New Arrivals (12/21)

I only picked up a small few titles this month, and not a whole lot of time for reading. Here's the last additions to the 2021 arrivals.

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Rob MacGregor- Indiana Jones and the Seven Veils; Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants. Usually I don't do movie tie-in novels, but these actually sounded pretty cool. 

L. Sprague de Camp- The Honorable Barbarian. Looks like a bunch of small, fun adventures packed into one story. 

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Hopefully I can put another tally on 2021's reading list, but the end of the year is quick to come. Till next.

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The Great Hunt (12/21)

The eternal bookhunt continues. Came up with this list over the last few months. Dusting off the rest of the old list as well for easy reference. 

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Diana L. Paxson- The White Raven 

Gillian Bradshaw- Hawk of May (An Arthurian novel,) & Horses of Heaven 

Joy Chant- When Voiha Wakes

Richard Herley- "The Pagans Trilogy" #1 (The Stone Arrow) & #3 (title unknown)

Barbara Hambly- The Witches of Wenshar (Sun Wolf #2)

Jack Vance- Lyonesse

Henry Treece- The Great Captains

David Zindell- The Lightstone

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From prior lists:

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Frank Herbert- Destination: Void (One of the few Frank Herbert books I don't already own)

Patricia Kennealy- The Oak Above the Kings (A Tale of Arthur Volume 2)

Piers Anthony- Isle of Woman 

Guy Gavriel Kay- A Song For Arbonne

Michael Moorcock- "Elric: Stealer of Souls" (#11 of the Eternal Champion Omnibus series)

L. Dean James- Sorcerer's Stone

Michael Williams "From Thief to King" Trilogy #1 The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Donna Gillespie- Lady of the Light

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Richard Monaco- "Journey to the Flame"

Pulled this from my June list. This is the third Richard Monaco book I've read this year. A novel set in what I've figured out to be the year 1915. Journey to the Flame [Bantam Spectra, 1985, 260 pages] was a strange novel. I like the premise, but the reading itself made me uneasy at the least... I can't really recommend reading this book.

The adventure rides on the idea that H. Rider Haggard's novel She depicts a real place. An occult order known as Thule seeks out and kidnaps the author- and enlists, or rather threatens him into finding Kor, the lost African city from his book. They are convinced that Kor exists while Haggard denies it. I thought it was an interesting idea in itself- the artist becoming trapped within his own creation. But the novel didn't focus in on this idea as I expected it to.

The main antagonists are the members of Thule, several Europeans including German officials who are superiors and mentors to Hitler. Hitler himself has almost a cameo appearance early in the novel(he is in his twenties). The Antagonists weren't characterized very well; none of them were extremely memorable and are easy to get confused.

Haggard's nephew Woody is another central character. He works on planes, and has built a two engine biplane, which he flies to Africa in pursuit of Haggard's captors. A lot of the great action sequences have to do with this aircraft: takeoff, landing, and flight itself are all dangerous business. There is an armed gunfight between the plane and a German blimp; natives chase down the plane as it takes off; pilot loses control of the plane. These are some of my favorite moments here. 

The parties land, and are forced to slug through a deep dark swamp. A dense layer of smoke blocks out the sky and begins to descend into the swamp. As they get closer to the lost city of Kor, the entire group starts fading in and out of some dream world, or alternate timeline or dimension. There is an ancient battle concurrently happening in the temple where the events as the protagonists. The characters are all somehow phased into alternate personas from the past, and can see both. So each character now has a second name, as their 'ethereal counterpart' if you will. It got so confusing as the narrative jumped around between all of these different characters, viewpoints from both the past and present. It was hard to tell what was actually going on during some of those chapters! Ayesha, or She-who-must-be-obeyed, from She, makes her own appearance, to face off a demonic lord known as Relti, who seeks to consume all (in the ancient past). The ancient struggle has to do with the descendants of the Atlanteans making war with Lemurians. Pretty far flung, definitely went out of bounds in some places.

The Flame itself is found within the temple of Kor. This flame provides the only light through the dark smoke that the characters are fighting through. This is where the climax of the novel takes place; most all of the characters end up in the chamber of the Flame. Here is what I love about Richard Monaco- he can find a way to get many points of view to converge at the same time and place, and builds up to this very well. 

