unread books pile is not that much smaller. I decided I would ask for a Kindle for Christmas, continue to read the unread books and only buy new ones for the Kindle.

Over the last few days I've had a bit of a cold so I grabbed a couple of books and headed for a snuggly blanket-laden sofa. I finished Others in hard copy then picked up my Kindle on which I am reading the first book club book of 2012 (it's awful, but more on that at the end of the month) and read that for a bit. Then I started on Finders Keepers in hard copy.

I had noticed with the Kindle that if I'm not careful I press the forward page buttons on the side and lose my place, so I have some difficulty finding a comfortable holding position. It doesn't yet feel quite right in my hands. When I picked up an actual book to read I found myself fondling the pages. There's something about the feel of the paper books are printed on - this particular book was using a soft but thick paper that was especially pleasing to the touch.

Part of the difficulty in overcoming addictions like smoking is the way our bodies get used to certain actions and sensations. So, it is not just the addiction to nicotine, but also the addiction to having something in our hands, to the feeling and motions, to the habit of the actions associated with smoking a cigarette. When you give up smoking, as I did five or six years ago, you have to give your hands something else to do.

It made me wonder if some people who are clinging to the printed book as the ultimate media for delivering fiction dislike e-book readers because they don't feel right in your hands. They feel different, and therefore, a bit strange. A little disconcerting, even. I wonder if the nay-sayers have an addiction to the physicality of books rather than to the content of books.

Maybe I'll just get a cover for my Kindle that is pleasing to the touch and that will solve the problem. Maybe that's why most seem to be in suede.

100 Books in 2011: Others

2012-01-06T14:37:00.001Z

This is the last book in the 100 Books in 2011 challenge and it is Others by James Herbert. A man's soul is in Hell, tormented, and is given a chance to redeem himself. He accepts the offer.

Nick Dismas is a private investigator running a small, successful business in Brighton. He happens to be mishapen and ugly and so encounters much of the worst of humanity. A woman approaches him and asks him to find her long lost son. She was told that her baby didn't survive but she believes that he is still alive and now wants to find him.

After he takes this commission he is plagued by nightmares which he tries to explain away as the result of the drugs he takes to deal with his condition. The woman is revealed to have been recently widowed, requiring a son in order to benefit from her husband's will, and acting on the advice of a psychic. Dismas tells the woman he can't help her, but a combination of psychic phenomena, intuition and pressure from the psychic pushes him into following up the one lead he has. He thinks it's pretty tenuous but it leads him to a place where deformed and mutated children are kept secretly from the world, experimented on and exploited.

Dismas rescues them and comes to remember who he was in his previous life. Then, having redeemed himself, he dies.

This is definitely a book on the warm end of the spectrum of writing technique. We spend most of our time in Dismas' interior world as he ruminates on what is true and what is not, follows his intuition, and explores his feelings for the people around him.

Much of Others feels more like a thriller than a horror. Dismas is trying to find a missing person whilst battling personal demons. It's ok. It's pretty readable but I didn't find the characters that engaging. There is a motif of 'ugly but good' and 'beautiful but evil' running through the book like a freight train, which I found unsophisticated and heavy-handed.

As a thriller, it was alright until the ending, which was Dismas remembering the bargain he had struck and then all the loose ends being tied up in a couple of expository pages. It felt hurried, especially as the final escape from the burning building had taken over sixty pages to play out. The action was tense and exciting in places but the pacing was a little haphazard. As a horror, I didn't really get it. I suspect the horror lies in what has been done to the 'others', how they have been treated and how society has effectively erased them. The horror is in how easily we decide people aren't people. But choosing to tell the story from the POV of the private investigator distances us from that for most of story. Unless, of course, you're freaked out by the idea of demons invading your nightmares. I don't believe in an afterlife of any kind and so I find it hard to be afraid of that sort of thing.

Anyway, it's alright. If you enjoy mild supernatural horror, you might like this.

Hemingway vs. Austen

2012-01-04T15:30:00.002Z

Writer Unboxed has a recent post on warm versus cool writing which made me rethink some of the things that I've heard and read about writing.

Cool writing, as illustrated by the work of Ernest Hemingway, is dominated by 'showing, not telling'; action and narration are prominent with the reader left to infer what the characters are feeling.

Warm writing is the other end of the spectrum, delving deeply into the interior worlds of the characters and focussing on emotion. It is the style used predominately in the romance genre and is illustrated in the article by the work of Jane Austen.

The Writer Unboxed post asks who is the better writer. I don't think I could honestly say who was the better writer, given that they are separated by time, geography and subject matter. I enjoy the works of both but I prefer Hemingway, which indicates that I am a writer on the cool end of the spectrum and could use some warming up.

The spectrum of warm to cool is an interesting way of looking at different styles of writing that gets away from arguments about good and bad writing. I think the next time I read a romance novel I might have better insight into the style of writing.

100 Books in 2011 challenge: Reflections

2011-12-31T13:32:00.003Z

I read 86 books in 2011. Not quite the 100 I was aiming for, but not an insignificant number.

Out of those books 50 were by male authors and 36 by female authors. That's a slightly more even split than I expected. I tend to read types of fiction dominated by male authors and while I have thought that I should make a point of seeking out female authors in these genres, I haven't yet done so. Next year I plan to prioritise female writers.

Genres:

Sci-fi - 7
Fantasy - 12
Horror - 5
Romance - 7
Literary - 5
Classic - 9
Historical - 2
Thriller - 6

I read 32 non-fiction books, which is more than I thought, and makes me feel like I should break that down a bit.

Self-help/Psychology - 5
Philosophy - 1
History - 5
Current affairs/Politics - 4
Feminist thought - 5
Comedy - 3
Auto-biography - 2
Writing craft - 4
Paganism - 1
Science - 2

I noticed at points during the year that I was actively choosing to read books I perceived to be short and easy in order to achieve the goal of 100 books in a year. Whereas, if I hadn't been trying to reach that goal I might have gone for a more challenging, edifying, (and for me, more satisfying) reading experience. It's a bit like dieting, in that it drives bad behaviour. Books are chosen for being low-calorie (short/easy) rather than healthy (quality) and so the choices you make are not the ones that are best for you but the ones that will satisfy an arbitrary number.

On reflection, I have quite enjoyed doing the 100 Books in 2011 challenge but I won't be doing a reading challenge again next year. I still have 166 books on book mountain and I think I can make more space by focussing on reading the really big ones. My reading intentions for next year are to read more female authors and get through the large hardcovers on book mountain. I did like keeping a list of everything I've read though, so I think I will maintain that.

Finally, my favourite books of the year. In non-fiction, my favourite was Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, with an honourable mention for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. In fiction, it's very close but I think Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks was the best novel I read all year. There are a few others that were very close: All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear; Gridlinked by Neal Asher, The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie and A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin.

And that's the end of 2011. Happy New Year everyone!

100 Books in 2011: Line of Polity

2011-12-29T12:26:00.000Z

Line of Polity is the second in the Ian Cormac series by Neal Asher, which is sci-fi spy thriller, basically James Bond in space.

A rogue scientist is experimenting with ancient alien technology far more advanced than that of the Polity, and his intention is to use that technology to make himself all-powerful.

The outlink station Miranda has been destroyed by a fungus that appears to have been deployed by Dragon, a mysterious alien being. The refugees from Miranda are picked up by a ship from Masada, a world outside the Polity which is ruled by a theocracy and keeps most of its population as slave labour. There is a rebellion on Masada led by Lellan Stanton, the sister of John Stanton, an arms dealer.

Because of Dragon's involvement, Ian Cormac is sent to investigate.

Describing this as James Bond in space is not doing it justice as Neal Asher's books are much richer and more complex than Ian Fleming's were. Cormac is a more rounded creation and the supporting characters are much more real as well.

Gant is back. He was killed in the first book but it turns out he had himself backed up and so was downloaded into a golem body. Gant and Thorn were my favourite characters from the first book and I was happy to have Gant back. He spends a lot of time wondering whether he is still the same person as he was. When he is reunited with Thorn, who had not known Gant was backed up and so had grieved for the loss of his friend, there is some awkwardness in the relationship. The way Asher uses this relationship to explore what constitutes a person is really well handled and he portrays a deep, intimate friendship between these two men.

Many of the central characters are from the first book, allowing much development. Cormac is much less centre stage than he had been, but he is still struggling with being disconnected. As well as excellent characterisation, and the great dialogue that goes along with that, Line of Polity has plenty of plot. This is an action driven novel as Cormac chases both Dragon and Skellor about the universe. The ending is a bit of a shock. Cormac pulls off a clever trick, forcing Skellor to choose between destroying Masada and killing Cormac. Skellor chooses Cormac and runs into an outpost world run by arms dealers, who Cormac fools into thinking he is attacking. Their defence system is the only thing that can destroy Skellor at this point and it does so. It also seems that Cormac dies in the process. Right up to the last page I was waiting for Asher to reveal how Cormac survived, but he didn't. Which leaves me desperate to read the next one. Genius. (There are currently three more Ian Cormac novels, so he has to have survived, right?)

I thoroughly enjoyed this. If you like space opera, particularly Iain M. Banks, then you'll enjoy this. It's exciting, entertaining and well written.

100 Books in 2011: Surface Detail

2011-12-28T12:27:00.000Z

Continuing on with wrapping up the last few book reviews for the 100 books in 2011 challenge we have Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks.

Lededje Ybreq is an indentured servant who is killed by her owner. She is revived on board a Culture ship, courtesy of a neural lace given to her by a passing eccentric ship when she was younger. Once she is used to the idea of being alive again, she seeks to return home to kill him.

Meanwhile, several lesser civilisations are engaged in a virtual war over the right to have virtual hells. The Culture is profoundly anti-Hell but felt that it shouldn't participate. The war has been raging for decades and the anti-Hell side is losing. Because of this it is about to break out in the Real.

Lededje finds herself travelling home with the warship Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints, a delightfully psychotic mind created to be a weapon but knowing it will almost certainly never get the chance to show its full capability.

Lededje's journey home takes her right into the middle of the outbreak of war in the Real, giving Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints the opportunity it never thought it would get.

I love the Culture and I want to live in it. With Surface Detail, Banks has created a new Culture novel that is possibly one of the best. I love the ideological discussions presented by the existence of virtual Heavens and Hells and what that means for civilization. One hell world is explored through the POV of two activist characters who voluntarily go to their world's Hell to support the anti-Hell movement. The pain, despair and hopelessness is vividly brought to life. I found myself profoundly anti-Hell.

Characterisation is excellent, and my favourite of the many memorable characters was Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints. I love ship minds in the Culture novels; they're so very entertaining. FONMC was wonderful. It is the mind of a ship created to be the ultimate deterent and loves destruction and mayhem, but is aware that it may never get to truly express itself. So it's avatars are cruel, mean, spiteful and sadistic, and charming, elegant and manipulative, like the psychopath that the ship really is. And when FONMC gets to destroy an entire fleet of warships all by itself, it is so joyful that it is hard not to be happy for it.

In Surface Detail, Banks does not disappoint. It is full of interesting characters, sparkling dialogue, and rich with intellectual concept. It will make you think, and laugh, and cry. Highly recommended. This is a contender for best book of the year.

100 Books in 2011: Heart of Darkness

2011-12-27T12:05:00.002Z

I've not read many classics this year, due to a perception that they take longer to read that modern novels of the same length, and I've been conscious of having a target. Towards the end of the year I stopped picking short books in order to meet the target because I wanted to read books I could get my teeth into. One of those was Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

It's the story of a man, Marlow, who takes up an ivory trading post in the Congo. While there he accepts a commission to travel into the jungle to find and return Kurtz. Kurtz was a trader, like Marlow, but has been in the jungle for a long time and there are disturbing reports.

Marlow is confronted with the venality of his fellow Europeans and dismayed with their treatment of Africans. When he sets off to find Kurtz he is deeply conflicted about what he is doing. His inner turmoil is increased when he finds Kurtz, who he experiences as a very charismatic man, and discovers that Kurtz has set himself up as a King. His hold over the Africans is derived from his willingness to present himself as a supernatural being; he encourages them to worship him by participating in their rites.

Kurtz is ill, so Marlow is able to take him from the tribe, to the great distress of the woman who was his mistress, but he dies on the way back down-river. Back in Europe, Marlow is sought out by people who knew Kurtz and has to decide what he will say about the man's final years.

I found this surprisingly easy to read. Surprising, because I picked it up a few years ago and had trouble getting into it. That's the benefit of a long commute - you have time to get into books that require a bit of time and effort. Once I got going, I found it quite hard to put down. It uses the frame narrative technique, a story within a story, which I find quite tedious. It's a slow way of getting into a story and I'm glad it's fallen out of fashion.

I liked the sense of oppression. The world Conrad describes is indeed dark, things happen at night, inside dark buildings and under the canopy of the jungle where the light rarely penetrates. He shows European colonists as small and greedy as they claim the Africans they're enslaving are. The European characters, including Kurtz, talk about the civilising influence that empires bring to Africa while demonstrating behaviour that belies the claim. Conrad doesn't pull any punches about the nature of colonialism. Marlow's confusion and disillusionment is well drawn.

This is a book with a big reputation and is definitely one of those books you should have read. Fortunately, it's pretty good and I really enjoyed it.

100 Books in 2011: Worth Dying For

2011-12-26T12:04:00.000Z

Ah, Jack Reacher, I just can't stay away from you. And in Worth Dying For, Lee Child's taciturn alpha male itinerant troubleshooter/maker is on good form.

Reacher is hitching across the US, as is his wont, and is dropped off in the middle of the desolate plains of Nebraska. He finds a motel and walks into a village terrorised by the Duncans, a family of thugs who deal in human trafficking.

The battered wife of the youngest Duncan calls the drunken doctor drinking at the motel bar and Reacher, having a chivalric moment, drags the unwilling doctor to assist, then tracks down the husband and breaks his nose. As things start unravelling, Reacher discovers that the Duncan's are implicated in a thirty-year old case of a missing girl.

Meanwhile, the Duncan's are waiting for a shipment that is late. The buyers have sent a couple of guys to find out where it is. There are further buyers in the chain, who also send thugs to expedite the process.

After much chasing around windy, flat farms and the grisly, violent deaths of many a criminal, Reacher solves the case and the bad guys get their just desserts.

I think Lee Child is getting better as a writer, Reacher seems a more complex character than when I first picked up one of these books, and as he gets more complex he gets more likeable, which was definitely missing at the start.

I also appreciate the short time span the novel is set in. All the action happens over a few days, maybe a week. With Reacher able to have many adventures in a short space of time, he doesn't age at the same rate as the reader. Which can be a problem with your action hero. Worth Dying For has all the strengths and weakness I've come to expect from Lee Child. What's good is the plotting, the pace, and the creation of a insulated little world wrapped up in its own problems. Not so good is the dialogue and Reacher's god-like powers. Still, all in all, it was fun and if you're looking for an easy, relaxing read, you could do worse.

100 Books in 2011: Definitely Dead

2011-12-25T14:53:00.001Z

The sixth in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris, is a bit of a return to form.

Sookie is left an inheritance by her cousin Hadley, former ghoul of the Queen of Louisiana. She has to go to New Orleans to collect.

At the same time, Eric Northman wants her to go to the Queen's wedding to use her telepathic powers for him. She's dating the were-tiger Quinn and they are attacked by werewolves.

So, there's quite a bit of plot here, which has been lacking in the last couple of Sookie stories. The Queen's marriage is a political one and her fiance is looking for an excuse to kill her. Such an excuse might be provided if a jewellery gift if missing - and the Queen asks Sookie to find it for her. Hadley stole it in a fit of pique and it's hidden amongst her belongings. Meanwhile the werewolf attacks turn out to be the revenge of relatives of Debbie Pelt, killed by Sookie in a previous book. It was nice to have some action going on and Definitely Dead is a return to the style of the first two books.

The sexual tension between Sookie and Quinn is pretty hot, which I liked. The relationships between Sookie and the other characters has developed a bit and they were more real. In previous books the supporting characters have been a bit flat, with Sookie the only one with real personality. This has been addressed a little and so the book was a bit more satisfying.

100 Books in 2011: The Post Office Girl

2011-12-24T14:17:00.000Z

The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig was the last Book Club book of 2011. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but actually I loved it.

Christine is a young woman living in Austria in the years after the first world war. Life is hard, there's not enough money and the rooms she lives in with her mother are permanently damp.

Her aunt, who emigrated to the US before the war, is touring Europe and invites Christine to join her in a ski resort for a week or so. Her mother is too ill to go, so Christine goes instead. Her aunt and her husband are very rich and Christine is catapulted into a world of luxury.

