A slightly slower month for reading although I got quite a bit of writing done and also listened to Cowboy Carter and TTPD on repeat. I read 7 books this month and this is what I thought of them.
The Black Hunger - Nicholas Pullen
A new dark classic to stand alongside Frankenstein and Jekyll & Hyde, The Black Hunger reveals its horrors inch by devastating inch, leading the reader from the foothills of the Himalayas to the islands of Scotland and back again.
Thank you Orbit for the Digital ARC
Mammoth - Chris Flynn
The titular Mammut narrates this story from the Great Plains of Prehistoric America through the years to the Museum of Natural History. This book took me less than three hours to read but I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the garrulous old mammoth and the fellow fossils that share the auction house. I would have liked to see a little more of the prehistoric beginning and less of the early modern world but the historic cameos were interesting.
The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
An excellently written book in which very little happens. It tells the story of two siblings, Maeve and John, who are turfed out of the house by their stepmother after their father dies. I struggled with how much I hated Andrea, the stepmother, and I shared John’s dislike of his absent mother. I felt I was supposed to think John was just as bad as his father but I liked him more. My second Patchett and not as good as Tom Lake.
The King’s Peace/The King’s Law - Jo Walton
An early 00s retelling of the Arthurian legend, the first published work by the author. You can see the traces of Walton’s greatness but it hasn’t quite flowered yet. I liked the straightforward nature of the narrator, Sulien, and I enjoyed the realism of the land of Tir Tanagiri but there was definitely something missing. I will definitely try to track down the third in the series though.
The Familiar - Leigh Bardugo
Standalone fantasy set in Inquisition era Madrid. Luzia is a scullery maid whose mistress catches her using an illicit magic to make her life easier. I loved the grace the author gave to each character and the richness of the setting. My favourite book of the month.
Little Eve - Catriona Ward
Cultish horror set in the far north of Scotland, Little Eve is raised in a castle ruled by her ‘uncle’ a pseudo prophet who keeps his family starved and brainwashed. Eve and her sister Dinah wrestle with the lies they have been raised with and try to find a way out. Grim and hard to read but well done.
Spirit Walker - Michelle Paver
Audiobook reread. Torak tries to find a cure for the sickness that has afflicted the forest and journeys to the Sea Clans. Another excellent narration by Ian McKellen.
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