Finally, I have to say, this book is pretty racist, overrun with extreme stereotypes. The Germans are all portrayed as scheming, world domination types. From their mouths, racial slurs are said in dialogue on many occasions. Getting into the minds of these German politicians during the decades leading up to WWII is bound to be nasty stuff. There are anti sematic outcries as well. 'Historical accuracy', I guess you could say, but it doesn't result in something I actually want to read. 

Don't read it. Certainly did not live up to my expectations and was not even all that readable. Sorry, Mr. Monaco, but thumbs down on this one!

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New Arrivals (11-21)

A small few titles to add to the list. Nothing too lengthy here. 

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Phyllis Ann Karr- The Idylls of the Queen (Arthurian)

John Clagget- Cradle of the Sun (Written in 1952, the oldest novel on my list)

T.J. Bass- The Godwhale (Another Science Fiction novel creeps onto the list.)

Thorarinn Gunnarsson- Song of the Dwarves

Ardath Mayhar- People of the Mesa

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First North American series (Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear)

Now this looks like one hell of a series. So many volumes, none of them short. Usually I'm not for series that last 6 books or more, and I doubt I'll read most of these any time soon.

Written by two authors (A married couple, who happen to both be archaeologists), and has a lot of research behind it. It seems like one of those series where everything is rooted in Archaeology, Anthropology, Ecology; nothing is without foundation. Which I can tell, is going to be dense reading. What's great about this series though, is that they don't seem to be connected by storyline. Each novel has a specific time period, and region of North America, and a distinct people that it focuses on. So as I see it you can read them in any order you choose!

No, I haven't read any of these yet. Just making a list (for my own reference) of which ones I have collected and which I haven't.

In my collection:

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People of the Fire

People of the Nightland (Most likely I'll read this one first)

People of the Owl 

People of the Masks

People of the Lightning

People of the Sea

People of the River

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Yet to find:

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People of the Wolf

People of the Earth

People of the Lakes

People of the Silence

People of the Mist

People of the Raven

People of the Moon

People of the Weeping Eye

People of the Thunder

People of the Longhouse

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"Ice & Iron" by Wilson Tucker

A cheap vintage paperback I found. (Anything titled "____ and Iron" or "____ and the Cross" is usually a safe bet for my tastes.) Here is a nice speculative science fiction story. [Ballantine Science Fiction, 1974, 186 pages] It takes place in an alternate present day (as seen from the 70s, that is) yet touches upon many different time periods, including an even more far-flung future. The chapters alternate between Iron chapters and Ice chapters. The Ice chapters take place in the present day, and are longer, and the focus of the story. The Iron chapters each take place in another time, and tend to be short insights to peoples lives from the distant future. Kept things interesting, and gave a wider scope to this short novel. I'd even call it too short. 

A researcher by the name of Fisher Highsmith is the protagonist. His team is investigating cases of strange objects falling from the sky, which seem to be from a different time period. These at first include mud bricks, and some bodies. This fascinates Fisher, as he knows that the objects are not native to the place and time that they are found. Sixteen bodies have been found, that seem to be of a stone-age people. Some unique knives and weapons known as quarterguns are eventually found as well, completely alien to any of the experts in the field. In fact they are, but it's not the stone age from our past.

Climate change, mainly a new resurgence of the ice age, is a main focus of this novel. During the novel's 'present day', almost the entire North America is covered by a growing glacier. Many cities have been lost to the freeze as it creeps over the continent. This reinforces that the objects are from another time period. Another body is found, (this one alive) simply called Seventeen. He is found with frostbite taking his arm, which they amputate to save his life. It is not easy for the team to communicate with him. He comes into play later in the novel. 

The quarterguns are central to the story. Fisher experiments with the found piece of alien design, to find out that it 'erases' whatever it is fired at. In fact, it 'banishes' them rather, to another time period, thousands of years in the past. This, Fisher concludes, is where the objects are coming from. A battle in the future in which quarterguns are used. Annmarie, his polylibrarian (and crush) does a little research and finds many different occurrences of things falling from the sky without explanation, dating as far back as to the 1800s. 

Fisher takes a map and draws up what he sees as the future, geological change thousands of years to come. He concludes much from what he has collected. He deducts that the objects come from, not the past, but some post-apocalyptic future where previous civilization has diminished. I'd say he catches on and guesses right a bit too fast, and on the button. The novel is very short in that department; a lot more 'speculation' could have been fit into this story if the author went that far. But this is a Science Fiction novel, can't blame the author for wanting to move the story along quickly.