But it comes to an abrupt end when gossip starts that Christine is not wealthy and is in fact a poor girl dressed up in her aunt's clothes. Christine returns home to find her mother has died and everything seems so much grimmer now.

Life goes on and Christine feels ever more estranged from the village. She decides to spend weekends in Vienna to try to recapture the glamour of her holiday. While she is there she visits with her sister and brother-in-law, Franz. On one occasion her brother-in-law runs into Ferdinand, who he had known in the war. In a quirk of fate, Franz got sent home and Ferdinand spent two years as a POW in Siberia. Ferdinand is bitter and disappointed at the arbitrariness of life and Christine finds her soul mate in him.

Their affair is made grim and joyless by their consciousness of their poverty and eventually begins to fizzle out. Then, unexpectedly, Ferdinand comes to see Christine in the post office because he has been laid off. He has a plan for them to commit suicide together and Christine agrees, but then Ferdinand discovers how much money is kept at the post office and hatches a new plan to steal the money ad flee to France. The book ends with him presenting his plan to Christine and asking if she wants to go along with it.

From a slightly slow start, this develops into a really fast-paced book. The pace is achieved by a POV tight into the head of the POV character resulting a stream of consciousness type narrative that is quite breathless. The emotion is ramped right up and it borders on melodrama at points. For me, that worked brilliantly. The swirl and joy and freedom of the two weeks Christine has in an environment where money appears to be limitless leave the reader as giddy as Christine. And then the plunge back into the grim, grinding, drabness of her life without money is just as all-consuming.

I liked the depiction of the relationship between Christine and Ferdinand. They didn't seem to like each other much, but the fact that they understood each other in a way no one else could bound them together. They shared despair and a sense of unfairness.

The ending was a bit strange, and lost the tone of the rest of the book. I suspect this is due to it having been published post-humously. Despite that, I really enjoyed this. It was difficult to put down, moving and the social commentary is still, tragically, relevant.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 52

2011-12-07T13:21:00.000Z

Chapter 51 - Theon

Winterfell is still hearing horns and drums but there is no sign of the enemy. Theon remembers Old Nan's tales of storms that lasted for years. Roose Bolton's wife, Fat Walda, is pregnant. Ramsay is in a bad mood and Theon is afraid he'll know what he has planned. He tells Abel that Ramsay will use his women as prey. Ramsay and Roose are arguing. Walda is looking fearful.

The plan is to steal Arya. He almost told the truth but didn't want to ruin his chance to get away.

Little Walder is the latest casualty and it is not one of Abel's murders. The Frey's accuse the White Harbor men. Manderly says he's lucky to be dead because if he'd lived he'd have grown up a Frey. There is a scuffle, Manderly is cut and others are injured. Bolton stops it and says Stannis' host is three days march

100 Books in 2011: Watchers

2011-11-29T19:01:00.000Z

Watchers by Dean Koontz is a story about the consequences of genetic engineering. A little bit. Mostly its a creepy horror story of nice people being stalked by horrible things.

Travis Cornell is hiking when he meets a dog. The dog is quite keen to get him away from the woods and he realises they are being stalked by something large and dangerous. They get away and Travis takes the dog home. Later they meet Nora Devon who's being stalked by a sexual predator. The dog convinces Travis they should go to her house at the moment her stalker attacks her, and they are able to save Nora. A relationship develops and they become a family of sorts.

Vince Nasco is a hitman who has been hired to kill several scientists who were working on projects to genetically engineer a super-intelligent dog and a super-soldier baboon. He gets the idea that if he can find the dog he can get a lot of money in ransom for it. So he starts searching for Travis and his family.

National Security are searching for the baboon creature and the creature is searching for the dog, because it hates the dog.

I liked this quite a lot. It's tense, well-paced and compelling. The section at the start with Nora and her assailant is toe-curling. The mystery of what the scientists have been creating is revealed carefully. Characterisation is good, dialogue is good. This is evidence that best-selling pulp fiction can be really well written. It's the third of Dean Koontz's novels that I've read and easily the best. He's a prolific author and that can sometimes mean that some of his books aren't up to the same standard as others. This one though, is definitely worth reading.

If I had a criticism, it would be that the wholesome, god-fearing, family values American ideal is a little heavy-handed. But that is taken in balance with the way that he portrays the creature. To start with it is the stuff of nightmares, a relentless killing machine driven by irrational hate. But over the course of the book we learn how it was created, what was done to it, and how it became aware of what it was and how it experienced the digust of the people who had created it. It's quite heartbreaking and at the end, I cried for the monster. It's an achievement to create a chilling horror story and make your audience empathise with the monster. Highly recommended.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 51

2011-11-26T10:15:00.000Z

Chapter 50 - Daenerys

Hixdahr zo Loraq has invited the Yunkai to a feast to celebrate and sign the peace pact. Daenerys wonders why it feels like a defeat. He assures her the Yunkish will go soon. The fighting pits will open the next day.

The four sellsword companies have representatives at the feast. Daenerys has sent hostages to the Yunkai camp, including Daario. Hizdahr has sacked Skahaz and Daario is behaving like a child.

After the feast Daenerys goes to a balcony for some air and finds Ben Plumm. He says that he had to pick the winning side because gold's no good if you're dead. Daenerys asks Barristan Selmy whether they might turn the mercenaries. Selmy says he's no good at that sort of thing but he will bring them to her.

Then she takes Quentyn Martell to meet Viserion and Rhaegal, telling her servants to tell Hizdahr that she's in the privy, if he asks. Quentyn is frightened of the dragons and Daenerys says that she is too. He asks if she means to ride them and she says yes. She says the dragon has three heads and her marriage is not the end of his hopes.

Later she goes to bed with Hizdahr. His lovemaking is perfunctory and afterwards he hopes that they have conceived a child. Daenerys can't sleep and Missandei comes to give her comfort.

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It feels like defeat because that's what it is. Daenerys has made no gains and plenty of concessions. We can only hope that the tide turns.

How can she use her dragons? She has had no ideas about training them and using them will just result in total destruction at this stage. These are the responsibilities of power and it seems like it is crushing her.

100 Books in 2011: No Place for a Lady

2011-11-23T12:17:00.000Z

Somewhat disturbingly, I rather enjoyed No Place for a Lady by Louise Allen. I've grown so used to not enjoying Mills & Boon that at first I wondered if my critical faculties were on the fritz.

Bree Mallory runs a stagecoach company. She has aristocratic relations but has to make her own living which she does quite well. One night a driver lets her down and rather than cancel the coach, Bree drives it herself. On the way she is caught up in a race between members of a gentlemen's club. One of the racers is Max Dysart, a handsome, rich and eligible aristocrat.

Rather nicely, the conflict in their relationship is not driven by internal insecurities, but by the differences in their social status and by Max's uncertainty over whether his first wife is dead. Unfortunately, the plot twist at the end where someone pretends to be his dead wife is rushed and never really becomes a threat to the inevitable wedding.

Well, I sort of enjoyed most of it, because Louise Allen gets right something that really bugs me about Mills & Boon. She provides her romantic leads with context. There are lots of other characters, several of whom are well drawn and rounded, and the Regency set in London is brought to life quite effectively. Bree is genuinely an independent woman and that's quite refreshing.

Obviously, I'm not really recommending this as it's still a romance and not really my thing, but it was ok.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 50

2011-11-14T08:52:00.000Z

Chapter 49 - Jon

They're having a wedding at the Wall. Alys Karstark iss marrying Sigorn, Magnar of Thenn. This marriage is blessed by Rh'llor. Cregan Karstark was only a day behind Alys. Jon met him on the road and took him prisoner.

A raven has gone to Deepwood Motte to warn of Arnolf Karstark's treachery. The boats are still at Eastwatch. Melisandre says all she sees in her flames is Snow.

Jon goes to see Cregan in the ice cell. He tells him Alys is wed and Arnolf had no right to make a marriage. He says some of Cregan's men have gone over to the Magnar. And anyone who wishes to can take the black. Cregan refuses.

There is a wedding feast. Axell Florent again enquires about Val and complains that she and Alys should be disposed of to southern lords not to wildlings. Some of the mountain clan lords have turned up. Then there are two blasts of the horn which means wildlings. Jon assumes it is Tormund Giantsbane.

Jon talks to Alys and says that when her stores run low to send him the men and boys. He receives a message saying the boats have left Eastwatch and he is not thrilled by Cotter Pyke's choice of garrison commander.

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Axell Florent is such a sleaze. I think Alys and Sigorn was a good match. I hope that it is Tormund at the Wall and not anything more sinister. Seems like things are looking up for Jon.

100 Books in 2011: The Left Hand of God

2011-11-06T14:16:00.000Z

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman is the first of a trilogy following the life of Thomas Cale, a strange boy with a dent in his head and the uncanny ability to anticipate an opponent's moves.

We meet Cale in the Sanctuary, a sort of monastery/training school for boys who are to become Redeemers. The faith expressed by Redeemers is a thinly veiled version of the Abrahamic religions and the Sanctuary is a brutal environment where the boys are treated with such violence and neglect that many of them don't survive. Cale is a survivor and what that makes of him is delicately handled, for the most part.

Cale discovers one of the Redeemers dissecting a girl while another girl is tied up waiting for it to be her turn. He kills the Redeemer and then has to escape. He takes with him two associates (friendship is an offence punishable by being beaten to death) because he believes they will suffer once he is discovered missing.

Against the odds, they evade the Redeemers sent to capture them and end up in Memphis, capital city of a nearby Empire. There they discover a world ruled by subtle gradations of status conferred by birth and bloodline. The Chancellor is a talented and intelligent man and recognises that Cale can give them information about the Sanctuary. He sends them to the Empire's military training academy where they wreak havoc and make some enemies. In passing, Cale meets the daughter of the Marshal of the Empire and falls in love. Said daughter, Arbell Swan-Neck, is kidnapped by the Redeemers in an attempt to draw the Empire into battle. Cale rescues her. The Redeemers attack again and Cale is forced to admit that the tactics they are using are his, but that he doesn't know what the big picture is. He doesn't know why the Redeemers are attacking, or really why they do anything. In the end, Cale finds himself back in the possession of the Redeemers.

This is an odd book. It starts off well. The initial chapters introducing us to the Sanctuary and the relationship between the boys are great. They are delightfully disturbing and the environment is solidly evoked. This world seems very real. The writing style is compelling and engaging. Characterisation is good, although less so for the female characters. The action and dialogue are great, keeping the book moving at a nice pace. This first quarter of the book is definitely the best and it is worth reading just for this.

Then it all gets a bit wobbly. The quality of the writing remains high and the style is still compelling. In fact, the writing style is basically what carried me through the rest of the book because there are some weaknesses. The main weakness is the worldbuilding. When the setting is the Sanctuary it's really good. This is a real place with great detail and an oppressive sense of horror about it. Outside the Sanctuary, everything seems a bit haphazard. Nothing seems to fit together particularly and there is some confusion about where places are in relation to each other.

If the POV was tight third person centred on Cale you could argue that he wouldn't have the first idea about the world outside the Sanctuary and that it would all be confused. But Hoffman uses a loose third person POV for various characters and frequently slips into an omniscient POV where the authorial voice can be used. His handling of POV is good and the changes flow smoothly. The use of the authorial voice contributes to the engaging nature of the writing style. However it jars badly with the poor worldbuilding. There are POV characters who would know exactly how their world works but they are never used to convey that information to the reader. And there's no map so you can't check (although I believe that if worldbuilding is done well a map is unnecessary).

To compound the rather haphazard communication of the worldbuilding, Hoffman randomly throws in elements of the real world, which, to my mind, only adds to the confusion. It starts with a reference to the Norwegians (never followed up), then one to the Middle East, then the Redeemers attack a city called York. I'm wondering if this is more of an alternative history than a fantasy but this is never revealed. (Whilst looking for the image for this post I went on the Left Hand of God website which has a map. It's not this world.) Towards the end, in a discussion about the cost of war, there is mention of a group of people called Jews who happen to live in a ghetto and lend money.

I know most fantasy worlds are based on elements of the real world and that some authors are better at it than others, but this is just lazy. It feels like he was just making it up as he was going along with absolutely no regard for internal coherence. It's annoying. But other elements of the book are really good. I don't really know whether to recommend it or not. I enjoyed it but also was frustrated with it.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 49

2011-11-03T12:23:00.000Z

Chapter 48 - Jaime

At the end of A Feast for Crows Jaime had received Cersei's letter and chosen not to respond. He secured the surrender of Riverrun and is now arriving at Raventree Hall, the last holdout of those who swore for Robb. It is complicated by an historic feud between the Blackwoods and Brackens.

Jaime discovers what Bracken will accept and goes to treat with Blackwood. He reaches a settlement that both will accept but that neither is very happy with. He takes one of the Blackwood boys as a hostage and starts back for King's Landing.

The boy is very knowledgeable about the feud between the families and the tales he tells Jaime indicate that they are fighting over the crown to a kingdom that hasn't existed for a thousand years. They stop at a village. All the villagers are hiding in a holdfast and won't come out. Jaime makes camp.

Then a woman comes riding in. It is Brienne. She says she's found Arya and he must come quickly as the Hound will kill her.

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TRAP!!! No, Jaime, don't go. I knew Brienne wasn't dead - all that pretending to kill people isn't convincing anymore.

I'm glad Brienne didn't get killed. This is clearly Catelyn trying to kill Jaime instead.

100 Books in 2011: The Girl who Played with Fire

2011-10-28T09:01:00.000+01:00

I've become fed up of reading short books in order to hit my 100 books for the year target and was feeling the need to get into something more substantial. The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson is the second in the Millenium trilogy and is a 650 page brick.

Lisbeth Salander is hiding out in the Carribean, having had some cosmetic surgery and done a bit of travelling. She's wondering what she will do with herself now she doesn't have to work for a living.

Blomkvist is working on an expose of the sex trade in Sweden. Salander comes back and starts to pick up the pieces of her life, including checking in on her guardian and making sure that she is on track to be declared competent. But her guardian has hired a hitman to kill her. Then the journalists Blomkvist is working with get killed and it looks like Salander is the murderer.

The police investigation focusses on finding Salander but Blomkvist doesn't believe she did it and does his own investigation. Salander takes matters into her own hands. All three investigations come together in a tense climax with some interesting revelations, which hopefully will be expanded on in the last book.

This book was actually a little better than the first one. It still suffered from a lack of editing, especially visible in the frequent summing up passages. It probably could have been a hundred pages shorter without losing anything.

The dialogue is stiff and stilted but the pacing of the action sequences is good. The plot and story line are really exciting and the characters are becoming more rounded and engaging. I wouldn't make this top of your reading list, but it is worth reading.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 48

2011-10-25T13:04:00.000+01:00

Chapter 47 - Tyrion

Tyrion and Penny are being sold in a Yunkish slave market: one which has been set up outside the walls of Meereen, while the Yunkish beseige Daenerys.

The bidding slows at 1000 pieces of silver and they do a bit of a joust. The bidding picks up. When it slows again the bidders come for a closer look. Then a sellsword enters with a high bid and Tyrion realises he has been recognised. He bids for himself, as a Lannister. The bid goes up and in the end they are sold to Yezzan zo Qaggaz, the fat Wise Master who collects grotesqueries. Tyrion reckons he could make a break for Meereen but it would mean leaving Penny behind.

Jorah is sold after them. Tyrion tells Qaggaz's slave master Nurse that Jorah is part of their act, as a bear, and Qaggaz buys him as well. They had heard that Daenerys has married and Jorah is devastated.

They are taken to Qaggaz's camp. Tyrion sees slaves being whipped and killed for trying to escape. He also sees that there is flux in the camp. They get collared and taken to Qaggaz's tent. Jorah is chained up outside and the dwarves put in the grotesquerie.

That evening they perform for Qaggaz and the Yunkish supreme commander. A lord recalls that Tyrion boasted of his cyvasse skill so he plays. Ben Plumm tries to win him as he lost the bidding but he loses at cyvasse too. Nurse tells them they will joust in the Great Pit.

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So, does that mean the Great Pit in Meereen? Will Daenerys recognise Jorah? What will happen then?

Tyrion is a bit soft-hearted really and it's nice that he's trying to take care of Penny and Jorah.

100 Books in 2011: New Moon

2011-10-23T11:12:00.000+01:00

The second book of the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer is New Moon. In this part Edward leaves Bella, for her own good natch, and she goes into a big funk for months. Then she discovers that if she engages in activities that could kill her, her subconscious provides an hallucination of Edward being all domineering. She hangs out with Jacob who falls in love with her and turns out to be a werewolf. Bella wonders if she can settle for being adored by someone she can't love but then discovers Edward has gone off to get himself killed because he can't live without her.

