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ClareR (5726 KP) rated Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy #1) in Books

Apr 2, 2019

Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy #1)

Marlon James | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Warning: this is not a book for the faint-hearted! It took concentration and commitment, and most importantly, time. It’s not a book to rush through, and the first 100 pages or so were particularly hard work. I’ll admit I struggled, I persevered, and I am SO glad that I did. It’s like nothing else I’ve read before. Fantasy set in African culture: its raw, and there’s a lot of reference to African myth and folk tales. It’s a fascinating and exciting book; exciting both in the sense of pace (there are lots of fight scenes) and in the sense of originality.
This isn’t an organised band of Merry Men (they’re not all men, and they’re not very merry, to be honest), and they really don’t seem to like one another very much.
Tracker, the main character, is something of an anti-hero. He doesn’t seem to really know why he’s on this quest at the beginning (but that soon changes), he has a low opinion of his fellow companions, and likes nothing better than a good fight and good sex (there is a lot of both). The characters of the Leopard and the children were there to show the softer side of Tracker, I think, although Tracker is as much infuriated by Leopard as he loves him (he wouldn’t admit to that though!)
I can’t wait to see where Marlon James takes this story in the second part of this series. I’ll most definitely be reading it!

Kudos

ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Silence of the Girls in Books

Nov 14, 2018

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

A retelling from a different direction.

This isn't just a straightforward retelling of the Iliad. In fact it's not that at all. This is the story of Briseis (I even googled how to pronounce her name), the queen of one of Troy's neighbouring kingdoms. When her kingdom is sacked by Achilles, she is taken as a slave along with the women and girls who survive, whilst the remaining men and boys are killed. Briseis becomes Achilles concubine - a prize of a battle won.
The violence of war is so graphically described in this novel. Briseis, along with the other slave women, are supposed to care for these mens wounds and fulfil their every (sexual) wish - the very men who had murdered their husbands, fathers and sons.
I've never read a Greek myth from the point of view of the women - they were supposed to be silent. Their stories are forgotten, but Pat Barker brings them to life in this book. We hear their sadness, their worries, their opinions of their masters. I could almost smell the filth, smoke, food and sweat of the Greek camp (in reality, I would imagine that I'd walk in the other direction!).
I've always loved the Greek Myths: I read them as a child and a teenager, and I'm really enjoying the resurgence of these stories at the moment. This novel adds another dimension to these stories, which I really loved. I'd highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hamish Hamilton for my copy of this book.

Kudos

Merissa (12061 KP) rated Tricked Into It (War Of The Myth #3) in Books

Dec 16, 2019

Tricked Into It is the third book in the War of the Myth series, and we get Charlie and Jack's story. Charlie is a human being held captive by Sebastian, her son, Tony, being used to ensure her compliance. Jack is Jack, the ultimate trickster with a secret and a heart of gold, even though he hides it well.

I found this to be extremely well-written, with Charlie's emotions when rescued being spot on. As a mum, I would have tried anything to get back to my child, which is just what Charlie did. Jack does what he can, bending the rules where possible, to help her. He is fighting a losing battle with the 'thing' inside him, and now finding Charlie, he feels like he is losing it.

As always, the characters are brilliant. I did take some time to reconnect with them as it has been a while since the first two books came out. This just meant that I got to learn their witticisms and quirks all over again, which is not a bad thing in my book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story AND the epilogue. If I had anything 'bad' to say it would be that it finished all too quickly for my liking. It certainly left me with questions unanswered! Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!