Lowly’s Book Blog

Publicity blurb says stunning sequel. Interpretation – the second book of a trilogy. The likely plot – little action, just a lot of character development and geography. But the tyrant of the title is Alexander the Great. How bad can it be?

Well, firstly the book was not about Alexander. It was about an unknown Athenian named Kineas who happened to be an excellent commander who attracted a powerful band of independent soldiers to is cause. And Kineas’ goal? To follow his girl across the open grasslands of the Russian plains as she rides off to protect her tribal lands from invasion by Alexander’s army. Hopeless cause or what.

Ok, so it took some time and dedication to get through the first 250 pages of the book. Kineas and his girl part company somewhere on the plains, Kineas travels home to his city/state east of Greece and re-establishes order amongst the citizens. But as quick as he can he is resupplied and heading east to the meeting of the tribes. Lots and lots of travel, lots and lots of geography, and lots and lots of campfire conversations (opportunity for character development). Boring!

And then finally Kineas gets to the agreed meeting ground to find that his woman has been captured and imprisoned by Alexander. Finally some action. But the rescue and the big battle scene come and go too quickly. The reader wants some reward for all that endless trudging.

And personally I am mystified about where the story is going now. I never read the first book in the series, so I don’t know if that was about Kineas or Alexander, but book 3 is going to be in trouble if it is going to follow Kineas again.

Maybe my opinion would be different if I had book one. But if you are even tempted by Storm of Arrows on it’s own, take my advice and resist temptation.

One of the most common bits of advice given to young authors is to write what you know about. Well obviously Riches lives near Hadrian’s Wall and he has spent many years coming to understand the live of the Roman legions stationed there. Now he has shared this knowledge and understanding with all of us in this most entertaining novel.

But first a little Roman history. Everyone knows about Julius Caesar, and maybe even his nephew Augustus. But how many have actually looked any further into the Roman emperors? Well, for the novices, many emperors were very paranoid, and as a result would frequently eliminate anyone who disagreed with them along with their whole household, family, servants and slaves. Young Praetorian Guard Marcus Aquila is escaping Emperor Commodus who has destroyed the rest of his family by fleeing to the most remote province of Britannia. There he changes his name and joins a legion stationed on Hadrian’s Wall.

But his experience and intelligence cannot be hidden. He becomes a centurion, and under his leadership his century shines. This is not always a good thing when you are trying to hide from a vindictive emperor.

I loved the detail about life in the Roman army. By this time in history, the legions have very few Romans in their ranks. Riches demonstrates an excellent understanding of the officers and the men of the legions and how they lived, adapting some Roman customs while clinging to their native culture. He has also written a wonderful tale about military life and the loyalties that can be formed within that routine.

Riches is obviously very familiar with Northern England. According to the media release, he began writing this novel after a visit to Housesteads Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall. His understanding of the geography has made the battles very credible. The media release also mentions his passion for military history, and this is very obvious from the accurate detail in the accounts of everyday life for the legion.

Wounds of Honour is book one in a planned series called Empire. This first volume hinted that Marcus may be forced to flee to other distant provinces in order to escape the death sentence that has been pronounced. I hope that Riches is equally familiar with these other provinces, or he has the budget to enable him to do the research required to maintain the quality of his historical detail.

Before I start, if you haven’t read the Blackstone Key by this author, skip this review and the book until you have finished it. I made the mistake of suggesting that a friend might enjoy this book, but since she hadn’t read book one in the series, well, let’s just say that her response was not flattering.

So having established that you remember Mary Firth and the dashing Captain Holland, we now get to visit our heroine after she has come into her fortune. As might be expected, Mary is quickly bored with the formal visits, shopping and musical soirees. There may be a war with France brewing, but none of that is going to impact on Society. Mary’s yearning for another adventure quickly finds her once again spying for the British government. This time however Captain Holland is undercover, seemingly working for the French agents who are stirring up the British military to mutiny. But spying is a difficult business, and very soon the hunters become the hunted.