Bella goes off to find Edward in the company of Alice (Edward's sort of vampire sister), meets lots of scary vampires who like to eat people, and brings Edward back. She bangs on a lot about wanting to be a vampire.

There's even less plot in New Moon than there was in Twilight and even more disturbing relationships. The quality of the writing has slipped a bit from the first book and doesn't seem quite as polished. It wasn't as engaging and afterwards I felt a bit dirty.

Now I really understand what the issue is with these books. Twilight was ok, really it wasn't any worse than your average romance novel. But New Moon takes it to another level. Bella only regains any happiness when imaginary Edward is abusively yelling at her in her hallucinations.

Then there is a really telling moment at the end. Edward has been his usual terse, controlling self who appears to only speak to Bella in order to correct her, admonish her or berate her over something. He acts as though he hates her. But for a moment, at the end, after he has left her and tried to kill herself, he makes a speech about how he loves her to distraction really, and all his arsehattery is because he loves her so much. It was a little out of place and read like the sort of thing the author wishes someone would say to her.

It is tragic that this resonates with so many women and girls.

Blogcation

2011-10-21T09:04:00.000+01:00

So, only I few posts ago I was banging on about posting daily and then I go on a three week blogcation. Life happened, sorry about that. I'm busy at work and got a bit sick.

The other reason is that I have started playing World of Darkness roleplaying games and they are awesome. It's like character creation boot camp and I am doing loads of writing practice.

Normal posting will be resumed, although it might be a while before I get back up to daily posts. Still, it's good to have a goal.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 47

2011-09-28T20:41:00.000+01:00

Chapter 46 - A Ghost in Winterfell

People are getting murdered at Winterfell. It starts with deaths that could be accidental; someone falls off a wall. People wonder if there are traitors among them. They are covered in snow, cold and suffering from frostbite. The gates are frozen shut. Someone makes the mistake of saying Stannis' red god has brought the snow in Ramsay's men's hearing. He is whipped and thrown from the battlements.

Abel's washerwoman approaches Theon asking how he took Winterfell. He is too scared to tell her. She wants to see the crypts. He walks the walls and is still too scared to flee.

A squire is found naked and frozen to death. A crossbowman is found in the stables with a broken skull. Theon recalls the similar deaths at Winterfell when he held it. Bolton's knights are arguing about what to do. Frey and Manderly are at each other's throats. Bolton is uneasy. The stable collapses, killing twenty-six horses and two grooms. Then one of Ramsay's men is found with his severed cock stuffed in his mouth. All the horses and men are brought within the Great Hall.

Theon walks the walls again then returns to his chambers. He is summoned by Roose Bolton. He is accused of the murders and Lady Dustin asks him to show them his hands. They agree he doesn't have the strength to be responsible. Some think that Manderly is behind the deaths. Lady Dustin points out that all the knights here had supported Robb.

A horn blows. A drum beat begins. Theon goes to the godswood wondering if he can get killed in the battle. Abel's washerwomen find him and tell him they will kill him quick once he's told Abel what he knows.

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I knew Abel and co were up to something. Hooray! Bolton's alliance is being undone by the waiting and the tension. There's still no sign of Arya/Jeyne. Theon seems a little less scared sometimes, as Ramsay can't really hurt him here.

I felt so cold reading this chapter. Martin really brings the weather to life. Amazing.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 46

2011-09-27T13:45:00.000+01:00

Chapter 45 - The Blind Girl

At the end of A Feast for Crows Arya had killed Dareon and the House of Many Faces had made her blind. This was to train her to use her other senses better. She goes out begging as a blind girl, works in the kitchen, attends to the dead, learns to move around without hurting herself and learns to fight.

Arya goes to an inn where three Lysene pirates are talking. She learns that two slaver ships got blown North and discovered Hardholme. They took on some wildling women and children and then made for the free cities. One made it to Braavos and was taken as slavery is illegal in Braavos. But they will go back as the price of slaves is rising. Arya tells the monk that she knows it's him that has been attacking her in the crypts.

She gets her sight back.

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Oh hai Arya. I've missed you. I love Arya's story and she is one of my favourite characters in the series. I am beginning to wonder how this is going to be brought back in to the rest of the stories. Maybe it's being with Jon's POV again, because their relationship is lovely. How will Arya ever fit back into her old life with her new ninja skills?

I hope Jon gets to the wildlings before the slavers do, but I suppose either option is better than being an ice zombie.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 45

2011-09-26T13:10:00.000+01:00

Chapter 44 - Jon

Queen Selyse (Stannis' wife) has arrived at Castle Black with a retinue of southern lords and a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos. Jon meets her with his retinue. She mistakes him for a squire or something. They make introductions and Wun Wun the giant appears. He frightens her daughter, Shireen, but Patchface makes him laugh. The Queen is not amused and goes to her chambers in the King's Tower.

Jon asks Lord Tycho of the Iron Bank to talk with him. They go to his chambers. Jon enquires about his business with Stannis. Tycho doesn't reveal the details but says the Iron Throne has stopped paying its debts and he is interested in the views of the other claimants. Tycho arrived with three ships. Jon wants to borrow them to rescue wildlings from Hardholme and the Others. Then he negotiates a loan that will see the Night Watch through the winter.

Then Jon and Tycho go to the Great Hall to eat. Axell Florent, the Queen's Hand, wants to see Val, the wildling princess. Jon says he's not going to parade her in front of them. He goes back to his chambers and falls asleep. He's woken to discover the girl in grey on a dying horse has turned up and is in Clydas' chambers. He thinks it might be Arya and lets himself plan what he would do to keep her safe.

Of course, it isn't Arya. It's Alys Karstark, who is the heir to Karhold. She tells him her uncle Arnolf wants to marry her to his son, Cregan, who has buried two wives already. She appeals to Jon for protection and tells him Arnolf Karstark is only pretending to have declared for Stannis, and is still committed to Roose Bolton.

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I knew the grey girl couldn't be Arya, but credit to Martin's skill at creating suspense because I could never be completely sure. And now Stannis can be warned about the Karstarks.

Clever Jon for arranging the loan. It's a bold move but it might just make all the difference.

I don't like Selyse one bit. In previous books I've felt a bit sorry for her because she's had a tough lot in life, but this chapter presents her in a very negative light.

100 Books in 2011: Sword Song

2011-09-25T10:38:00.000+01:00

Book 4 in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories is Sword Song. Cornwell is one of my favourite authors and I am really enjoying the Saxon Stories.

Uhtred is nowhere nearer Bebbanburg. He's busy building forts to protect Wessex from the Danes and raising a family. Then some Danes invade London, try to convince Uhtred to join them by promising to make him King of Mercia so that he will bring Ragnar to join the cause.

At the same time, Uhtred's cousin Aethelred, is married to Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed and becomes the Lord of Mercia. Not king though; Alfred doesn't want a King in Mercia. Alfred commands Uhtred to drive the Danes from London. He gives Aethelred the nominal command of the mission.

They win the battle for London and the Danes take refuge in the Kingdom of East Anglia from where they raid Wessex. On one of these raids, Aethelflaed is taken hostage and an enormous ransom is demanded. If it is paid, the Danes will have enough money to raise an army capable of overrunning Wessex. Uhtred is sent to negotiate and discovers that Aethelflaed has fallen in love with one of the Danes and they want to run away together. Uhtred is fond of Alfred's daughter and knows that her husband is violent and jealous, and if she goes with her lover then the ransom won't have to be paid and Wessex will be safe. So he agrees to help them escape.

I think I was grinning from the minute I opened this book. I like the character of Uhtred. It's told in first person but from the point of view of the elderly Uhtred looking back on his life, so the character can be presented as arrogant and impulsive, but with the self-deprecating awareness of experience. It's extremely likeable. Uhtred is a torn man. He's bound by oaths he doesn't want to keep and which prevent him following his dream. I can certainly identify with that.

A good third of the book is taken up by a detailed description of the battle for London, which is very exciting, but the consequence is that the plot feels quite thin in this book. I don't remember thinking that for the previous three. However, it is gripping and the Saxon Britain is fully brought to life. As always, Cornwell's skill is evident and the writing is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to book five.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 44

2011-09-24T17:09:00.000+01:00

Chapter 43 - Daenerys

Daenerys has been fucking Daario but now it is nearly time for her to marry. He asks if she is going to hold court, as she hasn't done so in a while. When she says no, he says some of his Westerosi have a gift for her. She says she will hold court the next day, as much because she knows she has to. She wishes she could marry Daario but knows she can't. He acts recklessly and shows no interest in rulership, yet expects to take liberties.

So the following day, Daenerys holds court. The Green Grace wants to lecture her on sellswords. There are many supplicants; some go away happy and some don't. At the end of the day Daario presents his Westerosi. Quentyn Martell and his companions reveal who they are. Quentyn gives Daenerys the marriage contract that was signed in Braavos, promising Arianne Martell to Viserys Targaryen.

Daenerys considers it. But she is staying in Meereen and she must deal with that problem. She will marry Hizdahr zo Loraq.

Next she is prepared for her wedding. Daario goes off in a snit. On the journey Daenerys asks Barristan Selmy to tell her who her parents really loved. He does so, saying Rhaella loved a stormlord and Aerys loved Joanna Lannister, Lord Tywin's wife. Then Hizdahr's precession joins hers and they are married.

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It seems so sad that Quentyn arrived too late. I still don't trust that Hizdahr is on the up and up. I know that Daenerys is putting aside her own needs for the sake of the people she rules, but I'm convinced this is a mistake.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 43

2011-09-23T09:06:00.000+01:00

Chapter 42 - The King's Prize

Stannis Baratheon is marching on Winterfell. Asha Greyjoy is chained up in a baggage wagon. The march starts off well enough and they make good time. Once into the Wolfswood it starts to snow which makes the going harder. The northerners fare better than the southerners but they are losing men and horses, and provisions are running low.

They press on but sometimes are only moving a mile or so a day. The northerners and southerners argue about whether they should have come. The northerners say it's only a little snow and anyway it's better to die fighting than to be frozen to death. They stop at a village where they can fish. In the morning they're completely snowed in.

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Oh, Stannis, it does not look good for you. If you get to Winterfell your men will be starving and weak and all Roose will have to do is let you sit outside, starving and freezing.

Things I have liked this week

2011-09-22T09:22:00.000+01:00

Politics stuff
From Men's Rights Activist Marmoset comes the equally clever and funny Internalized Misogyny Aardvark. Brilliant.

Writing stuff

Five reasons why blogging makes you a better writer. I've read a few articles lately about how blogging is a distraction activity and is basically giving your work away for free, so it's nice to read something that affirms that blogging is a useful activity for a writer. It has certainly improved my writing.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Sun. So very awesome.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 42

2011-09-21T19:22:00.000+01:00

Chapter 41 - Turncloak

It's snowing at Winterfell. That's good for Roose Bolton and not good for Stannis. Theon has his best opportunity to run but he's scared to because of the game Ramsay played with Kyra. Arya is kept locked in her chamber, bruised and crying. Ramsay Bolton tells Theon he's to keep her bathed because he wants her squeaky clean.

In the great hall, one of the washerwomen wants to know how Theon captured Winterfell. He's too scared to tell her, fearing a trap. He wanders around the castle keeping away from others.

Lady Dustin's men find him. She wants to see the Stark crypt. She tells him Roose isn't happy about how sad Arya is; the northmen love Starks and they need to see her happy or they'll break. The alliance is fragile. In the crypt they notice the three swords that Bran's group took are missing. Lady Dustin says Brandon Stark took her maidenhead and she wanted to marry him. When Brandon was promised to Catelyn, her father had hopes of marrying her to Eddard, but Cat got him too. Then she married Lord Dustin and six months later he joined Robert's Rebellion. He never came home. She is waiting for Eddard's bones so she can feed them to her dogs.

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I think there's more in this chapter than I've picked up on. I don't think the singers are who they appear to be. Surely Stannis is too canny to attack Winterfell straight on - after all he took Deepwood Motte by surprise.

The missing swords are the ones Bran, Jojen and Meera took. I wonder if anyone will work that out.

Daily posting

2011-09-20T13:47:00.000+01:00

When I've finished the chapter by chapter review of A Dance with Dragons I'm going to post some thoughts on the process and what doing it has revealed to me.

One of those thoughts was that I like daily posting. But not in the sense of writing a blog post every day. What I like is seeing a new post on my blog each day. I write on the weekends and occasionally in the evenings and often what I will do is write a week's worth of blogs in one go - except for the Thursday Things I have liked this week posts, which I tend to write on a Wednesday or Thursday.

Today I realised that I had no blog. Last weekend I did some worldbuilding for my new WIP, wrote a couple of blogs and then started re-writing a vignette which I plan to post on my DeviantART page. I think I intended to go back to blog posts but didn't quite get there.

As I don't have the time (I'm at work, on my lunch break), to find links to things I want to tell you about, or mess about with pictures, or have access to my notes on ADWD or the A-Z challenge, then you get this. Because I want there to be something new on this blog every day.

Now all I have to do is figure out what on earth I'm going to do once I've posted the review of the last chapter of ADWD. Any ideas?

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 41

2011-09-19T13:03:00.000+01:00

Chapter 40 - Tyrion

Tyrion is wearing wooden armour and riding a pig in a joust. The cog that is taking Tyrion and Jorah to Meereen is becalmed and the crew is on the verge of turning nasty. The dwarves are likely to take the brunt of it.

Tyrion and Jorah argue, with Tyrion talking truth about how Jorah is trying to use Tyrion to get back into Daenerys' good books. He reveals that he knows that Jorah was spying on her and reporting back to Varys. Jorah thumps him and says he can't sleep in their cabin any more so he'd best go fuck his dwarf girl.

Then a storm comes up. They were told the ship would never reach its destination and assumed that meant it would go to Meereen. It doesn't. It meant they're going to be wrecked.

The storm lasts for ages. Tyrion stays with Penny and her animals. She tries to kiss him but he puts her off as nicely as he can. He holds her to comfort her. When the storm is over the ship is wrecked, the mast is gone, and it's sinking. The captain is dead and so is Moqorro. Tyrion wonders if he saw that in his fires. Some of the crew take the little boats and get away.

Soon they see a sail on the horizon. Jorah says it's a slaver.

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Tyrion's having a bit of a riches to rags experience here, isn't he? I'm sure it's all character building. I like that he's nice to Penny but he does have a bit of a white knight complex.

Is he never going to get to Daenerys? She needs him! Right now, I'm feeling like two more books isn't enough to finish this.

100 Books in 2011: Pig Island

2011-09-18T07:48:00.000+01:00

I'm getting pretty good at judging whether what I've got left of a book will last me to the end of my commute. Unless, of course, the train dies at an obscure little station that I normally never see because my train goes through it so quickly. Which is what happened a couple of weeks ago and my commute in the morning took me an hour longer than usual. Thus I needed a new book for the journey home and I went to the book drop at work (which is a brilliant thing to have) to find something to read.

As I'm now racing to catch up on the 100 Books in 2011 Challenge, I was looking for an easy read. Pig Island by Mo Hayder is certainly that. It's a good five hundred pages but was quick to get through. Joe Oakes is a journalist who specialises in uncovering hoaxes of a spiritual or supernatural kind, after having been taken in by Malachi Dove when he was a young man. His girlfriend, Lexie, comes with him, thinking it is some sort of holiday.

Joe is investigating a video of a devil seen wandering around Pig Island, which is the home of a reclusive cult led by Malachi. When he gets to the island he finds Malachi has left the cult, lives on the other side of the island and keeps his privacy by means of an electric fence.

All the cultists are locked in their church and burnt and it seems like the work of Malachi. Joe goes to investigate and discovers that Malachi had a daughter. This daughter,Angeline, has a tail and appears to be frightened and fragile. Joe takes her back with him. Lexie, until recently a receptionist for a Harley Street plastic surgeon, recognises that what Angeline has is the remnants of a conjoined twin and thinks this will get her back in with her former employee.

Course, not that simple and Angeline turns out to be what everyone thought she was.

It was ok. Neither the characters, Joe or Lexie, are particularly sympathetic. Lexie, especially, is quite unpleasant. Joe seems ok until the point of view switches to Lexie and he doesn't treat her very well. It wasn't scary but it was nicely creepy in places with one or two genuinely shocking moments. The plot was handled ok but I could see the big reveal at the end coming from just after the halfway point. If you're looking for brain candyfloss, this would be just the thing.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 40

2011-09-17T08:01:00.000+01:00

Chapter 39 - Jon

Jon is sending Val north to find Tormund Giantsbane and make him an offer. He sees her past the Wall and she promises to return but won't promise to bring Tormund back with her.

