Morning Musings the First

So, in addition to all of the landmarks and history, there are some things I enjoy about traveling - those things that make me "broaden", I suppose.

I love getting to visit with people from other cultures; even if there's not enough time to develop a deep relationship, you can at least get a feel for some of their attitudes, opinions, and perspectives. Of course, few cultures are monolithic, and there is a wide spectrum of beliefs in any land, so if you're talking with someone from Portugal or Brazil or New Zealand, you're hearing the opinions of the "woman on the street" which probably doesn't represent anywhere near all of them. We always seem to have these little serendipitous encounters with folks who are not natives to our target country in our travels, and that's fun, as well.

I like to look, as well, at the artifacts and the methods in which we are all the same, versus those little differences from land to land. It may seem a small thing (unless you forgot to bring your power converter along), but just the difference between 110V AC 60Hz and 240V AC 50Hz power usage in our homes can produce nice surprises. When I visited Portugal a few years ago, I encountered electric tea kettles which heat up a pot of water in less time than it can be done in a microwave...and LOVED them! They're ubiquitous in New Zealand, as well, and I'm scheming how to get one home and to rewire my kitchen to accommodate one. Also, probably due to safety concerns with the higher household voltage, all the outlets have individual toggle switches - which can be a source of frustration for the unaware traveler; you might think your electric device is not working at all for a time.

It's fun to go to the grocery store and see those things which are familiar - one could call them global in scope - such as Coca Cola and Doritos, or surprisingly, Hunts Spaghetti/Pasta Sauces, and things that are either unique, or simply packaged differently or consumed in a different consistency or flavor (the word "flavor/flavour" is a good one). My wife remarked on the ketchup she found which is sold in a tube, just like toothpaste. There wasn't a can of tomato juice to be found in any grocery store in Portugal, while in New Zealand it is available, but has a much sweeter taste and nearly sauce-like consistency. I didn't see any produce here that was specifically marked, "organic", perhaps it's assumed to be here in eco-friendly Kiwi country, unless proven differently.

It was interesting to note as we strolled about Auckland the last couple of days that the young people, especially, seem to love American clothing. Hollister t-shirts, Chicago Bulls sweats, and a number of others were appeared to be the uniform de jour. The only All Blacks (the national rugby team) shirt I've seen so far was on a man at the museum.

One of our rules when we travel is that we are not allowed to eat in any restaurants that are U.S. based, such as Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, and so forth. We try, best case, to find little hole in the wall places that the locals frequent, rather than heading to the popular tourist-fleecing establishments, and to eat local produce, cheeses, fruits, meats, fishes and beverages - family style and adult - whenever we have the choice. We have no desire to watch American Idol or Honey Boo Boo on TV here, but the NZ public television station has had some highly informative programs that tempt me to change our itinerary to explore some off the beaten track places. Subway seems to have the sandwich franchise for Auckland CBD - they're everywhere. Perhaps the temptation for a touch of the familiar will assault me at the end of our journey, but it hasn't hit yet, if ever.

More musings another morning, if I'm feeling giddy.

Puttering About in Parnell

Auckland Skyline from Parnell Rise

After a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, and a couple of buttered crumpets, we set out into a sunny morning, and walked up the Parnell Rise a mile or so to the French Market, next to La Cigale.  It was fairly quiet when we arrived, perhaps just the locals were there, picking up their organic produce. A great selection of the usual suspects was on 
display, so far as vegetables go, with a few new to us, as well. There were also some phenomenal breads, regional honeys, duck and goose liver parfaits, olives stuffed with dozens of ingredients, fresh oysters whole or shucked, fish fresh from the sea, or cooked in fresh pressed oil with macadamia coating. It was wonderful.


