The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

The Clan of the Cave Bear
Jean M. Auel
Bantam
Copyright Date: 1980
978-0553381672

The amazon.com product description:

This novel of awesome beauty and power is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love.

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Through Jean M. Auel’s magnificent storytelling we are taken back to the dawn of modern humans, and with a girl named Ayla we are swept up in the harsh and beautiful Ice Age world they shared with the ones who called themselves the Clan of the Cave Bear.

A natural disaster leaves the young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind. To them, blond, blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly—she is one of the Others, those who have moved into their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. Iza and Creb, the old Mog-ur, grow to love her, and as Ayla learns the ways of the Clan and Iza’s way of healing, most come to accept her. But the brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a threat to his authority. He develops a deep and abiding hatred for the strange girl of the Others who lives in their midst, and is determined to get his revenge.

It's been a while since I read this one - possibly before Shelters of Stone was published, much less Land of Painted Caves. Definitely it's been long enough that I only remembered the broadest strokes of the storyline. However, I do remember that by the end of the series, the books have long since stretched my credulity as to the impact and number of new discoveries/inventions one person can be part of.

That is my one grumble with this series, but you won't see any of that in the first book. What I did notice this time around was how much foreshadowing of events there was for the later books in the series - especially the third book and later. I'm also completely amazed as to the amount of research that had to have gone into the writing of this whole series - all the details about nearly every aspect of life during the ice age are laid out in these books - tool making, medicinal and edible plants, hunting strategies and so much more. Even better? None of it feels as though it's an information dump on the reader.

I know from reading reviews on sites like Amazon.com that the level of detail that Jean Auel includes in the Earth's Children series isn't going to be for everyone, but I found it quite enjoyable, although there are some things that I feel sure I saw hints of in some of the National Geographic magazines I read as a child (my parents had a collection that went back into the early 1970's, and in fact managed to break the bookshelves we kept them on).

Keeping on the theme of details, Jean M. Auel is a very descriptive writer who incorporates all of the senses into her writing - tastes of the foods being cooked, details of color and texture, plant life, animal tracks etc. for sight, all of the smells of life under scent, sounds of all kinds and even the feel of the things the characters touch. All of it can add up to make an amazingly detailed picture of life in the reader's head.

One thing I wondered about this time reading The Clan of the Cave Bear is how well the author's research has held up to any new discoveries about the Neanderthals that have been made in the nearly 40 years since The Clan of the Cave Bear was first published. Definitely might be a topic worth looking into, given the lasting popularity of this series.

Nonetheless, although there were a few parts of this book that I didn't care for (I found a few scenes to be a hair too far on the graphic side, though I should have remembered that from previous reads), I definitely found it to be a page-turner that kept me going for hours at a time. I've already gotten over a hundred pages into the sequel, The Valley of Horses.

Also, before I forget, there is at least one movie adaptation for The Clan of the Cave Bear - and I think I might have watched it once (according to IMDB it came out in 1985). I can't really remember, although the faces in the trailer on Amazon are vaguely familiar, and I am sure I remember some of the scenes in the movie (and how they were different from the book). I don't remember though how the movie handles some of the more graphic scenes from the book. I've also seen rumors that there was a second adaptation that came out a couple of years ago, though I don't know anything more about it.

To be honest, I can't remember enough about the movie to say whether or not I recommend it, especially given how old it is now, but it definitely says something about the popularity of a book when there is at least one movie adaptation made.

If anyone else can say if they liked The Clan of the Cave Bear movie or not, I'd definitely be curious.

New Tolkien Book: The Inklings and King Arthur

It's setting up to be a good year for Tolkien books so far.

The latest one I've discovered came out a couple of months ago:

The Inklings and King Arthur: J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield on the Matter of Britain
Ed: Sørina Higgins
Apocryphile Press
Copyright Date: December 2017
978-1944769895

The amazon.com product description:

In the midst of war-torn Britain, King Arthur returned in the writings of the Oxford Inklings. Learn how J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield brought hope to their times and our own in their Arthurian literature.
Although studies of the “Oxford Inklings” abound, astonishingly enough, none has yet examined their great body of Arthurian work. Yet each of these major writers tackled serious and relevant questions about government, gender, violence, imperialism, secularism, and spirituality through their stories of the Quest for the Holy Grail. This rigorous and sophisticated volume studies does so for the first time.
This serious and substantial volume addresses a complex subject that scholars have for too long overlooked. The contributors show how, in the legends of King Arthur, the Inklings found material not only for escape and consolation, but also, and more importantly, for exploring moral and spiritual questions of pressing contemporary concern. —Michael Ward, Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and co-editor of C.S. Lewis at Poets’ Corner
This volume follows Arthurian leylines in geographies of myth, history, gender, and culture, uncovering Inklings lodestones and way markers throughout. A must read for students of the Inklings. —Aren Roukema, Birkbeck, University of London

Definitely a book I'm adding to my "wish-list"!
None of the names are ones I recognize - but I admit that until recently I've focused more on the "big name" Tolkien scholars like Verlyn Flieger and Tom Shippey. At any rate, the Table of Contents I found on the Goodreads page for The Inklings and King Arthur looks intriguing:

Introduction—Present and Past: The Inklings and King Arthur.
—Sørina Higgins

Texts and Intertexts
1. The Matter of Logres: Arthuriana and the Inklings.
—Sørina Higgins
2. Medieval Arthurian Sources for the Inklings: An Overview.
—Holly Ordway
3. Mixed Metaphors and Hyperlinked Worlds:
A Study of Intertextuality in C. S. Lewis’ Ransom Cycle.
—Brenton D. G. Dickieson
4. Houses of Healing: The Idea of Avalon in Inklings Fiction and Poetry.
—Charles A. Huttar
5. Shape and Direction: Human Consciousness in the Inklings’ Mythological Geographies. —Christopher Gaertner

Histories Past
6. From Myth to History and Back Again:
Inklings Arthuriana in Historical Context.
—Yannick Imbert
7. “All Men Live by Tales”: Chesterton’s Arthurian Poems.
—J. Cameron Moore
8. The Elegiac Fantasy of Past Christendom in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur.
—Cory Grewell

