David McK (3425 KP) rated Blood's Game in Books
Jan 30, 2019
This, however, would be the first time I had read one of Donald's novels that concerned a different central character, and that had a different setting: would it, I wondered, be more of the same, or would it have it's own 'feel'?
The answer, I can now say, is the latter.
Replacing Alan-a-Dale with Holcroft Blood, and told in the more traditional her-and-know third-person narrative (instead of the conceit of an elderly Alan recalling his youthful adventures with Robin Hood), this particular novel deals with the (attempted) theft of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of England during the reign of King Charles II, not long after the restoration.
While that (attempted) theft is carried out by Thomas Blood - who was caught red-handed but later, incredibly, was granted a pardon by Charles II - this novel does not have Thomas as the central character: rather, instead, we follow the fortunes of his youngest son Holcroft: a son who, throughout the course of this novel, becomes friends with Sir John Churchill, the future Duke of Marlborough (and Winston Churchill's direct descendant).
Whether true or not, young Holcroft is portrayed in this as suffering from a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, able to easily code and decode correspondence sent to his master The Duke of Buckingham from his various spies and informants: a skill that comes in handy in this tale! I have to say, too, that the court of King Charles II comes across as incredibly decadent, full of scheming and back-stabbing rivals out wholly for themselves ...
I'd be interested in seeing where this series goes, especially as the next entry ([b:Blood's Revolution|36146468|Blood's Revolution|Angus Donald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1504033386s/36146468.jpg|57749834]) concerns itself - at least, according to the blurb at the back of this - with what is (in this country - Northern Ireland - at least) a very divisive and pivotal moment in English history.
Gotham - Season 1
7.9
Rate It
TV Season Watch
As the city sinks deeper into chaos, GOTHAM will continue to follow the evolving stories of the...
Sourdough: A Novel
7.3
Rate It
Book
In his much-anticipated new novel, Robin Sloan does for the world of food what he did for the world...
Fiction
Advanced Methods of Music Therapy Practice: The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, Analytical Music Therapy, and Vocal Psychotherapy
Book
Analytical Music Therapy, The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, Nordoff-Robbins Music...
Erika (17788 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Aug 11, 2018
I actually really liked the renders of Pooh and his friends, and how they looked more like the original drawings by Ernest Shepherd, rather than the Disney-fied version. Disney did not decide to go with modeling Christopher Robin on A.A. Milne's son, which, I was kind of ok with.
I thought all of the actors did a really good job. I'm a huge Hayley Atwell fan, and I was sad that she didn't get more screen time. Ewan MacGregor did very well, and his interactions with Pooh and his friends were pitch-perfect.
Ronnie (304 KP) rated The Case Of The Drowned Pearl in Books
Apr 9, 2020 (Updated Apr 14, 2020)
I really enjoyed just setting aside a short amount of time to just sit down and read ‘The Case Of The Drowned Pearl’ in one go. It was a nice, short, easy read and it was great getting to see a murder investigated from a new angle, with the chapters alternating between Daisy and Hazel’s perspectives.
I can’t wait to read the next Murder Most Unladylike book, although it will be sad bidding a fond farewell to the Detective Society.
A Dictionary of English Folklore
Steve Roud and Jacqueline Simpson
Book
This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand...
An Almost Perfect Christmas
Book
'This book is the seasonal garnish we all need' Observer "My mother is not a foodie. But for as...
humour
The Lone Ranger on Radio, Film and Television
Book
The Lone Ranger has endured as an iconic figure in American popular culture, from his 1933 premier...
Brutal London: Construct Your Own Concrete Capital
Peter Chadwick, Zupagrafika, Norman Foster and John Grindrod
Book
In this fun and intellectually stimulating book, readers can recreate a number of London's most...