In said far-flung future, the glacier has receded enough that people are migrating back to the area. The ones who own the quarterguns are a matriarchal warrior society, very Amazonian. These women are at war with the men of the time, among who are the seventeen bodies. The matriarchy are ruled by a nine year old, who will be crowned true Queen in seven years. Some remnant of human language exists, as Fisher finds out, when he interviews one of the women who had fallen into the snowfields. She is known as Eighteen, and is actually the invader in the alternate future. The men are living in a tribal society on their own and certainly on the defensive and ill prepared.

Seventeen and Eighteen, kept in the same room, begin to fight. Eighteen takes an AED to Seventeen's head, killing him. During all this, a fierce snowstorm was sweeping over the area. A rescue party is caught in the middle of it, and reports to Fisher that many things are falling from the sky- in fact a battle (involving the quarterguns) was being waged thousands of years in the future, at the same time the present day humans are battling out the storm. Toward the end of the novel, many things targeted by the quarterguns in the future. A canoe, fish, and water come down, fulfilling Fisher's prediction that a lake would form there thousands of years to come. After the commotion of the battle, the facility is shut down, as the researchers are sent to other locations. 

The alternate future post apocalypse world is merely glimpsed into- a lot of cool stuff, more depth could be added if you ask me. I would have liked to see more of that future-past, but it was kept so mysterious and in very short chapters following several characters.

All said, I enjoyed Ice & Iron and it's an easy read, if a bit rushed. A more in-depth view could certainly have been possible; there's a lot of potential all wrapped up into a very brief package.

Scratched that one off the list quickly. Onto the next one!

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R.L. Fisher- "The Prince of Whales"

I really enjoyed this one, very short and sweet, simple and easy to follow. In fact I finished it in one night. [TOR, 1985, 151 pages] It concerns talking and singing and even flying whales, and weird dream dimensions. 

Just looking at the cover made me buy this book. Whales have always fascinated me, very majestic animals, but especially due to their songs. This book focuses a lot on music, and as a musician it connected with me in that way too. A lot of music terminology is used well. Many aquatic puns and phrases keep it fun and provide a certain charm. There are black and white ink drawings throughout; however the simple, almost childish writing style makes me think that a more colorful illustration style may have fit very well. 

A young whale named Toby is the protagonist. At the beginning of the novel he is shunned by the rest of his pod for 'dreamsinging', where he sings in his sleep. He takes singing lessons from a whale, Maestro Ballini, who sends Toby on a quest to find his own voice. The Pod, travelling stealthily to avoid whalers, makes their migration south. Toby stays a short distance as he practices singing, so that it will not alert the hunters to the whole Pod's location. 

Toby ends up meeting Thes, a spirit who guides Toby through the dream dimension, eventually taking him across the world, to different environments, including a human city. From Thes he learns more about his 'dreamsinging'- and learns of Diomeda, the Dream Eater, the malicious spirit who wishes to take form again, and corrupts all life in order to do so. the Dream Singers who opposed him are mere legends to Toby's pod. 

After this visit to the dream dimension, Toby finds himself separated from his Pod. Eventually he is compelled to swim down to the ocean floor. Here he meets King Crab, or K.C. (basically a cameo where the book nods to the blues.) In the end he finds the Source- which is a glowing, enchanting surface beneath the ocean. Toby is threatened by a gang of orcas (seem like sleazy executives or something) to sing at Paradise Caverns for the Grand Supreme Emperor. This figure turns out to be another guise of Diomeda, who entrances his subjects with music, and runs a false 'paradise'. 

When it is Toby's time to perform, he refuses to sing what the orcas had made him rehearse, and instead sang his own song. The lyrics to the song are sweet. Eventually the beauty of his song causes all of nature to start singing in harmony; even land animals. In order to sway the humans, however, much more was required. Many feared to truly listen to the music with their hearts, and would not let it transform them. These humans launch an assault on Toby's choir with their "Iron Beasts" or steam boats. These are again revealed to be humans under the Dream Eater's spell. Mundo, leader of the orcas who recruited Toby, takes a harpoon in order to save Toby. The chorus breaks into a lament for the fallen whale. At long last, every human and animal has managed to join in on the mass, global music. This is what it takes to finally set free Diomeda's spirit.

A little long for a kids' book, but not long enough to be really a full fantasy novel. It's a strange book, simple and funny yet it has its deep moments. It focuses on global love, and togetherness with nature that can be joined in by all. I would definitely recommend this for a young reader or an adult looking for a quick, wholesome charmer.

Next one will be a little more ambitious. There's still an ocean of books out there...

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