Sarah by Marek Halter

Sarah (Book One of the Canaan Trilogy)

Rating: * * * *

Sarah’s story begins in the cradle of civilization: the Sumerian city-state of Ur, a land of desert heat, towering gardens, and immense wealth. The daughter of a powerful lord, Sarah balks at the marriage her father has planned for her. On her wedding day, she impulsively flees to the vast, empty marshes outside the city walls, where she meets a young man named Abram, son of a tribe of outsiders. Drawn to this exotic stranger, Sarah spends one night with him and reluctantly returns to her father’s house. But on her return, she secretly drinks a poisonous potion that will make her barren and thus unfit for marriage.

Many years later, Abram returns to Ur and discovers that the lost, rebellious girl from the marsh has been transformed into a splendid woman—the high priestess of the goddess Ishtar. But Sarah gives up her exalted life to join Abram’s tribe and follow the one true God, an invisible deity who speaks only to Abram. It is then that her journey truly begins.

From the great ziggurat of Ishtar to the fertile valleys of Canaan to the bedchamber of the mighty Pharaoh himself, Sarah’s story reveals an ancient world full of beauty, intrigue, and miracles.

- Random House

This was a highly enchanting book with just the right amount of fantasy, history, spirituality, sexuality and fiction to be a constantly engaging read. Halter chooses an interesting perspective for his book – that of a pagan Sarai and her journey to and with Abram – and it is this perspective that makes Sarah so compelling. Rarely do people view Sarah as the woman who had been a part of a pagan religion, who must have still been extremely attractive when meeting the Pharaoh, who must have cursed her barren womb, who fought her bitter jealousy of her handmaid Hagar, who stayed by Abram’s side as he became Abraham.

Sarah sets itself apart from other historical fiction in its mingling of supernatural atmosphere and embellished historical research. God, as Abraham’s deity, is not overwhelmingly represented in the book – in fact, as only Abraham is able to speak with him, he seems almost non-existent.

The only true downfall of this story is the characters’ weaknesses and flaws. At times, it is quite easy to dislike Abram or berate Sarai’s foolishness, but that is what eventually brings each character to life. Halter’s gift is the enviable ability to tell reality through fantasy.

Recommended.

& ElizabethC

The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

The Shipping News
[has been made into a motion picture starring Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett]

Rating: * * * * *

At thirty-six, Quoyle, a third-rate newspaperman, is wrenched violently out of his workaday life when his two-timing wife meets her just deserts. He retreats with his two daughters to his ancestral home on the starkly beautiful Newfoundland coast, where a rich cast of local characters all play a part in Quoyle’s struggle to reclaim his life. As three generations of his family cobble up new lives, Quoyle confronts his private demons – and the unpredictable forces of nature and society – and begins to see the possibility of love without pain or misery.

A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary American family, The Shipping News shows why E. Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today.

- back cover

One of the most delightful reading experiences is to begin a novel that contains such misery and provides a tortured view of a pathetic existence, to lament that this book will only continue in that path and serve to fully depress, to almost lay it down from sheer fright of the future pages, and then to suddenly, magically, find that the novel is quite possibly one of the best you have ever read.

Quoyle is a tragic figure, not because he truly means to be, but because his circumstances and upbringing mold him into one. Proulx’s genius is illustrated by her steady yet subtle transformation of his character while surprising readers with his innate goodness (originally hidden by every fault). And this novel is a classic example of the reason one must have the negatives – to fully appreciate the positives. Without the atrocious wife, Petal Bear, one could not fully grasp Quoyle; without Quoyle’s deadbeat father and brother, one could not understand Quoyle’s aunt; without all the tribulations in the story, one could not love the children, Bunny and Sunshine.

The Shipping News is a book that tugs at heartstrings without hurting the reader. It is a story that transforms its characters as well as its audience, leaving a message not of pain and suffering, but of hope, love and justice.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll

The Dark Queen

Rating: * * *

From Brittany’s misty shores to the decadent splendor of Paris’s royal court, one woman must fulfill her destiny–while facing the treacherous designs of Catherine de Medici, the dark queen.