Jon returns to eat. Bowen Marsh, Septon Cellador and Othell Yarwyck want to see him. Jon asks how restoring the Nightfort is going. Yarwyck says it is going slowly so Jon offers him the help of the giant that came back with him from the woods north of the Wall. Yarwyck won't accept. Then the three ask why there are corpses in the cells. Jon says they need to know their enemy and this is an opportunity.

Marsh, Cellador and Yarwyck complain that Iron Emmett and Dolorous Edd are being sent away and complain more about the people Jon is replacing them with - a wildling, Leathers, as master-at-arms and Satin, a boy-whore. They say these are positions traditionally given to the high born. Jon replies that he needs skills and what a man was before doesn't matter once they've said their words.

Then he says they can talk about Val. They say he shouldn't be making offers to the wildlings. Jon points out, rather forcefully, that every wildling left to die north of the Wall becomes an ice zombie that will attack them.

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And I thought Jon was just being compassionate, but no, he's trying to reduce his enemies forces. Clever boy. And he handled the whiners nicely. Bowen Marsh is really beginning to annoy me.

Maybe Jon shouldn't be sending his friends away though.

Stories on DeviantArt

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

I have two of my short stories on this blog: Innocent, which was published in a now-defunct 'zine, and Hell, which wasn't published anywhere.

Both have moved over to my brand-new DeviantArt page, http://boudicam.deviantart.com/. I'll be posting more vignettes soon. I think I'll also add the introduction to my new work-in-progress, Wormfeeder.

Things I have liked this week

2011-09-15T20:12:00.001+01:00

Politics stuff
The entirely hilarious Men's Rights Activist Marmoset. These are a couple of my favourites:

Writing stuff

The Bookshelf Muse is full of helpful and informative stuff. This week I particularly enjoyed this post about using frustration to ramp up your writing.

Shopping stuff

I bought some clothes from an online store, Holy Clothing, and they are great. I love them. Go look at the lovely things now while the UK£ and US$ exchange rate is still good.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 39

2011-09-14T07:58:00.000+01:00

Chapter 38 - The Watcher

Ser Balon Swann has arrived at Sun Spear to deliver Gregor Clegane's skull to Doran Martell. Arianne is present, as is Ellaria Sand and Oberyn Martell's three eldest sand snakes. The head is delivered and accepted. There is a toast. Obara storms out. Then there is a feast. Doran asks Balon if he knows what was in Cersei's letter; she wants Myrcella and Trystane to come to King's Landing. Doran agrees that the children should all be friends.

Arianne flirts with Balon. Doran mentions that the other part of Cersei's letter was that Dorne should have a representative on King Tommen's small council, but he is not sure he is up to the journey. He suggests he might be if they went by sea. Balon is taken aback and says it is too dangerous.

Doran excuses himself at the end of the feast. Arianne, Ellaria and the sand snakes accompany him to bed. On the way, the sand snakes exhort him to take further revenge. In his chamber, Doran asks them what they would have him do. All the people who were involved in Princess Elia's death are now dead. Ellaria says that she has four daughters and wonders where the cycle of violence will end. Then she leaves.

Doran then tells the sand snakes that he has plans. When they get to the Water Gardens, Myrcella will tell Balon that it was the Darkstar who cut her ear and killed Arys Oakheart, and he has fled to High Hermitage. Obara will take him in search of the Darstar. He tells them that he still has friends in King's Landing and that Cersei plans to ambush them on the way back, which is why Balon didn't want to go by sea.

He says no one treads on the vipers, everyone treads on the grass but it is the grass that hides the viper. Doran is sending Lady Nym to King's Landing to take Dorne's seat on the council and Tyene will go to the High Hill to infiltrate the Swords and Stars. The sand snakes are mollified by the prospect of some action.

He also tells Arianne that a Volantene fleet bound for Westeros has put in at Lys. He thinks it is Daenerys but can't be sure.

---------------------------------------------

Things are starting to come together. Doran is another one playing the long game. Good to see that something is happening. I bet Lady Nym will wreak havoc in King's Landing.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 38

2011-09-13T08:26:00.000+01:00

Chapter 37 - The Prince of Winterfell

Theon is giving 'Arya' away. In the chamber where she's getting ready she keeps talking as though she's Jeyne Poole. Theon is afraid Ramsay will hurt her if she is not Arya body and soul. He tells her Ramsay is sweet so long as you don't anger him.

As he walks her to the godswood he realises that him giving her away makes it harder for any of the northern lords to question her. The marriage through the old gods is quick and the party then goes to the ruined castle for the feast. Theon hangs back and when he is alone he thinks he hears his name whispered in the trees.

At the feast he sits next to Lady Dustin of Barrowton. Lord Manderly has provided the food. She points out that Roose doesn't eat or drink anything Manderly hasn't also eaten. She thinks Manderly is craven. Theon is not so sure, as his sons were brave enough when they all rode with Robb Stark. A maester brings news that Stannis is marching for Winterfell, the Umbers and Karstarks are also on their way.

Roose takes his war council to another room. Theon is told to escort Arya to Ramsay's room by Sour Alyn. Once there, Ramsay dismisses all his men except Reek to cut Jeyne's clothes from her, tells her to get on the bed and spread her legs. He finds she is not aroused so orders Reek to use his tongue on her.

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Poor Jeyne. She's thirteen and she used to have a crush on Theon.

More mixed messages about whether Theon has been gelded. But now we know why Roose wanted Theon to be involved. He's lent legitimacy to this marriage.

I thought it was interesting that Roose is having his war council without Ramsay. I wonder if he will get killed in the battle - in the last Theon chapter Roose said Ramsay was no swordsman. Roose has good reasons to kill him.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 37

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000+01:00

Chapter 36 - Daenerys

The refugee camp outside Meereen is enormous and the people in it are sick. It is getting harder and harder to feed them. Daenerys takes the food herself, against the wishes of her advisors, and organises burning the corpses.

When she returns to the pyramid, Hizdahr zo Loraq is due for dinner. While she bathes she is told of a tradition in which her husband's female relations must inspect her genitals and womb. She meets with Hizdahr who says it's a silly old tradition which she doesn't have to do. But she could open the fighting pits in honour of their wedding. He also tells her he can negotiate peace but it is at the cost of completely backing down and killing a dragon.

Daenerys is interrupted by Ser Barristan Selmy who tells her Daario is back. He is bloody and ridden hard through enemies to get to her. He says the hills swarm with mercenaries. Some came over to him but the Second Sons have gone over to the Yunkai. Daenerys is distraught. It never occurred to her to distrust Brown Ben Plumm. She orders the city gates closed and takes Daario to bed.

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Didn't see that coming. I think it would be such a huge mistake for Daenerys to marry Hizdahr - he'll just make sure everything goes back to the way it was.

But, yay, she gets to shag Daario, lets hope he's worth it.

Quentyn Martell is clearly in the building. I wonder how he's going to make himself known.

100 Books in 2011: Winter Song

2011-09-11T08:24:00.000+01:00

Winter Song by Colin Harvey is the third book I've read from small press Angry Robot. As I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them and have paid for none of them (they've all been freebies from conferences or joining the British Fantasy Society), I'm feeling a bit uneasy. I think I might have to make a point of buying some more books from them.

Karl Allman's spaceship is attacked and he bails out, landing on a barely habitable planet. Centuries ago, humans spread out from Earth. In some cases, people were genetically altered to be able to cope with conditions on planets not habitable by ordinary humans. In other cases, planets were terraformed. Since then, the factions have split and humanity is at war with itself. Allman's ship gets caught in the crossfire and the planet he lands on is one where terraforming was started but not properly finished.

He is found by a community of people who colonised this ice planet so they could live a traditional Icelandic life. In this community, there is a girl named Bera, grieving her dead baby, who is scorned and rejected by the rest of the community because she won't name the father of the baby. She nurses Allman back to health at which point, the head of the community, Ragnar, demands that he work to pay off his debt. He learns that the world is basically poisonous to humans, the terraforming is reversing, and there are other creatures, trolls, that might be sentient.

Allman learns from Bera that the remains of the original colonists' ship, the Winter Song, lie somewhere far to the south. Ragnar won't let him leave so he has to escape and Bera comes with him. They journey across the ice, followed by Ragnar, and along the way, Allman learns that Bera was raped. They also encounter a troll and discover that the trolls are modified humans that settled the planet before it was terraformed.

I loved this. The story is complex and deals with a number of themes, which are handled so well that it is never overwhelming. Harvey writes POVs from both Allman and Bera and conveys the miscommunication in their relationship brilliantly and with sensitivity. This is an example of really good science fiction. It's a human story that's prime focus is the characters, set in a hard sci-fi world that highlights some serious social themes. The resolution of the story is excellent; it's downbeat but perfect for the story and emotionally satisfying.

And there are sort of Vikings. Is it just me? Am I just picking books that take inspiration from Norse mythology and the Vikings? Or there a Viking theme in publishing right now?

Anyway, this was really good. I recommend it.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 36

2011-09-10T09:37:00.002+01:00

Chapter 35 - Jon

Jon wants to take six new recruits to say their words to the old gods, which means going north of the Wall. Bowen Marsh says they can swear in the sept but Jon disagrees. He takes a small force and Ghost and goes. He has manned a tower with women and is going to open several others. Some men think the women's tower is a brothel. He gives Iron Emmett a command.

When they come to the grove they discover nine wildlings including a giant. Jon manages the confrontation with the help of Leathers, who can speak the Old Tongue, and there is no bloodshed. He offers them refuge on the Wall. His men say their words and they return with the wildlings and two corpses.

Stannis writes to say that he's taken Deepwood Motte and Alysane Mormont joined his side. He's going to engage the Boltons at Winterfell. Jon reflects on the differences between Robert and Stannis.

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What does he want the corpses for? Is he going to make them practice kills? It's very cool that a giant has joined them. That will help. Seems like Jon is spreading his men very thin.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 35

2011-09-09T07:24:00.000+01:00

Chapter 34 - Bran

Bran is beneath the mountain learning to be a greenseer. They stay for months and Meera says Bran will never leave. Jojen is withdrawn and no one seems to understand why.

Jojen, Meera and Hodor go exploring. It is too hard to take Bran in his basket so he slips inside Hodor, who goes to his safe place while it happens. Bran feels that no one should ever know that he does this. Bran learns to take the skin of a raven and flies over the ice and snow. Summer hunts with his pack.

Eventually, Bran goes into the weirwood trees. He sees through the eyes of the weirwood heart tree in Winterfell's godswood. He sees his father and memories of Starks going back through the ages.

---------------------------------------------------

That chapter was sad and kind of creepy. Jojen is homesick. Why can't he and the others go home? Is it too far and too cold, will they not make it? And what will Bran be able to do as the greenseer under the mountain? I'd so hoped Bran's story would give him the chance to do something heroic; it doesn't look like that will happen now.

It's a nice, if disturbing, touch with Bran being unable to stop himself using Hodor, even though he knows it's abusive and is ashamed of his behaviour.

Things I have liked this week

2011-09-08T14:10:00.000+01:00

Dancing stuff
Strictly Come Dancing is back. Whoop whoop! I love Strictly. And while I don't really know who half the celebrities are, I'll be supporting whoever is partnered with Artem or James :-).

Space picture
From Cassini in the shadow of Saturn. An amazing picture that looks like it's not real, but it is.

Writing stuff
This week I read an article about avoiding certain cliched and overused words on your CV. I thought a lot of the advice applied to writing about characters. Basically it boils down to 'give examples and let the reader work out the qualities'. Good stuff.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 34

2011-09-07T08:07:00.001+01:00

Chapter 33 - Tyrion

Tyrion and Jorah Mormont have left Volantis, ostensibly bound for Qarth, but really going to Meereen. Penny, the jousting dwarf girl, is also on board. Tyrion tries to be nice to her but she hates him. Moqorro is a red priest sent to bring the light of Rh'llor to Daenerys. The ship they're on is big, cumbersome and slow. Over the days, Tyrion and Penny get to know each other and move closer to becoming friends. Jorah seems to spend most of the time asleep.

The ship passes Valyria, which is red and smoking. Moqorro tells Tyrion that it was a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed Valyria. He says they must get to Meereen as quickly as possible as there are others that are seeking out the Queen of Dragons. He has seen it in his flames, in particular, he has seen a one-eyed kraken.

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Daenerys doesn't know what's just around the corner. If only she can hold on for a little bit, then maybe she won't have to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq.

Tyrion's friendship with Penny is quite sweet. She brings out his gentle side, much as Sansa Stark did.

So, the doom of Valyria was a volcano. That's kind of what I'd thought but is a bit of an anti-climax. It's a shame it wasn't a big, magickal kerbluey. Also, I recently read about how the presence of whales makes the oceans thrive (link is to an abstract, not the full article) and naturally I thought about how the presence of dragons makes magic thrive.

100 Books in 2011: Irons in the Fire

2011-09-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

I picked up Irons in the Fire by Juliet E. McKenna at Alt.com a couple of years ago. Juliet McKenna does quite a few writing conferences and I'd heard a lot of what she has to say about writing and the writing life. I thought I ought to read one of her books.

McKenna is published by Solaris Books and I guess I wondered what differentiated authors who are with small presses from those with the big publishers. In between buying this book and reading it I've read three Angry Robot books, all of which were excellent, so I'm not sure there are any conclusions to be drawn.

Irons in the Fire is the first in a trilogy. It is set in a fantasy world where the Kingdom of Lescar is being torn apart by incessant civil war. Many people have left or sent their children away, so there are substantial communities of Lescari in other countries. Tathrin is the son of an innkeeper sent to study in the city of Vanam in the country of Ensaimin. There he meets Aremil, the crippled son of one of the Lescari Dukes and find himself drawn into a conspiracy to bring peace to Lescar. Along the way, a small band of conspirators is drawn together, all with different agendas and Tathrin finds that he's not entirely comfortable with some of the actions they take.

I think the problem I had with this book is that the characters were too ordinary. I didn't enjoy it very much and found it hard to stick with. The writing is ok - it starts off a bit ropey but settles down quite quickly. It's not great but it's better than some books put out by bigger publishers. It was quite an easy read and the pacing was good. It's seven hundred pages and, in terms of the time I spent actually reading it, didn't take that long to finish. But I did put it down and read two other books before I made myself complete this.

So, I asked myself, what is it that's missing? Why isn't this engaging me? There's two things; the characters and the world. I didn't buy into McKenna's worldbuilding. Perhaps it's because I haven't read any of her other books, which I believe are set in the same world, that I found that there were a lot of things left undeveloped. It just didn't feel that solid. For example, there were gods, which I knew because people swore by them and there were shrines. But there was no information about how the gods related to each other, or to society, or about what impact religion has upon the world. It felt superficial.

Maybe that wouldn't have mattered if I'd really liked the characters. It was difficult to feel anything about them at all because they were flat and ordinary and not well-drawn. The POV characters lacked passion and depth. There was much telling about how they felt that was not backed up in dialogue or action. The other main characters who didn't have POVs were potentially interesting but just didn't jump off the page. They were not characters who I would think about whilst not reading the book. Also, I think the guy on the cover is supposed to be Tathrin, but I think it says quite a lot that I'm really not sure. I can't connect the picture on the front with the character in the book.

I won't read anything else by Juliet McKenna and if you're looking for epic fantasy, there's much better stuff available. But I will give Solaris Books another go if I find something that looks interesting.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 33

2011-09-05T08:51:00.002+01:00

Chapter 32 - Reek

Ramsay Bolton is staying at Barrowton. He's been looking for someone he didn't find. Usually this would mean that he'd want to hurt someone but he has to be careful around his father's allies. Ramsay orders a feast and has Reek stand in the corner while they eat. All Ramsay's dogs are named after peasant girls he's hunted and raped and killed, but only the ones that gave him good sport. During the feast, Roose Bolton turns up. He tells Ramsay that Stannis has taken Deepwood Motte and given it back to the Glovers. Ramsay asks if he will march on the Dreadfort. Roose says no. They talk about the Frey's that have gone missing. They were travelling with Manderly and they suspect Manderly has killed them, despite how distraught he appears to be and note that he didn't bring hostages as he was supposed to. Roose tells Ramsay that his allies are disturbed by the things they hear about him and that he must be more discreet.

Roose tells Ramsay he will marry Arya Stark and it should be at Winterfell. This will send a message and Stannis will have to come to them. With Arnolf Karstark who is still their ally. Roose tells Ramsay he's going back to where he is staying and that he is taking Reek with him. Ramsay whispers to Reek that he's to keep quiet and tell him everything his father says. Ramsay says that when Reek gets back he'll take another finger.

