Myths And Music (Black Magick #2) by Whitney Metz

Myths And Music (Black Magick #2) by Whitney Metz
Self published on the 30th September 2020.

A Book With a Vegan Character and featured on my vegan book blog, HirlGrend.

How I got this book: 

Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

In this second volume of the Black Magick series, Ben Black (formerly Ben Harrison) continues his search for a way to rescue his girlfriend, Carrie, who has become trapped in another world. His stay with the healer, Jacob Weston, has cured him of the illness inflicted by the demon who took Carrie, and helped him to understand his own ability to communicate with the other side, but he is still poorly prepared for the trials before him. 

Ben finally meets the mysterious Camille, who he has been told is the only one who can help him get Carrie back, but soon learns that task is not as simple as he had hoped, and finds himself back on the road. He makes new acquaintances including a trickster god, a great boar, a friendly chicken, and a group of animal rights activists. 

Over the course of his travels, Ben learns more about himself, his past, and his own strength, and begins to consider the possibility that this is the path that was meant for him all along. 

It's been five months since I read the first book in Whitney Metz's Black Magick series, Sigils And Secrets. Myths And Magic takes up from where that novel left off and I soon found myself immersed in its dark fantasy world again, clearly remembering the events that led Carrie and Ben to their present predicaments and enjoying their continuing adventure.

I appreciated how Metz portrays Ben's increasing knowledge of the magick world around him and how he struggles to square this with his previous understanding of reality. On one hand he is physically experiencing the effects of charms, amulets and intense connections with the natural world, but on the rare occasions he has a moment to reflect, it is obvious he cannot quite rationalise what is happening. Ben's growing self-belief and acceptance of his new-found skills provides a convincing story arc throughout Myths And Music and I felt this gave a good depth to his character.

Metz also deftly incorporates animal welfare subplots into her narrative - Henny Penny's changing fate being a perfect example of this. These scenarios worked well along the magickal ideas Ben explores and they often provided real moments of horror to Myths And Music too. Contrasting the darkest of human behaviours with the demonic realm was an inspired touch and I think it gives Metz's writing a memorably unique slant.

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The Assistant by Bernard Malamud

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
Published in America by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1957.

How I got this book: 

Swapped for at a campsite book exchange

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Frank Alpine, a drifter fleeing from his past, runs straight into struggling Brooklyn grocer Morris Bober. Seeing a chance to atone for past sins, Frank becomes Bober's assistant and keeps shop when the owner takes ill. But it is Bober's daughter, Helen, who gives Frank a real reason to stay around, even as he begins to steal from the store.

Widely considered as one of the great American-Jewish novels, The Assistant is a classic look at the social and racial divides of a country still in its infancy, and a stunning evocation of the immigrant experience - of cramped circumstances and great expectations.

I first blogged this review on Stephanie Jane in December 2014.

I'd not heard of Bernard Malamud until I picked up a Dutch edition (in English) of The Assistant from the campsite library in Xabia. Dave thinks there has been a film made of this book though and the essay at the back pins him as an important influence on the American self-viewpoint.

Set in a poor New York neighbourhood, The Assistant charts a year in the life of struggling Jewish grocer Morris Bober, his wife Ida and daughter Helen. It is possibly not the best book to read over the festive period as there is little in the way of joy in the Bobers' tale. The family live over their run-down shop and work ridiculously long hours to bring in the little they need to live. Even when their situation begins to look up, as a reader you can tell that it probably won't last and something else is waiting just around the corner to knock them back. Ida often nags Morris to sell up and leave, but he seems to bound to his struggling existence and almost views their poverty as essential to their Jewishness. Morris's insistence on his life being so much poor luck is such a strong facet of his character, but how much is really down to luck and how much, as Ida says, could have been changed if opportunities had been grasped at the right time is a constant theme of the novel. Malamud writes Ida's speech particularly in a 'Jewish style' with Morris also using her patterns when the two are together. I found it interesting that Malamud's narration also slips into the same style at these times. He gives a very real picture of the surroundings and I found it easy to imagine the dingy shop, the apartment and even the 'bright lights' of the competing grocer's shop around the corner. The character I had most trouble pinning down was Frank, the eponymous assistant. Despite his obvious personal need to make amends to Morris, his philanthropy was often double-edged and as much based in selfishness as charity. His later treatment of Helen baffled me but his final acceptance of his position fitted the story perfectly - the continuation of the eternal struggle.