Histories Present
9. Spiritual Quest in a Scientific Age.
—Jason Jewell and Chris Butynskyi
10. The Stripped Banner:
Reading The Fall of Arthur as a Post-World War I Text.
—Taylor Driggers
11. “Lilacs Out of the Dead Land”:
Narnia, The Waste Land, and the World Wars.
—Jon Hooper
12. “What Does the Line along the Rivers Define?”:
Charles Williams’ Arthuriad and the Rhetoric of Empire.
—Benjamin D. Utter

Geographies of Gender
13. “Fair as Fay-woman and Fell-minded”: Tolkien’s Guinever.
—Alyssa House-Thomas
14. Beatrice and Byzantium: Sex and the City in the Arthurian Works of Charles Williams. —Andrew Rasmussen
15. Those Kings of Lewis’ Logres:
Arthurian Figures as Lewisian Genders in That Hideous Strength.
—Benjamin Shogren

Cartographies of the Spirit
16. “Servant of All”: Arthurian Peregrinations in George MacDonald.
—Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson
17. Camelot Incarnate: Arthurian Vision in the Early Plays of Charles Williams.
—Bradley Wells
18. “Any Chalice of Consecrated Wine”:
The Significance of the Holy Grail in Charles Williams’ War in Heaven.
—Suzanne Bray
19. The Acts of Unity: The Eucharistic Theology of Charles Williams’ Arthurian Poetry.
—Andrew C. Stout
Conclusion—Once and Future:
The Inklings, Arthur, and Prophetic Insight.
—Malcolm Guite

I'll also admit that my reading and book-buying habits have been directed more towards J.R.R. Tolkien and scholarship about his life and works. However, I'm working on expanding from there, and this definitely looks like a book to get. All I know about most of the other Inklings comes from the Humphrey Carpenter book of the same name, although recently I've bought another book or two on the topic.

More Book Buying!

Yep, I seem to be buying books rather than reading this month. Bought a couple more yesterday - one based on a recommendation from a mailing-list discussion thread, and one I'd meant to buy a few years ago - this one I special ordered. Also I bought a tribute-book/biography for Gord Downie of Canada's Tragically Hip music group.

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
Peter Frankopan
Vintage
Copyright Date: 2017 (Reprint)
978-1101912379

The amazon.com product description:

“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian 

The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization

It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam, right up to the great wars of the twentieth century—this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East.

Peter Frankopan realigns our understanding of the world, pointing us eastward. He vividly re-creates the emergence of the first cities in Mesopotamia and the birth of empires in Persia, Rome and Constantinople, as well as the depredations by the Mongols, the transmission of the Black Death and the violent struggles over Western imperialism. Throughout the millennia, it was the appetite for foreign goods that brought East and West together, driving economies and the growth of nations.

From the Middle East and its political instability to China and its economic rise, the vast region stretching eastward from the Balkans across the steppe and South Asia has been thrust into the global spotlight in recent years. Frankopan teaches us that to understand what is at stake for the cities and nations built on these intricate trade routes, we must first understand their astounding pasts. Far more than a history of the Silk Roads, this book is truly a revelatory new history of the world, promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where we are headed next.

Based on the description, and the discussion where it was recommended, this looks like it'll be an interesting read - just not sure when I'll get to it. I'm so busy with work right now that I'm barely reading anything at all.

I also ordered myself a copy of:

The Emperor's Agent
Jo Graham
Crossroads Press
Copyright Date: 2013
978-1937530488

The amazon.com product description:

Courtesan, actress, medium . . . spy. 1805: Europe stands poised on the brink of war. Elza is content with her life in the demi-monde, an actress and courtesan in the glittering society of France's First Empire, but when her former lover is arrested for treason, Elza is blackmailed into informing on her friends and associates. She has one alternative-to become the secret agent of the most feared man in Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte! France's invasion of England is imminent, but a spy in the camp of the Grand Army threatens the secret plans. Taking the Emperor's commission to catch the spy means playing the deadly game of spy versus counterspy. However, this is no ordinary espionage, but backed by the power of the witches of England determined to hold England's sea wards against invasion. Only an agent who is herself a medium can hope to unravel their magic in time-with the life of the man Elza loves hanging in the balance. From the theaters of Paris to the sea cliffs that guard the Channel, from ballrooms and bedrooms to battlefields corporeal and astral, Elza must rely on her wits, her courage, her beauty, and her growing talents as a medium for she must triumph-or die!

If my memory serves, The Emperor's Agent is the sequel to The General's Mistress, which I read back when it first came out. I think it's time for a re-read to refresh my memory of events before I read The Emperor's Agent. My understanding is that these two books are loosely connected to the Numinous World series (Black Ships, Hand of Isis and Stealing Fire).

More Newly Arrived Books

Yesterday I picked up two more books I'd ordered last month, and also ended up buying two other books - one a planned purchase, but the other was spur-of-the-moment. Endcaps in my favorite bookstore can be dangerous to the budget!

The books are (ordered books first):

The Disposessed
Ursula K. Le Guin
Harper Voyager
Copyright Date: 1994 (reprint)
978-0061054884

The amazon.com product description:

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. he will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Anarres, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.

This is one of the books I ordered after I heard about Ursula K. Le Guin's death. I'd been meaning to read more of her books, and never got around to it.

A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin
HMH Books for Young Readers
Copyright Date: 1968
978-0547773742

The amazon.com product description:

Originally published in 1968, Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea marks the first of the six now beloved Earthsea titles. Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

It's been a very long times since I read this one and it's sequels. Long enough to be honest that I don't remember any of the story-line or plot points, just that I did read it as a kid. As a result, I am planning to include this one on my unread fiction books list.

Into The Fire
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Copyright: February 2018
978-1101887349

The amazon.com product description:

In this new military sci-fi thriller from the Nebula Award–winning author of Cold Welcome, Admiral Kylara Vatta is back—with a vengeance.

Ky beats sabotage, betrayal, and the unforgiving elements to lead a ragtag group of crash survivors to safety on a remote arctic island. And she cheats death after uncovering secrets someone is hell-bent on protecting. But the worst is far from over when Ky discovers the headquarters of a vast conspiracy against her family and the heart of the planet’s government itself.

