The Pen Becomes The Sword

Book Reviews, Writing Inspiration and Literary Discussions

[raya-hijazi]

Inside this jar are the title of books I have read.❁

[ieatbooksforbreakfast]

[bibliophilebunny]

[turningpagebooks]

Bookmarks that I’ve bought over the last few months. So pretty.

[nimblesnotebook-blog]

After Life by Joan Didion - In the aftermath of her husband’s death, the master of the essay form meditates on the fragility of life

Three by David Sedaris - A trio of the best Sedaris stories including The Youth in Asia, Jesus Shaves and Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities

Speaking in Tongues by Zadie Smith - “Hello. This voice I speak with these days, this English voice with its rounded vowels and consonants in more or less the right place…”

Feet in Smoke by John Jeremiah Sullivan - “On the morning of April 21, 1995, my elder brother, Worth, put his mouth to a microphone in a garage in Lexington, Kentucky, and was electrocuted.”

Tennis, Trigonometry, Tornadoes by David Foster Wallace - I grew up inside vectors, lines and lines athwart lines, grids - and, on the scale of horizons, broad curving lines of geographic force

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon - I’m a walking regret, a truth-teller, a liar, a survivor, a frowning ellipsis, a witness, a dreamer, a teacher, a student, a joker, a writer whose eyes stay red, and I’m a child of this nation

The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison - A medical actor writes her own script

Peculiar Benefits by Roxane Gay - Until visiting Haiti, I had no idea what poverty really was or the difference between relative and absolute poverty

Thanksgiving in Mongolia by Ariel Levy - Adventure and heartbreak at the edge of the earth

Night by Tony Judt - At first I felt a desperate need for the reassurance of light, company, and the simple comforts of human intercourse…

[thepenbecomesthesword]

Book Review:  "Home from the Sea" by Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes Lackey is a classic name in the fantasy genre, and if you haven’t read any of her books, you should.  She is a prolific writer, having an impressive repertoire of 100 books.  It’s a great sea of stories that would make any fantasy fan faint with excitement, but it is a long list to work through.  Her Elemental Masters series revolves around a world of magic that weaves around the world of the 20th century, and stars a menagerie of fierce and complicated women.

Home from the Sea is about Mari Prothero, the devoted daughter of Daffyd Prothero, a Welsh fisherman notable in their community for having obscene amounts of luck on the water.  There is never a time where he comes home empty handed, even in the worst squalls.  This stems from an ancient bargain, made between a Prothero ancestor and a local community of Selch, sea creatures that live as men and seals.  Each generation of Protheros would take a Selch bride or groom, and their children would be split between staying on land to continue the family name, or being taken into the water to become a full Selch.  Mari becomes an unwilling participant in this family bargain, but she also struggles with seeing strange creatures, creatures that have been guiding her since she was young.  Creatures that no one else seems to see.  At the same time, the magicians in London recieve word that a power water mage is in Wales, and a pair of investigators are sent to find them.

The best part of Home from the Sea definitely stems from the trio of ladies that drive the plot.  Mari is a smart, headstrong, passionate woman, and her growth as a person and a mage is fascinating to follow.  She goes from dutiful daughter, to angry betrothed, to happy wife and mother, all the while growing into a powerful water mage.  The breadth of her emotions made her a dynamic driving force of the plot and a empathetic figure to follow.  When she was angry at her father for hiding the Selch bargain from her, I was angry with her.  When she despaired at having her family torn from her by both the Selch and the human authorities, I despaired alongside her.  

Along with Mari, there are the two investigators sent to find and guide her, Sarah and Nan, who are anything but traditional Victorian ladies.  Lackey highlights a lots of issues surrounding women, particularly for the time period.  Mari, Nan, and Sarah all have to plan out their every move so that the local gossips don’t spread rumors about their character as “good girls.”  Sarah and Nan also struggle with their roles in society, with Nan remarking that they have limited options for an occupation.  Mari also stands up to the men that are determined to dictate the course of her life.  

One criticism I have of the book is that the reader is assumed to have read the previous books in the series, even though the series isn’t quite a linear storyline.  The Elemental Masters books take place in the same world, and many characters repeatedly appear in multiple books, in varying capacities.  However, each storyline is its own contained entity.  I have read several of the Elemental Masters books out of order, and everything makes perfect sense.  Lackey is not only a masterful storyteller, crafting a living, breathing world, but can unite different storylines under one larger universe.  Another thing I would have liked to see was more of Mari's education as a mage.  Lackey does go into her training enough to make narrative sense, but I assume that a mage's training is covered more extensively in previous novels.  It would have been interesting to see her get fleshed out more as a traditional mage.

