Tag: Reading

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The Bookish Owl – Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

It’s turtle time with Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.

This Discworld book is a great and funny commentary on the nature of religion, and how easily it can be abused and used to control people.

It also teaches you a lot about tortoises.

Most of all, I really loved the main villain, Vorbis. He’s a fascinating and utterly horrifying character.

And I love it even more that he gets killed by getting hit in the head by a falling tortoise…

 

And it came to pass that in that time the Great God Om spake unto Brutha, the Chosen One: ‘Psst!’

Small Gods
by Terry Pratchett

‘Just because you can’t explain it, doesn’t mean it’s a miracle.’

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was: ‘Hey, you!’ This is the Discworld, after all, and religion is a controversial business.

Everyone has their own opinion, and indeed their own gods, of every shape and size, and all elbowing for space at the top. In such a competitive environment, shape and size can be pretty crucial to make one’s presence felt.

So it’s certainly not helpful to be reduced to appearing in the form of a tortoise, a manifestation far below god-like status in anyone’s book.

In such instances, you need an acolyte, and fast: for the Great God Om, Brutha the novice is the Chosen One – or at least the only One available. He wants peace and justice and brotherly love. He also wants the Inquisition to stop torturing him now, please . . .

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

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The Bookish Owl – The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

Today Artemis presents the last book in the Daevabad Trilogy – The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty!

The first book in this series didn’t grab me from the beginning, but oh boy, how that changed. From halfway through City of Brass until the very end of the trilogy, this story was packed with action, conspiracies, personal drama, amazing characters and fascinating world building.

The Empire of Gold was a great conclusion to the saga, but I’ll keep my summary short:

  • Manizheh is seven kinds of crazy
  • Jamshid is the most precious thing ever
  • Damn it, Dara

But really, everything and everyone else could have gone to hell, as long as Mishmish – the apricot-loving shedu – would be all right in the end.

The Empire of Gold
by S. A. Chakraborty

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

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The Bookish Owl – This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab

This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab

Today we have a new author to me, since the book is This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab.

After reading posts from this author on Twitter for years, I finally decided to try one of her books. I’ll admit that after reading the blurb I did fear it would be some mushy teenage romance, but I was pleasantly surprised. And before you get me wrong: I don’t mind romance at all! There’s just a certain kind of YA fantasy romance that makes me want to tear my hair out.

This was not it.

I really liked the concept of a world where committing violent crimes creates actual monsters. The main characters weren’t that memorable, but they were fairly relateable, and the ending was suitably bittersweet.

All in all, quite a good book, by an author I’m going to be reading more of soon!

This Savage Song
by V. E. Schwab

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab

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Top Ten Tuesday – Characters I’d Name a Pet After

Vetinari Cat Discworld

The week speeds past, and before you know it, it’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday post. This week the topic is ‘Characters I Would Name a Pet After’, so I had to think about all my potential future pets.
If I end up impulsively adopting ten animals tonight, I don’t think any blame can be put on me.

Artemis Fowl

Believe it or not, I have never read Artemis Fowl. But… I do have an owl – a fowl, if you will – named Artemis. Sure, he’s named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, but we can pretend otherwise for the sake of this post.

Havelock Vetinari (Discworld)

The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in the Discworld series is one of my favorite characters, and both his first and last name would make a good pet name. I think I would use ‘Havelock’ for a hawk or a falcon, and ‘Vetinari’ for a cat. Or possibly a snake.
Funnily enough, the character himself is a dog person.

Havelock Vetinari Discworld Paul Kidby

Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

‘Katniss’ is a name so well-suited for a cat that I imagine thousands of cats around the world already carry it.

Nymeria (A Song of Ice and Fire)

I approve of Arya Stark’s taste in wolf names, so I could see myself naming a dog this.

Gaspode the Wonder Dog (Discworld)

If I were ever to adopt a scrawny rescue dog with too much brains for his own good, I would name him Gaspode.

Gaspode Discworld Paul Kidby

Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)

‘McGonagall’ would be too hard to call, but ‘Minerva’ would do the job as a name.
Obviously for a cat.

Inspector Lestrade (Sherlock Holmes)

‘Lestrade’ has a nice ring to it. However, I’m not sure if it’s better for a cat or a dog.

Sirius Black (Harry Potter)

Is it too meta to name a dog after a character named after the Dog Star…?

Nobby Nobbs (Discworld)

Naming a dog ‘Nobbs’ might be jinxing myself. I would just end up with a dog that steals everything.
Besides, I could hardly have Nobby without his trusty partner… and I really don’t want a dog named ‘Colon’.

Nobby Nobbs Discworld Paul Kidby

Crowley (Good Omens)

If I’m not getting a snake and calling it Crowley, what am I even doing with my life?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and it’s a lot of fun. Go check it out!

But first: Tell me your favorite name for a pet. The weirder the better!

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The Bookish Owl – Wings by Terry Pratchett

Wings by Terry Pratchett

Time to fly away with Wings by Terry Pratchett.

This book was the conclusion to the truly odd Bromeliad Trilogy. I’m still not certain what I think about the series as a whole, but if you like stories about tiny people stealing vehicles and having existential crises, this will deliver!

In this final book, the Nomes – alien garden gnomes – take to the skies and goes to Florida to find their ancient spaceship.

They then learn how to fly geese.

It’s weird.

Wings
by Terry Pratchett

Somewhere out there, the ship is waiting to take them home . . . 

Here’s what Masklin has to do: Find Grandson Richard Arnold (a human!). Get from England to Florida (possibly steal jet plane for this purpose, as that can’t be harder than stealing the truck). Find a way to the launch of a communications satellite (whatever those are). Then get the Thing into the sky so that it can call the Ship to take the nomes back to where they came from.

It’s an impossible plan. But he doesn’t know that, so he tries to do it anyway. Because everyone back at the quarry is depending on him — and because the future of nomekind may be at stake . . .

Wings by Terry Pratchett