She is Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, one of the Cheney sisters, renowned for their mystical skills and for keeping the isle secure and prosperous. But this is a time when women of ability are deemed sorceresses, when Renaissance France is torn by ruthless political intrigues, and all are held in thrall to the sinister ambitions of Queen Catherine de Medici. Then a wounded stranger arrives on Faire Isle, bearing a secret the Dark Queen will do everything in her power to possess. The only person Ariane can turn to is the comte de Renard, a nobleman with fiery determination and a past as mysterious as his own unusual gifts.

Riveting, vibrant, and breathtaking, The Dark Queen follows Ariane and Renard as they risk everything to prevent the fulfillment of a dreadful prophecy–even if they must tempt fate and their own passions.

- target.com

A fantasy story with potential is like a vanilla milkshake with crushed Oreo bits. For the first few sips, you’re in heaven – nothing tastes this good, surely. [And you don't even like chocolate, normally.] But half-way in, you’re thinking maybe you’re in way over your head. It tastes indistinguishable now – all you can sense is sugar. By the end, you’re telling yourself you should never, never get that drink again.

A week later, you return to the cafe. “Oh yeah, I’ll get that vanilla milkshake with Oreo bits again, I think it was good last time…”

The Dark Queen is the ultimate vanilla shake with Oreo bits, the ultimate fantasy tale – even action’s included, mind! – with the greatest potential. Potential which, half-way in, sputters and drops limply to the floor. What the hell happened?

Ariane, possibly the greatest lady of the earth alive now, does nothing remarkable. The only time she really does anything (besides unremarkable CPR) is to dabble in slightly dark magic – highly uncharacteristic and absolutely pointless plot-wise – to complain to her mother about her life problems. Even after her dead mother asks her not to. Three times she disobeys. Three pointless times so she can b—- and moan to her heart’s content, never mind that her mother asked her not to summon her, never mind that this dark magic could possibly stain her soul (the effects of which, obviously, are never addressed), never mind what this does to the natural balance of magic (seriously, if you’re going to label something as dark magic, you should have some sort of balance between “good” and “bad” or else there’s no need for these labels).

And that’s only just the female protagonist. When you add her two confused sisters – one weakly set on revenge and one just plain stupid, though young – as well as the evil witch Catherine, who, let’s face it, is about as scary as cottage cheese, you’re wondering if the Oreo bits have disintegrated into your shake. Ah – and just to shake it up a bit more – the lovely, dashing male is not so much lovely or dashing as muddled and a bit too “gallant” for anyone’s tastes. He started off as a right git, attempting to force Ariane’s hand in marriage, and then…well, he started keeping secrets that aren’t really secrets – but since Carroll thinks they are, we just nod and scratch our heads – and after that he rapidly began losing appeal.

And when you look back at the cover of the book and realize this book is titled after “evil witch” Catherine, whom, as we stated, is no scarier than cottage cheese, you have to wonder where it’s all leading.

And then you realize it’s leading up to nowhere.

So much potential…it’s a shame, really. If you truly must read it, stop after male and female enter water. Because, honestly, that’s as good as it gets.

On the fence. [But teetering a bit on the dangerous side of said fence.]

& ElizabethC

Mrs. Pollifax Series, by Dorothy Gilman, Books 3 & 4

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax
[audiobook version, read by Barbara Rosenblat]

Mrs. Pollifax is sent to Bulgaria with a shipment of false passports for a group of resistance members who are in imminent danger of being arrested by the secret police. On the way, she speaks with a young man who is part of a group also going to Bulgaria. He seems not to want to go, but does so anyway.

Once there, she sets out to find her contact and to find a way of evading the young woman who has been sent by the state travel bureau as her minder. She runs into the girlfriend of the young man she spoke with earlier, and it turns out that he has been arrested for espionage. He is the son of a Bulgarian emigrant who has done well for himself in America and is being held for ransom by a general who is trying to topple the government.

Soon, the two women are embroiled in a mad scheme to rescue the young man and several of the intended recipients for the passports, from a high-security prison, aided only by a small group of ageing resistance men and an American spy.

