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mgmason_author's Reviews (553)
One year after the events of "Dark Fire", Shardlake and his new assistant Jack Barak travel to York ahead of the Royal entourage where Henry VIII will accept the surrender of the rebels. Cromwell is now dead but Shardlake finds himself accosted by Thomas Cranmer who sends him to York to fulfill a secret mission taking charge of a high profile prisoner. Yet when one of the city's glazier's is found murdered, it leads Shardlake into an intrigue surrounding the contents of some papers, the glazier and the royal family.
The years following Henry VIII's reformation was a tumultuous period and the rebellion in the north gives Sansom a perfect excuse to get out of London and give us the opportunity to "see" Tudor York. Clearly, historical accuracy is important to Sansom and he is careful to craft his story around actual events of the time. Wisely, Henry VIII does not make an appearance yet we feel his presence through firstly Cromwell and then Cranmer.
As with the two previous books in the series, "Sovereign" is constructed well with a deep and engaging plot that creates more layers before you can begin to hope to get answers. "Sovereign" is not as confusing as "Dark Fire" and once again, it is not easy for the reader to figure out the mystery. Sansom stands above many other historically based crime thrillers, this series is amongst the best.
See more book reviews at my blog
The years following Henry VIII's reformation was a tumultuous period and the rebellion in the north gives Sansom a perfect excuse to get out of London and give us the opportunity to "see" Tudor York. Clearly, historical accuracy is important to Sansom and he is careful to craft his story around actual events of the time. Wisely, Henry VIII does not make an appearance yet we feel his presence through firstly Cromwell and then Cranmer.
As with the two previous books in the series, "Sovereign" is constructed well with a deep and engaging plot that creates more layers before you can begin to hope to get answers. "Sovereign" is not as confusing as "Dark Fire" and once again, it is not easy for the reader to figure out the mystery. Sansom stands above many other historically based crime thrillers, this series is amongst the best.
See more book reviews at my blog
Book shops are saturated these days with volumes written by self-styled experts on this or that conspiracy. For some there seems to be no idea too fantastic for the incredulous and inexpert to swindle money out of the gullible.
The Times columnist David Aaronovitch is a flickering candle in a gale of crackpot theories and tackles in fine detail the fantastical conspiracies that so many people come to believe: McCarthyism, 9/11 Truth Movement, David Kelly's death, The Da Vinci Code, the anti Obama "Birther" movement (who claim that he wasn't born in the USA), the Diana conspiracy, Marilyn Monroe and JFK and the root of modern anti-semitism: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Though those of us who will roll their eyes at anybody spouting this stuff will take much enjoyment from Aaronovitch's investigations, I can't see that this will appeal to the sort of people who really ought to be reading it. Aaronovitch notes toward the end that conspiracy theorists are selective and irrational despite claiming to have a monopoly on what they call "open-minded scepticism" and will no doubt dismiss him as part of the conspiracy or having been duped by those who are at the core of it. For the rest of us, this is an informative and often amusing annihilation by one of the country's leading investigative journalists.
Bizarrely, the cover blurb asks 'DID NEIL ARMSTRONG REALLY SET FOOT ON THE MOON?' But this premise has no chapter, it has just a couple of pages in the intro. Strange considering that the other two tantalising questions do have their own chapters.
There is no mention of the furore surrounding the non-issue of Climategate and the right wing media's attempt to discredit climate science as a global transgovernmental conspiracy to limit our freedoms or destroy the capitalist system. Nor is there any reference to the evolutionist conspiracy, the notion that there is scientific proof of supernatural design being brutally suppressed by the "atheist agenda".
A refreshing book for those looking for the facts behind kooky ideas but deep down we all know that this is an exercise in preaching to the converted.