The period is late 18^th century. The gowns are long, class distinctions in England are in absolute control. Therefore the potential romance between Mary and Holland must be extinguished, or does it? This novel is liberally sprinkled with real historical figures and events. The plot is implausible, but then again, it is known that women were very effective spies at the time. What better way to gather information quietly than as a companion for a friend in her country manor?

This historical romance is heavier on the history than on the romance, but that’s OK. I like Mary and can’t wait for the next instalment due for publication next year.

This is a book that has been short-listed by the Children’s Book Council for this year’s awards, but unfortunately I don’t see any child reading it willingly. The plot is stunning, the characters all too human and fallible, but somehow I don’t see 21^st century children comfortably reading an 18^th century personal journal. The language use is just too foreign. And we all know that very few generation Y or Z will put up with discomfort without some external pressure.

But first the plot. Anthony Eaton, a well known author for young adults is thinking about writing a boys’ adventure novel set in Antarctica. As part of his research the Australian Antarctic Division offer him space on their summer research voyage. While in Antarctica, Anthony discovers a dusty journal hidden away in the base library. He takes that journal home and uses it to write a very different story from the one originally planned.

You see this journal is from the lost exploration vessel Raven and the team who set out in 1922 to cross Antarctica. Never heard of it? Well that is because all plans were made in strictest secrecy to avoid another exploration party stealing the idea and with more funding, getting there first. But now Eaton can tell the story.

This book is very much a psychological thriller. The reader needs to take time, reflect on the motivations and behavior of the various characters. One would think that the enemy was the harsh environment, but in reality men without trust will turn on each other, and therein lies the story.

This book will be studied in schools for years. There are so many levels of complexity that it will stand re-reading, discussion and even the inevitable text responses. It is quality literature for young people.

I just don’t see any of them reading past page 10.

Everyone has heard of Dracula. But I suspect very few of my readers will have heard of Vlad Dracula, aka Vlad the Impaler. According to historians, the life and activities of Vlad Dracula, a medieval ruler in the Balkans were the historical origins for the vampire mythology. However, there is very little record of Dracula’s life, except the stories handed down by those who overthrew his reign. And we all know that history is written by the victors with little regard for the truth.

Humphreys has done extensive research to find the facts of Dracula’s life. Around these facts he has developed a wonderful historical novel that offers an alternative to the legends.

The setting of the book is an inquisition. After his beheading three men have gathered three witnesses to hear the story of Vlad Dracula’s life. One was Vlad’s best friend who betrayed his king. The second was Vlad’s lifelong mistress, who truly loved the man she knew. The third witness was Vlad’s confessor. Together they draw a picture of a powerful man who was trained as a torturer under the motto ‘We torture others so they cannot torture us.’

Humphreys has presented the world with an image of Dracula as a man caught up in the violence of his times; dedicated crusader fighting for Christianity against the Islamic Turks attempting to control the Balkans; man who is continually defeated because distrust and greed of his supposed allies. Above all, this is a story that clearly demonstrates how bad publicity can destroy a reputation.

This is a fascinating book that needs to be read slowly and carefully. Do not expect to find an light entertaining read between these covers. Instead expect to have your prejudices challenged.

Ages ago I was asked to read this series because a parent expressed concern that some of the themes in the series were far too controversial for young readers.  So far I have managed to find the time to read the first two books in the series and in my opinion these two are fine.

Last August I reviewed the first book in the series, the Gypsy Crown. You will need to have read the first book, or at least a comprehensive review of the book in order for the plot of this second book to make sense. In the second book the children are negotiating for the second charm, held by a family of horse traders. Emilia must sacrifice her beloved horse to get this charm, but her confidence that the magic will succeed convinces her that it is only a matter of time before the charm can be returned and her horse reclaimed.

Again this is very much a transition book. It tells its own story, but needs to be read in the context of the full series.

This is a very unusual book for children. Set at the end of the Aztec empire the story of the fall of Montezuma is told through the eyes of a young Aztec girl.

