For today’s post, I had planned to take some modelling photos with my new Rewilding Nature scarf that I revealed last Friday. However, I have decided to wait until I have had my hair cut as it looks absolutely dreadful at the moment! When I have managed to take some pics, I will then finish the Scarf of the Moment post with all of the usual details. Well, that is the plan.
I do have another thing on my mind at the moment, alongside all of the usual stuff that buzzes about in my brain every day. I will be 70 in November and we are planning a family celebration. It will be fairly low key, because Lovely Husband and I struggle so much with our health issues. My sister and her husband are going to join us for lunch, which will be lovely. I am not sure where we will go, but there are quite a few hotels and pubs within a short drive from home. Over the years, we have enjoyed eating in many of them, so have a lot to choose from!
My main present is going to be a necklace that I intend to wear every day for the rest of my life. We have a local jeweller who is helping me to firm up the design. The idea is to have three hearts linked on a chain. One heart will be in white gold to represent my Lovely Husband, another will be in gold to represent Elder Son, and the final heart will be made in rose gold to represent Younger Son.
A few weeks ago, I sent a lot of images to the jeweller to spark off the discussion. Emails have bounced back and forth between us and we have now decided on the design. I will take some photos for the blog after my birthday.
Anyway, here are some of the images that I downloaded for the planning stage…
This is my weekly post looking back on my previous week’s reading, if you see what I mean! I finished two books. One was a reread from a favourite author, the other was a book from a new-to-me writer…
Dark Prince by David Gemmell
My first book of the week was Dark Prince by David Gemmell, the second and final book in his Greek Series. This is the blurb…
The chaos spirit had chosen the child Alexander to be its human host. But Parmenion, most powerful warrior of ancient Greece, had won a small victory over the darkness that sought to rule through Alexander. The boy’s soul had not been destroyed by evil, but instead had merged with it — and now Parmenion aided Alexander in the battle between light and dark that constantly raged within him.But there was another world, where the creatures of Greece’s legends still flourished. There, the chaos spirit already ruled, through a demon king. In this Greece, there was a prophecy that a child of great power, the legendary golden child, would come and restore the fading magic of the land to the creatures of myth. The demon king believed also that devouring the heart of this fabled child would give him immortality. He believed Alexander, with the power of the chaos spirit within him, to be that child. And so he called Alexander into his world . . .Only Parmenion, guided by the seeress Derae, his lost love from another life, could hope to save Alexander from the demon king. But who could save the young prince from the chaos spirit that threatened to conquer his soul?
I have recently decided to re-read a lot of Gemmell’s work and have found this to be very enjoyable. The first book in the series is particularly well written and engaging with its touches of fantasy interwoven with the historical record. This second book takes the reader much further into a fantasy world with mythical creatures and settings. I was interested in Parmenion’s story, but knew that it finished before Alexander’s tale would come to an end. I feel that the fantasy elements overwhelmed the history rather than complementing it and I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. Never mind, there are loads of other Gemmell books for me to revisit in the near future!
For my next book, I decided to try a book recommended on a Facebook group…
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig is book one of The Stonewater Kingdom series. This is the blurb…
A gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced beyond the safety of her cloister on an impossible quest to defeat the gods with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight.
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
Well, that was disappointing! OK, I did quite enjoy some of the plot and the book was easy to read, but…
The “hero” was such a cliche. The “heroine” was too, and as for the horrible regular drowning! The setting was poorly thought out. And if I ever read another book where a slightly built female can out fight a trained male warrior, I think I will scream! And they end up with massive wounds that heal very quickly or leave “attractive” scars. Then we have the cringe-making sex scene. We also have even more cliches from other fantasy works which were much better written. And plot devices that just don’t work, such as villages where everyone only has one craft. How do the people eat or exist? Who puts charcoal around their eyes? What purpose would it serve?
Welcome to my Friday post! Today is my late mother’s 95th birthday and I am missing her so much. So, I am trying to cheer myself up by writing about my latest purchase. Also, I am feeling much more comfortable as the weather has cooled down considerable, Elder Son is away on a holiday, and Lovely Husband and I are enjoying the peace and quiet!
Now for the reveal (please excuse the non ironed duvet cover!)…
Yes, it is an Hermès scarf! This is Rewilding Nature 90cm silk twill, designed by Alice Shirley. So gorgeous!
Here are the images from the Hermès website…
Rewilding Nature designed by Alice Shirley for Hermès
When I feel a little stronger, I will take some modelling photos to show a range of scarf ties. I am also working on a Scarf of the Moment post with everything I can find out about this scarf in all of the versions: the 90 cms, the twillies, and also the bangles. This design is so stunning that I have fallen in love with another colourway! I will have to save up for a few months and hope that it is still available when I have enough money. Please let me know in the comments what you think of this design and the colourway I have chosen.
