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motherbooker's reviews
533 reviews
Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain by Amy Jeffs
3.5
There have been a lot of mythology retellings in the last few years, so there's always going to be pressure to live up to the best one. It's not necessarily about modernising the stories but making them more engaging for modern audiences. Do I think Storyland does the best job of this? Not completely. Don't get me wrong, this is a well-written collection but I just don't think it was particularly memorable. It might have been because I listened to the audiobook at work. However, I also think that the stories were a little dry. They were written from more of a historical point of view and the narration felt quite detached. As much as I liked the stories, I found the sections afterwards more interesting. In these sections, Amy Jeffs gave context to them. This included her own experiences visiting the places in the story.
In terms of the actual story, I recognised more of them than I expected but there were a lot that I just glossed over. Again, I don't think this was because they were bad; I just wasn't a fan of how they were told. I guess I was missing some sort of flair. Maybe the mythology of the British Isles just isn't that interesting? Maybe it's all a bit repetitive? I don't know but I just wasn't as invested in this as I'd hoped. I really wanted to learn more about these tales but it was a struggle to finish this one. Considering how well it was received, I was left wondering if I was missing something. How had I read something so different to everyone else?
I don't think it helped that I listened to this instead of reading the book. That way, I missed out on all of the illustrations that accompanied the stories. These illustrations were Amy Jeffs's own linocut and wood-engraved prints. As an art historian, these were really a major selling point of the book and were absolutely beautiful. I would definitely recommend picking up a hard copy so you can have the joy of seeing them as you read. They'll really help bring the stories to life. I'd have loved it if the book had just been more of the illustrations and Jeff's own experiences. It would have been more my kind of book.
As it is, Storyland disappointed me slightly. I was really looking forward to it but it just wasn't my style. I know these myths are odd and it was probably going to be a struggle to really update them for a modern audience. However, Amy Jeffs does a pretty good job and I think this is just a case of the wrong book and the wrong person. I'll probably read this again later and see if I change my mind. For now, I'll stick to other mythology to get my fix.
The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
3.0
In 1965, an event took place that saw several species of animals become anthropomorphised. They suddenly became more human and intelligent. They began walking on two legs and started talking. In the UK, rabbits quickly became a dominant species thanks to their short gestation period. By 2022, 1.2 million rabbits are living in the UK. They aren't favoured by society and have very few rights. So, when a family of rabbits move into a sleepy British town, it certainly causes plenty of issues, especially for Peter Knox and his daughter, Pippa. It turns out that Peter knows one of the rabbits from his college days when the pair were quite friendly. Now that Peter works as a "rabbit spotter" for a government agency, how will his former acquaintance react? Will they pick up where they left off? Or will there be tension between the families?
I really liked the premise of this book. It not only tapped into the awful attitude that exists all over the world but it was such a clever way to approach the subject. Of course, rabbits would be viewed negatively because of how quickly they can reproduce. They're also not a major threat to humans, so would be seen as an easy target. The set-up of this world made sense. The government keeping track of rabbits and trying to keep them maintained is definitely realistic. It's not the subtlest metaphor for racism but it's a very engaging way to discuss the issues. I think the world-building was alright but it was very exposition-heavy to start with. There was a big information dump towards the beginning and it felt like a lot.
In terms of the story, it's like Watership Down meets Hot Fuzz with a bit of Orwell thrown in for good measure. There's a lot going on and I ended up finding my mind wandering. This is a book that was meant to tackle racism and xenophobia. However, I don't think it really addressed these issues other than to show they exist. There's a moment near the end of the book when Peter states that he is racist due to his inaction. Though he doesn't hate rabbits, he has never done anything to speak up for them. He avoided protesting or advocating for them. He worked for an agency that was actively trying to subdue them. He didn't speak up when others mistreated them. It was an interesting insight but it didn't go anywhere.
This was a book about racism that just sort of explained racism. It feels disappointing that it didn't take the idea further. It gets so caught up in other ideas and plots that there's too much to get through. In order to be more effective, I think it needed to be a bit simpler. The Constant Rabbit is so heavy-handed. It might also have helped if there was more humour. It's not that it doesn't have its funny moments but it could be more amusing. It might make it more engaging as the story goes on. A more refined and paired-down approach might have been a more pleasant reading experience. It didn't help that my expectations for this book were so high. Maybe it just couldn't live up to the idea in my head.