We grabbed a cup of coffee from a crew who proclaimed themselves "Coffee Gods" - they may have been right. Sampled all sorts of things that struck our fancy, and ended up dropping a bit of cash on some amazing honey with a bold flavor from the Puhoi Bush, sold by a Kenyan expat. We sampled some stuffed olives, but couldn't determine our favorites, so we had to have the nice young fellow mix us a container full of every type they made. The feta-stuffed sweet chili peppers at the next booth over were marvelous, as well, but we passed on acquiring a kilo or two. La Cigale's cheese shop was pushing a soft, rather sharp, cheese that we really should have taken home, but we didn't want to commit too soon, you know. Bought a fresh baguette, and a takeaway box of the famous seafood paella, and headed back down the hill to eat our lunch.

Just outside our apartment

Stopped at a rather tony little wine shop called Caro's and picked up a bottle of Squawking Magpie's Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay - the photo on facebook in front of Liquor Land was just for fun - this time. Ate the paella for lunch, and I'm afraid I have to say I've had better at home in Idaho's Basque country, but it was a worthy effort nonetheless.



Maori Cultural Presentation

The weather was looking great, so we threw a few more items in my backpack to prepare for a ferry ride to Waiheke Island and a day spent tramping about there. By the time we walked down to the Ferry Building, though, it had clouded over once more, and the prospect of spending a day outdoors in the rain made no sense, so we hopped on a bus (an excellent and reasonably priced way to get about Auckland) up the hill past Parnell again to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Entry to the museum is NZD, but do not hesitate to splurge on the additional $25 to see the Maori Cultural Presentation, should you ever get the chance. We had arrived about a half hour before the show, so we "wasted" a bit of time looking at the Moana - My Ocean exhibit - the 3D underwater film is best viewed from the bean bag chairs, just shove those children out of the way.
technically free, though the suggested donation is $10

Waka Waka!

The cultural presentation was done by a professional group affiliated with the museum, and they demonstrated traditional weapons training, Maori games, music and singing. I should have taken notes, but Michele did get some videos to capture the experience. We focused on seeing everything in the Maori section - the intricacy of the carvings on nearly everything, even everyday use items, was very impressive. We also caught a performance of the Ellenbrook Secondary College Senior Choir on tour from Western Australia in the rotunda (we heard singing, and Michele could not resist the siren song), checked out the Boer Wars, WWI and WWII collections, the Hillary Trail detailing Everest's summitting, and a great exhibit on volcanos which included some Mt. St Helens footage for those of you from the Northwest who lived through it.

Japanese Zero - with an oil leak, just like a Harley

Stepped out of the museum around closing time, and got to see a bit of a cricket match in the Auckland Domain (think Central Park without crackheads) and then wandered back to the bus stop for a trip back to the CBD. Went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner back at the apartment. Our lovely hostess departed on a tramping expedition in the morning, and left us the entire apartment to ourselves for the rest of the weekend, so we decided to stay in and cook rather than dine out, especially since we were looking forward to enjoying some of our morning's purchases. Bought a seafood medley and some Nando's Peri Peri lemon herb marinade, and ended up sautéing that together with some steamed broccoli, baguettes and a Waimata Taepo brie cheese, accompanied by chardonnay and followed at last with a pain au chocolate.

And he fades off into the sunset...or melts into the chaise lounge.

Adventures in Aukland

Maureitai Beach

So, it's either Day 1, or perhaps  Day 3, depending on how one reckons such things, with the International Date line wreaking havoc on our calendar. We flew out of the State on the 3rd, completely losing the 4th, and arrived in Auckland early in the morning on the 5th. Compared to the massive heat wave sweeping the West, the cool temperatures when we got off of the plane, were a welcome relief.
Our friend, Victoria, the bride, and one of her bridesmaids picked us up and whisked us out of the hustle and bustle to the family farm in Whitford. Rolling hills, grazing cattle and sheep, mingled with palm trees and lush foliage. After washing off the airplane miasma, and having a cup of coffee or two, we ventured out with the parents of the bride to the nearby Maureitai Bay to visit the reception site and enjoy the local hospitality in a café overlooking the bay.