- allreaders.com

&

A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax
[audiobook version, read by Barbara Rosenblat]

The CIA send Mrs. Pollifax undercover to a Swiss health resort to try to track down a shipment of stolen plutonium that appears to have been sent there. Once there, she befriends a young boy who appears to be mortally afraid of someone or something. She also catches a jewel thief in the act of trying to steal her exensive-looking imitation jewellery.

When her contact on the hotel staff is murdered just before he was going to meet her, things start heating up. But before she can discover the murderer and the plutonium, Mrs. Pollifax intends to find out why her little friend is so afraid and why his grandmother seems to be under guard. She recruits the jewel thief and they start sniffing around for clues, and before too long, Mrs. Pollifax, the boy and the jewel thief have uncovered a deadly secret that puts them all in danger.

- allreaders.com

Rating: * * * *

I chose to review these two books in the Pollifax series together, as that is how I view them in my mind. Separately, they are not as remarkable as the previous two books in the series, and that is what disappointed me when listening.

Perhaps it was just Rosenblat (the narrator) who deliberately chose to make Carstairs seem overly-rough and monotone at the beginning of the third book, but whether or not that was how Gilman envisioned it, that long and dry conversation almost put me off listening to the third book. Thankfully, I persevered, and the story was delightful as always – yet it didn’t resound in my head for a while afterward.

In Elusive, Mrs. Pollifax eventually meets Tsanko, and their brief interaction managed to tug my heart, in a good way. Gilman uses the same lovable “random” meetings between Mrs. Pollifax and others on her journeys to her missions in both books, and I found myself seeking reassurance in that familiar serendipity.

Only when combining both books could I successfully remember the characters in my mind, and be able to view the entire story with more clarity. While not as utterly charming as their predecessors, both books deserve to be read or heard, and Rosenblat once again illustrates her envious skill with accents. And the introduction of new characters that are delightfully witty (ie: Robin in A Palm) are assured to reappear later for more adventures with the ever-surprising Mrs. Pollifax.

Recommended.

& ElizabethC

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

One Thousand White Women

Rating: * * * * *

One thousand white women – that was the demand of the Northern Cheyenne, led by Little Wolf. One thousand white women to bear the next generation of Cheyenne, to teach Little Wolf’s people the life which they were expected to soon live among the white people. A preposterous request – they would be exchanged for one thousand wild and tamed horses – and one which the civilized would never dream of granting.

And yet women volunteered in droves – to explore, to christianize the “savages,” to seek freedom from asylums and prisons, to escape…

The sign of an amazing novel is that its content can address harsh topics such as rape, murder, infanticide and betrayal yet still be remembered fondly and soberly. It was difficult to read, true, but I could not put it down – the unfailing courage and difficult choices continued to surprise and capture me.

All the characters were highly satisfactory – none were god-like in quality but the evil were evil and the good simply humans with real, understandable faults. By focusing much of the perspective on May, the struggles between the Cheyenne and the “whites” were truly portrayed without bias. Fergus sugarcoats nothing, preferring to illustrate each civilization as fully as possible, and leave it to the reader to lay or reserve judgment.

I picked this book up without knowing what its subject matter would be – there was no summary on the back – but it immediately stole my attention, keeping me engrossed until its end.

If you choose to read this, be prepared for a heavy but extremely memorable read.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest
[BBC dramatisation (sic) featuring Judi Dench, Miriam Margoyles, Martin Clunes, and more]

Rating: * * *

The Importance of Being Earnest is a classic comedy of manners in which two flippant young men, in order to impress their respected beloveds, pretend that their names are “Ernest,” which both young ladies believe confers magical qualities on the possessor. It was first performed for the public on February 14, 1895 at the St. James’ Theatre in London, and is regarded by many critics and scholars as being the wittiest play in the English language.

- Wikipedia

This BBC full-cast recording covers the third and fourth acts of the comedic play, a fact for which I was grateful. It took me three times to buck up and finish listening to the recording, even if the dialogue was wildly humourous at times. I don’t know if I’d have managed finishing it at all if it had included the previous two acts as well.