With their base of operations breached, the plotters have no choice but to gamble everything on an audacious throw of the dice. Even so, the odds are stacked against Ky. When her official report on the crash and its aftermath goes missing—along with the men and women she rescued—Ky realizes that her mysterious enemies are more powerful and dangerous than she imagined.

Now, targeted by faceless assassins, Ky and her family—along with her fiancé, Rafe—must battle to reclaim the upper hand and unmask the lethal cabal closing in on them with murderous intent.

Into The Fire is the sequel to Cold Welcome, which I have to admit I haven't read yet - time to dive back into the world of Kylara Vatta - possibly from book one, Trading in Danger. It also has a great cover image!

The final book I bought was a complete impulse buy:

Victoria The Queen 
Julia Baird
Random House
Copyright Date: October 2017 (reprint)
978-0812982282

The amazon.com product description:

The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen—a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning new portrait is a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
JANET MASLIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES • ESQUIRE • THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

“Victoria the Queen, Julia Baird’s exquisitely wrought and meticulously researched biography, brushes the dusty myth off this extraordinary monarch.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice)

When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would threaten many of Europe’s monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public’s expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In a world where women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand.

Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother’s meddling and an adviser’s bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping conventional boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security—queen of a quarter of the world’s population at the height of the British Empire’s reach.

Drawing on sources that include fresh revelations about Victoria’s relationship with John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning.

Thanks to the show The Crown, I've gotten a lot more interested in the British Royal Family, so I couldn't help but pick up this book. Now I've just got to find the time to read it (along with the several hundred other unread books in my collection). 

Two new books arrived

Silence Fallen
Patricia Briggs
Ace
Copyright Date: January 2018
978-0425281284

The amazon.com product description:

In the #1 New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson novels, the coyote shapeshifter has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when Mercy's bond with the pack--and her mate--is broken, she'll learn what it truly means to be alone...

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against Alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes--only to find herself without money, without clothing, and alone in a foreign country.

Unable to contact Adam through their mate bond, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be her agile best to avoid causing a supernatural war.

I've got to play catch-up with this series! I'm sure I haven't read the last book, but I'm not sure about the one before that (though technically it's part of the Alpha and Omega spin-off and not the main line of the series, the Mercy Thompson books).

Nonetheless, I think it's time to do a re-read and catch-up - this has been one of my favorite urban fantasy series since I picked it up (around the time Bone Crossed came out I think).

The other book I picked up yesterday was one by Ursula K. Le Guin:

The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ace Books
Copyright: 1987
978-0441478125

The amazon.com product description:

Ursula K. Le Guin's groundbreaking work of science fiction—winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.A lone human ambassador is sent to Winter, an alien world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants can change their gender whenever they choose. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters...

Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

I've not read much of Ursula K. Le Guin's books, other than the first three or four of the Earthsea series, and that was so long ago that I've forgotten all of it. So, after hearing of her death last month, I ordered several of her books - ones I'd meant to read, but have yet to get around to. This was the first of those orders to arrive.

A Lick of Frost - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Lick of Frost (Merry Gentry #6)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2008
978-0345495914

The amazon.com product description:

I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the realm of faerie, onetime private investigator in the mortal world. To be crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline and give birth to an heir of my own. If I fail, my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to do what she most desires: install her twisted son, Cel, as monarch . . . and kill me.

My royal guards surround me, and my best loved–my Darkness and my Killing Frost–are always beside me, sworn to protect and make love to me. But still the threat grows greater. For despite all my carnal efforts, I remain childless, while the machinations of my sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless. So my bodyguards and I have slipped back into Los Angeles, hoping to outrun the gathering shadows of court intrigue. But even exile isn’t enough to escape the grasp of those with dark designs.

Now King Taranis, powerful and vainglorious ruler of faerie’s Seelie Court, has leveled accusations against my noble guards of a heinous crime–and has gone so far as to ask the mortal authorities to prosecute. If he succeeds, my men face extradition to faerie and the hideous penalties that await them there. But I know that Taranis’s charges are baseless, and I sense that his true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. Now I fear his intentions are far more terrifying.

Remember when I was commenting on the lack of resolution a couple of books ago? They were all building up to this one! And what a resolution! I couldn't put A Lick of Frost down for long. I just had to come back and read some more.

This time, because I'm back-to-back reading the series, I found that I didn't have the problems I did reading it last time (probably with a year or so gap from reading the previous book).

A Lick of Frost is the sixth book in the Merry Gentry series, following on Mistral's Kiss. The first book in this series was A Kiss of Shadows.

Some of the many plot threads were tied up in A Lick of Frost, but not all of them, and I can't wait to get into the next book to find out how things are going to play out next. Intercourt politics are definitely becoming a big issue for Merry and her guards, and we're seeing how it plays out in the human world. It was rather nice being back in the human world for this one, after a couple of books that were almost entirely set in Faerie.

I also really enjoyed getting some more hints at the impact an openly known of magical world has had on history. There have been quite a few references to fears of another Seelie/Unseelie war, and now I know why. Apparently, somewhere in Europe in that world there is still a massive crater left from the last one! Yikes!

Not suited for everyone, but by now, that should be clear about almost all of Laurell K. Hamilton's books as she tends to be both explicit and graphic at times. However, if that's not going to bother you, these are turning into great reads for the most part.

I know I felt that Mistral's Kiss was too short in my last review, but this one didn't feel that way at all. It's not as long as the first four books in the series, but A Lick of Frost was still longer than Mistral's Kiss by a little bit. I think the difference might have also been due to the amount going on in the book.

Definitely a read that I enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, Swallowing Darkness.

Mistral's Kiss - Laurell K. Hamilton

Mistral's Kiss (Merry Gentry #5)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2006
978-0345443618

The amazon.com product description:

I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, princess has now become a full-time occupation.

My aunt, Queen Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in faerie–trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards . . . and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or his followers, if I fail to conceive.

Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s new captain of the guard, has come to my bed–defying her and risking her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to bring this magic forth, he may live another day.

If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may survive.

Mistral's Kiss is the sequel to A Stroke of Midnight and is the fifth book in the Merry Gentry series. This one I remember reading before, back when it first came out. However, I don't remember much about it from that time other than my annoyance at how short the book was. When all the previous books were at around 400 pages or more each, and this one finishes up in only 330 (according to Amazon), it's quite noticeable! I also remember it being a very quick read (in that I was able to finish reading it in a couple of times waiting at the bookstore).