We had to run some quick errands on the way back down to the city, and we stopped in (as near as I can reckon) in nearby Pakuranga's mall to pick up a local SIM card - and since the cell I had purchased specifically for the trip failed to boot on the local network - a reasonably inexpensive cell phone which we could use for texting and phone calls in New Zealand, bought some black shoes to wear at the wedding since shoes are not "for hire" along with tuxedos as they are in the States, hit the ATM for some cash (a process far too simple and easy to be real), and enjoyed a lunch at the local equivalent of the Chik-Fil-A, called Oporto. Sampled the famed local beverage, L&P, which is a like very sweet and slightly less carbonated 7-Up.

Ferry Building

Business taken care of, we rode down into Auckland's Central Business District (CBD) area to check in to our B&B near Vector Arena, and to meet our hostess, Antoinette. M and I relaxed around the apartment for a little while, unpacking and having a hot cup of tea. Once again, I found myself enthralled with the electric kettles I have seen here and in Europe, which run on the 240 V power and heat a kettle for hot beverages even faster than a microwave. Gotta have one...just a little electrical engineering to do in my kitchen.

Later, we took a stroll down Beach Street to Quay Street, which runs along the length of the Waitemata Harbor. This is not merely a scenic, pleasure boat filled place, and we saw massive container ships being loaded, as well as the fleet of ferries serving the surrounding islands and communities, which depart from...what else? the Ferry Building. As the evening approached, we could hear the announcements over the PA system announcing a final boarding call, and watched many commuters dashing madly to leap aboard their rides home on Friday after work.

The Sky Tower

The area is filled with an eclectic mix of upscale and hole-in-the wall shops, bars and eateries. We managed to get within shouting distance of the Sky Tower by the time night fell, and spent some time exploring the restaurant possibilities on the very
swanky Viaduct pier before settling for a "takeaway" wood oven fired pizza for dinner
from a small shop run by a pleasant Middle Easter man which also specialized in kebabs, and a couple of bottles of Monteith's Pear Cider to wash it down. Bellies full and many miles under our belts, we bedded down to rest up for another day.

A State of Disobedience by Tom Kratman

 I think this may be Tom Kratman's first novel; it seems a little less polished than some of his later works, but it's still quite a good read. Just stumbled on it at the bookstore the other day, realized I didn't have a copy, and the rest is history, or future history, perhaps.

One thing I don't quite understand is how the author totally nailed the 2008 Democratic campaign rhetoric and majority of the resulting administration's agenda implemented after taking power, when Kratman wrote the book in 2003. I think he was anticipating a Clinton run, as the President in the story is a Progressive woman - the historical election of a black man was still too much fantasy at that point. Perhaps one should regard this as more of an alternate history novel.

Anyway, federal government law enforcement agencies have burgeoned out of control, with the EPA, Surgeon General's office, and others maintaining their own pseudo-military forces, in addition to the usual suspects from the FBI, NSA, CIA, BATF, and so on. The word has gone down from the President's office to fully enforce the new abortion rights guarantees, and to take the gloves off when it comes to the Pro Life demonstrators. The Surgeon General's police force goes on the offensive in Dallas, Texas against a group of demonstrators they suspect of setting fires at abortion clinics, and when one reaches for a cell phone during the attack, it triggers a massacre. Father Flores, the leader of the group, flees to what he hopes is sanctuary with another Catholic priest, Father Montoya and a Waco-like siege ensues, except that this time not only innocent children and their caregivers die, but a number of federal police are killed, as well.

As it turns out, Father Montoya's sister is the governor of Texas, and his best friend from Vietnam is the commander of the Texas National Guard, and to some extent you can predict how things are going to fall out from this point. It's a tense story, with a couple of interesting twists, and Kratman (a retired Army Colonel, if I remember correctly) infuses the tale with extremely accurate depictions of the flow of battle operations, weapons capabilities, and the perspective military men bring to a civil conflict. A good solid story which explores the issue of federal overreach and the point at which citizens revoke their consent to be governed.