I liked how The Assistant is a quiet novel made up of small occurrences. I think the style perfectly suits the subject and, although 'enjoy' isn't the right word to describe the sadness encountered throughout the book, I am glad to have read it. I recently saw the phrase 'book hangover' used to describe a novel that stays in one's thoughts long after it has been finished. I think this is an accurate moniker for the effects of The Assistant. 

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Lord of the Hunt (Sooty Feathers #2) by David Craig

Lord of the Hunt (Sooty Feathers book 2) by David Craig

Published by Elsewhen Press on the 20th March 2020.

How I got this book: Received a review copy via Rachel's Random Resources

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

Elsewhen Press

Death rides the blood of a pale horse

June 1893.

Undead prowl the streets of Glasgow at night hunting for blood. They, in turn, are hunted by the formidable Lady Delaney and her apprentice Kerry Knox, whose fight against the secret society ruling Glasgow will lead them into the city’s industrial heart where the poor toil in miserable conditions. Children have been exploited in mills and factories for decades, but the Sooty Feather Society has refined its cruel disregard in service to the undead.

Delaney and Knox are not the society’s only problem. The elusive demon Arakiel employs murder and necromancy in his campaign to seize control of Glasgow, avenging betrayal and reclaiming what was once his.

Wilton Hunt and Tam Foley are lying low in the Highlands where Hunt’s father has recently inherited title and estate. The blue skies and clear waters of Loch Aline may seem a tranquil sanctuary to the city men, but its forbidding forests and shadowed glens conceal dark secrets pertaining to Hunt’s family, and a diabolical revelation will change Wilton’s life forever.

Demons walk the crowded, cobbled streets of Glasgow, and a necromancer’s debt is called in. Knox will learn what joining this war might cost her; Hunt and Foley will learn they can’t escape it. Their diverged paths will meet again when dark magic unleashes a horror not everyone will survive…

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book in David Craig's Sooty Feathers series, Resurrection Men, almost exactly a year ago now, so I was thrilled when Rachel's Random Resources also announced this tour for its sequel, Lord Of The Hunt. The first chapters do include quite a few nods back to the first novel, but I think Sooty Feathers is going to be a series best read in the right order. Despite my usual disorganisation when it comes to reading series chronologically, this is one I'm glad I'm doing 'properly'!

Although much of Lord Of The Hunt takes place in 1890s Glasgow, the storyline also transports readers to the beautiful Highlands as well. Of course, the natural world takes second place to the unnatural vampires and demons, each determined to thwart each other as well as those humans unfortunate enough to be drawn into their political power struggles. There's a lot of violence in this novel and some scenes get sickeningly gruesome! I appreciated that David Craig also observed the real-life social situation at the time, especially the vast gulf in living conditions between rich and poor. This added a realistic depth to the story so I felt more as though I were reading historical fiction that just happened to focus on vampires.

I did sometimes get overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters, particularly those that ended up with multiple names or were members of aristocratic families who repeat names across generations. I probably also would have benefited from knowing the biblical story of The Fall because, while Craig does briefly explain the differences between the different types of angels and demons, the information didn't lodge strongly what with everything else that was going on. That said though, I spent several hours completely engrossed in this story and am feeling a little bereft now that it is finished. I love the intricate world Craig has created for this series and I hope I won't have to wait another year for the third instalment.

Meet the author   

Aside from three months living on an oil tanker sailing back and forth between America and Africa, and two years living in a pub, David Craig grew up on the west coast of Scotland.  He studied Software Engineering at university, but lost interest in the subject after (and admittedly prior to) graduation. He currently works as a workforce planning analyst for a public service organisation, and lives near Glasgow with his wife, daughter and two rabbits.

Being a published writer had been a life-long dream, and one that he was delighted to finally realise with his debut novel, Resurrection Men, the first in the Sooty Feathers series, published by Elsewhen Press in 2018. Thorns of a Black Rose was David’s second novel, also published by Elsewhen Press. He returns to the Sooty Feathers series with Lord of the Hunt.

Author links: 

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads blog

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Body In The Waves by Kristina Gallo

Body In The Waves by Kristina Gallo
Self published in December 2020.

How I got this book: 

Bought the ebook from Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository

Natalija was raped ten years ago and did not tell anyone who did it. When she goes on a vacation to the Adriatic Sea, the Island of Pag, her rapist, Denis, shows up, as the boyfriend of her future sister-in-law. He was not punished for his act because Natalija was afraid of moral judgment. Denis changes his behavior toward Natalija, but his intentions are not pure.