Book Review

Plot:  Pass.  The main narrative is easy to follow and flows quickly, but still has weight and substance as a fantasy novel.  It's one story in a wider universe.

Sub-plots:  Pass.  All the subplots feed into the main narrative and the overall sense of a wider world of magic.

Writing Style:  Pass.  Lackey's writing is smooth and flows effortlessly.  It gives the reader the sense that they are watching the scene as it unfolds.

Characters:  Pass.  Mari and the other characters surrounding her are fascinating on their own, but also forge very meaningful relationships with each other.  Additionally, the antagonists are equally fleshed out.

Issues:  Pass.  Lackey is definitely a feminist writer, and many of her novels revolve around dynamic female characters.  This book is no exception.  The women in the book tackle relevant women’s issues that are salient in Victorian England and Wales, but are also still relevant for women today.  Mari also subverts authority in her own unique way, duping both the town constable, who abuses his power, and the leader of the Selch clan, who is violent and unreasonable.

Final Recommendation:  5 / 5  A solid fantasy book with an engaging narrative.  Fantasy fans and Mercedes Lackey fans alike will thoroughly enjoy it.

[thepenbecomesthesword]

Grading Scale for Book Reviews

For each book review, a rating will be given at the end, which is based on a 5 point system.  Each point is given for sufficiently fulfilling each criteria.

Main Plot:  The plot of the novel is interesting and flows well.  Simple narratives are punchy and dynamic, while complicated narratives never become too confusing and wrap up with a satisfying conclusion that ties up loose ends.

Sub-plots:  Sub-plots are used to support the main narrative and effectively develop characters, showing more nuanced sides.  

Writing Style:  The author crafts a story that is relatively easy to read.  The story doesn't drag due to purposefully inflated scenes or an irritating or weak authorial voice. 

Engaging Characters:  Characters are well fleshed out and develop over the course of the story.   

Overall Message and Addressed Issues:  The central theme or message of the novel comes through effectively.  Additionally, the book addresses social issues that are relevant to the time period the book is written, or allows for discussion of social topics.

Reviews will be posted with a non-spoiler synopsis, then the review will be under a post cut, which may contain scenes from the novel or discussions of important points and characters.  The final recommendation and rubric will also be under the cut.

[bookriot]

When we don’t know how to write, build a character arc, or solidify a scene, this is the greatest spot to be. Just because you have a pen in your hands or a keyboard underneath your fingertips does not mean that you must treat your prose as if you are its dictator. It’s a constant interaction that may be both disruptive and mind-boggling. This is why surrender is the most beautiful act. It’s when we don’t know how to write that we are forced into this place of “not-knowing.” Our expectations are shattered, but our hopes should never be dashed. Once our minds demolish these limits, we are receptive to our surroundings and that stimuli can make its way to us much more easily than before.

from On Overcoming Writer’s Block by Morgan Jerkins (via bookriot)

[publishersweekly-deactivated202]

The cover of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman

[damienhaaas]

FAMOUS AUTHORS

Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte.

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Project Gutenberg: This famous site has over 27,000 free books online.

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KEIMENA: This page is entirely in Greek, but if you’re looking for modern Greek literature, this is the place to access books online.

Proyecto Cervantes: Texas A&M’s Proyecto Cervantes has cataloged Cervantes’ work online.

Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum: Access many Latin texts here.

Project Runeberg: Find Scandinavian literature online here.

Italian Women Writers: This site provides information about Italian women authors and features full-text titles too.

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Afghanistan Digital Library: Powered by NYU, the Afghanistan Digital Library has works published between 1870 and 1930.

CELT: CELT stands for “the Corpus of Electronic Texts” features important historical literature and documents.

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LibriVox: LibriVox has a good selection of historical fiction.

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Books-On-Line: This large collection includes movie scripts, newer works, cookbooks and more.

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MISC

Banned Books: Here you can follow links of banned books to their full text online.

World eBook Library: This monstrous collection includes classics, encyclopedias, children’s books and a lot more.

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A Celebration of Women Writers: The University of Pennsylvania’s page for women writers includes Newbery winners.

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Prize-winning books online: Use this directory to connect to full-text copies of Newbery winners, Nobel Prize winners and Pulitzer winners.

[eclectic-scriptorium]

Looks like plenty of great resources for books: happy reading!

[yeahwrite]

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[b-ookquotes]

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (via b-ookquotes)

[thepenbecomesthesword]

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