I believe the difficulty lay in the rather stilted interlude of dialogue between Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench) and “Ernest” Jack Worthing (Martin Clunes, I believe) in the beginning of the recording. Dench seemed a bit confined, a little slow. “Ernest” felt boring throughout. I’m happy to say, though, that Dench’s part improved in the second half – I’m rather a partial fan of hers. And it pains me that something so celebrated by critics is, in my mind, a bit stale. “A handbag?” for me was not wildly comic, but rather painful. Some moments that should have caused for hilarity were unable to produce the proper reaction from me.

Like many works of the time, the dialogue moves well enough, but the pace of the plot seemed at a stand-still too many times for my own liking, until the middle of the fourth act. [I understand it is considered a classic, but I am allowed to find fault in it according to my own tastes, am I not? Or at least to dislike it on its own standing, rather than the standing given to it by many other reviewers.]

The ending was highly predictable, of course, but by then I had no desire of knowing what would happen with the young couples, for I despised both girls and rolled my eyes at the men. I do not quite think disgust with his characters was the main intention of Wilde, and so I’m left a bit disappointed with my impressions of this recording. I understand the satirical nature of the play, but it didn’t seem to really reach out and grab me through the dramatisation.

When all’s said, certain brilliant exchanges of dialogue save this recording, and are the only reason why I give it a mostly favorable review. People should experience it once, but most likely never again.

On the fence.

& ElizabethC

The Circle of Magic [Quartet] by Tamora Pierce

The Circle of Magic (Sandry’s Book, Tris’s Book, Daja’s Book, Briar’s Book)

Rating: * * * * *

The series tell the story of four children, Sandrilene fa Toren, Trisana Chandler, Daja Kisubo and Briar Moss, who are discovered and brought together by a powerful mage Niko and told that they are “ambient mages,” which means that they use magic from outside themselves. The four youths do not fit in with the other children of the monastic community to which Niko brings them, and are put together in a separate cottage.

Here they each learn of their hidden talents; Sandry with thread, Tris with weather, Daja with fire and metal, and Briar with plants. They live with the two mages Lark, a gentle woman especially attentive to Sandry since she also has thread magic, and Rosethorn, a sharp woman who shares Briar’s ability with plants. Also teaching and guiding them is Niko, technically Tris’s teacher, but available to all four. Daja is mentored and guided by Dedicate Initiate Frostpine, a smith mage. Their teachers, with the exception of Niko, are also ambient mages.

At first it seems that a merchant, a street rat, a noblewoman, and a Trader (a trading race that is often hated by others) will never get along, but an extraordinary circumstance brings them together. They are all powerful individually, but they discover that together they are even stronger. Through an earthquake, they realize their full potential and are bound closely together forever. As children skilled in an uncommon magic, they struggle to earn the respect of the adults they encounter.

- Wikipedia

At first, I was highly reluctant to begin this quartet, as it would probably have dealed with the normal, rather annoying teenage problems many other young adult books seem bound to address (I’ve only just escaped those wretched teenage years, so I’d rather not have to re-live them again, thank you very much). On fourth glance, though, I forced myself to give the books a try, beginning with Sandry’s Book (book 1).

It blew my expectations.

Pierce, in a seemingly brilliant move, placed very little time changes between the four books in this quartet, and begins with four thirteen-year-olds. Normally, that would be cause for a bit of groans and skipped pages, but these highly irregular children are each wonderfully down-to-earth and a joy to read about. Their conjoined abilities and fascinating adventures make each book a page-turner, and the entire quartet a must-read.

The first book and the last book were perhaps the weakest in terms of overall strength, but made up for this in other ways. The first, by producing such a strong connection between the four children and laying down the groundwork for the rest of the novels. The last, for quite efficiently concluding their adventures (at least in this particular quartet) with appropriate attention and plot.

Overall, the quartet was wonderful to read and a joy to discover. The characters remain alive long after the books are read, each magnificent in her – or his – own way.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

Mrs. Pollifax Series, by Dorothy Gilman, Book 2

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
[audiobook version, read by Barbara Rosenblat]

Rating: * * * * *

When Emily Pollifax answers the phone that Sunday morning, she quickly forgets all about her Garden Club tea that afternoon. For the voice on the other end belonged to a man she had never seen, a man from the CIA who asked her if she could leave immediately on a mission that would take her halfway across the world! What could Mrs. Pollifax say but yes?