I spotted Body In The Waves recommended in one of author Bernard Jan's email newsletters and, as I enjoy his writing and he appreciated Kristina Gallo's, I thought I would give this novella a try. It is quite different to anything else I have read in ages, but made a good change for exactly that reason. Body In The Waves is a fast-paced thriller novella with a dark rape theme that could be triggering for some readers. I would have preferred for it to be a longer work I think so I could have got to know the main characters more deeply. At times I did struggle to fully believe in their motivations, especially when their behaviours seemed to run directly opposite to previous experience. However, this didn't stop me from keenly turning pages, eager to discover whether Natalija would have the strength of mind to avenge herself on her former rapist and, indeed, whether Denis's behaviour all those years ago had been an aberration or the start of a violent pattern. 

 

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The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
Published by Penguin on the 22nd March 2018.

How I got this book: 

Borrowed from a friend

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.

Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.

The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

A friend lent us a copy of The Salt Path, insisting that we would love the read although its 'Sunday Times bestseller' claims didn't appeal to me much. However, once my partner read and enthused about Raynor Winn's writing and journey, I was encouraged to try this book for myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved it too! Winn was inspired by 500 Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington which I know I've read too, but so long ago that even my Goodreads doesn't know about it. Left homeless and almost destitute by the unjust English legal system, the Winns' decision to walk one of Britain's most physically difficult paths seemed to be madness, but turned out to probably be the best choice they could have made.

Winn makes a lot of very good points about homelessness throughout The Salt Path, especially about the way non-homeless people react to those they perceive to be vagrants. Centuries of propaganda have taught us to fear and villify people who have nothing, almost as though their status is a contagious disease. Raynor and Moth swiftly learned that letting others assume they had sold their home and were walking by choice made them brave adventurers and an inspiration. Admitting the reality of their situation had people immediately shunning the pair like they were lepers. As I remember from reading Down And Out In Paris And London, by George Orwell, societal attitudes are one of the biggest barricades to homeless people pulling themselves back up and, despite the problem increasing rapidly over the past decade and it genuinely being something that can happen to pretty much anyone, but the most affluent.

Moth's grim health diagnosis was perhaps a stronger concern though and I was amazed by how much of a benefit the daily walking regime was to his supposedly irreversible condition. A keen walker myself, albeit generally in places with fewer hills than the South West Coast Path, I can also attest to the physical and mental benefits of walking, but to see the transformation in someone who could barely shuffle at the start of their journey, was incredibly inspirational. Both my partner and I are now harbouring vague ideas of a similar undertaking, even though we are put off by the tent camping hardships that Raynor and Moth tolerated. It's a rare hike now though that one of us doesn't point to a secluded hollow, suggesting that a little tent could discreetly be pitched there for a night.

Raynor's prose is wonderfully engaging and I loved her poetic flights as aspects of the natural world around them capture her imagination. I read the whole book quickly - too quickly as it turned out because I was sad to see it finish. I appreciated her humour throughout as well as her honesty in portraying the realities of their situation. Hopefully The Salt Path's popularity will have gone some way towards undermining homeless discrimination in the UK as well as encouraging people to experience for themselves the benefits of regular walking in natural spaces. I'm now actively keeping a lookout for Winn's follow-up work, The Wild Silence, and I wonder if the couple have met Simon Armitage yet?

 

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	South West Coast Path  wall art by Pecage Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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In the Time of the Americans by Oswald Rivera

In the Time of the Americans by Oswald Rivera
Published by Indigo River Publishing on the 29th June 2021.

How I got this book: 

Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

In the Time of the Americans tells the multigenerational story of two families, the lusty Benitez family and the reserved, methodical Walkers, and how different perceptions and myths will lead to the inescapable repetition of events grounded in the history of both clans. The tale begins with the doomed love affair of Emile Walker and Maria Benítez Izquierdo, and how this episode affects both families’ fortunes and misfortunes with the rise of the American century in the Caribbean. It is a unique family saga rooted in the present, but anchored to the past.

Important actions and historical events chronicle the changes of an age: from outhouses to cinemas, from horse carriages to the automobile, from apparitions floating on cobblestone streets to urban conflicts, each supplanted in turn by new dreams and illusions. The story captures unusual characters and extraordinary events that involve generations of men and women who are unable or unwilling to escape their shared destinies. It is a narrative replete with an American invasion, ghosts of the past and the present, ideological illusions, cyclical upheavals, the arrival of new technologies with the American presence, glories and disasters, and, ultimately, redemption. 