This time, I was reading Mistral's Kiss on my Kobo - and yes, I still found the book to be much shorter than the previous books. That's actually one of my frustrations with a few series - consistent book lengths, then the author starts sneaking in novellas (at the same price as the regular books), either as shorter books with the same size font or what looks to be regular length books but padded with large line-spacing, font-size and margins. I don't know if it's just me that feels cheated when I get a book and it turns out to be much shorter than it originally looked, but I do.

As I noted in my post on A Stroke of Midnight, very little time actually passes within this book. In fact, I think it's still the same day that was the subject of the last book! On the other hand, we do see more of the goblins and the Sluagh, and we learn a bit more about how magic works in this world. Also, this was another book that kept me turning the pages until the last page of the book.

Again, I noted in the previous book the quantity of sex to be found in the latest Merry Gentry books. That is a theme that holds true in this one as well. On the other hand, anyone surprised at the amount of sex needs to take another look at the end goal for these books (or at least one of the end goals) - which is for Merry to be pregnant. The only way for that to happen is via intercourse. Still, it seems like the major subject of the last two books has been sex.

I've noted in previous reviews the way the open existence of something like Faerie can impact the world's history - and we get some more hints at that in Mistral's Kiss - something I found to be quite fascinating.

No vampires, werewolves or other werecreatures that I'm aware of in this world - just Faerie (in all it's variations) and human psychics/magicians. It's one of the things that makes the world of Merry Gentry quite unique in my reading experience. The other is how widely known/unhidden the world of magic is. One of the main plot-points I know of in most urban fantasy novels is the need for secrecy, if not for all of the supernatural/magical elements, at least for some of them in varying amounts.

Overall, I'm definitely enjoying reading this series. I just hope the books get longer again.

A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Stroke of Midnight (Merry Gentry #4)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2006
978-0345443601

The amazon.com product description:

I am Meredith Gentry, P.I., solving cases in Los Angeles, far from the peril and deception of my real home–because I am also Princess Meredith, heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer. The Unseelie Court infuses me with its power. But at what price does such magic come? How much of my human side will I have to give up, and how much of the sinister side of faerie will I have to embrace? To sit on a throne that has ruled through bloodshed and violence for centuries, I might have to become that which I dread the most.

Enemies watch my every move. My cousin Cel strives to have me killed even now from his prison cell. But not all the assassination attempts are his. Some Unseelie nobles have waited centuries for my aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, to become weak enough that she might be toppled from her throne. Enemies unforeseen move against us–enemies who would murder the least among us.

The threat will drive us to allow human police into faerie for the first time in our history. I need my allies now more than ever, especially since fate will lead me into the arm of Mistral, Master of Storms, the queen’s new captain of her guard. Our passion will reawaken powers long forgotten among the warriors of the sidhe. Pain and pleasure await me–and danger, as well, for some at that court seek only death.

I will find new joys with the butterfly-winged demi-fey. My guards and I will show all of faerie that violence and sex are as popular among the sidhe as they are among the lesser fey of our court. The Darkness will weep, and Frost will comfort him. The gentlest of my guards will find new strength and break my heart. Passions undreamed of await us–and my enemies gather, for the future of both courts of faerie begins to unravel.

Another book by Laurell K. Hamilton that I more or less raced through - at least when I was actively reading it. I did stop part-way through to finish reading The Crown companion volume and review it. Still, this series has me captivated right now (I don't think I've been reading books at this kind of speed for a few years now, though I can't say for sure).

A Stroke of Midnight is the sequel to Seduced By Moonlight, and the first book in the series is A Kiss of Shadows.

By this point in this series, I don't think it'll be spoilers to say that there is a lot of sex in this book - and a fair bit of violence too. The fact that a 400+ page book covers only a few days (at best, some estimates I've seen suggest that it's less than a day in real time), rather says something along those lines. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop turning the pages, although I do agree with some of the reviews I've seen elsewhere suggesting that the wrap-up of the book came along a bit too fast at the end, and didn't really resolve anything either. However, that opinion comes along only after reading the book. While I was reading A Stroke of Midnight I wasn't thinking about any of that at all. I just wanted to know "what happens next?".

These days it's pretty rare for me to read more than about two books in a series without taking a break to read another author or book in between. I'm on to book five now - with the only break being to finish the last third of an already in-progress book. For a series to hold me this long, I really have to say  "Bravo!" to the author!

I also want to note that while I'm reading this series, I'm also wanting to read more on the "real-world" legends of Faerie in our world, to get a feeling for the way legends, fairy-tales and myths take on the Seelie/Unseelie divide and faerie magic. I do know that the other author/series that's used the two courts in novels have had a very different take on them (That being the SERRAted edge series co-written by Mercedes Lackey). I find - and this is probably more of a personal thing for me - that when I see different authors displaying very different takes on the same topic, I often want to know more about the reality/source materials and what they show.  Yeah, I'm an amateur historian, and maybe that shows in this tendency of mine.

Despite the muttering I did earlier in the review, I want to repeat that A Stroke of Midnight kept me turning the pages, and I'm heading right into Mistral's Kiss next.

Seduced By Moonlight - Laurell K. Hamilton

Seduced By Moonlight (Merry Gentry #3)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2004
978-0345443595

The amazon.com product description:

 I am Meredith Gentry, P.I. and Princess Merry, heir to the throne of Fairie.
Now there are those among me who whisper I am more.
They fear me even as they protect me. And who can blame them?
I’ve awakened the dazzling magic that’s slumbered in them for
thousands of years. But the thing is, I can’t figure out why.

My aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, is no longer distracted by her usual sadistic hobbies. Her obsession has turned unwaveringly to me. The mission to get me pregnant and beat my cousin Prince Cel to the crown is taking longer than expected. Even though I spend each night with the Queen’s Ravens, my immortal guards, no child has come of our decadent pleasures. But something else is happening. My magic courses through me uncontrollably. And as I lock my half-mortal body with their full-Sidhe blooded ones, the power surges like never before.

