The Librain……retired

Welcome to this week’s post. It may turn out to be the final one for 2024, as I can’t see me feeling like writing one on Christmas Day! Well, I might manage a “Merry Christmas” type of post.

I have been taking ages to read my latest book as it is really huge at over 800 pages. This is the cover…

Yes, I chose Tad Williams’ The Dragonbone Chair, #01 Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. I can vaguely remember hearing of this book before, but had never actually read it. When I saw it recommended, I decided to try it. Here is the blurb…

“Kitchen-boy Simon is bored, restless and fourteen years old – a dangerous combination. It seems, however, that his life has just taken a turn for the better when he’s apprenticed to his castle’s resident wizard. As Simon’s learning to read and write under Doctor Morgenes’ tutelage, forces greater than he could possible imagine are gathering: forces which will change Simon’s life – and his world – forever.

Following the death of Good King John, Osten Ard is plunged into civil war as his sons battle for control of the fabled Dragonbone Chair – the country’s throne as well as the symbol of its power. Simon is forced to flee the only home he has ever known, a journey which will test him beyond his worst nightmares.”

Because my concentration and memory levels are so poor, it took me ages to get to the finish! In fact I really struggled with it and nearly gave up by the time I had read the first third. Then I saw a comment (I think it was on Goodreads) to the effect that the plot would improve from about 40% onwards. So I persevered and, in the end, really enjoyed the book (I only finished it an hour before this post was due to go live!) and I have immediately ordered the next one in the series! To those people who have read more of the series, was this a good idea? I would love to have some opinions of this series.

Anyway, this is my response on Goodreads…

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I don’t think that this has ever happened to me before in all my decades of reading! To be honest, I very nearly gave up on this book when I was about a third of the way through. In the end, having read a comment on here, I decided to persevere and was totally blown away by the time I finished the book.

The reason for this is that I simply misunderstood the structure of this book. That first third is necessary in that Williams spends that time building his amazing world with historical and geographical background, the differing intelligent beings, animals and nature, and towns and buildings. He also sets up the cast of characters, showing the reader how they are living, the relationships between them, their previous deeds and so on. Our hero, Simon, starts off as a gawky, naive, teenage boy with a lot to learn and experience.

After the reader has discovered all of this, the plot then begins to gain some pace. More adventures take place and the book becomes very exciting.

So, I could have made a mistake by putting this book aside at 30%, but I am so glad that I didn’t. And now I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy!

View all my reviews

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I think I should perhaps choose something a bit shorter and lighter to read over the holiday period. Any ideas are very welcome!

Happy Reading to you all,

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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Well, we have arrived in the final month of the year, so it’s time to read as much as I can! Sorry, poor joke. I should, of course, be planning for the festive season, but the state of Lovely Husband’s and my health means that Christmas and New Year will be, I hope, enjoyable but low effort. We will try our best to cook lovely food, etc. My chronic cough stops me from going in the kitchen when cooking is taking place. Luckily, LH and Younger Son are great cooks and Elder Son does the prep and clearing up very well.

Oh, and I will get time to read!

Right, back to the point of this post: what I have read since last Wednesday’s post…

Regular visitors to these weekly posts may remember that I am a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold. I love both her science fiction and fantasy writing. Recently, I decided to try another of her series: The Sharing Knife. The first book is called Beguilement and here is the blurb (very short indeed, although I did try to find a better one)…

“In this romantic fantasy novel, runaway farm girl Fawn meets Dag, a Lakewalker, a patroller who is a kind of sorcerer/soldier. Fawn’s own confidence blossoms as she travels with Dag, helping to combat evil “malices” that blight the countryside and also fight the strange and sinister “mud men.””

Well, I have very mixed feelings about this book as I wrote on Goodreads…

Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, what can I say about this book? I am such a fan of LMB’s writing, but this was such a disappointment. Some aspects of the plot were good, mainly the first half. I mean killing monsters is usually pretty exciting stuff. However, the story then became a rather pedestrian romance with aspects of “will her family accept him?” (I expect “will his people accept her?” is the plot of the next book in the series).

But, the elephant in the room is the huge age difference between our two lovers. I mean, IMHO, ten years is acceptable, twenty is dodgy, but anything beyond that is a mixture of ridiculous, awful and possibly abusive. This spoiled the whole tale for me.

One other thing: what possessed LMB to name her hero “Dag”?

View all my reviews

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Now, the question is: “do I read any more books in this series just in case it gets better?”. Anyway, if you know of any better books written by Bujold, please let me know in the comments. I am already reading the Vorkosigan Saga and her World of the Five Gods.

I am presently reading a totally different genre and will write about that book next week. Until then, enjoy your reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne 

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