In The Time Of The Americans is a historical fiction saga that gave me the opportunity to learn abouts aspects of twentieth-century Puerto Rican history through the intertwining lives of three generations. I liked how Oswald Rivera managed to have the Benitez and Walker families continue to mesh with each other, yet without this device ever seeming contrived. I particularly enjoyed the earlier history as seen through Antonio's eyes as he is striving to set himself up as a successful businessman in Ponce, Puerto Rico, despite not having been born or raised on the island. I felt Antonio's viewpoints gave me a good understanding of everyday Puerto Rican lives and culture at the time. The American 'invasion' is, obviously, a harbinger of future decades, but nobody really seems to fully realise that - on either side.

The poignant fragmentation of Antonio and Octavio's friendship as nationalism drives a wedge between them was well portrayed so each viewpoint was clear to me. As restrictive American rules took a greater toll on the lives of Ponce's inhabitants, Octavio's anger seemed ever more justified, yet I could also see Antonio's point about American money keeping the island more affluent than his native Italy. I also appreciated Rivera's portrayals of Ponce's women and that they weren't just shallow afterthoughts. Milagros and doña Saro particularly have strong storylines and it might be interesting to follow Milagros' life in a sequel novel. I did think that In The Time Of The Americans lost its way somewhat when its focus switched to the youngest generation though. I was disappointed that these characters didn't have the same depth as their parents and grandparents, and one long dialogue scene in particular was very stilted and awkward. It's a shame as, up to about three-quarters of the way through I was gripped by this novel and glad that I had chosen to take a chance on it.

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	Ponce, Puerto Rico charcoal drawing print by SunandCrow Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Ruabon (Lost Tales Of Solace Book 4) by Karl Drinkwater

Ruabon (Lost Tales Of Solace Book 4) by Karl Drinkwater

Published by Organic Apocalypse on the 1st July 2021.

Included in my Vegan Bookshop.

How I got this book: Received a review copy via Rachel's Random Resources

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

Karl Drinkwater / Books2Read

Welcome to Tecant.

Nothing ever happens here.

Until today.

Ruabon Nadarl is just another low-ranking member of the scan crew, slaving away for the UFS which “liberated” his homeworld. To help pass the time during long shifts he builds secret personalities into the robots he controls. Despite his ingenuity, the UFS offers few opportunities for a better life.

Then Ruabon detects an intruder on the surface of a vital communications tower.

He could just report it and let the deadly UFS commandos take over, while Ruabon returns to obscurity. Or he could break UFS laws and try to capture the intruder himself. For the UFS, only the outcome matters, not the method. If his custom-programmed drones can save the day, he’ll be a hero.

And if he fails, he’ll be dead.

Lost Tales of Solace Kickstarter Campaign

Karl's current Kickstarter campaign has an option for someone to get EVERY Lost Solace book as an e-book; but also to get the new paperbacks that will be designed, if they prefer print.

I love the way in which each the four Lost Tales of Solace novellas (Ruabon is the fourth) allow me to explore minor characters and side events. They add such great depth to Karl Drinkwater's main Lost Solace novels, but without slowing those works' exciting pace. Chronologically, Ruabon takes place during Chasing Solace and gives readers a glimpse onto the colonised world of Tecant. I got a good idea of this rather dreary, industrial-feeling environment.

Indigenous Tecant people are now reduced to very limited career options - minimally skilled roles within the UFS military or working in Tecant's mines - so for Ruabon, this one afternoon's chance to make a name for himself and actually become a known individual, is too good to miss. I could completely empathise with his drive to shine even though, by doing so, he might also reveal too much about a clandestine side project he has underway. These robot personalities are a fun idea. Getting to meet each one through private messaging conversations allowed me to swiftly feel as though I knew them and I could also further understand Ruabon himself through the artificial personality traits he created.

Ruabon, the book, is an exciting story that I comfortably devoured in a single afternoon partly because it is less than a hundred pages anyway, but also because I didn't want to put the book down. I enjoyed seeing how this narrative fitted into the overall Lost Solace series story arc and being now able to fill in detail around unexplained moments in Chasing Solace. I think, however, that new readers could enjoy the novella as a standalone tale without full knowledge of the Lost Solace universe behind them.

Meet the author   

Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.

Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”. Karl is an active member of the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), the Horror Writers Association (HWA), and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order.

Author links: 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Newsletter

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	Robot Selfie Poster by Ibbleobble Co Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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People Like Them by Samira Sedira

People Like Them by Samira Sedira
First published in French as Des gens comme eux by Editions du Rouergue in France in January 2020. English language translation by Lara Vergnaud published by Penguin on the 6th July 2021.

How I got this book: 

Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Anna and Constant Guillot live with their two daughters in the peaceful, remote mountain village of Carmac, largely deaf to the upheavals of the outside world. Everyone in Carmac knows each other, and most of its residents look alike--until Bakary and Sylvia Langlois arrive with their three children. 