It all began with the chalice. I dreamed of it, and it appeared, cool and hard, beside me when I awoke. My guards know the ancient relic well—its disappearance ages ago stripped them of their vital powers. But it is here with us now. My touch resonates with its force, and they’re consumed with it, their Sidhe essences lit up by it. But even as they cherish me for this unexpected gift, there are those who loathe me for it. Me, a mongrel, only half fey and part mortal. The Unseelie court has suffered for so long, and there are some who would not have it weakened further by an impure queen. My enemies grow in number every day. But they do not know what I am capable of. Nor, for that matter, do I. . . .

In Seduced by Moonlight, Laurell K. Hamilton brings the dark, erotic reign of the immortal fey to a startling new depth. Full of sensuality and the consuming anticipation of latent powers unleashed, this world of gods, shapeshifters, and immortal souls is unveiled in all of its supreme magnificence and its treacherous deceits. 

Remember back when I reviewed A Kiss of Shadows, the first book in this series and I noted the lack of violence compared with the Anita Blake books? Forget I said that. Forget I even thought it. I'm shaking my head at myself on that one after reading Seduced By Moonlight.

At any rate, Seduced By Moonlight, the third book in the Merry Gentry series, following on A Caress of Twilight was another "couldn't put it down" book - up to the point where I was forced to by the need to recharge my Kobo. Then it was right back into the read.

This book has very little to do with the "real" world as it were, being much more focused on the politics of the Seelie and Unseelie courts and also on the interpersonal relationships centering around Merry. And believe me, that is enough to keep the book going and fascinating! However, I'd say this series might not be for everyone. There are quite a few points where it gets pretty graphic - both sexually and in terms of violence. By this point though, that shouldn't be much of a surprise to fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's writing.

As I said, this book is quite focused on the interpersonal relationships and politics of the Faerie courts. On top of that though, there's other things and powers at work. Merry doesn't have a clue what's going on and neither do her guards - or us for that matter. That was one of the aspects of the book that really gripped me on this read through - watching the lot of them coping with the unexpected.

Lots of questions left for the next book too (A Stroke of Midnight). I really want to get into reading that one, but at the same time I'm kind of feeling like I should go back to some of the other books I've got on the go, so no idea of what I'm going to be reading next.

One thing I found really neat at the end of Seduced by Moonlight - this one may just be me and my love of research though - is that Laurell K. Hamilton has included a list of the books she's used in researching the Merry Gentry series. Given that I'm currently hunting (or trying to) down material on British mythological creatures and beings for an idea/project of my own, I'm very happy to see this right now. The next thing on my to-do list is going to be googling the various titles and finding more information on some of those books. Thanks!

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things to see in a novel (esp. historical fiction) is a listing of research sources when appropriate. All too often for me, reading a novel with a basis in fact (or mythology as in this case), I get quite curious about the reality of the situation - such as it is. Seeing what the author has used for source material can be quite intriguing.

A Caress of Twilight - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Caress of Twilight (Merry Gentry #2)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2003
978-0345423429

The amazon.com product description:

“I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne—if I can stay alive long enough to claim it.” After eluding relentless assassination attempts by Prince Cel, her cousin and rival for the Faerie crown, Meredith Gentry, Los Angeles private eye, has a whole new set of problems. To become queen, she must bear a child before Cel can father one of his own. But havoc lies on the horizon: people are dying in mysterious, frightening ways, and suddenly the very existence of the place known as Faerie is at grave risk. So now, while she enjoys the greatest pleasures of her life attempting to conceive a baby with the warriors of her royal guard, she must fend off an ancient evil that could destroy the very fabric of reality. And that’s just her day job. . . .

After finishing my read-through of A Kiss of Shadows the other day, I rolled right into A Caress of Twilight, ending up finishing this one in just over a day as well. Currently I'm well into the third book in the series, Seduced By Moonlight, with books four through seven waiting on my Kobo.

On this one I found myself comparing main characters - mostly Merry Gentry - to the lead characters in some other urban fantasy novels I've been reading lately: the Anita Blake books, Mercy Thompson from Patricia Brigg's books and to some of the female leads I remember from a few different paranormal romance novels. Of course, the one she's the most like is Anita Blake - it makes a lot of sense as both characters are written by the same author. And yet, in some ways the world Merry Gentry lives in feels closer to that of the Mercy Thompson books than the world Anita Blake lives in - probably the wider presence of the Faerie world.

The other things I kept thinking about as I was reading A Caress of Twilight were about how much the need for secrecy can change the story-plots. In most urban fantasy novels/series the supernatural is either completely secret or sometimes partly known about, but public knowledge is still a newer thing. The Merry Gentry novels are really the first series I've seen where it seems that the supernatural side of the story has been publicly known about from the distant past, and it's interesting how that knowledge changes the whole fabric of the story. Trust/distrust, politics (current and past) along with treaties, again current and past all shape the world the characters move through. However, much of the human politics is at a very very background level. Most of the politicking going on in these books - at least in these first ones - is inter-fey, and the lengths they'll go to can be quite shocking.

I'm also enjoying watching Merry figure things out about herself, her past, those around her and her ever-varying relationships - something I've grown rather used to from Laurell K. Hamilton is the variety of relationships her characters engage in - and what they're willing to do at need. However, I suspect that this aspect of her books is not for everybody.

Definitely though, I recommend reading A Kiss of Shadows before reading A Caress of Twilight or any of the later books in this series - the background knowledge is more or less a requirement.

Any book I've bought more than once has to be at the very least a decent read - and this is my second purchase of A Caress of Twilight. I last read it back when the book first came out. Long enough ago now that the read was almost as though I'd never read it before.

A Kiss of Shadows - Laurell K. Hamilton

Well, the first book read and reviewed in 2018 is not one I would have expected. I'd have thought the first book might have been either David Weber's The Honor of the Queen or the companion book to The Crown.

A Kiss of Shadows
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2002
978-0345423405

The amazon.com product description:

Meet Merry Gentry, paranormal P.I., and enter a thrilling, sensual world as dangerous as it is beautiful, full of earthly pleasures and dazzling magic, and ruled by the all-consuming passions of immortal beings once worshipped as gods . . . or demons.

Merry Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen’s assassin has been dispatched to fetch her—whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Merry finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown—and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death. 

