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| Alphonse Maria Mucha: Autumn |
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Friday, 2 September 2011
New poem of the month is here...
I know, I didn't change the July poems. It was not the case of poor memory, I was very busy in August. Sorry if anybody noticed and cared. This month I managed to find something special for a change. A poem written by a writer who is not known as a poet but is rather well-known as a novelist. Just go there, read it and tell me what you think! I must say I was charmed instantly by the honesty of that one and yes, the pic below is kind of related :)
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Friday Fiction Flash
Amy C at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie atTink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you publish your Fiction Flash on Friday - 350 words, give or take. Below you can find the picture posted last Monday:
What could be done? I had to write a new story! I promise it will be relatively short and I will try to finish it.
Nothing was better than great golden oaks growning among enchanted fields. They were home of so many animals that every hunter, seeing one, was almost sure of a catch. It was practically a matter of when rather than if. Verran, seeing one, smiled. It was late but not too late - all she had to do was to get closer, prepare some snares, find a comfortable bough and wait.
She went hunting to relax and distract her attention from the problems surrounding her like the thick folliage of that majestic monster of a tree. It was time for her to get married. She didn't wish to do so but her mother has already found a suitable man and chose the date. Tomorrow. Verran had no say in it unless she committed herself to a lifelong service of the Goddess. She didn't want to do that either. Priestesses couldn't hunt and rarely travelled for one thing and she enjoyed every moment of it.
A white squirrel run past her snare. Verran smiled. She wanted to impress her family for the last time and catch something bigger and more dangerous so squirrel was definitely safe tonight. Small animals were just for children or beginners. She close her eyes and focused. She saw a dark shape among the leaves, way above her. A black panther. It was it - a prey worth her skills, as dangerous and canny as herself.
She centered all her attention on that beautiful, nimble predator, drawing it to her with elven mesmer powers, luring it into approaching her snare. The cat looked straight into her eyes and she felt an unexpected pang of grief. The animal was so luscious and graceful. Saddened by her own deadly plans - how pathetic it sounded? She was falling apart but despite her anger at herself she decided to save the pather's life. Yes, she will return home with empty hands and her head hung low in shame, her fierce pride making her blush. She will cry while agreeing with her mother's final argument for marrying her off- her being not really good for anything else.
A sudden shimmer of air and a wave of heat made her look up. The panther was sitting right above her, far more comfortable than any wild animal had a right to be facing another predator. She heard his voice in her head. A voice without words, just images and suggestions. Let's not return. Let's go to the mountains, hunt together and get away from it all. Let's keep only each other's company. Let's terrorize smaller animals around and share hot, fresh meat of the victims.Verran smiled although there were tears in her eyes. She said aloud: "agreed" and the cat understood her instantly, purring with content, rubbing against her shoulder. She followed it out of the tree and towards the mountains, as happy as a lark.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
I am guest posting - come along and say hi!
I would like you to know that I am guest posting this week on the blog of Laura Sullivan, the author of Brightwing. I am presenting one of my favourite English words. If you want to know what it is and why come along following this link - it would be really lovely if you comment as well!
You are also very welcome to participate - just contact Laura and write a story about your favourite word ! It is fun!
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Mini review: The Summoner (Dominic Gray 01) by Layton Green
Book form: e-book, Kindle edition
Published December 8th 2010 (first published December 6th 2010)
Genre: thriller, adventure, mystery novel
Synopsis:
Harare, Zimbabwe. William Addison, an American embassy employee, is missing – allegedly he and his local girlfriend attended a religious ceremony after which he simply disappeared in front of hundreds of onlookers in a whiff of smoke. As he was a close friend and a golf buddy of the ambassador himself and the local police, understaffed and underpaid, can’t and/or don’t want to cope with such a mysterious case, Dominic Grey, a Diplomatic Security special agent, is ordered to investigate. Adding the investigation is a Czech religious phenomenology professor, Viktor Radek, and the local government liaison, Nya Mashumba.
Soon enough Grey uncovers crimes which can be traced back to a terrifying ancient cult and quite contemporary local mobsters, both of them ruthless, deadly and hell-bent to achieve their goals and kill him in the process. Will his violent, abusive childhood, martial art training and diplomatic connections allow him to get to the truth in time? Will he be able to protect the others?