See more of my book reviews at my blog
The Times columnist David Aaronovitch is a flickering candle in a gale of crackpot theories and tackles in fine detail the fantastical conspiracies that so many people come to believe: McCarthyism, 9/11 Truth Movement, David Kelly's death, The Da Vinci Code, the anti Obama "Birther" movement (who claim that he wasn't born in the USA), the Diana conspiracy, Marilyn Monroe and JFK and the root of modern anti-semitism: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Though those of us who will roll their eyes at anybody spouting this stuff will take much enjoyment from Aaronovitch's investigations, I can't see that this will appeal to the sort of people who really ought to be reading it. Aaronovitch notes toward the end that conspiracy theorists are selective and irrational despite claiming to have a monopoly on what they call "open-minded scepticism" and will no doubt dismiss him as part of the conspiracy or having been duped by those who are at the core of it. For the rest of us, this is an informative and often amusing annihilation by one of the country's leading investigative journalists.
Bizarrely, the cover blurb asks 'DID NEIL ARMSTRONG REALLY SET FOOT ON THE MOON?' But this premise has no chapter, it has just a couple of pages in the intro. Strange considering that the other two tantalising questions do have their own chapters.
There is no mention of the furore surrounding the non-issue of Climategate and the right wing media's attempt to discredit climate science as a global transgovernmental conspiracy to limit our freedoms or destroy the capitalist system. Nor is there any reference to the evolutionist conspiracy, the notion that there is scientific proof of supernatural design being brutally suppressed by the "atheist agenda".
A refreshing book for those looking for the facts behind kooky ideas but deep down we all know that this is an exercise in preaching to the converted.
See more of my book reviews at my blog
Quite possibly the most bizarre of Rankin's work I have read so far. His stuff is usually slightly surreal but this doesn't so much tiptoe into the bizarre as go striding in and delight in its own peculiarity.
As a result, this novel will come across to most people as confusing and messy with laughs that are few and far between. Despite its short length (a tad over 300 pages) it is a difficult read that makes it difficult to care about anybody or anything. It also seems to lack overall direction at times with little asides into separate short stories.
The story revolves around Danny who hears the voice of a dog in his head who tells him to do things, some that are bizarre and others that are illegal. As the plot develops it turns out a part parody on conspiracy theories and part alien invasion paranoia story with a few strange asides in between.
Not one of my favourites.
See more book reviews at my blog
As a result, this novel will come across to most people as confusing and messy with laughs that are few and far between. Despite its short length (a tad over 300 pages) it is a difficult read that makes it difficult to care about anybody or anything. It also seems to lack overall direction at times with little asides into separate short stories.
The story revolves around Danny who hears the voice of a dog in his head who tells him to do things, some that are bizarre and others that are illegal. As the plot develops it turns out a part parody on conspiracy theories and part alien invasion paranoia story with a few strange asides in between.
Not one of my favourites.
See more book reviews at my blog
This second book in the 'Earth's Children' series picks up immediately after Ayla's expulsion from the Clan (Neanderthal) at the hands of its cruel new leader 'Broud'. Taking Iza's advice, she heads west toward where she expects to find her own kind, the Others (humans), and after a tentative struggle to survive the ravages of the elements, eventually ends up in a serene valley where she intends to collect her thoughts and learn some basic survival skills.
These elements of the novel are incredibly well researched, though somebody without an interest or knowledge of the period may find it tedious. The tedium is used to good effect, showing the intensity and hard work of her existence through minute detail, and it is reminiscent of Neville's loneliness in Richard Matheson's 'I am Legend'.
Despite being nearly 600 pages, it never feels overwritten or drawn out and the richness of the descriptions of daily life for Ayla is animated and very much full of passion. Jondalar is surprisingly likeable and human society and religion in Ice Age Europe emphasises a real difference between humans and our Neanderthal cousins.
Where the book falls down though is the mere hint of the esoteric. I don't mind fantasy elements in novels like this, but Auel is incredily half-arsed about it. There is a lot less of it in this than in the first but it does feel slightly out of place and superficial with no real point.
The other problem with this is the seemingly unending list of inventions of Ayla, who, amongst other things tames a cave lion. Amusing at first, it becomes increasingly silly. At this rate, this palaeolithic supermodel-cum-warrior-princess will be inventing the combustion engine on her death bed.
At times Ayla and Jondalar are portrayed as a little too perfect, too wonderful and beautiful and the increased focus on their sexual tension and then sexual aerobics towards the end makes me worry that this series is going to be less historical drama and more 'Bella and Edward : The Flintstones Years' the longer it goes on.