Wealthy and flashy, the family of five are outsiders in the small town, their impressive chalet and three expensive cars a stark contrast to the modesty of those of their neighbors. Despite their differences, the Langlois and the Guillots form an uneasy, ambiguous friendship. But when both families begin experiencing financial troubles, the underlying class and racial tensions of their relationship come to a breaking point, and the unthinkable happens.

With piercing psychological insight and gripping storytelling, People Like Them asks: How could a seemingly normal person commit an atrocious crime? How could that person's loved ones ever come to terms with it afterward? And how well can you really know your own spouse?

I was very impressed with People Like Them as a novel, especially the foreboding atmosphere that Samira Sedira created within the small village of Carmac. It reminded me of Pascal Garnier's crime fiction except, in this case, the events at the heart of the novel really did take place. I loved the idea of being led through the story by the murderer's spouse who, talking in retrospect, is still struggling to come to terms with how they could have been so completely ignorant of what their partner was about to do - and even that they were capable of such violence at all. It's an interesting perspective which, I think, isn't usually given much prominence in the crime fiction genre.

Sedira's evocation of small-town attitudes is well-observed and, of course, is by no means a French phenomenon. I see similar ignorance and casual racism expressed in my own country, particularly it seems by people in predominantly white communities whose preconceived ideas are rarely challenged. I was intrigued by how Sedira's characters reacted when their notions were upset and how little it actually took to fire up such rage in one particular person. The question is whether the Langlois family would have been punished so viciously if they were all white? Sedira deftly shows how deeply ingrained ideas of social status can be and I thought her spare prose style, expertly translated by Lara Vergnaud, suited the novel perfectly. People Like Them is a fairly short read, but one that packs a punch. Several days after reading the book I find myself still mulling over the issues it raised.

 

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	Suze Water Pitcher by French Vintage Shop Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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The Accidental World by K A Griffin + #Giveaway + Guest Post

Join us for this tour from July 12 to July 30, 2021!

​Book Details:

Book Title:  The Accidental World by K.A. Griffin
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 269 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Action Adventure
Publisher:  K.A. Griffin
Release date:    2020
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M. No explicit sex scenes, no foul language
​
Book Description:

Ethan Scott thinks he is having a normal Monday evening, waiting for his grandfather, Pops, to return. Pops had left on a mysterious errand the day before, and warned Ethan that if his return is delayed, then Ethan will be in danger. Suddenly, Ethan hears creaking on the footsteps and barricades himself in his room. That’s the last thing he remembers as THE ACCIDENTAL WORLD by K. A. Griffin begins before Ethan finds himself transported to a new world that was like nothing he had ever seen.

NHHMM is a futuristic town, blighted by air pollution that is so strong everyone wears masks in order to breathe. Everything is alien to Scott: his surroundings, the buggies that people travel in, his classmates, and the headmistress who seems to know him, but who he has never seen before in his life. But there is one thing that is familiar to Scott, and that is the popular game, Conquest, that he used to play with his grandfather. Scott excels at Conquest, beating all of his classmates. He is chosen to play in the tournament that is attended by many in the town, including the Chancellor. But he soon learns his Pop has been captured and jailed by the Chancellor. Pop is part of an underground resistance that holds the secrets to a powerful technology that the corrupt Chancellor wants to obtain. Nobody is who they appear to be, and Ethan learns the truth about his parents and Pop’s true identity. The tournament is Ethan’s chance to save Pop’s life and those in the resistance who are trying to free him. Pop’s and Ethan’s fate hangs in the balance. What becomes of Pop and the resistance fighters? Will Ethan disappear forever if he wins the tournament, a fate that has befallen previous winners? Readers will have to wait until the publication of Book 2 in this riveting trilogy to find out what Ethan’s destiny is in the accidental world he has traveled to, and that pits good against evil is a world not too dissimilar from our own.

 

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon.com / Amazon UK
Add to ​Goodreads

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading The Accidental World. A young adult fantasy adventure novel, it has a steampunk vibe which greatly appealed to me. I found our reluctant hero, Ethan, to be both an engaging character to spend time with and also always believable in his actions and motivations. He doesn't suddenly develop magic powers to save the day, but instead works to his strengths whilst striving to learn all he can about the mysterious world, NHHMM, into which he has been flung. This world has familiar elements, but is also strikingly different. I would pitch NHHMM as somewhere between The Oddfits by Tiffany Tsao and Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh, with hints of The Queen's Gambit along the way.