Tourney of Terror by Madeleine Roux
4.0
I'm not always confident enough to buy multiple books in a series until I finish the first one. I purchased both books currently available in this series together because I was sure I'd enjoy them. The first book was fun, and I was excited to keep going. The first book sets us up for the big bad and the second book ramps up the tension. The Dungeon Academy is set to host a tournament with their rival school, the Waterdeep Dragons. Both schools become obsessed with the competition but Zelli has more important things to think about. She remains uneasy after their recent victory and is sure that something big is coming. Could it possibly derail the tournament and cause even more chaos?
In terms of story, this takes a lot of elements from other popular fantasy books, so it didn't feel particularly original. I found the story quite predictable and disappointing. However, I'm an adult, so not really the intended reader. This is the kind of story that kids could get stuck into. There's puzzle-solving, excitement and battling bad guys. I can see why it goes down a familiar route. It's also not as though it's a bad story. It gets a bit complicated as we learn more about the history and there are some large passages of exposition to get your head around. There are quite a few long passages that some kids might not find it easy to follow but it's mostly fine.
The characters are just as much fun as they were. Zelli, the human disguised as a minotaur, is as tenacious and brave as ever. She cares about her friends and wants to stop the bad buys. It's very inspiring to see her band of outcasts prove that they shouldn't be overlooked. This is an ode to friendship and lifting each other up. The friends all have their own skills and help make up for each other's weaknesses. The new addition to the group, a red dragon called Tavian, was another interesting and I can't wait to see more of him in the next book. This is a book that really highlights the theme of a found family and the importance of finding people who value you. It's got a great message.
As much as I enjoyed this book, there was one slight issue that was carried over from the first one. I'm still quite new to D&D, so I'm not as familiar with all of the monsters and figures that we meet in these books. I thought the first one didn't do an amazing job of introducing readers to this world and the second one is very similar. I think there was a bit more of an effort to explain what certain creatures looked like but it doesn't spend much time on it. I guess it assumes people who are reading it will have an idea of what everything is but it doesn't necessarily make it easy to visualise everything. The illustrations do help obviously and at least bring the major characters to life. However, I think this is something that the books could do better.
Overall though, I think the second book is just as strong as the first one. It's a quick read that doesn't drag. It moves a bit too quickly for my liking but, again, it's intended for children. It didn't need to spend too long getting to the narrative points. It needs to keep children engaged and it does. The ending perfectly sets up the next book and is sure to keep readers coming back for more.
Pity by Andrew McMillan
4.0
Set in the former mining town of Barnsley, Pity tells the story of three generations of a mining family. Though it haunts this book, it isn't a story about mining. Instead, it explores masculinity and sexual identity. This is also the story of how recent political history has impacted working-class towns. Though we don't actually see any of the miners' strikes of the 1980s, you can feel the fallout. Alex and his brother Brian are the sons of a miner and followed him into the business. The miners' strike had a huge impact on their family and is still felt by Alex's son, Simon. He might not be old enough to have experienced the consequences of Thatcher's government first-hand but he understands how much it hurt. It's brilliant how Andrew McMillan weaves history into the narrative without writing a book about the miners' strike.
Considering how short this book is, it's very ambitious. It follows multiple perspectives and spans decades. Opening in the 1970s, we meet Alex as he settles on his family's sofa with a pornographic magazine. For the rest of the book, we split between a cast of characters. There's Alex; his brother, Brian; his son Simon; Simon's boyfriend, Ryan; and a group of academics doing research in the town. In between these chapters, there are also more lyrical sections looking through the eyes of a miner. With repeated phrases and a focus on sensory language, the chapters read like poetry and cut through the rest of the book. They capture the rhythm and repetitiveness of a group of men heading to the mines and getting stuck into back-breaking labour. It's all building to something awful but we just have to sit back and wait for it to happen.
