More on Seren's Mabinogion Series

Following on from Maryom's review of White Ravens we have heard of this event. It should be a good evening for all Mabinogion fans.

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Mabinogion Series Launch - St Davids Hotel, Cardiff - Thursday October 28th, 7pm

An evening to launch Seren's Mabinogion Series Thursday October 28th, 7pm.

This is an unique opportunity to hear Owen Sheers, Russell Celyn Jones, Niall Griffiths and Gwyneth Lewis discussing their own take on the Mabinogion. In the prestigious settings of the St David's Hotel, the audience will have the opportunity for Q&A and the chance to get all four books signed by the authors.

Part of BayLit organised by Academi. Tickets £10 (Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment)

Ticket Line 02920 472 266

Owen Sheers White Ravens

Russell Celyn Jones The Ninth Wave

Niall Griffiths The Dreams of Max and Ronnie

Gwynwth Lewis The Meat Tree

For more information on BayLit Shock of the New contact Academi: 02920 472 266 / post@academi.org

www.academi.org

White Ravens by Owen Sheers

Re-imagining Myth
review by Maryom

Owen Sheers brings a contemporary twist to the ancient Welsh tale of Branwen, daughter of Llyr with two different, but entwined, stories, one set in the present day, one during WW2.
Rhian and her two brothers live on a remote Welsh hill farm, the family's home for generations, but following an outbreak of foot and mouth the brothers decide to set up in a different line of business - one they feel is less effort and more lucrative.
Matthew O'Connell is sent on a secret wartime mission to bring 6 raven chicks from a remote Welsh farm to the Tower of London but is unwittingly bringing tragedy with him.

This book is part of a series from Seren Books - New Stories from the Mabinogion - though there's no need for any prior knowledge of Welsh myth to enjoy this story- it's gripping enough and perfectly capable of being read as a stand alone story.
I was drawn in by Sheers' storytelling skills, his ability to tell part of the tale from a woman's perspective, to give Rhian a voice and let her speak. White Ravens is very much a story set in the real, everyday world, not a magical, fantasy tale but, in the way of myth, the characters are drawn powerlessly along towards their inescapable fate. Although this is a story about men torn apart by violence and bloodshed, of men who release their torment and rage on the people and animals around them, it also offers the possibility of ending the vicious circle they find themselves caught in.


Warning - there is a certain level of violence against animals in this book that some readers may find distressing.

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Seren Books
Genre - Adult Literary Fiction

Buy White Ravens (New Stories from the Mabinogion) from Amazon

Fate and Fortune by Shirley McKay

Old Murder
review by TheMole

In the second of the Hew Cullan novels he returns home from France to find his father dead and the funeral about to take place. Hew has now inherited much property and it's a situation he's not comfortable with. He sets out to pursue areas of his estate and finds himself robbed and jailed and ends up as an apprentice.

A tale of romance, murder and violence. With a twist at every turn of the plot this is a story that may have you guessing right to the end.

It is often the case that stories set in historical times continue to use modern day English, but Shirley McKay uses historical terms in such a way that the reader understands most every word but can feel the history in the story. This approach means the reader does not expect the hero to pull out a digital watch or tri-corder and brings the characters and scenes to life. I say 'most every word' because I am still unsure of the modern equivalent of 'buith' or 'crame'.

The violence and murder is not graphic so if, like me, you are a little squeamish you need not be concerned - have a read. Miss Marple of the sixteenth century.


Recommended for lovers of Historical Crime Fiction. Read and enjoy.

TheMole's review - 4 stars
Publisher - Polygon
Genre - Adult Historical Crime

Buy Fate and Fortune by Shirley McKay from AMAZON

Tithe by Holly Black

A Dark Faery Tale
review by Maryom

Kaye has always seen faeries and had the ability to make strange things happen - like bringing an old carousel horse to life - but when she saves the life of a strange, handsome, young man she finds herself dragged into the power struggles of a dark, perverse faery land.