On the ride, Roose asks Reek what Ramsay said to him. Reek can't speak because he's so afraid. Roose says he knows anyway because he knows what his son is. All of Ramsay's men are actually his. He tells Reek that Ramsay killed his trueborn son. Then he says to Reek that he will give him a bath and clean clothes and terrifies Reek all over again. He says he has wounds and is desperate not to be seen naked. They arrive at Barrow Hall where Roose introduces him to Lady Barbrey as Theon, heir to the Iron Islands.

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So many reasons to hate Ramsay. What an evil bastard. But interesting to hear what his father really thinks of him - and just how much he's prepared to sacrifice for real politik. And what are they doing with Theon now?

I reckon Theon's been castrated. There was a vague reference to this before. That, and possibly he's afraid to reveal the full extent to which Ramsay has tortured him.

The Karstarks are playing both sides, like Manderly and the Umbers. I wonder how that will fall out but Roose Bolton seems to have a better grip of it than Stannis does. I guess it all depends whether Davos finds Rickon.

A-Z challenge: L is for Library

2011-09-04T09:51:00.002+01:00

I always wanted to have a proper library: a whole room in the house dedicated to books and reading. All the walls would be fully shelved and there would be one of those ladder things that wheels around the shelves. It would have a chaise longue or day bed for reading in the most comfort.

There would be a roaring fireplace, probably gas because I can't be doing with the bother of a real fire, nice as they are. And of course, I would have acres of free time which I could spend lying around in my library reading all the lovely books.

I find it soothing to be in libraries, just in the presence of books. It's restful and serene and the rest of the world melts away. Bookshops work as well, but then you feel obliged to buy something and that's how book mountain grows.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 32

2011-09-03T07:42:00.001+01:00

Chapter 31 - Melisandre

It is never dark in her chambers and the fire must never go out. Melisandre looks into the fire and prays for a vision. She is looking for Stannis and for the girl on a dying horse. She sees a white wood face and a boy with a wolf's face, memories of her past and the wildwoods. She sees Jon Snow, both wolf and man, and she sees him surrounded by enemies.

Melisandre has kept Devan with her even though he'd rather have gone with Stannis but she thinks Davos has lost enough sons. She needs Jon Snow for something but so far he is immune to her charms. She believes he should have moved into Stannis/Mormont's chambers, she tells Devan she will have breakfast and asks him to send her Rattleshirt.

She uses powders for her effects and conceals them in her robes. Her supplies are low and she can't get the ingredients to make more, but she thinks her true magic is stronger than it used to be.

Rattleshirt arrives. She sees shadows all around him. He has put aside his shirt of bones so she tells him it protects him. The ruby he wears in a black iron fetter around his wrist gives him a glamour and Melisandre says he needs the shirt as well. She wants to send him after the girl on the dying horse. She tells him what she just saw in her vision and he says the place is Long Lake.

A horn blows. Only the once, meaning rangers returning. Melisandre leaves Rattleshirt in her chambers and goes to see who has come back. She goes through the Wall gate with two guards. They're effectively useless but it's all about the show. On the other side of the Wall there are three eight foot spears with three rangers' heads on them. Bowen Marsh says they should never have sent the rangers out. Jon orders them taken down and asks Melisandre to walk back with him. He asks if she knows anything of the other six. She has seen an attack on the Wall and says it is Eastwatch, but she's not certain, what she sees in a vision is not real and has more in common with dreams.

Melisandre asks Jon to come to her chambers. She thinks Jon and Stannis have a lot in common. Rattlesnake is still there and Melisandre tells Jon he's going after the girl. Jon objects on the basis that Rattleshirt is a rapist and brutal killer. So Melisandre reveals that Rattleshirt is actually Mance Rayder and that she burned the real Rattleshirt.

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What is she up to? She's trying to reel Jon in. Beware enemies who pretend to be friends, indeed. Who is the girl? I don't think it could be either Sansa or Arya. Sansa is in the Vale with Littlefinger and Arya is in Braavos. Neither of them is wearing grey and riding north on a dying horse. Who else might it be? Or maybe it's in the future and it will be Sansa? Not that she seems in a hurry to get away from Littlefinger.

Also, it's interesting to have some confirmation that Melisandre is as much a fake as the others.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 31

2011-09-02T07:25:00.000+01:00

Chapter 30 - Daenerys

Skahaz mo Kandaq has been following Hizdahr zo Loraq who has been visiting the nobles of Meereen and the murders have stopped for three weeks.

Grey Worm comes to tell her that a rider has come from Astapor, which has been destroyed. He had the bloody flux. He says the rider says that Astapor was waiting for Daenerys to come and rescue them. The rider was on a pale mare. Daenerys recalls her sellsword companies. Some more Astapori refugees arrive and tell the her the details of the fall of Astapor. Daenerys orders a camp to be set up for the refugees outside the city so the disease does not spread. People are urging Daenerys to use her dragons but they are a weapon she can't control. Others suggest abandoning Meereen. She realises she doesn't have the right counsellors about her. Daenerys doesn't know what to do and everything she tries to help just makes it worse.

Daenerys can't sit out a siege so she must engage the Yunkai'i and make it on her terms. And she decides she must marry Hizdahr.

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Oh, Dany, you can only have two husbands - don't waste one on Hizdahr. She is in such a difficult position and she is not getting good advice. It'll be better when Tyrion arrives. It looks like Quaithe's prophecy is coming true.

Things I have liked this week

2011-09-01T08:16:00.002+01:00

Writing and procrastination

The whole You are not so Smart blog is fascinating, but what really resonated with me this week were a couple of posts on procrastination. I procrastinate much more than I am happy with and sometimes that's because I forget that I can't work all the time. Other times it's because big projects are scary and sometimes it's because I want the emotional reward now, damnit!

More writing stuff

I'm worldbuilding at the moment and this week I came across On Thud and Blunder by Poul Anderson. It's about internal consistency and realism in fantasy worlds. Highly entertaining and very instructive. It's published on the SFWA website and is quite long, but a worthwhile read.

Pretty pictures of space

The loveliness of cosmic clouds from Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 30

2011-08-31T12:54:00.000+01:00

Chapter 29 - Davos

Davos has spent two weeks as a prisoner waiting to be killed, but he is being treated pretty well. He writes letters to his wife and sons.

Then Robett Glover arrived and asks Davos to come with him. He tells Davos that Stannis has taken Deepwood Motte, that Roose Bolton has taken Moat Cailin and Ramsay will wed Arya Stark. Glover says neither he nor Manderly will kill him.

They go through a secret way under the castle. Glover tells him he's supposed to be dead already. They come out in a room where Lord Manderly is waiting. He apologises for the reception he gave Davos in the Merman's Court and tells him that his son Wylis has come home from Kings Landing. There is a welcome feast in progress and his Frey guests think he is in the privy.

Manderly tells Davos they faked his death and what happened in the Merman's Court was for the benefit of the Freys. He says he doesn't believe what the Frey's say about the Red Wedding. Davos' arrival gave Manderly a way to prove his loyalty and get his son back. He says he is surrounded by Freys, watched all the time.

Davos says Stannis will give them justice. Manderly and Glover say there is still a Stark. They produce Wex, a mute who was Theon's squire and who followed Rickon and Shaggydog when they left Winterfell. Wex knows where he is and they want Davos to go and get him.

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Yay! Rickon and Shaggydog! I've missed them. And I'm also pleased Davos didn't die. Manderly is way more cunning than anyone things.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 29

2011-08-30T07:50:00.000+01:00

Chapter 28 - Jon

Jon is sending out rangers and includes Alliser Thorne in the group. Thorne thinks that Jon's looking for an excuse to kill him, but it has more to do with his lack of experienced men.

Jon missing sparring so he challenges some trainees and is obviously miles better than them. Then Rattleshirt challenges him and they have a good old set to. Rattleshirt seems physically different to Jon but he dismisses it as an effect of the armour.

Later on, he can't sleep so goes out walking with Ghost. Melisandre sneaks up on him and he thinks that she's Ygritte to start with. She tells him Arya will come on a dying horse and that three of his rangers will die. She says he and Ghost have power and that she and Jon should make power together.

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Melisandre clearly glamoured herself to look like Ygritte. That's creepy.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 28

2011-08-29T08:05:00.000+01:00

Chapter 27 - Tyrion

The knight is taking Tyrion to Volantis, which has three parts. Old Volantis is poor and run down. Volantis east of the river is richer, more inhabited and pretty strictly Volantian. They pass the red priest, Bernello, who is calling Daenerys Azor Ahai reborn and saying that when she comes west the slaves should rise up to support her.

They stop to buy some gloves, put Tyrion in chains, and to sell the horse. Then they cross the longbridge to Volantis west of the river, where traders from all over the world come to do business. The knight heads for the Merchant House where he takes a room. He leaves Tyrion chained up. When he comes back he has food and ale.

The next day they go to have an audience with the Widow of the Waterfront, Vogarro's whore, to whom the knight gives the gloves. She tells them things. He asks for a passage east. She tells them the Golden Company is going west to Westeros and asks why they want to go east. The knight says he's taking Tyrion to Daenerys. Tyrion is overjoyed. The arrangements are agreed.

Then a dwarf, who's been giving him funny looks since they arrived at the Merchant House, attacks Tyrion. It turns out she is one of the jousting dwarves from Joffrey's wedding. Her brother was beheaded by someone wanting to claim the price Cersei put on Tyrion's head.

---------------------------------------------------

So, the knight is definitely Jorah and they're going to Daenerys. Fair enough, but now Aegon is going west with the Golden Company. Hmm. I'm beginning to suspect Dany isn't going to get to invade Westeros on the back of a black dragon at all.

I think the introduction of Penny the dwarf is a really good touch. It brings home the real consequences to ordinary people of the machinations of the powerful. Several innocent men have died because people wanted to curry favour with Cersei.

My blog got an award!

2011-08-28T16:46:00.001+01:00

Deirdra from A Storybook World stopped by to give me a Best Books Blog Award.

Which is lovely. It's nice to know that somebody enjoys my reviews. I'm feeling the love :-)

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 27

2011-08-27T11:09:00.000+01:00

Chapter 26 - The Wayward Bride

Asha is back at Deepwood Motte. After the Kingsmoot, she fled. Euron Crow's Eye married her to Erik Ironmaker and left the Iron Islands in his care while he went off in search of a dragon queen.

Ramsay Bolton has sent her a message that he has taken Moat Cailin. It is written in the blood of ironmen comes with a strip of Theon's skin and a promise to send her more. Asha burns the skin. She knows that Deepwood Motte will be hard to defend. She doesn't have many men and the walls are made of wood. But she doesn't know where else she can go. Asha contemplates going to the Wall.

Instead she goes to bed. Qarl the Maid follows her. After they've shagged, he falls asleep but she can't. Asha goes to eat in the kitchen and finds Tris Botley waiting for her. He wants her, loves her, but she doesn't feel the same about him. He suggests they take to the sea and become merchants. She reminds him of her long-term relationship with Qarl.

Then there is an alarm from the walls. Five northmen have tried to sneak in to open the gate. Asha decides she doesn't want to die defending this place and her band escape out the south door while the northmen are breaking down the north door. They are caught in the woods and are overwhelmed but not without taking far more than their number. Asha takes a head wound and the last things she sees are flaming hearts and black stags.

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So, it was Stannis at the gates. He's obviously won the mountain clans to his side. Good, maybe he'll be able to give the Boltons a fight.

Wouldn't it be nice for Daenerys if she could have someone like Qarl? It is interesting to contrast Asha, Cersei and Dany for their use of sex as a political tool, and the impact it has on their personal lives. In many ways, Asha seems to handle it best, but the different environments the three women find themselves in may simply mean that Asha finds it easiest. After all, her relationship with Qarl was formed on her ship, which in many ways is a little bubble.

And I so don't believe Asha is dead. Martin, you've done this quiet a lot at this point!

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 26

2011-08-26T08:10:00.000+01:00

Chapter 25 - Windblown

Quentyn and friends have just fought in the seige of Astapor and are marching north to Yunkai with the rest of the Yunkish army. They are looking for a chance to get away to Meereen. Quentyn feels uneasy because he thinks that it is dishonourable to break the contract he made with the Windblown.

The seige of Astapor was his first experience of fighting and he didn't like it much. It's not because he is a coward but because he found it cruel, wasteful and wrong. And they were fighting freed slaves who didn't have the training to fight back. It was more of a slaughter than a battle.

The Yunkish forces are bizarre and impractical; naked fighting studs, tall men on stilts, grotesqueries and other strange ideas made flesh.

Quentyn and his companions are discussing how and when to betray the Windblown when they are summoned to the tent of the captain-general, the Tattered Prince. He tells them he's sending his Westerosi north towards Meereen and that they should join the Stormcrows or the Second Sons.

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Quentyn Martell is growing on me. He seems like a nice, serious young man, able to do what needs to done, but sensitive to the consequences of his actions. He's perhaps a little on the dull side, but very worthy. Maybe he wouldn't be such a bad choice as a husband for Daenerys.

Things I have liked this week

2011-08-25T20:43:00.001+01:00

The origin of words

The Inky Fool, a blog about words, phrases, grammar and other good stuff. Totally charming.

The obligatory space-y picture

Lots of beautiful pictures on APOD this week and I'm picking this artist's impression of a wierdly dark planet as my favourite as it reminds me there's so much we don't know yet.

Writing stuff

From the SFWA, a list of the common writing 'problems' seen in SF&F. Amusing, and you might spot one or two you recognise.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 25

2011-08-24T07:22:00.000+01:00

Chapter 24 - The Lost Lord

The Golden Company is camped north of Volantis at Volon Therys. Griff takes Aegon and Haldon to meet with them. Twelve years ago he faked his own death to look after Aegon. The man who was Captain-General of the Golden Company was in on the plan but the new one isn't. Illyrio broke their contract with Myr to send them here for Aegon.

They find Harry Strickland in his tent surrounded by his chiefs. Illyrio's plan was that Daenerys would be coming west and they would meet her there but Daenerys isn't coming west, they don't know why and they can't get to her. Aegon proposes Tyrion's plan of going west without her and her dragons. After some debate, the Company agrees.

Jon Connington goes to his own tent after sending Haldon to get Rolly, Lemore and the chests. He takes off his glove and examines his greyscale, which he got saving Tyrion, whom he had begun to trust but now believes has escaped.

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Well now, there's a twist. I don't want Aegon to conquer Westeros, that's for Dany. So this little meet up isn't going to happen and Aegon and company are off to Westeros.

It's sad that Griff has greyscale. Plus also, Griff is Jon Connington. I'm not wholly sure what that means yet.

100 Books in 2011: All the Windwracked Stars

2011-08-23T10:34:00.001+01:00

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear is a bit genre-busting. It is heavily grounded in Norse mythology with liberal sprinklings of sci-fi, steampunk and high fantasy.

After Ragnarok, of which there are and will be many, one Valkyrie survives because she ran away. Her name is Muire. When she comes back after the battle, wracked with shame, she finds a single valraven still alive who takes her for his rider. She heals him and, in doing so, turns him from a flesh and blood creature to one of metal and fire. Then she rejects him. Centuries later, Muire is living in the sole remaining city of Valdyrgard which is kept alive through technomancy while the rest of the world dies around it.

Mingan, the Grey Wolf (Fenrir?), returns to Valdyrgard, hunting for something. Muire senses him and believes she must kill him to avoid another Ragnarok. In tracking him down, she discovers that the souls of the Valkyrie have been reborn as new people. These new people don't remember themselves but Muire and Mingan know who they are. An ancient love-triangle is reignited. Muire wants to restore the Valkyrie to themselves.

I loved this. It is dark and sexy, full of flawed characters trying to do the right thing, but finding it hard to work out what that is. The characters are complex and complicated and so are the relationships between them. The villains have excellent motives and it is hard not to sympathise. The heroes want to do what's right, but the consequences of that are often wrong. They all struggle with the way they feel and the burdens they carry.

The language is lyrical and poetic. The rhythm is slightly odd but perfectly pitched. I really enjoyed reading it for the sake of the arrangement of the words. It was lovely.

If I have a criticism, it's that it is a shame that the only person of colour in the book is the most abused, damaged, infantilised and sexualised character in the book. Those two things didn't have to belong to the same person and it plays into some unpleasant racial tropes.

Other than that, this was one of the most engaging books I've read this year. I enjoyed it enormously and will definitely pick up more of Elizabeth Bear's work. Highly recommended!

