StanleyWheeler

 

I've been doing a lot of reading recently. I ripped through John D. Brown's book on creating story ideas that beg to be written. I finished Cedar Sanderson's The East Witch, and I completed Cornwell's The Winter King.  I read a Rafael Sabatina book about a pirate (and I can't remember the name of it). I also started two other books, but I could not finish them. Of these latter two, one told an interesting story, but was so poorly written, continuously jumping from character to character and using the word "felt" in every other sentence, that it finally drove me away. The other was very well written but the lesbian overtones directed me to the exit sometime in the second chapter; it wasn't for me.

Let me begin with the best.

I was reluctant to try this book. I came across it while I looking for a different Cornwell book. I knew it was about the Arthur legend, and, frankly, I've read enough of that sort of thing. A couple years ago I re-read Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, so why did I need to read another version? The book was on sale for next to nothing, so I gave in to the very low level of temptation and purchased it. That was a lucky day for me. I loved this book.

While most accounts of the Arthurian epic that I have read tell a tale of pageantry and knights errant in plate armor, The Winter King clothes the tale in the ashes, mud, and blood of the Britons. The story is told by Derfel who is now a Christian priest, but he was a pagan in this first book of the trilogy. Arthur is a warlord entrusted with protecting Uther's son Mordred. Uther has died. Petty kings, Saxons, druids, Christians, Irish, and more complicate Arthur's task. Nevertheless, all is well--until Arthur meets Guinevere. As always, Cornwell handles the battles magnificently, but I'm more impressed with Cornwell's vision of Arthur and his struggle to adhere to his conflicting oaths and noble code--that is a fundamental feature of the Arthur story. I haven't been able to find the next book either in the library or the used book store, and as much as I want to read the next books in the trilogy, I'm not inclined to fork out $13 or more each for the privilege of reading electronic copies of them.

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Now I remembered the other book, it was Sabatini's The Sea-Hawk. I actually finished this earlier in the month, but I don't think I've posted any review. 

This book was available at my favorite price - free- although the copy I read did not have any picture on the cover. Most people prefer Captain Blood over The Sea-Hawk, or so I understand. I'm of the opposite opinion. Contrary to the opinion of the ill-informed, Sabatini's novel is not about a wayward Seattle football player. The first part of the book is a little slow. Sir Oliver is in love, but there are complications. Finally, the brother he was protecting betrays him. Oliver survives as a galley slave, and rises in the ranks to become the Basha's right hand pirate man. Nevertheless, all is not well in the Basha's house, and someone is jealous of Oliver's influence there. Meanwhile, back in Cornwall, Sir Oliver has become the prime suspect in the death of his love's brother, and his apparent flight from justice has strengthened the case against him. It's a fun read of romance and revenge. I particularly enjoy Sabatini's telling of the mind games between Sir Oliver and his antagonists.

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Last but not least, in fact it's east rather than least:

Cedar sent me a copy of this book when I interviewed her a few weeks ago. The East Witch is a tale of an Alaskan woman who is transported to the land of the fae. It's not so much a fairy tale, as a tale of a woman in the land of fairy tales -- Russian and East European fairy tales. It all begins when she releases an elf (or was it a sprite, I can't remember, but he was from the Spruce clan) from a steel trap. The elf transport system goes on the fritz and our heroine encounters Baba Yaga, and soon becomes a murder suspect. I think this will be very popular with the intended audience. It's fast paced and well written. It just doesn't happen to be my particular cup of tea. I gave it 5 stars on goodreads because it is good. Young women, and those interested in the fae or East European fairy tales should love it. I found it exhausting--like I was trapped in the head of a 13 year-old girl--and yet, I'm wondering about reading some of Cedar's other stories.

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Now for something completely different. Promise of Carnage and Flame had a rough week. I didn't get to write as much as I had intended, but I did finish chapter 29. I did have to move and re-write a couple paragraphs. That almost never happens. Usually the story unfolds without requiring me to juggle the order or to re-write things, but this part was a little fuzzy and writing some following paragraphs helped the earlier stuff better come into focus, and I had to go back and make modifications. I may give a sneak-peek of some excerpts from the book in my next newsletter--which you can sign-up for here:

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