- Random House

A year after Mrs. Pollifax’s first courier mission to Mexico (and, unexpectedly, Albania), she is called up to travel to Turkey. In this novel, Gilman continues her delightful tale-spinning of the adventures of Mrs. Pollifax, including the elements that made the first book such an engaging read.

The humor and barely noticeable moral explorations are again implemented here, complementing the action and suspense surrounding Mrs. Pollifax’s supposedly innocuous assignment. Her amusing tangents to her mission (involving the admirable Colin Ramsey) produce a constant source of surprise and attentiveness in readers – or, in this case, listeners.

As always, Rosenblat’s narration is amazing, creating a rich source of audio imagery to support Mrs. Pollifax’s writing, and setting a wonderful pace for the novel to unravel beautifully.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep A Secret?

Rating: * * * *

With the same wicked humor, buoyant charm, and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international best sellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious new novel and an unforgettable new character. Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets…until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.

But come Monday morning, Emma’s office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn’t possibly get worse. Until they do.

- audible.com

Written with dry wit and humor, Can You Keep A Secret? is engaging in a light, satisfactory manner. Other reviewers add that the belief in reality must be suspended while undertaking the reading of this particular novel. Once that has happened, however, it is fanciful to suppose that a story like this could happen to someone, and the author spins that fancy into a lovely, sweet romance. Kinsella creates a dashing, charming and highly successful CEO that strives to capture our hearts as well as he has captured Emma’s.

The novel is not without its faults – the “necessary drama” that must always unravel itself in such a novel of course occurs, taking its shape in the spilling of secrets and sudden mistrust. For some, it may create a bit of an unsatisfactory ending (though the story, of course, ends happily). Yet the ride (both literal and figurative) is special and brings to the uneventful Emma’s life much excitement.

Recommended.

& ElizabethC

The Immortals [Quartet] by Tamora Pierce

The Immortals (Wild Mage, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods)

Rating: * * * * *

Wild Magic – Daine, a 13-year-old girl, finds out her knack with wild animals is in fact a rare and powerful form of magic. Under the guidance of the mage Numair Salmalin she learns to control her magic, which proves very important for herself and her companions. This first novel in the quartet also reunites us briefly with the protagonist of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau, formerly Alanna of Trebond.

Wolf-Speaker – Reuniting with the wolf pack she previously lived with, Daine discovers that the destruction of the valley the pack lives in is connected with a treasonous conspiracy against her adopted king and country.

Emperor Mage – Daine joins a delegation of Tortallan diplomats sent to Carthak, where she finally meets the Emperor Ozorne, of whom she has heard so much. Daine is caught up in a strange battle involving displeased gods and strange magics.

The Realms of the Gods– Caught in a mysterious attack, Daine and Numair are snatched into the Divine Realms, where they meet Daine’s parents (her father is a minor god of the hunt and when her mother died he brought her into the Divine Realm) and struggle to make their way back to Tortall, where war is raging again. This book takes place in both the Divine (immortal) and mortal realms.

- Wikipedia

Perhaps my favorite quartet by Tamora Pierce, the four novels track the fantastic adventures of Daine and her interesting companions throughout a span of years and locales. This particular quartet takes place sometime after the Song of the Lioness quartet, drawing up characters (and locations) from the Lioness.

The plot moves well, constantly holding the reader’s attention. At every turn there is something new, something intense, something fascinating that Pierce uses to keep open her connections with readers. We’re so drawn into Daine that we feel for her throughout her rage, discoveries, love, etc.

Each novel is strong in its own way, in addressing different features of Daine and her maturity. She’s definitely not annoying, and she’s a heroine in her own right. Her unique powers, in the midst of the world she’s living in, give her such a human, compassionate feel that it’s difficult to put any of the novels down. Truthfully, I read them all back to back.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC