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Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology
Neil Gaiman | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.4 (38 Ratings)
Book Rating
42 of 230
Book
Norse Mythology
By Neil Gaiman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok.

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.


Quick read and so good I really enjoyed Gaimans retellings!
  
Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines #3)
Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines #3)
Philip Reeve | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Third entry in Philip Reeve 's Mortal Engines quartet, set 16 years after the end of Predator's Gold, and which largely shifts the focus away from Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw onto their daughter Wren, whilst also - at least in the first section - finishing off the story of Freya and Caul (the former Lost Boy).

As before, I found this to be uncertain of its own identity: the language and general style of the prose would lead you to believe it was written for children (or even the so-called tweenage audience), but then you get into the 'meat' of the story, with child slavery, death and mutilation all abounding!

Professor Pennyroyal also makes a return, with Hester Shaw herself coming across more - in this - as a complex anti-villain than she did in the previous entries, and with this also seeing the return of the Stalkers Shrike and Fang, both of whom largely drive the plot.

Worth a read, but maybe not the best 'jumping-on' point.
  
The City Changes Its Face
The City Changes Its Face
Eimear McBride | 2025 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I felt that I was carried along on the voice of Eimear McBride as she narrated The City Changes It’s Face. I actually had to check if this was written as some sort of prose-poem because of the cadence, but no. I was hearing it the way it should be read (and here is the number one reason why I love audiobooks).

This is the sequel to The Lesser Bohemians - which I haven’t read. I didn’t feel that I needed to have read it to understand this book, but I will go back and read it, based on how much I enjoyed this.

The style of writing feels experimental, especially when we experience a lengthy description of a film that Stephen makes from the perspective of Eily watching it (I wished I could watch it too).

Obviously, it could be argued that I’ve started my Eimear McBride reading experience in the wrong place, but at least I have somewhere to go next! This novel really made me want to catch up with her previous work.