I felt Griffin chose a  good balance between describing scenes in detail to readers and keeping up his story's pace. There were times when I would have liked to have known more than we were told, but that's mostly because I love to know how gadgets work! The relationships between the main characters developed convincingly, especially that between Ethan and his grandfather. The side characters were often fun too (poor Peter!) and I loved the mysterious elements such as the man known as Darkest Night. The Accidental World would make a fabulous costume drama TV series and I do hope that Griffin has ideas for a sequel novel because I'm keen to read it.

 

Meet the Author:

 

A graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Business Administration, Keith spent his first career managing businesses and distressed corporations. His second career began at Amazon, where he started at the bottom, ensuring we all get the packages we need. He now manages 100 Amazon associates, and every day he still keeps an eye out for the latest novels coming through the building.

At eighteen, he wrote his first short story. It was a murder mystery only thirteen pages long. On Christmas morning, before anyone had the first cup of coffee, his family noticed that the presents under the tree were gone, and in their place were three manila envelopes. Merry Christmas! You must solve the mystery to find the gifts! It was this short story that led to a lifelong love of writing.

Keith currently lives in Texas with his wife, a dog who thinks she is a princess, a horse who knows she is a princess, and a rescue cat who is little more than a source of allergies. There is talk of chickens in his future, but every time he starts to build the coop, a critical tool goes missing. He always blames the cat.
​
connect with the author: website (coming soon) ~ facebook 

Guest Post -  The Christmas Hunt

I’ve been writing since I was 18 years old. My first effort was a 13-page mystery novel.  It was about a wealthy man who had a heart attack at his desk in his home office. As his life leaves him, he takes a pen and scrawls an image on a piece of blank paper. Two pen strokes were all he needed to deliver his last message. 

I wrote the story between the two weeks before Christmas, banging away on an old Remington typewriter. When the last word was typed, I made three copies of the document and placed each in a manilla envelope. Each envelope was then labeled for the members of my family. 

In the days leading up to Christmas, I snuck into my parents' bathroom and carried the floor scale back to my bedroom. Taking it apart, I found the best way to access the area that I needed. Since none of my family weighed over 200 pounds, I had to bounce up and down on the scales to get the dial to roll up to 350 pounds. My plan was going to work, but it was going to be challenging because of the number of people in the house and the limited window of opportunity I had to work with. 

On Christmas Eve Day, I borrowed my Dad’s car keys from the hook by the garage door and drove to the local hardware store to make a duplicate key for his Crown Victoria. I placed the key ring back on the hook when I returned while keeping the duplicate in my blue jeans. 

While my Mom was cooking dinner for the night, my father and older brother were a game of pool. So, taking the duplicate key, a screwdriver, and a roll of tape, I snuck back to my parent's bathroom, opened up the scale. The dead man in the story weighed 341 pounds, so I taped the key to that part of the dial and put the scale back together.

At 2:00 am, when everyone else was asleep, I went into the den, moved every Christmas present from underneath the tree, and placed them all in the trunk of my Dad’s car. In their place, I left the three manilla envelopes.

My brother was the first to notice that all of the Christmas presents were gone and the envelopes placed in the branches of the tree. He was not happy. He threatened me. I held my ground and said that we get no presents if we don't solve the mystery. He got louder.

He was the first to figure it out. Recognizing the symbol, he promptly walked over to the bookshelf and pulled the "Z" volume of the World Book Encyclopedia. He thumbed through the pages until he found what he was looking for. 

“The symbol is the zodiac sign for Libra. It’s a scale. Do we have a scale in the house?”

My parents nodded and gestured to the bathroom. Five minutes later, he came back with the key. My family decided that I had to bring all the packages back since I was the one that took them out in the first place. All in all, it was a good day, and that one event gave me a love for writing that never left. 

So, as you are reading The Accidental World, just remember that I will throw surprises your way. Be ready for them.

Tour Schedule:

July 12 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 14 – @twilight_reader – book review / guest post
July 16 – Books for Books – book review
July 16 – Rockin' Book Revews – book review / guest post / giveaway
July 20 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
July 21 – I Read What You Write – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 22 – Kam's Place – book review / author interview
July 23 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
July 27 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
July 28 – Rajiv's Reviews – book review / giveaway
July 29 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
July 30 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book review / author interview / giveaway

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	Vintage Pocket Watch by Silent Camden Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson

Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson
First published in French as Les larmes d'Ietsé by Editions Dodo vole in December 2013. English language translation by Allison M Charette published by Amazon Crossing on the 5th November 2019.

How I got this book: 

Bought the ebook from Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

In this exhilarating prize-winning novel—only the second to be published in English from Madagascar—a young man comes of age amidst the enchanted origin myths of his island country.