Limits of Power by Elizabeth Moon

 It's definitely  been too long since I finished the last book written in this series. Had to go back to my review to get back into what had already happened, and I still missed a few things. Lots of character growth and development going on here.

The most obvious "victim" of change is Arvid, the former Master of the Thieves' Guild, who has been marked by Gird for something important. He meets up with Count Arcolin (who has taken over Kieri Phelan's Fox mercenaries) in the south, and works there as a sutler for a time, while studying in one of the granges of Gird nearby. I'm pretty certain Moon is using him to illustrate the nature of Christ's forgiveness and how God works in the lives of forgiven sinners to mold them into the people suited for the tasks he has prepared for them. Arvid remains mystified as to "Why Me?" and what possible use a former criminal can be to a lawful good god, but Arcolin and others have a bit more experience with the process. Eventually, he has to flee north with his son when the guild sends too many assassins after him. But that's probably just where Gird needs him, anyway.

Sergeant Stammel is one whose journey through physical blindness has put him in exactly the spot where the gods want him to be, to save a village from pirates.

King Kieri has a huge mess to clean up after the murder of his grandmother the Lady of the Elves, and the collapse of the Elvenhome with her passing. He can finally also begin to dig into some of the secrets the elves have been keeping for centuries, and start to develop his elf magic gifts, as well. On the more mundane side, he needs to forge some alliances in order to withstand the coming storm when the pirate formerly known as Alured decides to come calling with his armies out of the south. He and his queen, Arian, must also conceive another heir to the throne soon, to replace the one that was murdered by poison, discover the identity of the traitor, and protect his kingdom and family.

King Mikeli also needs to produce an heir, but to do that, he must first find a wife. Plenty of prospects available, but he needs to blend politics and his own desire for a true helpmeet to find just the right one. In the meantime, his younger brother and heir, Camwyn, finds that his unsuspected mage powers are awakening, and he keeps them concealed from his brother and the nobles of the kingdom, fearing the banishment that befell his friend, Beclan.

Beclan is developing well, however, as Dorrin Verrakai's squire, being groomed to become her heir someday, as she has no desire to wed. Dorrin is still weeding out the last of the Verrakai mages and repairing the damage they did to the land and the Duchy.

Arcolin takes the Foxes south for a contract, and in addition to hiring the former thief, he finds out that he is now Prince of the tribe of gnomes whom he rescued after the Dragon cast them out of their stony domain. He has to learn gnomish law and language before he can be effective wearing that hat, but he certainly gives it the old mercenary school try. He also gets a "promotion" to Duke, with the attendant increase in duties.

Paksennarion turns up a couple of times on minor errands, but continues to be a minor player in the drama.

The only downside to this novel is that it seemed Moon rushed the last chapters a bit. The first 90% of the book is full of detailed action, daily routines, long conversations, and covers most of summer and fall, while winter breezes by quickly, with only the briefest of details, in the last pages. I think she's rushing us along to the spring campaign, when Alured of Immer's forces are expected to attack.

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

 So, we get to see Ged right away in this book, but the tale is not narrated from his point of view, but from the perspective of a young nobleman, Arren, who has come to the Isle of Roke to beg the mages for help with a problem afflicting his land. It seems that the wizards and the singers who sing the traditional songs have lost their ability to remember the words of their spells and songs, and things are going awry. The mages have heard rumors of such things in other lands, as well, but dismissed them as merely gossip until now. After meeting with the rest of the Masters to discuss the problem, Ged determines that he needs to set off to investigate this on his own, taking along with him only the young man, Arren, in whom he sees perhaps more potential than others do.

So, they travel together to some of the Reaches and discover that wizards everywhere seem to be giving up their magic in order to chase after the willow-the-wisp of eternal life, drawn by the dream voice of a shadowy figure. Even the luck of the Archmage himself seems to run dry, as Arren is kidnapped by slavers, they take on a madman for a guide, and they nearly die of thirst and exposure on the endless seas, trying to find the place where a mysterious wizard has opened the doors between life and death.