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 24

2011-08-22T07:50:00.000+01:00

Chapter 23 - Daenerys

Daenerys is meeting with the Green Grace. The Sons of the Harpy are still brutally killing freedmen but has harmed her hostage children. Galazzea says if she marries Hizdahr zo Loraq then it might stop. She asks what a man can do that she cannot. The Grace says taking a husband with Ghiscari blood will make the Meereenese accept her more. She has Hizdahr waiting below. Daenerys agrees to see him. She asks what he has to offer. Can he quiet the streets for her? He makes promises. She asks why he would want to be her King. He gives the honest answer that Meereen cannot bear another war. Daenerys asks him to kiss her but does not respond to him.

Finally, she gives him a quest. He has ninety days to end the killings and if he does, she will marry him.

Ser Barristan Selmy thinks she should abandon Meereen and go to Westeros. He tells her Daario is back. She wants to see him. He is aggressive and says he will kill all the Meereenese nobles. He is cruel and hard and selfish. Daenerys might be attracted to him but knows she could not wed him. She decides that all his reports will go to Selmy from now on.

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Oh, what to do? Daenerys doesn't know just how many suitors she has. I think the Green Grace is involved with the Sons of the Harpies and Hizdahr clearly can't be trusted. Daario is clearly a very sexy man and it's a shame Dany can't have him, but he seems like a dick and I think he would try to take advantage of the situation.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 23

2011-08-21T13:18:00.002+01:00

Chapter 22 - Tyrion

By the time Tyrion wakes up they have docked at Selharys. Haldon tells him to check for signs of greyscale, that Lemore saved him and he may never know that he hasn't got greyscale. He eats. The others go ashore for provisions.

Aegon has to stay aboard but is not happy about it. He and Tyrion play cyvasse. They discuss Daenerys and Tyrion asks why Aegon thinks Daenerys would want him. She has achieved so much and what can Aegon offer her? Tyrion says he would be best off going to Westeros and raising his banners. Then she will come to him because she is a rescuer. Aegon gets bratty.

The others return with news for Griff. It appears that Volantis is arguing for war. Haldon is sent to get more information and takes Tyrion with him. They listen to a red priest arguing that supporters of R'hllor should support Daenerys as she is Azor Ahai reborn.

They then go to an inn and speak with a customs man who says that Volantis will go to war against her. The Wise Masters are splashing the cash and all the other cities are against her as well. On the way back Tyrion wants a whore. Haldon lets him go. He is looking for Tysha but, of course, she's not there. He gets drunk as well as laid. On the way out he is captured by a knight, with bear arms, who says he's going to take him to the Queen.

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Yay! Tyrion's not dead, and back on form.

The Meereen situation feels like what happened to Haiti after the revolution. Economies that use slaves cannot tolerate an example of free slaves ruling themselves right next door. Just as all the powers of the eighteenth century refused to trade with the new nation of Haiti (thus driving the country into poverty), the free cities are refusing to trade with Meereen. Not only refusing to trade but actively disrupting Daenerys' every effort to trade.

Who is the knight? I think it's probably Jorah. Which Queen is he taking Tyrion to? Cersei or Daenerys?

Aegon comes off spoilt and immature, especially compared to Daenerys. Tyrion's description of Daenerys makes her sound awesome.

A-Z blogging challenge: K is for Kittehs!

2011-08-20T13:03:00.001+01:00

Oh the interwebs. Mainly made of cats.

I love lolcats. Writing time is often interrupted by kittehs. So, instead of a proper post, here are some pictures of kittehs.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 22

2011-08-19T08:37:00.000+01:00

Chapter 21 - Jon

Jon is taking supplies to Mole Town to feed the wildling refugees and the remaining townspeople. They are hungry and angry.

Along the way he sees three trees carved with faces and realises that Melsandre's ceremony was empty. The people want more food and say that the Watchmen eat better than they do. Jon says that anyone prepared to fight to defend the kingdom from the Others is welcome to come to the Wall where they will get better rations. He wins over sixty-three of them, but no Thenns, which is a problem.

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Oh, well done Jon, that was nicely played. More will come afterwards I think. It looks like Jon is making some much needed changes and I hope it all works out for him.

Things I have liked this week

2011-08-18T07:35:00.000+01:00

Astronomy picture of the day

Lots to choose from this week, so I've picked two: this summer triangle over Catalonia and this castle and meteor by moonlight.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Went to see this on Friday and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. The CGI was very well done. I was expecting a fun romp but the film was much more than that. Having seen it, I really want to see a remake of the original.

Starting a new writing project

After nearly three years of working on Immortal/Sacrifice I've decided it is time to move on. I've learnt so much about writing a novel with this project but I've reached the point where I need to take that and start something new. I said I would do the next one differently and am going to start with planning it out and building up my world. I'm very excited about the new WIP, working title Wormfeeder.

100 Books in 2011 challenge: Bride of the Solway

2011-08-17T13:14:00.000+01:00

More short books! Bride of the Solway by Joanna Maitland is a Mills & Boon (and yes, I still have more of them on book mountain).

Our heroine, Cassie, is the prisoner of her step-brother, the Laird of Langrigg. He has gambling debts and plans to marry his sister to a wealthy but weak husband, just as soon as he can find a suitable mark. Cassie tries to escape and runs into Captain Ross Graham, a man searching for a family. The step-brother captures Cassie, beats up Ross and throws him in gaol.

On getting out of gaol, Ross renews his acquaintance with Colonel Anstruther, whose wife is very sick and is expected to die soon. Cassie's brother decides that Anstruther will need a new wife soon and that should be Cassie. During visits engineered to endear Cassie to Anstruther, she confides in Ross and they plan an escape to her godfather in England. Once there, Ross discovers that his family are distantly related to Cassie's godfather. Her brother chased them in their escape and they believe that he died. But he didn't and snatches Cassie from her godfather's garden and takes her back to Scotland, where he forces her to marry an old man who paid £5,000 for her.

But Ross comes for her and rescues her at the altar. They are then married and live happily ever after.

This one annoyed me a lot less than the other Mills & Boon have, largely because there was a lot more plot and a not very much mooning about by either protagonist. Having said that, the plot was still pretty thin and really lacked tension. Without the artifical tension created by the mooning about, i.e. the protagonists' internal monologue about how they love the other but mustn't, love the other but also hate the other, love the other but don't want to admit it, love the other but think the other hates them, etc - the tension must derive from the plot. Will Cassie end up in Bedlam or married off for money? Well, no, the possibility is never believable. I suppose if it was, it couldn't be a Mills & Boon story. I wonder whether my expectations of this genre are so unshakeably set that there is nothing the author could do to make me doubt what the ending will be. The only way would be to tell a different story. And then Mills and Boon wouldn't have published it.

The other elements were quite thin as well. Characterisation relied on tropes and the dialogue was actually quite bad, especially when it was in dialect. The one exception was the character of Colonel Anstruther, an old man clearly in love with his dying wife - it was sweetly and poignantly drawn.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 21

2011-08-16T08:10:00.000+01:00

Chapter 20 - Reek

Theon is approaching Moat Cailin to take it by subterfuge. He is terrified of what Ramsay will do to him if he fails. The ironborn in the castle are dying of wounds caused by poisoned arrows, bad water and poor food. They are the dregs left behind by Victarion.

Theon tells them that Euron Crowsfeet was crowned at the Kingsmoot and Victarion has abandoned them. If they pack up and leave, Ramsay will let them all go home. They agree, after some debate, and come out. Ramsay congratulates Theon and asks him if he wants to stay or to go with his countrymen. Sensing a trap, Reek says he wants to stay and serve. He is allowed to become one of Ramsay's dogs and is collared and chained.

The ironborn are killed and Ramsay tells his father, Roose Bolton, that he can come through Moat Cailin. Bolton brings his forces north. He is riding in a litter with a decoy in his armour. He gets out of the litter with Fat Walder and Arya. Theon realises that it's Jeyne Poole because Arya had her father's eyes and Jeyne certainly does not.

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A few glimpses of the old Theon and a masterly show of what torture and fear can do to a person. Martin manages to create an absolutely believable depiction of a person so scared of what his abuser will do to him he is incapable of taking action to get away.

Jeyne Poole is going to pretend to be Arya, eh? That's not going to go well for her, is it. Poor girl. And it seems clear that Roose Bolton won't do anything to rein in his son.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 20

2011-08-15T09:10:00.001+01:00

Chapter 19 - Davos

Davos is in a well-appointed room waiting the pleasure of Lord Manderly. Despite the comfort of his surroundings, he is a prisoner. Finally, he is brought to the Merman's Hall to an audience with Lord Manderly. The hall is full of people, Manderlys and their sworn men, as well as a bunch of Freys.

The Freys say that Robb Stark turned into a wolf at the Red Wedding and killed everyone, including Manderly's son. Davos calls them liars.

Manderly notes that the Freys and Lannisters have put a lot on the table and wonder what Stannis has to offer that would be comparable. He also points out that the Lannisters hold his other son hostage. Davos' first response is duty; supporting Stannis is the right thing to do. Manderly's brother asks some pointed questions about the strength of arms Stannis can bring to the field and Davos concedes that it is not much.

Lots of people chip in on one side or the other and in the end Manderly says that Davos hurt White Harbour when he was a smuggler. For that, he will give the Freys and Lannisters what they want and behead him.

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The Merman Hall is cool. It's decorated like an undersea palace and Martin's description of it is awesome.

Really, I don't want Davos to die. Not like this. It feels wrong. Northmen are supposed to be all about honour regardless of the personal cost. What do we gain from Davos' point of view if it's just leading up to his death? In AFFC we learn via Cersei that Davos dies but I want to believe that it's a ruse in some way. Just otherwise, it seems a bit pointless.

Oh, and apparently Wylla Manderly has to marry Little Walder. Poor girl.

Book Mountain II

2011-08-14T08:04:00.000+01:00

It's over a year since I began the concerted effort to read all the books on book mountain. There were 229 books. Now there are 189.

In that time, I've bought loads more books, been given books and picked up one or two from the book drop at work. I've made a net gain of 40 books, but I've probably read at least twice that. And the bookcase that housed most of book mountain collapsed, causing a bookslide. Still, mountains are there to be climbed so I will carry on until I get to the top. Or bottom, depending on how you look at it.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 19

2011-08-13T10:21:00.003+01:00

Chapter 18 - Tyrion

Tyrion and Griff's party are in the Sorrows, part of the River Rhoyne which is shrouded in fog. There are tales of sorcery and strange creatures, but it seems to be a colony for those afflicted with greyscale. They approach the Bridge of Dreams, the dangerous last part before where the fog should end and Griff sends Young Griff below. He doesn't want to go. There follows an altercation where Tyrion reveals he knows who Young Griff is - Aegon, Rhaegar's son and Daenerys' nephew. Tyrion also reveals who he is.

Then some stone men (the ones with greyscale) jump on the ship. They fight two of them off. The third is going for Young Griff who freezes in terror. Tyrion jumps to the rescue and drives the stone man to the edge. The man goes overboard - and so does Tyrion, sinking beneath the water.

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I did not see that coming. Aegon was supposed to have had his head smashed in by Gregor but clearly that was not true. Plots within plots. Where does this leave Daenerys? Aegon's claim is better than hers.

And I don't believe Tyrion is dead for a second, even if Martin is trying hard to make me believe it. That cliff hanger, character death, chapter ending is getting a bit common, and it's been a while since Martin killed off someone unexpectedly. I'm not buying it this time!

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 18

2011-08-12T12:08:00.001+01:00

Chapter 17 - Jon

Jon goes beneath Castle Black to check the stores with Dolorous Edd and Bowen Marsh. There seems like a lot of food but Marsh says that with Stannis' men and the wildlings what should have lasted 3-4 years will only last one year. Jon thinks it's colder than it should be beneath the Wall.

When he surfaces he finds Stannis wants to see him. Stannis is planning to attack the Dreadfort and wants arms and armour. They discuss half the Umbers declaring for Stannis. Jon says they can't take the Dreadfort and recommends they ask the mountain clans to join them, then go to take Deepwood Motte. Stannis likes this idea. Melisandre is staying at the Wall.

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Someone needs to take down the Boltons and it might as well be Stannis. But can he do it? Men don't follow Stannis for love.

So there's not much food at Castle Black, compounded by not being able to go out ranging. That's going to be a problem. Plus, Melisandre staying at the Wall can only be bad news. Jon's idea to get the wildlings to defend the Wall is a really good one. Let's hope he can make it stick.

Things I have liked this week

2011-08-11T11:53:00.002+01:00

Social media explained

Writing stuff

There is a tension between being persistent with a project and knowing when is the right time to give up. Novels take a long time to write, but how long is too long? This article on deciding when to start a new story has some interesting ideas.

Space stuff

While I was on holiday this year, I picked up some postcards with amazing images of earth taken from the International Space Station. The one of Britain and Ireland seems to have made it into a couple of papers in the summer. They were taken by Italian astronaut, Paulo Nespoli, and the whole set can be seen at the European Space Agency's photostream.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 17

2011-08-10T09:07:00.000+01:00

Chapter 16 - Daenerys

Xaro Xhoan Daxos has come to visit. He's brought erotic dancers with him to entertain Dany as they eat. He's also bought thirteen galleys - the ships Daenerys asked him for when she was in Qarth. Then his price was her hand in marriage and a dragon, now it is that she must leave for Westeros and let things in the Free Cities get back to normal. Daenerys asks him to help her start trading and he tells her that Meereen has nothing but slaves and olives - and the previous rulers of Meereen burnt all the olive groves. Daenerys says she will consider it and ask Admiral Groleo to look over the ships.

The next day she assembles her council. The Dothraki don't want to go anywhere by boat. Groleo says the boats are old but well maintained, but taking them to Westeros will be tricky. Her Meereenese advisers ask her not to leave them to the mercy of the Yunkai. Dany says they can come to Westeros with her, and her Mother's Men say they will follow wherever she goes. They acknowledge that thirteen ships are not enough and Grey Worm say the Unsullied will take the demon road. Dany decides she will not abandon Meereen to the same fate of Astapor. She will stay and Westeros will wait.

Daenerys summons Xaro Xhoan Daxos who presents her with a tapestry showing a map of the world. She tells him she is staying, that she cannot leave. He weeps and tells her he should have killed her in Qarth. She dismisses him but his ships stay in the bay. The next day, a messenger brings her a bloody glove, a declaration of war.

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Enemies who pretend to be friends eh? It seems like Dany is beset on all sides. How will she protect Meereen? How can she feed her people? I think it is the right moral decision to stay and secure what she has won. If she leaves, she will leave vulnerable people behind and the journey will severely weaken her forces. Besides, she needs to learn how to rule first. Otherwise she'll make all her mistakes in King's Landing and will end up fighting all the time. I am so not surprised Xaro turned out to be a dick.

100 Books in 2011 challenge: Voodoo River

2011-08-09T10:52:00.001+01:00

I'm way behind on the 100 books in 2011 challenge, so I'm picking short, easy reads to try to catch up. Robert Crais is an easy read, and Voodoo River comes in at less than 300 pages.

Elvis Cole is hired to find out about the birth parents of an adopted woman, who is a TV star born in Louisiana. He finds out that her father was black and that her mother's father killed him, facts known to a local private detective and a local crime lord. The mother and her husband know about the murder and that it was covered up. They're being blackmailed and the husband, the sheriff, turns a blind eye to the crime lord's human trafficking business.

It's a pretty complicated plot to be wrapped up in a short book. It never feels like anything is being revealed too quickly, whilst at the same time, everything is there to make it all add up. It is well done and this is probably the best of Crais' that I've read.

Characterisation is handled well and most characters are reasonably fleshed out. The dialogue got on my nerves a little. Cajun dialect was indicated by dropped letters and phonetic spellings rather than by cadence and word choice. It often felt heavy-handed. Other than that I enjoyed it.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 16

2011-08-08T07:52:00.000+01:00

Chapter 15 - Davos

Davos lands in White Harbor in the guise of an ordinary sailor. He's familiar with White Harbor from his smuggling days and notes that the defences seem much better than they were before. In the inner harbour there is a war galley flying Tommen's arms. Davos walks about for a bit, seeing what's what. He learns that refugees are flocking to the city and any boy or man that wants it is being given a spearman's job. He goes to a smugglers tavern and lurks in a shadowy corner, listening for gossip. He doesn't learn much he didn't already know, except that no one is talking about how Stannis went to the Wall to save the Seven Kingdoms from the Others, and that a Queen in the East has some dragons. He wonders what he should do for a moment, but in the end he is loyal to Stannis above all else. He goes to the castle.