Named after the first man at the creation of the world in Malagasy mythology, Ietsy Razak was raised to perpetuate the glory of his namesake and expected to be as illuminated as his Great Ancestor. But in the chaos of modernity, his young life is marked only by restlessness, maddening insomnia, and an adolescent apathy.

When an unexpected tragedy ships him off to a boarding school in France, his trip to the big city is no hero’s journey. Ietsy loses himself in the immediate pleasures of body and mind. Weighed down by his privilege and the legacy of his name, Ietsy struggles to find a foothold.

Only a return to the “Enchanted Island,” as Madagascar is lovingly known, helps Ietsy stumble toward his destiny. This award-winning retelling of Madagascar’s origin story offers a distinctly twenty-first-century perspective on the country’s place in an ever-more-connected world.

Return to the Enchanted Island is the first Madagascan-authored novel I have had the opportunity to read so I was delighted to spot the work in this English language translation. The novel is a blend of Madagascan mythology and a coming of age story which centres on the experiences of Ietsy (Ietsé in the original French) as he struggles to find his place in the world. Unfortunately he is quite the 'spoilt rich boy' character so I rarely found it easy to feel much sympathy for him, but I enjoyed Ravaloson's engaging narrative style and the way in which the mythological stories interwove with Ietsy's life was nicely done.

Ietsy's family has, historically, always managed to back the 'right' side so the boy's claim to be 'protected by Gods and Ancestors' has a ring of truth about it in that his position of wealth and privilege now is a direct result of his forebears shrewd decision-making and prudence. Ravaloson contrasts Ietsy's luxurious home with the poverty surrounding the family's enclave, but doesn't have Ietsy put two and two together until quite late in the story which I found frustrating as a reader. I felt that if Ietsy had begun his redemption arc much sooner, it would have been more plausible. Ultimately though, I found it difficult to believe that his new-found caring attitude wasn't just another ploy. Return to the Enchanted Island is a fairly short novel that I read across a sunny afternoon. It did get confusing in places, particularly where the storyline jumps from Ietsy's past to his present, or from Ietsy himself to Madagascan mythology. However, overall, it was an enjoyable read and I loved learning about the island's creation myth, and the ways this people's story of themselves impacts on their everyday lives.

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	Antananarivo Map Print by Mapologist Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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In the Wars by Waheed Arian

In the Wars by Waheed Arian
Published by Transworld Digital on the 17th June 2021.

How I got this book: 

Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Born in war-torn Afghanistan, Waheed Arian's earliest memories are of bombs. Fleeing the conflict with his family, he spent much of his childhood in refugee camps in Pakistan, living sometimes ten to a room without basic sanitation or access to education. After he contracted tuberculosis, his first-hand experience of the power of medicine inspired Waheed to dedicate his life to healing others. But how does a boy with nothing hope to become a doctor?

Waheed largely taught himself, from textbooks bought from street-sellers, and learned English from the BBC World Service. Smuggled to the UK at fifteen with just $100 in his pocket, he found a job in a shop. He was advised to set his sights on becoming a taxi driver. But the boy from Kabul had bigger ambitions.

Working through PTSD and anxiety, he studied all hours to achieve his vocation. He was accepted to read medicine at Cambridge University, Imperial College and Harvard, and went on to become a doctor in the NHS. But he wanted to do more. In 2015 he founded Arian Teleheal, a pioneering global charity that connects doctors in war zones and low-resource countries with their counterparts in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. Together, learning from each other, they save and change lives - the lives of millions of people just like Waheed.

For readers of Educated and War Doctor, this is the extraordinary memoir of a boy who recognized the power of education and dreamed about helping others. It's a tale of courage, ambition and unwavering resilience in the face of all the challenges that life can throw in your way.

In The Wars is a powerful memoir of how one traumatised Afghan boy, seizing upon the chance of a stable life in a country far removed from his home and family, managed to not only make a successful career as an NHS A&E doctor in the UK, but also set up a pioneering charity that now actively helps war zone doctors gain vitally-needed expertise from across the globe. All the time, whilst reading Waheed Arian's gritty story of sacrifice and determination, I couldn't help but bear in mind that this amazing man is exactly the sort of person that UK government policy is increasingly stacked against. As mentioned in the book's synopsis, there are parallels between Arian's single-mindedness and that of Tara Westover, the author of Educated. I was also reminded of Butterfly by Yusra Mardini and American Dreamer by Tim Tran.