I know I read this back when it first came out. I can't say if I ever reread it. It's definitely been a while though - there's no review for a previous read here. It's also been long enough that while I remembered the occasional scene from the book, I couldn't remember any of the story beyond the very broadest of strokes. At any rate, I got the itch to reread and bought the first two books in the series (A Kiss of Shadows and A Caress of Twilight) from Kobo a couple of days ago. I started reading yesterday and finished the last twenty pages or so today. In other words, I couldn't put the book down for long at all.

It's not as important with e-books but I remember the original cover, red and black, and I distinctly prefer it to the new cover shown here. It was a cover less likely to raise eyebrows and garner comments from those around I think (part of the reason I've gone e-book for Laurell K. Hamilton's books this time).

On this read I found myself comparing the world that Laurell K. Hamilton has created with the similar(ish) world created for the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Very similar, and yet very different. Both start from a similar mythological base but they take the worlds in such different directions. I do think that if you like the one you'll like the other however.

I'm definitely enjoying the window into a world generally viewed as the "bad guys" and "evil" in a lot of other books (Mercedes Lackey's SERRAted Edge series comes to mind). A world where they're not entirely good, but not all evil, just trying to live as anyone else would be.

The one thing about this series (which is also true of the Anita Blake books by the same author) which might not be to everyone's tastes is that the books are very frank about  sex and relationships. Or maybe it's just me that found that a bit shocking the first time I read the series. On the other hand, at least with the first book there weren't quite as many "vivid/gruesome" scenes as I noted in my review of Guilty Pleasures (from the Anita Blake world).

Either way, I really enjoyed the read this time. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I more or less read a book in one day like that. I think it's been a while though, at least based on the last couple of years worth of reviews I've posted here. More often I've been having trouble finishing books - or if I do finish them, it's been after such long breaks that I've forgotten the first half of the story.

Laurell K. Hamilton has created an interesting world to go along with Meredeth Gentry, one where we've only just scraped the surface and there are depths yet to be discovered, both in the characters and the world they inhabit.

Almost immediately on finishing A Kiss of Shadows I've rolled into A Caress of Twilight, and also bought the third book in the series, Seduced by Moonlight. Definitely enjoying the re-reads.

Unread Tolkien Books - 2018

I'm a Tolkien collector - see the various Tolkien lists I have on my blog (here, here and here), but I've ended up buying the books faster than I can read them. There are unreviewed books on those lists that I have read, although they were read before I started All Booked Up.

 Unread Books 2018 - Tolkien List:

1. Hobbitus Ille - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
2. The Annotated Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
3. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Reader's Guide - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction
4. The History Of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
5. The History Of The Hobbit: Return To Bag-End - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
6.  Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction
7. The Battle For Middle-Earth - Bonnie Rutledge - Non Fiction
8. The Ring Of Words - Jeremy H. Marshall - Non Fiction
9. The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
10. On Faerie Stories - Ed. Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
11. The Tolkien Legendarium - Ed. Carl Hostetter - Non Fiction
12. Splintered Light: Logos And Language In Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
13. Green Suns and Faerie - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
14. The Fall of Arthur - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Poetry
15. Beowulf - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Fiction
16. The Art of The Hobbit - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction
17. Interrupted Music: The Making Of Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
18. Master of Middle Earth - Paul Koch - Non Fiction
19. A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings - Lin Carter - Non Fiction
20. A Tolkien Compass - Jared Lobdel - Non Fiction
21. J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey - Non Fiction
22. The Gospel According To Tolkien - Ralph Woods - Non Fiction
23. There And Back Again: J.R.R. Tolkien And The Origins of The Hobbit - Mark Atherton - Non Fiction
24. Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction 
25. The Story of Kullervo - Ed. Christopher Tolkien
26. The Art of the Lord of the Rings - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction 
27. Tolkien - Raymond Edwards - Non Fiction
28. The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun - J.R.R. Tolkien - Ed. Verlyn Flieger - Fiction (Poetry) 
29. The Song of Middle-Earth: J.R.R. Tolkien's Themes, Symbols and Myths - David Harvey - Non Fiction 
30. J. R. R. Tolkien: A Secret Vice - Tolkien on Invented Languages - Eds. Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins 
31. The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien and Their Circle - Colin Duriez - Non Fiction, Biography
32. Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies To Hobbits - Dimitra Fimi - Non Fiction 
33. There Would Always Be A Fairy Tale: More Essays on Tolkien - Verlyn Flieger - Non Fiction

Unread Fiction Books - 2018

My Unread Fiction Books 2018:

1. Star Wars: X-Wing Omnibus 3 - Michael Stackpole (Graphic Novel)
2. A Flame In Hali - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)
3. The Fall of Neskaya - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)
4. Zandru's Forge - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Science Fiction)
5. Masters of Fantasy (Anthology)
6. Sword and Sorceress XV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
7. Sword and Sorceress XIV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
8. Sword and Sorceress X - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
9. Sword and Sorceress VI - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
10. Sword and Sorceress IX - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
11.  Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
12. Falls The Shadow - Sharon Kay Penman (History)
13. The Reckoning - Sharon Kay Penman (History)
14. Sword and Sorceress I - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradey (Anthology)
15. Sword and Sorceress V - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
16. Sword and Sorceress VII - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
17. Against The Odds - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction)
18. Alexandria - Nick Bantock 
19. Morningstar - Nick Bantock 
20. Gryphon - Nick Bantock 
21. Lord of the Two Lands - Judith Tarr (Fantasy)
22. Variable Star - Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson (Science Fiction)
23. Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi (Science Fiction)
24. The Forgetting Room - Nick Bantock 
25. The Venetian's Wife - Nick Bantock 
26. The Museum At Purgatory - Nick Bantock
27. Shadow Of The Swords - Kamran Pasha 
28. The Forest Laird - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
29. American Vampire - Scott Snyder, Steven King (Graphic Novel)
30. A Game Of Thrones - George R. R. Martin (Fantasy, e-book)
31. Queen By Right - Anne Easter Smith (Historical Fiction)
32. Dreams of Joy - Lisa See (Historical Fiction)
33. Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)
34. By Fire By Water - Mitchell James Kaplan (History)
35. Heaven To Wudang - Kylie Chan (Fantasy)
36. Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)
37. Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)
38. The Empire At War Vol 1  (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
39. The Empire At War Vol 2 (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
40.  The X Factor - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
41. Star Gate - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
42. Stargate SG1 Do No Harm - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
43. Stargate SG1 Relativity - James Swallow (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
44. Stargate SG1 The Morpheus Factor - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
45. Stargate SG1 The Cost of Honor - Sally Malcom (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
46. Stargate SG1 A Matter of Honor - Sally Malcolm (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
47. Stargate SG1 Roswell - Sonny Whitelaw and Jennifer Fallon (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
48. Stargate SG1 Alliances - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction
49. Masks of the Outcasts - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
50. Stargate SG1 The Price You Pay - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction) 
51. The Renegade - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
52. The Guardian - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
53. Written In My Own Heart's Blood - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
54. An Echo In The Bone - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
55. A Breath Of Snow And Ashes - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
56. In The Shadow Of The Banyan Tree - Vaddey Ratner
57. The Light Between The Oceans - M. L. Stedman
58. The Third Gate - Lincoln Child 
59. Equal Of The Sun - Anita Amirrezvani (Historical Fiction)
60. The Lake Of Dreams - Kim Edwards 
61. The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd (Historical Fiction) 
62. The Second Empress - Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction) 
63. The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill (Historical Fiction)  
64. Tempest: All New Tales of Valdemar - Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy) 
65. Cold Welcome (Vatta's Peace) - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction) 
66. Written In My Own Heart's Blood - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
67. Seven Stones To Stand Or Fall - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction) 
68. The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See  
69. A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond 
70. Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar - Mercedes Lackey (Fantasy) 
71. Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World Of Mercy Thompson - Patricia Briggs (Fantasy) 
72. Thunderlord - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)
73. Silence Fallen - Patricia Briggs (Fantasy, Urban Fantasy)
74. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin (Science Fiction) 
75. The Disposessed - Ursula K. Le Guin (Science Fiction)
76. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin (Fantasy)
77. Into The Fire - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction) 
78. The Emperor's Agent - Jo Graham (Fantasy, Historical Fiction)

New and new to me books.

I've had the pleasure over recent weeks to get back into book-buying, and as a result I've discovered an interesting selection of upcoming books, newly released books and books that are just plain new to me. Some of these I have in my hands, some are books I've seen but not yet bought, and some are books that have yet to be released. All of them look interesting.

I'm going to start with one I now own and am looking forward to reading (once I finish my current non-fiction read - Material Culture of the Anglo Saxon World):

Women, Crusading and the Holy Land in Historical Narrative
Natasha R. Hodgson
Boydell Press
Release date: 2007
978-1783272709

The amazon.com blurb:

Narratives of crusading have often been overlooked as a source for the history of women because of their focus on martial events, and perceptions about women inhibiting the recruitment and progress of crusading armies. Yet women consistently appeared in the histories of crusade and settlement, performing a variety of roles. While some were vilified as "useless mouths" or prostitutes, others undertook menial tasks for the army, went on crusade with retinues of their own knights, and rose to political prominence in the Levant and and the West. This book compares perceptions of women from a wide range of historical narratives including those eyewitness accounts, lay histories and monastic chronicles that pertained to major crusade expeditions and the settler society in the Holy Land. It addresses how authors used events involving women and stereotypes based on gender, family role, and social status in writing their histories: how they blended historia and fabula, speculated on women's motivations, and occasionally granted them a literary voice in order to connect with their audience, impart moral advice, and justify the crusade ideal.

I have a fascination with medieval history, but a particular interest in women's and everyday people's roles in that world - how everyday life is shaped and in daily living. I'm sincerely hoping that this book will cover some of those interests. Based on the description, it should. As I said earlier, I'm really looking forward to this read - but I refuse to abandon the book I'm currently reading to start this one.

The next book on my list is another one that I haven't started reading yet: the newest Mercedes Lackey anthology that came out last week. To be honest, I have yet to finish last year's offering (Tempest: All New Tales of Valdemar).

Pathways: All New Tales of Valdemar
Ed. Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Copyright: December 5, 2017
978-0756409043

The amazon.com product description:

The eleventh anthology of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey's beloved Valdemar universe features stories by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

Join Janny Wurts, Elisabeth Waters, Michele Lang, Fiona Patton, and others in twenty-four original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, all set in Valdemar, where:

A young woman without any of the Heralds’ Gifts must see a Companion safely delivered to Haven....

A Herald must revisit the mysteries of his childhood to save his own young family and combat a threat at the very heart of Valdemar....

A Hawkbrother flees for his life, trailed by a mysterious bird that prophesizes a dire future....

A mage must choose whether to steal a priceless artifact and be branded a thief and traitor, or let his country fall to magic that could prove far more deadly....

It's hard to believe that this is the eleventh book in this series! It is, though, and from what I've seen online, the book does contain some of the recurring characters that have become a staple of previous anthologies. I have to admit though that I'm not sure which ones they are at this point. I need to finish reading the previous anthology first.

The new season of The Crown came out last week, and I've discovered that there is a companion book to go with the first season now - and possibly the second as well. This is a book that I'd like to get my hands on sooner or later.

The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen (1947-1955)
Robert Lacey
Crown Archetype
Copyright Date: October 2017
978-1524762285

The amazon.com product description:

The official companion to the Emmy-winning Netflix drama chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and starring Claire Foy and John Lithgow, The Crown by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background and beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills

Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she began her journey towards becoming a queen.

As Britain lifted itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown. This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to ensure that the Crown always came out on top.

Written by the show’s historical consultant, royal biographer Robert Lacey, and filled with beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills, The Crown: The Official Companion: Volume 1 adds expert and in-depth detail to the events of the series, painting an intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. Here is Elizabeth II as we’ve never seen her before.

The description certainly makes this look like an intriguing book - with a mix of archival materials and materials from the show/sets.

And now back to medieval history, with another book on the Crusades to add to my collection. Christopher Tyerman has a good reputation as a historian and I own other books of his - though to my shame, I've only read one of them to date, even though I've owned the other for at least a decade now. This one I've ordered, but it has yet to arrive - expected in January.