This books really has a dark, depressing, and Tolkien-like feel, reminiscent of the seemingly endless pages of The Return of the King, where Frodo and Sam plod their way slowly through the land of Mordor, trying to get to Mount Doom to cast the ring in the fire. It's difficult to keep hope alive and to press on with your quest when all is dark and seems lost. It doesn't exactly have a "happy" ending, but at least there's a few pages when one can breath a sigh of relief, and think that maybe brighter days are yet ahead.

Around the Web

Massad Ayoob talks a bit about Glenn Beck's new paperback, Control.

No Way!!

Unbelievable! Ringo does Zombies! eARC available on baen.com for Under a Graveyard Sky. I'll probably wait for the official Nook version, but I just had to share it with y'all.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

 Long ago, when I first read this book, I was horribly disappointed. I bought it to enjoy the further adventures of Sparrowhawk, and what I got for a hundred pages or so was absolutely no mention of Sparrowhawk, nor any other characters who appeared in A Wizard of Earthsea. Eventually, he did enter the story, and I finished it mildly mollified. This time, however, I knew what to expect upon my re-reading, and was more capable of simply enjoying the tale's beginning as seen from the POV of Tenar, aka Arha, the Eaten One, High Priestess of the nameless ones at the Tombs of Atuan.

It is believed, in the Kargish lands (though it may be more fair to say that orthodox theology states that, since I have a suspicion that the high priestess of the God King may have a more cynical view of the situation), that Arha is the perpetually reincarnated spirit of the eternal priestess of the Old Ones, born at the same hour that the previous holder of the office died, and she has merely to be reminded of the things she once knew. She was taken from her birth mother at age five, to be raised in the temple, taught her duties, and locked into a life only mildly better than that of her eunuch slave, Manan. She has even forgotten her true name since becoming Arha.

Like many teen aged girls, even those in religious institutions, she takes her pleasures where she can sneak them, indulging in minor curfew violations and wandering past the borders set her. She is taught the ways of the Undertomb, a vast catacomb of natural caverns and man-made passages where, in the portion called the Labyrinth, where only she can pass, many ancient treasures are stored. One of the legendary treasures kept there is one half of the broken Ring of Erreth-Akbe, a powerful magical relic, and probably the only reason any mage worth his salt would bother to make the journey to Atuan, hoping to regain the ring and once again unite the lands of the Archipelago in peace and harmony under a King.

And there, at last, we find Sparrowhawk, sneaking about in the dark, trying to find Erreth-Akbe's legacy, since he was given the other half of the ring on a desert island by an old woman (who turns out to have been Kargish royalty) while he was questing after his shadow. A little older, a little wiser, and yet curiously subdued and not nearly as powerful as we imagine he should be after his earlier successes - but there's a good reason for this, we learn eventually. Arha discovers Sparrowhawk and traps him in the maze, waiting until he has nearly died of thirst and starvation before spelunking on down and having Manan cart him off to a stony prison, where she does a reverse-Scheherazade, forcing him to tell her tales of lands far away, and prove that his magic exists.

If you've already read all the books in the series, you know that Tenar is crucial to the whole story, and marries Ged in the end, but for the rest of you, I'll just let you enjoy it as she finds her way to destiny. Like love is rumored to be, The Tombs of Atuan is much better the 2nd (or 22nd) time around.

Antiagon Fire by L.E. Modesitt

 As soon as Quaeryt has recovered from his latest escapades - eliminating the entire leadership of Bovaria in one mighty ice storm - his job well done is rewarded with another job. He and Vaelora are sent as her brother's personal representatives to Khel, to attempt to convince the High Council there to join the rapidly unifying kingdom. Someone had a joke once about reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy that went, "...walking, walking, walking..." and I felt a bit like that with this book, wherein far too much time was spent on the journey through the countryside on the way to Khel, meeting with factors, meeting with townsfolk, rescuing fair maidens, bringing high holders to their knees, and fighting a series of minor skirmishes.