I could understand Arian's reluctance to make his own life story the hook for his charity, Arian Teleheal, but it is his recounting of episodes in his early life that really did capture my attention. To even begin to imagine how a person could live and remain hopeful through so many years of conflict is difficult, but to witness his parents also raising a family under such circumstances is very moving. Arian speaks eloquently and I am grateful to him for allowing readers these insights into his life and the still ongoing chaos of Afghanistan. That his charity is such a triumph is due, in no small part, to his perseverance and dedication. That he was able to conceive of it, set it up and run it, whilst also working A&E is nothing short of incredible. A truly inspirational memoir!

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The Ministry Of Special Cases by Nathan Englander

The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
Published by Faber And Faber in June 2007.

How I got this book: Bought the paperback from a charity shop

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Buenos Aires, 1970s. Kaddish Poznan chips the names off gravestones for a living, removing traces of disreputable ancestors for their more respectable kin. His wife Lillian works in insurance, earning money when people live longer than they fear. When the government is overthrown in a military coup, their son Pato is arrested by the police and becomes one of the disappeared. Desperate to find him, Kaddish and Lillian turn to the Ministry of Special Cases, a bureaucracy of anguish and false promises, and they discover just how far they are willing to go to save their son...

I picked up The Ministry Of Special Cases in a charity bookshop because I liked the idea of reading a novel set in Argentina. As it turns out, there isn't a strong Argentine flavour to the book, but it is still an interesting read.

We meet Kaddish Poznan, a Jewish man living in Buenos Aires with his wife, Lillian, and their adult son, Pato. The son of a prostitute, Kaddish is effectively excluded from the Jewish community for refusing to 'forget' his mother. He makes his living by discreetly chiselling names off gravestones in the dead of night for other Jews who are more successfully leaving their pasts behind. Englander manages to wring darkly comedic moments from this absurd situation and his novel's first half is considerably lighter than the second half. The main themes of family, ancestry and identity are explored initially through the interactions of an averagely dysfunctional family. Then the son, Pato, is disappeared leaving his parents to cope as best they can, each in their own way, as the world they thought they understood crashes around them.

The portrayal of Lillian's increasingly desperate search for her son and her failure to accept the inevitable truth is particularly poignant and I thought that this was the real strength of the book. Kaddish is a buffoonish character, forever guilty about his inability to provide for and protect his family, and I didn't think he grew much, if at all. His madcap schemes and certain world view were set, as it were, in stone. Cameo characters are well-drawn and add depth to the tale. I liked the bureaucrat lunching in the corridor, Doctor Mazursky, the General's wife and the girl who found the caramels.

The Ministry Of Special Cases is a very Jewish novel. I was reminded of Bernard Malamud's The Assistant, amongst others, in the expectation of disaster. Its humour is of the wry, self-deprecating kind and I just knew early on that these people weren't going to end up in a happy sunset. Their story kept me reading and interested throughout though and Englander has a great descriptive turn of phrase. His understanding of human nature keeps his characters believable and helps to shed a little light on this shocking time.

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	1970s Buenos Aires  Postcard by Wibi Wonders Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Published by Fourth Estate in April 2013.

How I got this book: Borrowed from my partner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

As teenagers in Lagos, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. The self-assured Ifemelu departs for America. There she suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.

Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a blogger. But after so long apart and so many changes, will they find the courage to meet again, face to face?

Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning ‘Americanah’ is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today’s globalized world.

I first blogged this review on my Stephanie Jane blog in July 2015.

Dave bought a copy of Americanah new at Waterstones three months ago and I have only just got around to reading it. I have too many books!

I was interested to see, when reading other reviews after having finished Americanah, that a lot of people didn't like the discussions and arguments about race or the imagined blog posts, preferring the Ifemelu-Obinze romance instead. Personally, once Ifemelu had left for America, I wasn't always convinced by the apparent longings to resume their relationship and enjoyed reading the race discussions instead!

Americanah has a large cast of characters, some of which appear and reappear briefly so keeping track of everyone wasn't always easy. I did read the book over just a few days and think that if I had taken much longer, I could have gotten very lost. As a white Brit I did occasionally cringe at spotting things I have done or said being pulled up by Adichie. She has a wonderfully sharp eye and I love her ability to create such realism on the page. There are so many different people speaking here, yet none felt false or overdrawn. Ifemelu herself is a fantastic creation - a proud confident and emotional woman who even without her blog's anonymity seemed able to speak as she saw. I was irritated by the ease in which her blogs took off though. How many of us bloggers have really got 1000 views for a third post without spending a single minute on promotion?!

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	Take Up Space  quote t-shirt by Fabulously Feminist Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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Books by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie / Contemporary fiction / Books from Nigeria