After many long months of cogitation, I have finally touched fingers to keyboard again and finished one of the narratives for my current work-in-progress, The Rose Guardian. This section was especially difficult for me, as the narrative is constructed entirely of journal entries, and so carrying plot and tension through a very focused voice took a great deal of restraint. I think, however, I have the bones of it done, am pleased with the overall tone,…
Dreaming the Eagle by Manda ScottMy rating: 3 of 5 stars The historical heroine Boudica is one who has always fascinated me: warrior woman, leader of the legendary Eceni, fierce defender of her homeland, nemesis of the might of Rome. So it was with relish I picked up the first of a series of novels about Boudica by British author, Manda Scott. I was not disappointed. Scott’s realization of Boudica and her development as the…
Spirits Rising by Krista D. BallMy rating: 2 of 5 stars Spirits Rising, by Krista D. Ball, has all the elements to make it an entertaining Canadian paranormal novel. Alas, for this reader, it fell far short of the mark. Ostensibly a story about a resurrection spell gone awry in the hands of a novice, the novel chronicles a mainlander’s attempt to return the arisen hoards back to their rest. While the setting is engaging…
Cloud Atlas by David MitchellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a complex, ambitious novel which is written with a master’s hand. David Mitchell succeeds in creating a series of seemingly unrelated stories and weaving them together into a cohesive whole, each replete with rich character development, environment and plot, tied together with an overarching theme examining slavery of the body, spirit and mind. The individual narratives take the reader through both historical and…