See more book reviews at my blog
These elements of the novel are incredibly well researched, though somebody without an interest or knowledge of the period may find it tedious. The tedium is used to good effect, showing the intensity and hard work of her existence through minute detail, and it is reminiscent of Neville's loneliness in Richard Matheson's 'I am Legend'.
Despite being nearly 600 pages, it never feels overwritten or drawn out and the richness of the descriptions of daily life for Ayla is animated and very much full of passion. Jondalar is surprisingly likeable and human society and religion in Ice Age Europe emphasises a real difference between humans and our Neanderthal cousins.
Where the book falls down though is the mere hint of the esoteric. I don't mind fantasy elements in novels like this, but Auel is incredily half-arsed about it. There is a lot less of it in this than in the first but it does feel slightly out of place and superficial with no real point.
The other problem with this is the seemingly unending list of inventions of Ayla, who, amongst other things tames a cave lion. Amusing at first, it becomes increasingly silly. At this rate, this palaeolithic supermodel-cum-warrior-princess will be inventing the combustion engine on her death bed.
At times Ayla and Jondalar are portrayed as a little too perfect, too wonderful and beautiful and the increased focus on their sexual tension and then sexual aerobics towards the end makes me worry that this series is going to be less historical drama and more 'Bella and Edward : The Flintstones Years' the longer it goes on.
See more book reviews at my blog
Unseen Academicals is an attempt to bring sporting melodrama a la 'Dodgeball' into Discworld.
The wizards of Unseen University are running out of money and may have to reduce the size of their cheeseboards, the fillings in their pies, their wine. But there is a way out of this, all they need do is play a game of football to acquire a financial legacy. There is only one problem though, football is not the athletic game of two teams of eleven primadonnas with skilfull mastery of a leather ball. It is to all intents and purposes a mass riot where injuries are plenty and goals are few. Furthermore, the game has been outlawed.
Unseen University must get the game legalised, build a team and find some opponents from the rough streets of Ankh Morpork.
This is an amusing look at The Beautiful Game but it is rarely hilarious or original. It doesn't really offer anything new in the sporting melodrama aside from Pratchett's world. Romance? Check. Black sheep struggling against prejudice for acceptance? Check. Training cock ups? Check. A band of misfits facing a superior opposition who ultimately triumph either literally or by winning hearts? Check. Yes its all here.
The only real stand out scene is Vetinarii's superb speech on morality where he declares at the end: 'if there is a supreme creator it is down to us to be his moral superior'. Brilliant!
See more book reviews at my blog
The wizards of Unseen University are running out of money and may have to reduce the size of their cheeseboards, the fillings in their pies, their wine. But there is a way out of this, all they need do is play a game of football to acquire a financial legacy. There is only one problem though, football is not the athletic game of two teams of eleven primadonnas with skilfull mastery of a leather ball. It is to all intents and purposes a mass riot where injuries are plenty and goals are few. Furthermore, the game has been outlawed.
Unseen University must get the game legalised, build a team and find some opponents from the rough streets of Ankh Morpork.
This is an amusing look at The Beautiful Game but it is rarely hilarious or original. It doesn't really offer anything new in the sporting melodrama aside from Pratchett's world. Romance? Check. Black sheep struggling against prejudice for acceptance? Check. Training cock ups? Check. A band of misfits facing a superior opposition who ultimately triumph either literally or by winning hearts? Check. Yes its all here.
The only real stand out scene is Vetinarii's superb speech on morality where he declares at the end: 'if there is a supreme creator it is down to us to be his moral superior'. Brilliant!
See more book reviews at my blog
Starman Jones is one of the lesser known of Heinlein's work. Coming in at a mere 200 pages, it tells the story of a stowaway on board a starship who has always dreamed of being a navigator. When he is caught and his obvious talent spotted, he becomes part of the crew and soon finds himself on command deck when his family tie is revealed.
Sometime later the chief 'Astrogater' dies and the ship is seemingly lost in uncharted space. The Captain cannot cope. They land upon the nearest habitable world but it is already occupied by centaurs. When a fight amongst the crew ensues, Max ends up the only Astrogater and he is soon taken hostage along with his friends Sam and Ellie. Max must escape his incarceration and lead the crew off of the planet.