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Basically, the plot point here is that Davos has arrived in White Harbor and is going to see Manderly. Borrell apparently sent him on his way, probably having decided it's best not to get involved. It feels like quite a lot of padding. There's repetition of stuff we already know from other POVs and the new information that Manderly seems to be investing quite a lot in his defences, gathering men and building ships. Also, there's a bit of suspense created. I still don't know how this is going to pan out.

A-Z blogging challenge: J is for Job

2011-08-07T07:24:00.002+01:00

Have to have a job to pay the bills, but it's far away and I spend three hours a day commuting. J is for Job in the sense that I don't get paid for writing and I like to have nice stuff.

But there's also an element in which having a job meets some emotional needs that writing doesn't. A couple of years ago I gave up my day job to focus on writing for a little while. It was amazing and fulfilling and as soon as I get the chance, I'll do it again. However, when I went back to work I realised there had been something I'd missed. A job offers the opportunity to see the results of your labours quickly; it offers tangible results clearly linked to specific actions. The pay-off on a writing project takes a lot longer and sometimes it can be easy to lose sight of your gains.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 15

2011-08-06T07:26:00.000+01:00

Chapter 14 - Tyrion

Tyrion is on a riverboat with Griff, Young Griff and the rest of their party. They're heading down the Rhoyne to Volantis. The party includes two Dornish orphans who've returned home to the Rhoyne and who own the boat. Along with Griff, Young Griff, Rolly and Haldon, there is also Septa Lemore, who Tyrion fantasises about. Griff is denying Tyrion wine, so he's sobered up and not overly happy about it. Griff sleeps all day and guards the boat at night. During the day, Rollo trains Young Griff in arms, Lemore in matters of faith, and Haldon in everything else.

In the evening, Haldon and Tyrion play Cyvasse, a game like chess that has become recently popular. Tyrion has been losing badly so far and he suggests that they wager for secrets. This time Tyrion wins.

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Ahh, it's drunk Tyrion that's obnoxious, stupid Tyrion then. It was frustrating not to find out what Tyrion found out. I think I might have been supposed to picked something more up from this chapter. Hmm. Or maybe it was just about getting to know the characters a bit more.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 14

2011-08-05T07:04:00.000+01:00

Chapter 13 - Bran

Bran and his party are at the bottom of a steep climb up to a door in the mountainside. They are frozen and starving. The elk died and they ate it. It lasted for a week but that was all. Coldhands seems to be expecting Others. Jojen is nearly done for. Bran tries to motivate them all. He knows through Summer that the three wolves are following.

They start the climb. It's steep and slippery and they are almost there when Hodor slips and falls. Bran is crushed beneath him and then wights start crawling out of the ground. They've been ambushed. Bran is thrown out of his basket. He slips into Hodor's skin; for all his size and strength, Hodor doesn't know how to fight and is terrified. Without Bran he would die. Meera, Coldhands, Summer and Hodor are fighting hard but the zombies are really hard to kill. Bran sees someone set the zombies on fire which gives them time to get into the cave. The cave is warded which means that the zombies can't get in but also means Coldhands can't come with them.

The someone turns out to be a child of the forest. She leads them down inside the mountain to the three-eyed crow, who is a man on a throne, entwined and pierced through by weirwood roots. Bran thinks that there must be a massive and very old weirwood grove above them. Bran asks if the crow can fix his legs and the crow says he will never walk again, but that he will learn to fly.

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That was hairy. Varamyr's lurking about; I don't suppose he's up to any good. So, the three-eyed crow is a man, not a child of the forest, and was once a man of the Night's Watch. Hmm, wonder who it is.

When Hodor fell, I thought they weren't going to make it. So what happens now? Who will Bran become?

Things I have liked this week

2011-08-04T08:47:00.000+01:00

Writing stuff

This article is about judging the quality of your writing. It makes an interesting point about how agents and publishers are not in the business of judging writing quality, but instead, the marketability of the product. When I'm thinking about self-publishing, the little voice in my head says 'but who will tell me it's good enough?'. This article provides an answer. Sort of.

The graffiti at the station where I work

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Pretty clouds of hydrogen gas. The universe is awesome.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 13

2011-08-03T10:41:00.000+01:00

Chapter 12 - Reek

Reek is in a dungeon eating rats because he is starving. He hears footsteps approach and is terrified because he has been tortured. He has lost some fingers, toes and teeth, is being starved and kept in the dark. He struggles to remember who is - or at least who he's been told he is. Who is was before is even harder to remember. He recalls that he tried to escape with a girl called Kyra, to go back to Winterfell, but it turned out to be a trap because Lord Ramsay Bolton likes to hunt people. The footsteps belong to two boys, who come in to the dungeon and mock him. He begs to be left alone but Ramsay wants him. The boys are Little Walder and Big Walder. They take Reek into the castle, where Ramsay and his men are dining. Ramsay has two guests, one of whom recognises that Reek is Theon Greyjoy, white-haired and three stone thinner.

Ramsay says that he's going to marry Arya Stark and he wants Reek to come with him, as a sobered, obedient Theon.

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Oh boy. That was just awful. Sure, Theon was an arse, and a bit of nasty piece of work, but no one deserves that. Eugh. It was horrible, and I feel a bit sick after reading that. But, hang on, why would Ramsay want Theon at the wedding? Does he want Theon to tell him whether or not it's the real Arya? I thought the Bolton's were in on the plan.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 12

2011-08-02T08:55:00.001+01:00

Chapter 11 - Daenerys

Daenerys is woken in the early hours of the morning as nine of her people have been killed by the Sons of the Harpy. One of them is Missandei's brother. She allow Skahaz to torture the owner of a tavern where three were killed. Otherwise they have no leads.

She comforts Missandei who says Daenerys is the mother of them all. But Daenerys can't go back to sleep because she is worrying that she can't protect anyone. In the morning she takes a bath and Quaithe of Asshai appears with more riddles. Quaithe says beware the perfumed seneschal. She says that suitors will come, first the pale mare, then the Kraken, the dark flame, the lion and the griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon.

When Daenerys is dressed and has eaten she goes to the purple hall for her audiences. Ser Barristan Selmy has piled her ebony bench with pillows. She spends the time making judgements and trying to be fair. The owner of the slave pits, Hizdahr zo Loraq, comes back, this time with seven former slaves, champions who want to fight. It is the only skill they have and they want to earn money. Daenerys says she will consider it.

Daenerys leaves the hall and asks Barristan to tell her of his escape from King's Landing. He says he disguised himself as a peasant and no one recognised him. He says he watched Eddard Stark's execution and Dany say's he was a traitor. Barristan tells her that Eddard was an honourable man who wouldn't condone Robert's desire to assassinate her when she was pregnant. Dany says the Starks had a hand in the slaughter of her family and Barristan returns that it was Lannister work. Dany says they are all guilty, then breaks off, saying she needs to see the pit.

The Dragon Pit is under the pyramid and currently holds Viserion and Rhaegal. The dragons are locked up so they don't kill any more children. Daenerys thinks of all the stories about dragons and the battles they were used in that she heard as a child, and realises that none of them talk about how dragons were fed or controlled. Drogon could not be captured. They tried several times and then he stopped coming back to Meereen.

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So, who are the suitors? The kraken is Victarion on behalf of Euron; the lion must be Tyrion and the sun's son is Quentyn Martell. I don't know who the rest are. I guess we'll find out soon enough. I think the pale mare has been mentioned before though?

The slave pit is a real conundrum, isn't it? But rulers can't ban stuff just because they don't like it. It seems like this is the circuses part of the 'bread and circuses' guide to ruling. People need some fun - even if that fun is watching people hacking each other to pieces. It also raises the question of consent. The former slaves want to fight because they had better lives as slaves than they do as free men, but they have an opportunity to make their own money, doing the only thing they know how.

And the dragons are in a pit. That's sad. It's a really interesting point about how she manages her weapons. Can dragons be trained? Will Drogon come back? I think he will and he'll be huge. But what will Dany do with him?

And poor old Dany doesn't get to have Daario. That sucks. If she were a man she could have whoever she wanted.

100 Books in 2011: The Ghost Writer

2011-08-01T10:55:00.000+01:00

July's book club book was The Ghost Writer by John Harwood. I was quite looking forward to this as the blurb was quite enticing.

A boy, Gerard, grows up in Australia listening to his mother's tales of Sussex and her idyllic childhood. One day he finds a story by his great-grandmother and a photograph hidden in his mother's drawer. She becomes angry and the stories stop. Later he is contacted by Penfriends International and put in touch with Alice Jessell, who lives in Sussex. They write over many years and become very close, a relationship driven by the fact that Gerard doesn't have friends because his mother is so over-protective.

Eventually, Gerard wants to meet Alice, but she doesn't as she is disabled and doesn't want to see him until she has had surgery on her spine. He goes to England anyway, thinking he can find her. He doesn't but instead finds another story by his great-grandmother published in an anthology. After some years his mother dies. He's in his early thirties, still living at home, still passionately corresponding with Alice. Along the way he finds more stories by his grandmother. At some point, a woman claiming to be a friend of his aunt writes to say she thinks something terrible happened to his aunt and asking him to go to his mother's childhood home to investigate. The stories of his grandmother start to bear a resemblance to the events of his mother's life.

That's not much of a synopsis and that's because the plot doesn't make sense. There are stories within stories, allusions to ghosts and madness, and references to The Turn of the Screw. And none of it really works. The first of the 'Victorian ghost stories', Seraphina, is probably the best writing in the book. It has a Poe-esque feel to it and is a little creepy. The rest of the Victorian ghost stories aren't so good. They lose the tone and end up feeling as though they were constructed to give clues to the mystery. Not that it's much of a mystery; the misdirection is completely unbelievable. The ending picks up a little and comes close to being exciting but in the end the story is not resolved satisfactorily. The plot holes are massive.

There are loads of great reviews on the interwebs, but I didn't like it. Neither did most of the book club.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 11

2011-07-31T09:35:00.000+01:00

Chapter 10 - Jon

Melisandre puts Mance Rayer in a cage of weirwood and burns him. The burning is on the north of the Wall, in front of the stockade of captured wildlings. The weirwood is an offering of the old gods to her new god. Mance screams and pleads and denies his kingship. She also burns the Horn of Joramun. After a few minutes of burning, Jon has the Night's Watch archers kill Mance.

The wildlings are offered the chance to go South, through the Wall and settle in the Gift. The price is that they have to kneel to King Stannis and commit a piece of weirwood to the flames. Melisandre proclaims Stannis Azor Ahai and he draws Lightbringer, which seems to Jon to be brighter than before. Most of the wildlings accept the offer but some go north into the trees.

Bowen Marsh tells Jon he should seal the three gates in the Wall so that no one can get through. He says ranging is a waste of men they can't afford. He also says that men think he is too close to Stannis. Jon says he is trying not to take sides and points out that Stannis still has three times the men the Watch has.

Jon wants company but he has sent Aemon and Sam away. He thinks he can eat dinner with Pyp and Grenn and his other friends, but when he finds them he realises he can't. He remembers that Mormont tells him that a Lord Commander can love his men, but can't be their friend. He goes to speak with Maester Clydas and says that he has read the passage Aemon left for him. It was about Azor Ahai and Lightbringer, which was hot. It indicates that Aemon doubts Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn.

Jon goes to his chambers and writes orders despatching his friends to other castles along the Wall.

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Oh Jon. Sending your friends away won't make your loneliness easier to bear.

I can't believe Melisandre burnt the Horn of Joramun. That's like an archaeological treasure! The woman is evil. And I didn't mind when she burnt effigies of the Seven, but burning the weirwood is wrong. The old gods are definitely the best ones. She burnt Mance. I thought that would get dragged out a bit more, but it seems Jon sent Sam away just in time.

I don't think the gates should be sealed up. What about keeping the treeline back? What about when things go back to normal and the Watch can go ranging again? It seems like it would be irrevocable and a big mistake.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 10

2011-07-30T07:12:00.000+01:00

Chapter 10 - Davos

Davos is in chains. He has been captured on Sweetsister, a tiny island north of the Vale of Arryn. He is brought before its Lord who is wondering what to do with him.

Davos left the Wall with Salladhor Saan's Lysene fleet to go to White Harbour and get Lord Manderly to swear allegiance to Stannis. Most of the fleet was smashed on the journey south and Saan feels that Stannis has beggared him. He was promised gold and never been paid. It appears that he has landed Davos on Sweetsister and gone on somewhere else.

The Lord of Sweetsister is Godric Borrell, technically sworn to Lord Sunderland, a bannerman of the Arryns. He suggests Borrell gives him over to Lysa Arryn and learns she is dead and Littlefinger rules the Vale now. He offers Davos a seat and some food. Davos knows he is safe for the night. He learns that Tywin Lannister is dead. Borrell asks why he should help Stannis and Davos doesn't know what to say, despite being able to see that Borrell has doubts about who to support. With Tywin dead and Tyrion fled, who will fight the Lannister cause now?

Davos explains he wants to go to White Harbour and learns that Manderly has made peace with the Freys by way of a marriage. Then Godric tells him that Eddard Stark was on Sweetsister at the start of Robert's rebellion. He was brought their by a fisherman's daughter and left her with a bastard that she named Jon Snow.

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Hmmm. I don't believe that for a second. A fisherman's daughter in the Three Sisters, a maid in Dorne? Just doesn't sound much like Eddard Stark. Personally, I'm liking the Lyanna-Rhaegar theory of Jon Snow's parentage. It fits Eddard's character better.

Frankly, I'm surprised Salladhor Saan stuck with Stannis as long as he did. It's not stated explicitly that Saan has abandoned Stannis' cause, but the implication is there. Although, maybe it's a fake out. It's not like that never happens in these books. But, taking it at face value, that's what happens when you buy someone's loyalty instead of winning it. Doesn't look good for Stannis right now. His fleet is good and White Harbour has declared for King's Landing. All these little lords are looking for their advantage and what does Stannis have except personal strength and justice? How far's that going to get you when even the Lord of the island eats plain fish stew and bread without butter?

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 9

2011-07-29T12:58:00.002+01:00

Chapter 8 - Tyrion

Tyrion wakes to find the litter stopped and Illyrio missing. Seeing as they've been stopping every half hour for Illyrio to piss, this doesn't seem odd. Tyrion gets out and finds Illyrio talking to two rough-looking horsemen, so he insinuates himself into the conversation and starts shooting his mouth off. There is some banter, then the horsemen load up the chests that Illyrio has brought them and leave, taking Tyrion with them on the next leg of his journey. They are going to Ghoyan Drobe on the Rhoyne to meet Griff and go with him to Volantis.

On the way, they discuss happenings with the Dothraki and that Khal Pono is making his presence felt. One of the horsemen is Ser Rolly Duckfield. He tells Tyrion who he is and how he comes to be there. He is a commoner but Griff is a knight and so was able to knight him in a field of ducks. He reveals that he fought in the bittersteel rebellion. The other is halfmaester Haldon who questions him about dragons.

At Ghoyan Drobe they meet Griff and Young Griff aboard river boats. Young Griff is a charming boy, full of innocence. His father is another matter. Illyrio's letter to Griff makes it clear who Tyrion is and Tyrion is surprised the captain of a sellsword company can read. Griff doesn't appear to think that Illyrio's plan to send Tyrion to Danaerys is a good idea. Tyrion thinks Griff is lying quite a lot about who he is.

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So, this would be the Golden Company then? Exiled Westerosi knights looking for a way to come home and throwing in their lot with Danaerys. Tyrion talks far too much and makes a fool of himself. The dwarf is one of my favourites and usually witty. But in this chapter he is indiscreet and doesn't do himself any favours with his quips. It makes him seem stupider than he is. Maybe this is the effect of his grief and lets hope it's temporary. Or maybe it's a double bluff, and he's deliberately making himself look stupid?

Griff is hard-nosed, eh? Although his son appears to have turned out a sweet lad, so there must be some softness in his father. I can't wait until they hook up with Dany. She could use some more help.

Things I have liked this week

2011-07-28T12:13:00.000+01:00

Clips from HBO's Game of Thrones set to Johnny Cash 'God's gonna cut you down'. It's brilliant. I haven't seen the TV series yet and I'm really looking forward to the DVD coming out.

Blogging, writing and selling books

This is a thoughtful post from Livia Blackburne on blog writing and selling books and John Locke's approach. At some point I'll get around to reading what John Locke wrote.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Not only is it a gorgeous picture, but I also learnt about noctilucent clouds.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 8

2011-07-27T08:05:00.000+01:00

Chapter 7 - Jon

Jon has some difficult decisions to make. He knows Melisandre will burn Mance and then burn Mance's son because she wants to give king's blood to her fire. He summons Gilly and tells her he is sending her away with Dalla's son and that she will leave her own son at Castle Black in his stead. Jon says that Melisandre won't burn him because there will be no advantage to her in that, and that he will raise Gilly's son.