When they finally do get to Khel, the High Council there won't meet with them unless they pass a trial by combat sort of ritual, which seems to me to go far too quickly and smoothly; Quaeryt doesn't even break a sweat. Despite his success, the council decides to delay joining Bhayar's allies at this point, as they are not convinced that they cannot get a better deal later on, despite it being pointed out to them that it is highly likely that their position will be far more precarious later.

Returning from Khel to the borders of Bovaria, Quaeryt and his favorite commander, Skarpa, decide to run an end around play and go ahead and launch a surprise attack into Antiago, which will, if it succeeds, bring down another of Bhayar's enemies and bring Khel to the point of being the last holdout much more rapidly. This campaign takes place in the last fifty or so pages of the book, and it seemed to me that Modesitt really rushed through things here. The book is, after all, called Antiagon Fire, and it seemed like the majority of it should have dealt with that part of the campaign to me. Maybe that's why they don't let me write these things, eh?

Again, Quaeryt nearly single-handedly destroys the entire capital city, its ruler and all of the nobles by creating a massive earthquake. One problem with this whole subset of the series is that the imagers of Quaeryt's band, including himself, are far too powerful, destroying and creating massive structures near effortlessly. In the first batch of the Imager Portfolio stories, which take place at a future time, imagers are far more limited in their powers, so it makes one wonder how things got from here to there, so to speak. Also, it brings up the problem that I often see in paranormal novels with characters who come into great power too quickly, it just leaves so little room for growth and discovering new, interesting powers. With the amount of power Quaeryt has, there doesn't seem to be any reason why Bhayar doesn't just detail a large enough squad of men to protect him, then send him to any capital city that refuses his entreaties and ...Boom!

I think Modesitt may be growing as bored with this series as I. Unfortunate, as I really loved where it seemed to be headed in the first couple of books. Thanks be that I'm not buying any of them, they show up rapidly at the public library.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

 So, you had to know it was going to happen. Once I read the latest Earthsea book, I simply couldn't resist going back to the beginning and reading them through all over again. A Wizard of Earthsea is the first book, most commonly thought of as a young adult fantasy novel, and in relation to most fantasy today, it is definitely G-rated - no sex and minimal violence.

Wizard begins with the tale of a young boy named Cluny who lives in a village on the isle of Gont, working in his father's smithy. Cluny really doesn't care about the smith trade all that much, and he's always off and about playing in the meadows and forests when he can get away with it. Cluny's aunt, a hedge-witch of sorts, discovers that Cluny has some hidden mage talents, and begins to teach him some of the sorcerous arts. When his village is invaded by barbarians of Karego-At one day, Cluny manages to weave together the natural fog of the island with some illusions and lure the invaders away from his village, for the most part, coincidentally nearly killing himself in the process, for the enormous energy the spell required came from the boy, himself.

A master mage, Ogion, hears about the boy and comes to awaken him from his coma, then, when he is old enough, returns to name the boy Ged and take him on as apprentice. But Ged is impatient with Ogion's slow, cautious magery, and longs to soar free, learning all there is to learn about magic - right away. So Ogion sends him off to the isle of Roke, where the Archmage and eight other Masters have an academy for training young wizards.

Before too very long, Ged's foolish pride gets him in trouble, and attempting a spell far too advanced (and a little on the dark side of the Force) ends with him horribly disfigured by some sort of dark spirit he has unwittingly loosed upon the world. He is allowed to return to his studies and complete his apprenticeship on Roke. When he finally ventures back out into the world, he finds that he cannot run from his nemesis, but that it hunts him down and finds him wherever he flees.

Le Guin weaves a wonderful beginning to a saga in this one, written 45 years ago, which stands the test of time, remaining a classic in the genre.