What I liked:
One of the huge assets of this book was the fact that Zimbabwe felt very real, with its problems, poverty, crime, inflation, fauna and flora, culture etc. Somehow you can always tell whether or not the author has personally visited and explored the country he/she is writing about, even if you haven’t been to the country in question yourself. Here the answer to that question was definitely a yes. I might not have a chance to visit Zimbabwe so I was even more eager to dwell on every tidbit about the local culture and atmosphere. It was an interesting journey and it made this book more original than the usual fare.
The premise was interesting as well – few authors bother with religion-based crime and cults because, let’s face it, religion is a sensitive topic. Even if you don’t mean any harm some people will be outraged/offended anyway. Mr. Green put an appropriate disclaimer at the end of the story just in case – a proof that he knows how delicate a topic can it be. Still he managed to balance things nicely, at least in my very humble opinion, bringing up interesting issues of the power of faith and boundaries of our mind. Well done!
The research on Yoruba religions and Juju was impressive, detail-rich and absolutely persuading, exceeding the usual standards of such novels. I enjoyed it as African folklore is not exactly a well-known topic, definitely not as popular as European mythologies.
The pace of the narration was as fast as I like, with several twists and turns; the mystery – not so easy to solve. I swallowed this one in two evenings and I liked the way it was written.
What I didn’t like:
If only the psychological portraits of main characters were more profound I would be very pleased indeed. Unfortunately they weren’t, despite the offered background. The book is clearly plot-driven, not character-driven and it’s a pity. Let’s say just this: most of the characters had potential which was left unexplored.
Dominic was a bit too stiff to be totally likeable, not to mention his paramour, Miss Mashumba, who seemed to be a classic case of an introverted little clam. I know, I know, she has been mourning her late father; still her pain was not so terribly acute to prevent a little romance…and do not let me start on baddies who remained cardboard-flat and ugly, every single one of them…on the other hand I do hope not all is lost yet, there is at least one more book available; perhaps I will be able to warm to Dominic Gray, his beautiful Nya and even the mysterious, and a bit stodgy Victor.
Final verdict with a warning:
For the second time I was surprised that such a good book didn’t find a publisher – the Summoner is certainly better and more original than the average fare I have had the opportunity to get acquainted with. I will gladly continue reading this series. If you’re in the mood for an intriguing thriller, give it a try!
For those who are squeamish about torture scenes: there are some parts of this book that might make you uncomfortable to say the least of it. They are not very bad, not nearly the worst I’ve read, but bad enough. Here, you have been forewarned.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Mini review: Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
I got this book as a gift from my good friend, The Red Witch – thank you very much my dear, I do appreciate!
Book info:
Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: Harcourt
ISBN: 0151014248
Language: English
Target audience: adults
Genre: fantasy, historical fiction
Summary (from Goodreads):
Lavinia grows up knowing nothing but peace and freedom, until she turns eighteen and the suitors come. Her mother wants her to marry her cousin, the handsome, ambitious Turnus. But omens and prophecies spoken by the sacred springs say she must marry a foreigner—that she will be the cause of a bitter war—and that her husband will not live long. She is visited by Vergil as an oracle, experiencing a kind of time travel. When a fleet of Trojan ships sails up the Tiber, Lavinia decides to take her destiny into her own hands. And so she tells us what Vergil did not: the story of her life, and of the love of her life which she lost only too early.
What I liked:
First, the idea to present ancient Rome at its very beginning, when it practically didn’t exist as a town, let alone a country, fascinated me. I haven’t read Vergil’s the Aeneid but I was roughly aware what it is about and I wanted to find out more. Le Guin made the obscure world of Bronze Age Italy a place one can feel and taste, a place where the influence of oracles and gods is clearly felt and people live in full accordance with nature and its forces. It is obvious the authoress did a lot of research concerning the daily life and early religious beliefs of proto-Romans and she created a very believable vision of their world which I enjoyed.
The narration was slow and a bit detached but with that mesmerizing, very reflexive, watchful quality of a fairy tale. Overall not unpleasant but still not fully satisfying…ok, you can finds my complaints below.
The main heroine, Lavinia, is also a huge asset here – she goes from meek, unquestioning, submissive maiden to someone who learns to stand up for herself and her child and lead others. She can be called a kick-ass heroine, for sure; she is determined to make her own choices but also fully aware of her own ficitionality.