Next he summons Sam and tells him he will go with Gilly and Aemon. He needs Sam to go to Oldtown and become a maester. Jon thinks Sam will be pleased by this and doesn't understand why he isn't. When Sam explains his father's feelings about that idea, having wanted to be a maester in the past, Jon reminds him that his father doesn't matter, only his vows matter. Jon also knows this voyage will kill Aemon, but thinks this will be better than dying in Melisandre's fires. Jon sleeps that night but wakes feeling unrefreshed. For once, he doesn't dream of being with Ghost.

In the morning, he goes to see the little party off. He tells Dolorous Edd to have Bedwyck and Janos Slynt come to his chambers. Gilly weeps, Aemon tells Jon he has left something for him to read. When he returns to his chambers, Bedwyck is waiting for him. Jon is opening an extra castle and giving Bedwyck the command. The idea is to extend their watch, not for it to be defensible, and it is made possible by Stannis' men.

Janos Slynt keeps him waiting. Jon offers him another castle command, giving him the opportunity to use his abilities and to have some status. Slynt takes it as an insult and refuses. Jon tells him it is a command and not for him to refuse. Slynt refuses again and storms out. He recalls that Aemon had given him some advice - kill the boy and let the man rule - which was the same as his last words to Egg. Jon gives Slynt the night to come around.

The next morning, the new garrisons are ready to leave. Bedwyck's goes off but Slynt has not appeared. Jon finds Slynt in the mess room with Alliser Thorne and the knight who challenged him in the last chapter. He gives the man one last chance to follow his command and again Slynt refuses. Jon tells his men to hang him. As they are dragging him up the stairs to the top of the Wall he changes his mind, thinking "This isn't right." Instead, he bedheads him. Stannis has watched this scene play out.

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Whew. Jon Snow is made of steel, isn't he? He's been killing boys left, right and centre. I'm glad he did something about Slynt; couldn't have happened to a nicer chap and reduces some of his other problems. He beheads Slynt because that's what Eddard would have done; it forces him to face the consequences of exercising his power. Dany, Tyrion and Cersei, take note.

He's sent a message to Stannis, so what's he going to do now? This Lord Commander Jon Snow will not be easily intimidated.

Also, I'm thinking there's something significant in the fact that Aemon's advice to Jon was the same as his advice to his brother, Aegon. Priming Jon as one of the three heads of the dragon here?

Jon is obviously a bit of a fan favourite, being the least obviously flawed as some of the other characters, but I find liking is turning to admiration a bit in this chapter.

A-Z blogging challenge: I is for Inspiration

2011-07-26T11:02:00.000+01:00

Inspiration is a funny thing. In the right mood I can be inspired by everything around me, yet at other times I am stuck for ideas. That suggests that inspiration isn't something external to me, rather a state of mind in which I am able to generate ideas from the input available to me. The input may be the same at any given moment, but the ability to do something with it rests within me.

The Collins English Dictionary has the definition as 'stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity'.

Other definitions tend to run to the circular - inspiration is the state of being inspired. Umm, ok.

Anyway, the question I want to ask is not what inspires you, but how do you become receptive to inspiration? Is there always a time or place when you can be inspired? Do you have a ritual involving particular pieces of music, or particular activities? Is it a person or people displaying certain characteristics?

Meditation can work for me, but not necessarily all the time. If I'm honest, I don't have a great handle on what triggers a state of mind in which I can draw inspiration from the world around me. Maybe if I worked out what was happening at the times when I am inspired, then I could be inspired more often. And perhaps more importantly, I could be open to inspiration at will. I think enthusiasm and passion may play a part. Yay, a project! Would love to hear your thoughts on inspiration.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 7

2011-07-25T14:10:00.000+01:00

Chapter 6 - The Merchant's Man

Quentyn Martell is in Volantis looking for a ship to take him to Meereen so he can marry Danaerys. He and his companions are pretending to be wine merchants looking to establish a trade. It seems most ships won't go to Slaver's Bay at the moment because of the wars, but he and Gerris Drinkwater have found a ship called Adventure which might. The Captain offers to take them at three times the usual price and they agree to come back in the morning. On the way back to their lodgings, Quentyn surmises that they will never make it if they go on the Adventure and that the Captain will kill them as soon as they're on the open seas. They have no intention of going back.

Quentyn started off with six companions, three of whom died in a pirate raid on their way to Volantis. One of his remaining companions, the 'big man' favours going to Meereen via the Valerian road, but it is equally dangerous and will take much longer. He and Gerris ride through Volantis on a wagon pulled by a dwarf elephant and return to the Merchant's House where they have lodgings. Quentyn wonders why Danaerys would want to marry him and what he has to offer, and settles on the idea that she would want Dorne. Outside the Merchant's House there are three sellswords recruiting for their company/ship, the Windblown. The big man is in their rooms and the three of them discuss their options. Gerris has an idea.

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So, they're going to join up with the Windblown are they? And pirate their way to Meereen? Quentyn Martell is a very serious young man. I like the twist of his insecurity in terms of what he can offer Danaerys so that she would want to marry him. In this setting, it's a nice piece of gender role reversal.

Volantis is cool. It has dwarf elephants. It's nice to get the other side of the Martell plans and this chapter reveals that Quentyn had met with his father in the Water Gardens. Doran Martell had planned for this to be Arianne going to wed Viserys. Lucky escape for her, then.

It looks like there are two levels of the game of thrones being played. Doran Martell, Varys and Illyrio, and Littlefinger are all playing a much longer game than the Five Kings.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 6

2011-07-24T13:51:00.003+01:00

Chapter 5 - Tyrion

Illyrio Mopatis is taking Tyrion to Volantis, where he will meet with Griff, and await the arrival of Danaerys. Illyrio believes she must have moved on from Meereen by now but has not had any news for a while. Tyrion questions Illyrio's motives. Danaerys has sacked the cities of Slaver's Bay and freed the slaves; Illyrio must have interests in that trade so why would he support her? Illyrio tells him that Viserys had promised he would be Master of Coin and tells Tyrion about his friendship with Varys.

They eat a lot of food and travel in a litter along the Valerian road to the Rhoyne. Illyrio reveals that it was he who arranged for the Golden Company to break its contract with Myr and to go east to meet with the Dragon Queen. They are travelling through legendary lands that Tyrion read about when he was a child. Tyrion's grief is causing him to re-evaluate everything.

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There is quite a lot of backstory in this chapter and Tyrion recalls legends and stories from a long time ago. It's quite useful filling in and world-building. Where is all the food coming from though? Usually when Martin is spending a page describing the many dishes of a feast, the characters are in a castle or mansion, so the food is clearly coming from a kitchen. But in this case, it seems to appear from nowhere. Food is definitely a thing in this series. Martin makes a point of letting us know who's eating well and who isn't. Clearly, it is a reflection of wealth and status.

I'm wondering why Illyrio is so open with Tyrion about his relationship with Varys and their plans. There's a point when Illyrio says "She could make good use of you." which indicates that he is doing this for Dany's sake not Tyrion's. And that makes a bit more sense, actually. Tyrion is another gift Illyrio can give to Danaerys.

Who are Griff and his son, Young Griff?

A-Z blogging challenge: H is for Help

2011-07-23T09:19:00.003+01:00

I've been stuck on H for ages. When I originally made my list, I thought I might talk about health, about whether your health is good, bad or variable and what impact that has on your writing. But the more I thought about the content of the post, the more it felt like whining. So, I abandoned that idea and looked for another H word. Turned out to be a bit of a struggle. Heroes? Happiness? Hump? Hurdles? Meh.

And then, help. Help, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to blog about. I don't know how to make what I want to say sound interesting. What do you do when you need help?

When I get stuck in my writing, I have a few places to turn to for help. The first is my extensive collection of books on how to write. Which can always be supplemented by buying more books. This is particularly useful when I know what I need to do, I just don't know how to go about it.

Or I can turn to either of the writing groups I'm involved in. I can get lots of different perspectives on the problem, which helps open up potential solutions. Most useful when I don't think I've fully got to grips with what the problem is and I need help seeing it from other angles.

And of course, there's always the interwebs. Opinions and advice galore! It takes time to filter it and you often have to wade through a load of shit in order to get to what you need, but on the plus side, I'm quite likely to find myself going off a tangent and finding something new. I love following internet trails to find out where they go.

Where do you go for writing help?

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 5

2011-07-22T11:55:00.003+01:00

Chapter 4 - Bran

Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen are travelling north with Coldhands, an ice zombie dressed as a ranger and riding an elk. It's cold. Really, really cold. When Bran slips into Summer's skin he doesn't feel the cold so much and can detect the life in the snowscape that seems lifeless when he's in his own skin. Summer sniffs the elk, trying to work out whether he can kill it and eat it. Bran slips into Hodor's skin for a moment; Hodor doesn't like it but struggles less each time. Coldhands has a murder of ravens that follow them.

They are being tracked by a group of men. Coldhands goes to deal with it and insists Meera stay with the group. The rest go on to try to find a village for some shelter. Jojen is really struggling but says he won't die here and that they must do as Coldhands says. They are freezing and starving and the village is difficult to find. Eventually, Bran slips inside Summer and uses the wolf's superior sense of smell to find it. Summer goes hunting and Bran goes with him. Summer finds three wolves eating Night Watch men and fights the alpa male for the kill. He wins and eats the best bits. One of the men has an amputated arm.

When Bran returns to himself, he finds that Coldhands has brought them a pig and they have a fire. Coldhands says that because they are in a hut under the snow the fire won't be seen and won't attract Others. Bran challenges Coldhands about his black hands and how he won't come near the fire. Coldhands admits he is dead. Jojen and Meera say they have to stick with it.

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Okay, so lots of questions here. The three wolves that Summer sees off are Varamyr's wolves and the alpha is carrying Varamyr. This is obviously not a coincidence - are they going to follow? Will Varamyr try to take Hodor? Bran slipping into Hodor's skin is much creepier after the prologue. Hodor doesn't fight as much; is it because he's mentally sub-normal, does that make him an easier target? Maybe Bran is being really abusive by doing that and he doesn't realise it. What if Varamyr tries to take Hodor? Oh no!

And Coldhands is obviously an ice zombie - but it's taken ages for Bran to work that out? But how does he get to have agency and why isn't he trying to kill them? A special kind of ice zombie then. There are hints that Coldhands in Benjen Stark. Maybe it's his Stark-ness that makes him special.

Then there's the one-armed Night Watch corpse. Is it Donal Noye? Didn't he die at Castle Black? If it's not Donal Noye, then who? I don't recall any other one-armed characters. And were they zombies or alive when the wolves got them? If they were alive, where did they come from? Maybe they were still stragglers from Mormont's expedition trying to get back to the Wall.

It feels like this is the first chapter in which things are moving forward. The previous chapters, even Tyrion's, have felt a little like catching up on where everyone is and what they've been doing since the end of ASOS, so this is exciting.

Things I have liked this week

2011-07-21T12:37:00.000+01:00

Economics

Deficits are a girl's best friend. Or, running a country is not the same as balancing a household budget. Take that, free marketeers! Via Ms Magazine.

Writing

The picture at this blog shows exactly why reading is important. I'm also going to take on her comments about identifying my writing strengths.

Astronomy Picture of the Day!

A starry night over Dubai. Or not, because of the light pollution. But the photographic effect is still pretty cool.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 4

2011-07-20T08:13:00.000+01:00

Chapter 3 - Jon

Jon is dreaming that he is Ghost. As Ghost he knows where the other direwolves of the pack that are still alive are. He can sense Nymeria and ShaggyDog. He knows Summer is still alive but can't sense him. When Jon wakes up, we see his side of the story about why he sends Aemon and Mance's son away with Sam.

Stannis wants something from Jon. Melisandre has been questioning the wildlings. Jon has a tricky decision to make. As he crosses the courtyard of Castle Black, he is accosted by one of Stannis' knights who wants to challenge him. The knight calls him a coward when he declines. Stannis has sent ravens to the Northern Lords but only Karstark has declared for him. Stannis wants all the castles along the wall so that he settle them on his lords and followers. Jon won't give them up so he threatens him.

Jon returns to his chambers and Melisandre accompanies him. She seems to generate her own heat. Melisandre tells Jon she can help him, tells him to beware the enemies that pretend to be friends. She closes with Ygritte's words, "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

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I was surprised to see Sam still at the Wall but, of course, ADWD runs in parallel with AFOC (sort of) and Sam hasn't left yet. Silly me. And Stannis, once you start threatening people, you've lost the argument.

Jon really is Eddard's son (even if not biologically). He has the bent to do the right thing and an appreciation that it will often be very hard to work out what that might be. He wants to be just but he doesn't want to be harsh like Stannis. And he's not afraid to speak truth to power. So how will he keep and hold what he's got when everyone wants to take it away from him?

I think Jon's experiences of ruling the Wall are in parallel with Dany, Tyrion and Cersei. He seems to be handling things well, like Dany.

100 Books in 2011 Challenge: The Auschwitz Violin

2011-07-19T08:42:00.005+01:00

This one raises an interesting question: is it ok to not like a book on this subject? The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Àngels Anglada, trans. Martha Tennent, is the story of a violin maker interned in Auschwitz who is ordered to make a violin for the camp Commander. He does this amid the starvation and terror of life in the concentration camps.

This is a novella, or at around 25,000 words, a long short story. Looking at it as a short story makes the structure make a bit more sense. What I missed in this book was depth. Life in the concentration camps was horrific and I've read a few thing dealing with that subject. Yet it doesn't come across here. I get the sense that the horror is being skated over. Maybe that's a matter of taste - I do, after all, like visceral writing. Or maybe it's an issue of courage. Perhaps the author didn't want to commit to describing the conditions in Auschwitz in gory detail. I can see how that can seem gratuitous. Unfortunately, for me, that made it hard to connect to the fortitude of the protagonist. It didn't seem like that much of an heroic struggle because the impact of the environment wasn't fully brought out.

The writing itself is good and the story has great potential. I just found myself questioning the choices of the author about the structure of the story and what she chose to show. All the way through, I was thinking that I might have done it differently.

So, this book didn't really do it for me. I felt distanced from the story by the technique. I'd read this story if it was re-written by someone else. And yet I feel a bit uncomfortable saying that I didn't like the book because of the subject matter. If you like literary fiction, and don't like horror, then this may be for you. It was a bit too sanitised for my taste.

A Read of A Dance with Dragons - Part 3

2011-07-18T08:15:00.004+01:00

Chapter 2 - Daenerys

Daenerys' people are being killed in the streets. Grey Worm brings her the body of an Unsullied killed on the way to a brothel by the Sons of the Harpy. The cities she defeated are turning bad in different ways and the good she has tried to do is all going wrong. Daenerys is trying to learn how to do better.

In Meereen, Daenerys holds an audience of supplicants, a mixture of nobles and former slaves. Everyone wants compensation for something. The nobles want restitution of their property and privileges taken when the slaves rose up. The former slaves want compensation for the things done to them when they were slaves. And some farmers want compensation for the livestock her dragons are eating.

Daenerys tries to be fair, but it is hard to work out what is the right thing to do and her gold is not limitless. Her principles are sorely tried by expediency and the advice she gets is rarely that helpful. Her crown weighs heavily on her head, both literally and metaphorically. She pays for the livestock that the dragons have eaten and all but one of the farmers leave. She asks the one remaining to speak and he spills the bones of a child in front of her.

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This is the chapter that was included at the end of AFOC, so nothing new here. What struck me was the parallel between Dany and Tyrion at this point. Both have used their power to try to do good and things turned bad - people are ungrateful and they seem to be making things worse in some ways. The difference is in the way they respond. Dany seems to be trying hard to understand what she can do differently, while Tyrion becomes bitter and disillusioned when he doesn't get the love of the people. There is also an obvious parallel with Cersei, who grasps for tighter and tighter control when things don't go her way, using terror without understanding that it will undo her. Dany wins this competition hands down. People are ungrateful, petty, self-interested and greedy. Dany seems to be dealing with this better than Tyrion, but maybe that's because she didn't have those illusions in the first place. Compared with Cersei, she's better and brighter. On a writing note, it's really interesting to recall from AFOC how Martin manages to convey Cersei's limited intellectual capacity.

So, of course, dragons are not just cute, magical creatures who make everything better and will save the world from ice zombies, they are predators. Perhaps this is why they got stuck in the Dragonpit on Rhaenys' Hill. We've got the point that ice must not win because it will destroy the world, but maybe fire shouldn't win either as it will also consume the world.