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Eventide 2: Sorcerer's Mirror
Games and Stickers
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FANTASTIC HIDDEN OBJECT PUZZLE ADVENTURE GAME FROM THE CREATORS OF ENIGMATIS AND GRIM LEGENDS! ...
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Frank Lowy: A Second Life
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The brand new second volume of the biography of one of Australia's richest, most active and most...
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Japan's International Fisheries Policy: Law, Diplomacy and Politics Governing Resource Security
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Few nations rely upon the ocean as much as Japan for livelihood, culture and transport. The seas...
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Viking Britain: An Exploration
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A new narrative history of the Viking Age, interwoven with exploration of the physical remains and...
history
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The Essential Guide to Beachcombing and the Strandline
Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher
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From time immemorial people have been drawn to the beach to collect practical resources as well as...
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DJ Muggs recommended Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin in Music (curated)
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Flying Scotsman: A Pictorial History
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Built at Doncaster works in 1923 the Nigel Gresley designed then-A1 class Pacific (4-6-2) first...
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The Devil Aspect
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A terrifying novel set in Czechoslovakia in 1935, in which a brilliant young psychiatrist takes his...
gothic historical fiction thriller suspense murder
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Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated The House of Mountfathom in Books
Jun 30, 2017
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
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Heroes and Landmarks of British Aviation: from Airships to the Jet Age
Peter J. Edwards and Richard Edwards
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Heroes and Landmarks of British Aviation tells the dramatic story of a world leading aviation...