So I am back again! Thankfully, the weather has cooled down quite a lot and we have even had some rain. Several plants have died during the heat but some look to be perking up somewhat. Anyway, let’s get back to my reading journey. Regular visitors will be aware that I have been revisiting some of my favourite authors and books this year, particularly David Gemmell, Joe Abercrombie and Juliet Marillier. I have really enjoyed rereading their work and also discovering other books that I missed in the past.
Over the last two weeks I have read two books by David Gemmell and have almost finished a third! After that I will probably take a break and read something new to me. Anyway, here are the books…
Knights of Dark Renown by David Gemmell
The first book was Knights of Dark Renown by David Gemmell, a stand alone and not really part of a series although it is linked to his famous Drenai books.
Here is the blurb:
The Knights of the Gabala were legendary protectors of the Nine Duchies – until they disappeared through a demon-haunted gateway between worlds. Manannan, the Coward Knight, held back. Now he lives in torment. Yet war is coming to the Duchies – and with it Manannan’s chance for redemption. But to regain his honour and save his land, he will have to confront his deepest fear. He must ride through the gateway and seek out his lost companions in the unknown world beyond.And the secret he will learn there will tear his soul apart.
I must admit that it took me a little longer than usual to really feel immersed in this tale. Gemmell’s work really draws me into the story, with larger than life characters and clever plot lines. However, after a few chapters had introduced the multiple characters and the wide ranging setting, I really enjoyed the story as the brilliant writing drew me on to the ending. I have been a fan of Gemmell’s work for decades and have now added another book to my list of future rereads!
When I had finished I decided to return to a series that I have already read more than once! As a former student of Ancient Greece, I find Gemmell”s version of the Trojan War a fascinating fusion of myth, history and fantasy. His take on the lives of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great in his Greek Series is also brilliant. I have finished the first book, Lion of Macedon, and will write about it here.
Lion of Macedonia by David Gemmell
Here is the blurb…
Over and again, the aged seeress Tamis scried all the possible tomorrows. In every one, dark forces threatened Greece; terrible evil was poised to reenter the world. The future held only one hope: a half-caste Spartan boy, Parmenion. So Tamis made it her mission to see that Parmenion would before the deadliest warrior in the world — no matter what the cost.
Raised to manhood in Sparta, bullied and forced to fight for his life every day, Parmenion had no notion of the unseen dimensions of magic and mystery that shaped his fate. He grew in strength and cunning. His military genius earned him the title Strategos in Sparta. His triumphs for the city of Thebes made him a hero. And finally his fate led him to the service of Philip of Macedon.
As Tamis had foreseen, Parmenion’s destiny was tied to the Dark God, to Philip, and to the yet-unborn Alexander. All too soon the future was upon them. Parmenion stood poised to defeat evil — or to open the gate for the Dark God to reenter the world.
Unfortunately, the Goodreads site did not give me the review link in the usual format so I have taken a screenshot instead…
Screenshot
Now, I will return to the second and final book in the series, Dark Prince, which I will write about next week.
Today’s post is quite short as I have just returned home after a lovely lunch with Elder Son at a local tea room. As I don’t think I have left the house since Younger Son’s visit, this feels like quite an adventure! ES was totally charming and kind to his old Mum and we both had a good time together.
I had planned to wear my new dress but in the end decided upon a gorgeous throwover from One Hundred Stars with a white vest and navy linen skirt. The earrings and necklace were presents from ES a few years ago.
Here’s the throwover…
Jaipur Blue Throwover – One Hundred Stars
These are the earrings and necklace. Not the best image but you will get the idea…
I took a quick photo before leaving the house. Yes, I definitely need a haircut!
Outfit of the day 07/08/26 with Jaipur throwover by One Hundred Stars
In the café there was a woman with the most gorgeous thick and shiny grey hair and I complimented her because it looked so beautiful. I must admit that I was a little envious because my hair is so thin these days. Well, I might have made her day!
Welcome to this week’s post. I actually managed to read two books over the past week. One was the final book in a trilogy and the other was a new book by my favourite author!
Fall of Kings by David Gemmell
My first book of the week was David Gemmell’s Fall of Kings, Troy #03. As this was his last book, his wife, Stella Gemmell, also worked on it. This is the blurb…
Darkness falls on the Great Green, and the Ancient World is fiercely divided.On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King mass. Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene, who knows that he must soon face his former friends in deadly combat.Within the city, the Trojan king waits. Ailing and bitter, his hope is pinned on two his favourite son Hektor, and the dread Helikaon who will wreak terrible vengeance for the death of his wife at Mykene hands.War has been declared.As enemies, who are also kinsmen, are filled with bloodlust, they know that many of them will die, and that some will become heroes who will live for ever in a story that will echo down the centuries.
This final part of the trilogy covers the siege of Troy and its aftermath. It was really interesting to see how Gemmell dealt with Homer’s tale. Things like the Trojan Horse, the battle between Achilles and Hector, the fate of Andromache and her son and, of course, events in the wider Mediterranean. I really loved Gemmell’s version of these famous tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and am so pleased that I decided to re read the trilogy. These are excellent books and well worth reading.