Overall this is a pretty unremarkable novelette and there has been some suggestion that it was a sort of autobiography for Heinlein whose early life is reflected in Max. There is also a moral tale here. Max is a very noble character who stands up against many of the injustices he can see within the crew. I wasn't surprised to learn later that this is aimed at children simply because it lacks a lot of subtext of his previous works and the strong sense of doing what is right.
Most adults will have grown out of this sort of thing but as a short novel it won't waste too much of your time.
See more book reviews at my blog
Sometime later the chief 'Astrogater' dies and the ship is seemingly lost in uncharted space. The Captain cannot cope. They land upon the nearest habitable world but it is already occupied by centaurs. When a fight amongst the crew ensues, Max ends up the only Astrogater and he is soon taken hostage along with his friends Sam and Ellie. Max must escape his incarceration and lead the crew off of the planet.
Overall this is a pretty unremarkable novelette and there has been some suggestion that it was a sort of autobiography for Heinlein whose early life is reflected in Max. There is also a moral tale here. Max is a very noble character who stands up against many of the injustices he can see within the crew. I wasn't surprised to learn later that this is aimed at children simply because it lacks a lot of subtext of his previous works and the strong sense of doing what is right.
Most adults will have grown out of this sort of thing but as a short novel it won't waste too much of your time.
See more book reviews at my blog
Dance of the Voodoo Handbag follows very much in the nature of Robert Rankin's earlier work. Often that means it is lampooning an element of social culture at the time and integrating it into a bizarre and often amusing fantasy. In this case, having been written in 1998, I'm not entirely certain whether it is a parody of The Matrix or lampooning the Microsoft trial (knowing Rankin, probably both).
Necrosoft has finally achieved the possibility of human immortality by creating a virtual world in which it is possible to upload our entirely personality prior to physical death. Themes of what make us human are not tackled here thankfully because that is not what we expect of Rankin. What it does is give us an amusing adventure through territory that is ironic and familiar, and a number of gags the style of which he is famous.
On the plus side, it is very relevant to the time it was written and the themes are identifiable. There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, particularly a conversation about Astrology and the silliness and reinventing old gags that makes Rankin a great comedy writer. On the negative side, the story rarely seems to have a direction. The Voodoo Handbag of the title is not central to plot plot; it barely qualifies as a mcguffin.
There is nothing here to recommend new readers but to those already familiar with Rankin, there is no reason to avoid it.
See more book reviews at my blog
Necrosoft has finally achieved the possibility of human immortality by creating a virtual world in which it is possible to upload our entirely personality prior to physical death. Themes of what make us human are not tackled here thankfully because that is not what we expect of Rankin. What it does is give us an amusing adventure through territory that is ironic and familiar, and a number of gags the style of which he is famous.
On the plus side, it is very relevant to the time it was written and the themes are identifiable. There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, particularly a conversation about Astrology and the silliness and reinventing old gags that makes Rankin a great comedy writer. On the negative side, the story rarely seems to have a direction. The Voodoo Handbag of the title is not central to plot plot; it barely qualifies as a mcguffin.
There is nothing here to recommend new readers but to those already familiar with Rankin, there is no reason to avoid it.
See more book reviews at my blog
Last of the Amazons is another military history novel from the prolific Steven Pressfield, author of the superb Gates of Fire. It has a similar format in that it is in first-person and told from the position of a minor observer. It tells the story of Amazon Queen Antiope who runs away to Athens with legendary King Theseus after the pair fall in love. Outraged at this, the Amazon warriors raise a vast army with which they intend to destroy Athens. A battle that legend tells us they did not win.
Pressfield takes care in crafting his world and the Amazon women as he did with the events of The Battle of Thermopylae in Gates of Fire. His passion for the classical world is clear and he carefully constructs the narrative to feel authentic with a hint of the archaic in a way that so many military history fiction writers tend to ignore.