The majority of the novel is set in the present day. Simon, a drag queen, prepares for a performance taking down Margaret Thatcher. It's different for him but he is passionate about the show. He wants to use his art to convey the feelings of the community. It's what he wants to do more of even if his boyfriend isn't so keen. Ryan works as security at the local shopping centre and dreams of being a police officer. So, he isn't always as quick to embrace the queer community as Simon. He is used to watching other people and is always worried about what people will see him doing. So, having a boyfriend with an OnlyFans account isn't quite what he signed up for. There are several representations of gay experience within this book that show how different life has been and can be.
Pity is a book that is majorly concerned with what you keep hidden and what you show. It's about covering and uncovering aspects of your life. Ryan watches while Simon shows. It shows a very different experience for the two young men. Ryan is out but he's not completely comfortable. He has something in common with the gay experience of the past when men were forced into the shadows. Hiding isn't just something that we associate with being gay. We see that Brian, Simon's uncle, is hiding his emotions. Brian attends the workshops hosted by the academics out of boredom but he quickly finds himself having to come to terms with the feelings he's long left buried. A family tragedy that he has been running from is threatening to come back to the surface.
This is an absolutely beautiful book that really taps into some important themes. It captures the experience of men, both gay and straight, in a Northern town. These men are expected to act a certain way and it has caused generations of emotional trauma and secrets. These are people who weren't able to confront their traumas because they had to move on with their lives. Giving up and grieving wasn't an option. ITolive, they needed to keep going no matter what. The only problem with pushing everything down is that it keeps bubbling away under the surface. The pits may close but that doesn't mean they disappear. There is still plenty of evidence of that history to be seen if you look closely. As Brian puts it "Pits close: we still sink into them".
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
4.0
A deadly fog has wiped out humanity and the only survivors are stuck on an island. They're made up of scientists and villagers who are doing their best to survive. Everybody is living in harmony and there is no violence. Until one of the scientists is killed, which causes a string of events that ends with the removal of the island's defence system. The next morning everyone wakes with their memory gone and a sudden awareness that the fog is slowly closing in on them. The only way to get the defences back up is to solve the murder. It's up to one villager, Emory, and her daughter to follow the clues and find the killer. But, in a village where violence doesn't occur, who could have done the deed? Will they be able to unmask them in time?
This is an unusual book but I really enjoyed reading it. It's part murder mystery and part post-apocalyptic science fiction. You have to follow the clues of the murder as you learn more about the world following the fall of mankind. Going into this book, I was more interested in the murder mystery elements than the science fiction. However, I think the world-building was pretty successful. You don't find out everything about life before the fog or what happened in the months that followed. However, you get to know enough about it to create a picture in your head. I think it's very well-written and doesn't fall into the same traps that a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction tends to.
Emory is an interesting protagonist and I think she made an excellent detective. She stands out from the other villagers because of her search for answers. Everyone else blindly follows the Elders, the only three people who remember what life was like before. The villagers take their word for everything and follow every command. All except Emory who doesn't quite trust everything around her. She's such a strong and determined woman. It's wonderful watching her piece everything together and then react to the secrets of the island. Her daughter, Clara, is a great assistant who shows intelligence and the same strength as her mother.
This book does a great job of creating nuanced characters. Something that sounds odd when the majority of them just blindly follow their leaders. This book really explores the complexity of good and evil. It shows how blurred the lines can be and how difficult it is to tell. The more that Emory and Clara learn about life before the fog shows just how different life was. The more they learn about the past, the more they want to try and move away from it. What happens to the balance on the island when they discover the secrets that the Elders have been keeping hidden from the villagers? What will happen to the island when they discover the secrets the Elders have been keeping from each other?
I did really enjoy this story and think the writing is lovely. However, I do have to say that I was left a little disappointed by the ending. Was it satisfactory? Not really. It all seemed quite obvious to me. Of course, that might just be because I read so much crime fiction and can see the signs. Still, I was hoping for something a bit more from this. Especially having spent so long getting to the reveal. As great as the writing was, I did feel like the book was dragging a little as it went along. It's one of those books where the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. Still, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery and/or post-apocalyptic societies. There's a lot to enjoy here.