What I didn’t like:
It is not exactly a fault but I felt that you cannot read this novel and fully appreciate it without having read Vergil's poem; what’s more, you really ought to have read it recently. Although I knew the outlines of the story of Aeneas sometimes I had to stop reading and remind myself about some details. So be warned: LeGuin's book is less a novel than a commentary in unconventional because fantasy-scented form. If you haven’t heard about Vergil, Troy and/or Aeneid, you might feel a bit lost.
Also, having read books with very complicated, dynamic plot lines previously I wished for two things reading Lavinia: more action and more linear narration. I must admit there was very little plot and you got flashes from the future in between. No surprising twists and turns in this one – something which took off the edge, making me less eager to finish this book because I (and the main heroine as well) had been told what would happen even before the action was actually described. I kept waiting for the climax and somehow I missed it.
Finally I would like to see more of Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro), apparently a poet with an interesting biography.
Final verdict:
This was still a very fine, intelligent piece of work, and a pleasure to read, definitely encouraging me to try other LeGuin books.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Friday Flash Fiction
Amy C at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie atTink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you publish your Fiction Flash on Friday - 350 words, give or take. Below you can find the picture posted last Monday:
After running from her mother's palace Alayne has been sulking for hours, sitting on her favourite glade, picking flowers or kicking them in fury. It didn't bring her the peace of mind she looked for. Her white doves kept her company, pestering her for food. They were always ravenous when she was angry, stupid birds. Why couldn't she have a falcon or an owl at her disposal? The answer was that her mother made her choose white doves, such nice, innocent birds, perfectly fit for a high-born, delicate maiden. Alayne snorted. If only people knew the real nature of doves - how they fight stray pigeons and even their own adult progeny mercilessly, how gluttonous they are, and how many times she had to change her dress and even wash her head just because one of these sweet white doves shat on her publicly, making people laugh and point and comment... Sometimes she hated them as much as she hated her mother and today she gave one of them such a solid swat when nobody was looking, that it was left unconscious on the floor of her room. She didn't care. Still her anger didn't recede.
How dared they ask her such a thing? It was true that her gifts were rather unique and her mother had previously announced several times that she, her princess daughter, had to make up her mind and finally share some of her powers but Alayne was never one for sharing. It was her who the goddess had chosen all these years ago, her gifts were her birthright and nobody should interfere, shouldn't they? So what the forests were dying somewhere in a distant kingdom? They should have kept them in a better order in their own best interest. So what they came to the court, begging, grovelling and cajoling her mother into sending Alayne with them? Nobody asked her view as if she was merely a clever dog or a pretty horse, or a slave. Apart from that Alayne knew that it was enough to agree one time and soon her mother would make her actually work for her upkeep, sending her to and fro, trading her gifts for different favours, alliances and money.
There was just one person who used to stand by her side and protect her from the Queen's rapacious appetites. Her father. Unfortunately currently he lived far, far away and never seemed to be too inclined to visit. Small wonder, last time he went to see his daughter, her mother made an attempt on his life during the farewell feast. Alayne wanted to run away with him but her mother, devious as ever, aticipated her move; she imprisoned her and kept closed in dungeons as long as it took to break her will. The problem was that Alayne couldn't live pernamently in an enclosed space, be it a palace or a simple hut. Without using her powers, touching the trees and grass, she would go mad. Her mother demanded from her a sacred oath on the goddess that she would never ever leave her mother's kingdom without specific orders. She was young, feeble, panicky and stupid. She agreed. All these years she has hoped against all odds that her father somehow would find a way for her to weasel out of this oath and set her free. In vain. He just has asked her over and over again to be patient and wait.
All of a sudden she heard some hooves. A young man on a horse was approaching fast, a winsome smile on his face. She was less than impressed. Another suitor or supplicant, sent by her mother to make her more inclined to cooperate. She frowned.
"Stop where you are and don't move or you will get hurt!"
"I am an envoy from your father, princess Alayne, I came..."
"Don't you dare lie to me!"
With one casual flick of her hand she made her doves into white feathered bullets which attacked the rider and sent him to earth. Although he fell he fought them with a desperate efficiency. A dove's beak can do a lot of damage to your face but he knew what to do with his fists to stun or kill all the birds attacking him. Now she was impressed a bit. He turned to her and said:
"I am not lying, I am your father's envoy coming to..."
"...to do what exactly?"
She managed to sound as mean as her mother. Such a voice made people cringe and run for cover but that man just smiled.
"To help you outwit your mother the Queen...and to marry you if I succeed"
That left her truly speechless.
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