Yet overall despite all of this, there is something missing from this novel and I can't quite put my finger on what. The battle scenes flow well without being either too focussed on the blood and guts, or bogging the reader down in the mechanics of the battle. The characters are well constructed, apart from the narrator, and it is usually easy to overlook that. There just seems to be a lack of tension and urgency in the plot that was present in Gates of Fire and for that reason alone it is a weaker novel.
See more book reviews at my blog
Pressfield takes care in crafting his world and the Amazon women as he did with the events of The Battle of Thermopylae in Gates of Fire. His passion for the classical world is clear and he carefully constructs the narrative to feel authentic with a hint of the archaic in a way that so many military history fiction writers tend to ignore.
Yet overall despite all of this, there is something missing from this novel and I can't quite put my finger on what. The battle scenes flow well without being either too focussed on the blood and guts, or bogging the reader down in the mechanics of the battle. The characters are well constructed, apart from the narrator, and it is usually easy to overlook that. There just seems to be a lack of tension and urgency in the plot that was present in Gates of Fire and for that reason alone it is a weaker novel.
See more book reviews at my blog
Brendan Doyle is a literary scholar, a premier expert on Samuel Taylor Coleridge and when he is invited by a philanthropist to give a lecture on the man and his work - for a phenomenal amount of money - he takes it up as an opportunity for funds to investigate the more obscure romantic poets that interest him. What Doyle doesn't expect is to travel to 1810 and meet the man. Following the lecture, Doyle gets trapped in 1810 and caught up in a cult plotting to overthrow monotheism and reestablish the religion of the ancient Egyptians. He is reduced to begging in a world where magic and science coincide. Faced with the dangers of a body-jumping serial killer, a plague of crazed apes, a stilt-walking beggarmaster teamed up with an Egyptian high priest all while being chased by the cult, Doyle must find a way back to his own time.
The roots of homage to the early 'science romance' of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne is self-evident here. London in 1810 is at once both familiar and fresh though the steam/industrial vibe that you would expect of the modern subgenre is seemingly missing, giving it more of an urban fantasy feel in the tradition of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. This is a quirky and interesting read which at close to 400 pages is about the right length. There always seems to be something going on and the story has good pacing and direction, interesting yet familiar characters with an original plot. One small complaint is that there are too many characters that it almost becomes confusing trying to keep up.
See more book reviews at my blog
The roots of homage to the early 'science romance' of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne is self-evident here. London in 1810 is at once both familiar and fresh though the steam/industrial vibe that you would expect of the modern subgenre is seemingly missing, giving it more of an urban fantasy feel in the tradition of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. This is a quirky and interesting read which at close to 400 pages is about the right length. There always seems to be something going on and the story has good pacing and direction, interesting yet familiar characters with an original plot. One small complaint is that there are too many characters that it almost becomes confusing trying to keep up.
See more book reviews at my blog
The second book in this series begins immediately where the first left off. We are thrown straight into a desperate dash across the desert to reach Antioch and tell the (Eastern) Emperor how Arete had fallen to the Sassanids.
Though still incredibly well written, this book does tend to sag in the middle as Ballista is sent off on what at first glance seems an unnecessary mission to persecute Christians following a quick battle with the Sassanids. Though short and kind of interesting, it detracts from what we have come to expect from this series, that is, the excellently detailed and flowing battle scenes that Sidebottom gave us in part 1. Perhaps the real Marcus Clodius Ballista was indeed sent off to put Christians on trial but it makes this series feel a little bloated as it gets bogged down too much in the politics that until that point had gelled rather well with the action.
Looking forward to the third book in the series already though!
See more of my book reviews at my blog
Though still incredibly well written, this book does tend to sag in the middle as Ballista is sent off on what at first glance seems an unnecessary mission to persecute Christians following a quick battle with the Sassanids. Though short and kind of interesting, it detracts from what we have come to expect from this series, that is, the excellently detailed and flowing battle scenes that Sidebottom gave us in part 1. Perhaps the real Marcus Clodius Ballista was indeed sent off to put Christians on trial but it makes this series feel a little bloated as it gets bogged down too much in the politics that until that point had gelled rather well with the action.
Looking forward to the third book in the series already though!
See more of my book reviews at my blog