I picked up Tithe on the recommendation of my daughter - you know children are growing up when they say 'Read this book - it's good' and you find it is - not merely at a child's level. A book about faeries but, as my daughter says, "not the soft sweet sort that sing you to sleep" - these faeries are self-centred and cruel, treating humans as toys and playthings.
It's peopled with a totally believable cast of characters from Kaye's drunken wannabe rock star mother to the mean, manipulative Faery Queen and set against a modern day backdrop where trailer park merges into Faeryland.
Although aimed at teenagers and YA, it's a wonderful book for any lover of fantasy fiction.

Read my daughter's review of the sequel, Ironside, on her blog.

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Genre - YA Fantasy


Buy Tithe from Amazon

Beside The Sea by Veronique Olmi

The Dark Side of Motherhood
review by Maryom

A single mother sets out on a trip to the seaside with her 2 young sons, determined that for once they will have some fun, see the sea and visit the fairground like 'normal people'. But it's not the jolly kind of jaunt you might suppose, she has a hidden agenda born of her obsessive love and her fear of letting go of her children.

This is another short, wonderful, thought-provoking book from Peirene Press, translated from its original French by Adriana Hunter - a tale of motherhood at its most protective.
It opens with the family leaving, almost sneaking out of, their home to set out on their journey to the seaside. The boys aren't happy or excited about this trip, but worried. If they'd had any expectations of fun, they are soon dashed - the beach is cold, wet and windswept, the hotel dingy and brown - but above all is the obsessional love of their mother, holding them back, and the feeling of impending doom which drags the reader in. It's a book that will grab you - make you fall into this young woman's depression and yet want to say 'Whatever you're planning to do, don't do it! There is another way'.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Peirene Press
Genre - Adult Literary Fiction



Other reviews: Tony's Reading List

Girl 16 Five Star Fiasco by Sue Limb

Dance anyone?
Review by TheMole

Jess and her boyfriend, Fred, have organized a dinner dance in aid of charity. Well, they are supposed to have organized, but so far they have done posters and tickets. The tickets are sold out but nothing has been arranged. Both of them are thinking there is plenty of time but the clock is ticking and it's time to start taking responsibility.

I found this story to be tremendous fun and I really got to know Jess and Fred. Without giving any spoilers I might also say I loved the ending, which is a bit atypical of other teenage chic lit in that the ending is not a lovey-dovey happy ending, but a real message to the reader.

I would certainly recommend it for young readers in search of something easy to read and light. Beautiful.

TheMole's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Bloomsbury
Genre - Teenage chic-lit

Buy Girl, 16: Five-Star Fiasco (Girl, 15) from Amazon

The Nostradamus Prophecies by Mario Reading

Action-packed adventure
review by Maryom

Most people have heard of Nostradamus and his prophecies. But did you know that he wrote a thousand and only 942 have survived? This thriller is built around the question 'What happened to the other 58?' Babel Samana, a French gypsy, believes he can sell information regarding their whereabouts and has lined up two possibly interested parties - Adam Sabir, a writer trying to boost his career with a major bestseller, and Achor Bale, a member of a mysterious secret society, who is prepared to go to any lengths - including torture and murder - to get his hands on this information. Samana's scheme doesn't go to plan and Sabir finds himself with Samana's sister fleeing across France, trying to evade the police while trying to locate the missing prophecies.

This was brought to my attention by someone praising it on Facebook, so I went to the library to order it - only to find it was labelled in the system as non-fiction. Mario Reading is an expert on Nostradamus and his prophecies, and has written non-fiction books on the subject but don't confuse this with them. This is a quickly paced, action adventure and most definitely fiction, though I did wonder how much of himself Reading saw in his hero, Sabir. Has he ever been approached by gypsies trying to sell a secret?
A good holiday read or one for the many wet winter evenings on the way. If you liked Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, you'll love this. (I preferred this!)

Maryom's review - 3.5 stars
Publisher - Atlantic Books
Genre - Adult Thriller

Buy The Nostradamus Prophecies from Amazon