Itacate was born just before dawn and her mother died giving birth to her. Although her twin brother, born minutes later, survived, Itacate was determined to be cursed and the prophecy indicated that she would lead her whole family to destruction. However, she survives and even convinces her father to allow her to assist him in the workshop. Her real talent for the craft is revealed and attracts the attention of Montezuma himself, bringing her whole family into danger.

A few months ago I reviewed a book for adults that was set in this same period of history, so I was interested in how the author would portray a very violent and bloody time in a format that would prove acceptable for children and young adults. By revealing the culture through the eyes of a young woman who truly believed that the sun would not rise if blood was not shed before dawn. When her brother was chosen for the annual sacrifice, Itacate is torn between pride that he was considered worthy of ensuring their city’s survival for another year and grief at the death of her twin. I believe this is a very realistic portrayal of the family response to this practice.

I did have a problem with the ‘romance’ in the story. The whole idea that an Aztec girl would encounter a Spanish soldier is hard to accept, but that he would leave his life and escape with her to the jungle is incredible. How on earth would either of them survive? A girl born and raised in a middle class city neighborhood and a foreign soldier very obviously from the unpopular invaders?

What an unusual book! This shortlisted book for younger readers is amazing and very, very different.

Iluak is a young man living in a polar community. When I was a child we called this culture Eskimo, now I believe the term is Inuit. At first the setting in time is unclear. But in these old unchanging societies, history is calculated differently. Iluak is frightened of everything. But his Nana claims that he is the bear caller and will face a bear to save his family. As this story unfolds, Nana’s predictions come true and eventually the final bear is faced. 

I found the writing riveting. One of the early chapters sees Iluak fall through the ice while on a seal hunt. The tension in that chapter simply caught my interest and held it until I finished the book in one sitting. 

Once again, I don’t think the publishers did the right thing in the cover of the book. In many ways this is a coming of age novel about a young man finding the road he will take in maturity. Unfortunately the front cover shows a very young boy, certainly not representative of the image I have of Iluak.

In spite of the cover, this is a worthy inclusion in this years CBC short list.

I love Simon Higgins adventure stories. And although I am a full year behind on my reading list, I was in the mood for a light adventure with a delicious sense of humour. Unfortunately, this was not it.

Daniel Marlowe is a young English aristocrat who is traveling with his father on a diplomatic mission from Tudor England to the Japans. He is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan and found by a young samurai. Together these two set off to change the world, or at least parts of it. 

Medieval Japan is a wonderful setting for an adventure story. Hearn did an amazing job with the Otori series. However Higgins is firmly attached to realistic historical settings rather than the slightly fantastic world of the Otori. Daniel is quickly involved in a feud between warlords, fighting off bandits and rescuing young maidens. Classic medieval adventure.

But I am afraid this book did not make the grade. There was no sense of completion at the end of the story. It is really only the opening chapter of a much longer tale, and frankly I didn’t care enough about Daniel to be bothered reading any more.

The blurb promotes this as a ‘ripping yarn which is sure to appeal to boys’. Sorry, but I found it shallow, and boring. The boys I know will want a lot more if they are going to follow Daniel through his further adventures.

It is a popular idea to write books for young people in Australia that are set at about the time of federation. Not that politics enters into this story at all, but Australians lived very differently than they do now. This book carries the reader directly into the impoverished working class suburb of Sydney.

Frankie is from a close, loving family that includes Mum, Dad and his little sister Maggie. Frankie’s nickname is Bookie because he loves to read, even though books are very scarce. Then one day Mickey and his family move in next door. Mickey’s father is violent and abusive. Frankie feels for this new boy and they become unlikely friends. 

Then the plague arrives in Sydney. The government offers a bounty of sixpence for every dead rat that is delivered. Mickey and Frankie and a few other boys from school decide that it would be easier to breed rats than catch them. So each child begins a rat ‘farm’ under their house, with tragic consequences.

This was a short book with a simple storyline, but it certainly provides great opportunity for discussion and further thinking. All the characters are strong and consistent in their actions, and that always makes for a good story. This book will not set the world on fire, but it is certainly an entertaining read.