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ClareR (6106 KP) rated The Trick to Time in Books

Nov 6, 2018

The Trick to Time

Kit De Waal | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

A surprisingly beautiful novel.

I knew (and hoped) that this was going to be a good book, based on Kit de Waal's previous book 'My Name is Leon'. I have not been let down. I loved this. If it wasn't a library book, I would probably have turned back to the start and begun again.
This is the story of Mona: her life as a child, a young woman and an older woman (in the present day). She moves from Ireland to England to work and find more excitement than the village life she has experienced in Ireland, leaving her father behind (her mother dies when she is young). She meets a young Irish man and marries him. We skip between the present day and her past from chapter to chapter. In the present day, Mona hand makes dolls which she sells online around the world. These wooden dolls are made by 'the carpenter' and Mona makes their clothes. She meets a German 'gentleman' who always seems a little pushy to me (he made me feel uncomfortable).
It's the gradual revelations that really affected me: the hard life she had and the heartache. Such a beautifully written, emotional novel.

Kudos

David McK (3731 KP) rated Hounded in Books

Jan 28, 2019

Hounded

Kevin Hearne | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry

7.1

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

It's hard now-a-days to read urban fantasy without drawing comparisons with Jim Butchers superlative 'Dresden Files' series.

It's even harder when the story is told in the first person, and features a powerful magic-user who deals with all sorts of magical creatures.

That is most definitely the case with Kevin Hearne's 'Hounded' novel, the first in his Iron Druid series (and, I believe, also his first novel). However, unlike Harry Dresden, Atticus O'Sulivan is a centuries old Irish Druid and is already pretty powerful. Also, unlike Dresden, he does not deliberately draw attention to himself ('Wizard for hire'), nor does he have a relationship with the local PD.

Instead, Atticus is doing his best to live the quiet life, trying to stay away from the attention of a Celtic god who has hounded him for centuries and believes that Atticus has stolen a powerful magical sword from him (the sword is in Atticus possession, yes, but not stolen).

All in all, I found this to be a pleasant diversion while waiting for the next Dresden book, and will possibly read a few more to see if I 'grow into' the series any more.