How to Plan a Crusade: Religious War in the High Middle Ages
Christopher Tyerman
Pegasus Books
Copyright: October 2017
978-1681775241

The amazon.com product description:

A spirited and sweeping account of how the crusades really worked―and a revolutionary attempt to rethink how we understand the Middle Ages.
The story of the wars and conquests initiated by the First Crusade and its successors is itself so compelling that most accounts move quickly from describing the Pope's calls to arms to the battlefield. In this highly original and enjoyable new book, Christopher Tyerman focuses on something obvious but overlooked: the massive, all-encompassing and hugely costly business of actually preparing a crusade. The efforts of many thousands of men and women, who left their lands and families in Western Europe, and marched off to a highly uncertain future in the Holy Land and elsewhere have never been sufficiently understood. Their actions raise a host of compelling questions about the nature of medieval society.

How to Plan a Crusade is remarkably illuminating on the diplomacy, communications, propaganda, use of mass media, medical care, equipment, voyages, money, weapons, wills, ransoms, animals, and the power of prayer during this dynamic era. It brings to life an extraordinary period of history in a new and surprising way. 16 pages of color illustrations.

Another one I'm looking forward to reading. I think though, that I've been acquiring books faster than I can read them - and I've been doing this for years now.

And, another book on order that I'm waiting for. It's supposed to arrive any day now though. Dimitra Fimi's Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits. Dimitra Fimi is the author/editor of the hardcover edition of A Secret Vice, and also wrote two chapters in the Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds (which is where I was first exposed to her works).

Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits
Dimitra Fimi
Palgrave Macmillan
Copyright date: 2008
978-0230272842

The amazon.com product description:

Fimi explores the evolution of Tolkien's mythology throughout his lifetime by examining how it changed as a result of his life story and contemporary cultural and intellectual history. This new approach and scope brings to light neglected aspects of Tolkien's imaginative vision and contextualises his fiction.

I'm looking forward to this read too - but when I'll get to it... I've got quite a few unread books on Tolkien in my collection already.

Here's a Tolkien book I really want to get my hands on:

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth
Catherine McIlwaine
Bodleian Library
Release Date: July 2018
978-1851244850

The amazon.com product description:

He was an expert in medieval literature and Norse folklore, with a deep reverence for the power of myth. An accomplished translator, linguist, and philologist, who invented multiple languages of his own. A whimsical illustrator and a skillful storyteller. The father of modern fantasy literature, J. R. R. Tolkien was a master of world-building and a complex and brilliant figure.
            Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth explores the huge creative endeavor behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps, and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works—The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion—and reproduces personal photographs and private papers, many of which have never been seen before in print.
            Six essays cover the main themes in Tolkien’s life and work, including the influence of northern languages and legends on the creation of his own legendarium; his concept of “Faërie” as an enchanted literary realm; the central importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from his close friend C. S. Lewis and their literary group the Inklings.
            This volume assembles a wealth of original Tolkien material, shedding light on the extraordinary genius and imagination that brought us Middle-earth with all its Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Ringwraiths, Wizards, and, of course, Hobbits. Drawing on the archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian Library and Marquette University, as well as private collections, this exquisitely produced catalog draws together the worlds of J. R .R. Tolkien—scholarly, literary, creative, and domestic—offering a rich and detailed history of this legendary author.

The author/editor of this book is the Tolkien archivist at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. What's of more interest - especially if you live in the United Kingdom - is that the Bodleian Library is holding an exhibition next year on Tolkien which this book is intended to showcase. I only wish I could attend.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover
Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1993
088675930

The back jacket blurb:

A COLLECTION OF DARKOVER STORIES WRITTEN BY MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY HERSELF!
Return to Darkover, planet of the Bloody Sun, with this collection written solely by the originator of this exotic world, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and including two entirely new stories never before in print. From the Founding to the Ages of Chaos, to the era of the Hundred Kingdoms, to the time of Recontact, travel through the history of Darkover with the writer whose work has inspired so many others to enter her world. Fight alongside the Free Amazons, master the powers of laran with those who work the matrix crystals within their secluded towers, feel the magical pull of the Ghost Wind, explore the mysteries of this long-lost colony with those who come from beyond the stars, and experience all the wonder of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover.

Well, I found myself reading this one a lot sooner than I originally anticipated. As I'd thought, I quite enjoyed it too - though I know I need to re-read some of the full novels set in the world of Darkover now. I'd forgotten just who Dyan Ardais was, and also a lot of the finer points around Camilla, Kyria and the other Renunciates.

Some of the stories I recognized right off - though I couldn't tell you which anthologies they were from originally. Others seemed to be new to me - specifically some of the stories about Hillary. I think a couple of those were published in this volume for the first time.

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things about an anthology like this one are the various notes that begin each section. Especially for a set of short stories set in an already established world, where I can learn a few more tidbits about how that world came to be, and the author's thought processes. Seeing the origins for some of the Free Amazons, for example.

I don't know if this would be a good book for someone who's not already familiar with the world of Darkover. I suspect it, like all the other anthologies of Darkover stories, is really more for the fans who already know the world, have some favorite characters or regions and truly wish to explore more.

For myself, I'm wondering if it's now time to do a Darkover re-read. Anyone interested?

Found at the Thrift Store: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover
Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1993
088675930

The back jacket blurb:

A COLLECTION OF DARKOVER STORIES WRITTEN BY MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY HERSELF!
Return to Darkover, planet of the Bloody Sun, with this collection written solely by the originator of this exotic world, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and including two entirely new stories never before in print. From the Founding to the Ages of Chaos, to the era of the Hundred Kingdoms, to the time of Recontact, travel through the history of Darkover with the writer whose work has inspired so many others to enter her world. Fight alongside the Free Amazons, master the powers of laran with those who work the matrix crystals within their secluded towers, feel the magical pull of the Ghost Wind, explore the mysteries of this long-lost colony with those who come from beyond the stars, and experience all the wonder of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover.

I'm pretty sure I've read most of these stories before, as they were published in a number of the Darkover anthologies that have come out over the years. Nonetheless, I don't own most of those books, so it'll be nice to have Marion Zimmer Bradley's stories collected together. I honestly have no idea of when I'm going to get around to reading this one however.

As I noted in my title, I found this one at a local thrift store, on a quick scan through their book section - something that's usually worth doing I find. I can't help but ask what your most recent thrift store/used bookstore find has been.