It was interesting to read these books at a time when the new Odyssey film was coming out. Younger Son has seen it but I will have to wait until I can watch it on my iPad or on TV!
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
My second book of the week was one by my favourite author, Guy Gavriel Kaye. I bought it months ago when it first came out but didn’t feel that I was in the right frame of mind to read it until now. The title is Written on the Dark, #08 Sarantine Universe, and here is the blurb…
Thierry Villar is a well-known — even notorious — tavern poet, intimately familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be swept into the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.
But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.
As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king – and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.
Both sweeping and intimate, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the equally intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.
If I were to describe my favourite kind of books, I would say that they have exciting plots with unexpected twists, colourful characters and well drawn settings. I must admit that I am not always concerned about the beauty of the writing. Perhaps my reading became stuck at an adolescent level?
But that sentence about the writing is completely overturned when it comes to my love of GGK’s work. I adore his books and have read every one, most of them several times. I own them in both paper form and ebook format. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that he had published a new book recently.
For a number of reasons it has taken me a while to get around to reading Written on the Dark. GGK weaves a strand of melancholy into his work and I thought that I wouldn’t be able to cope with that in my present struggle with depression. However, I did really enjoy the book and became very attached to several characters and their journeys through the plot. The final pages were particularly brilliant but also poignant and the touches of “real” history were memorable. I will definitely read this again very soon.
I have struggled to choose a book to follow on after the brilliance of Kay’s writing. I did begin one, but it was so badly written that even I couldn’t carry on with it and I don’t think I will ever try to finish it. So, I have returned to the world of David Gemmell and will write about that book next week.
Well, it has been a pretty quiet week with much more bearable weather. To be honest, I have spent the time just pottering around our home and reading my books. As we haven’t had any significant rain for weeks, the garden looks very dried up and I am sure that we will lose some of the lovely plants. We will see.
I have had one really nice delivery. Some weeks ago, I ordered a lovely dress from This is Unfolded. The company has an interesting philosophy of only making clothes to order. They don’t carry stock in advance and their sales are returned stock and sample. This means that you have quite a long wait from ordering to delivery, so it’s not worth purchasing a new dress for your event next week, if you see why I mean.
The dress is called the Pauline relaxed dress…
Pauline Relaxed Dress by This is Unfolded
I haven’t any modelling photos at the moment, but will try to upload some soon.
Last week I decided to revisit the work of David Gemmell again. I remember enjoying his books the first time I read them, but that was around ten years ago. This time I am liking the immersion in his blend of history, mythology and fantasy. And reading books set in the world of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey is very appropriate too with the new film!
Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
The first book of the Troy trilogy is Lord of the Silver Bow. This is the blurb…
“Three lives will change the destiny of nations. Helikaon, the young prince of Dardania, haunted by a scarred and traumatic childhood. The priestess Andromache, whose fiery spirit and fierce independence threatens the might of kings. And the legendary warrior Argurios, cloaked in loneliness and driven only by thoughts of revenge.In Troythey find a city torn apart by destructive rivalries – a maelstrom of jealousy, deceit and murderous treachery. And beyond its fabled walls blood-hungry enemies eye its riches and plot its downfall.It is a time of bravery and betrayal; a time of bloodshed and fear.”
I originally read this book over ten years ago and found it even better on a re-read. Having a background in Ancient History and having read the Iliad in Ancient Greek, I really enjoyed Gemmell’s version of the famous tale. He has taken well known characters and made them very human, with faults as well as heroism. I also enjoyed the way he has lifted female characters closer to the spotlight, particularly Andromache. His writing is so brilliant that I almost didn’t notice the length of each book!
On finishing the first part of the trilogy, I then went on to the second…
Shield of Thunder by David Gemmell
Part two is called Shield of Thunder. Here is the blurb…
“The second exciting novel in the bestselling Troy trilogy. Interlacing myth and history, adventure and love, this is epic storytelling at its best.
The war in Troy is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, friends and enemies, with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder.
Into this maelstrom of treachery and deceit come three travellers — Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret, Kalliades, a warrior with a legendary sword, and Banokles who will carve his own legend in the battles to come.
Shield of Thunder takes the reader back into the glories and tragedies of Bronze Age Greece, reuniting the characters from Lord of the Silver Bow — the dread Helikaon and his great love, the fiery Andromache, the mighty Hektor, and the fabled storyteller, Odysseus.
The second part of the Troy trilogy is a more complex book than the first. Quite a lot of new characters are brought in with new storylines and one who were the main focus before step back a little so that all of the different plot strands can play their part. We are taken all over the Aegean Sea, to many islands, states and cities, by boat and on foot. Battles and skirmishes are fought, ships are sunk, people are killed. Gemmell’s brilliant writing makes the reader feel present in the action rather than being merely an onlooker.
I am now well into the third book and still enjoying the writing so much that I don’t really want it to come to an end! I will definitely return to Gemmell’s work in the coming months.
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
The Librain......retired 
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