Jhegaala by Steven Brust

 I'm afraid that Jhegaala is probably the least inspired of the Vlad Taltos series, and the only one I've never reviewed here. It takes place shortly after Cawti has left Vlad, and when he has gone into self-exile from Adrilankha, trying to avoid the Jhereg assassins who'd like to collect the bounty on his head. He visits his country estates briefly, spending some time with his grandfather, Noish-Pa, then heads off to the country of the humans, Fenario, where he hopes to connect with his roots, I suppose.

It doesn't take long for Vlad to find trouble, or trouble to find Vlad. When he arrives in a small town near where some of his mother's relatives are supposed to live, he attracts the attention of the three factions in the town; the Coven, the Guild and the Count. Perhaps eighty years before this, the Count's predecessor discovered a process to make high quality paper in bulk, and began to displace the peasants from their traditional lands and practices, to come work in his factory.

In some of the earlier books, Cawti is involved with the Teckla and other workers in the Empire, as they began to chafe against their chains, a retelling of the French or Russian revolutions' allegories, and it feels that Brust, in the midst of trying to tell an interesting Vlad-style mystery, is presenting a microcosm of the stresses of the industrial revolution on feudal society.

None of the factions in town believe that Vlad is simply here to visit his relatives, and they all assume that he has a hidden agenda which would destroy the delicate balance the powers have attained in the town. When Vlad's poking around results in the killing of that family, things begin to get serious for him, and his desire for justice pushes him to stay far longer than he ought to.

The usually witty dialog is mostly missing, and Vlad's depression a bit contagious in this one. You can throw it out of the series and not miss much.

The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb really seems to love writing tragedies. I'm normally not into reading something that's going to leave me more depressed than when I started, and I've had to stop reading a couple of Hobb's series over the years, when I just couldn't take it any more. However, she is a fantastic writer, and I've been able to finish several of the series, so I don't dis-recommend her.

This tale is far shorter than most of her books, so it was an easy read, but in true Hobb fashion, grew tragic in a hurry. The Willful Princess is the tale of Queen-in-Waiting for the throne of Buckland, Caution, who definitely does not live up the her name. She grows up horribly spoiled by her otherwise quite wise parents, and is aided and abetted by the character telling the story, her companion from cradle to grave, the low born Felicity (daughter of her wet nurse), who has seen to it that Caution's every whim has been granted, hoping to secure a better future for herself when Caution comes to her throne.

There's no way this can end well, of course, and when Caution buys a piebald stallion and its Witted (able to communicate with animals) handler, Lostler, from a Chalcedean trader one year, it begins to go predictably wrong. Caution begins by obsessing on riding the stallion, whom no one else can tame, and ends by riding the handler - ditto. She becomes pregnant by this commoner, and gives birth to his bastard son. When Felicity deceives her into believing her lover Lostler has been unfaithful to her, he and the stallion are killed in the ensuing struggle to banish them, and Caution pines her way to death, as well.

The Piebald Prince tells the story of how her son goes from being the bastard no one loves, to designated heir to the throne, and on to his own horrible tragedy, as well. Our tale-teller, Felicity, suffers horrible consequences, in the end, for her sad role in this tale.

Compelling writing, as always with Hobb. I can take depression in small doses.

The Other Wind by Ursula K. Leguin

How in the world did I miss this book? It came out in 2001, and of course I was busy raising a family, holding down a job, and all that, but still! I have been a huge LeGuin and Earthsea fan ever since the books first came out, and have eagerly read and re-read them all...except this one. Just wow!

It's just like visiting the old neighborhood when a man debarks from a ship in the harbor of Gont and asks the way to Re Albi, where the Archmage Sparrowhawk has gone to retire, and the entire book simply has that feel of visiting with old friends and family for me.

A minor wizard, Alder, who specializes in mending, has recently begun to dream of his deceased wife calling to him across the wall between the land of the living and that of the dead, the Dry Land, and she has been joined by other spirits entreating him to set them free. He fears to sleep, and has traveled far to take counsel with the former mage, who is one of the only men living to have crossed the Dry Land, emerging on the other side. Sparrowhawk's time of doing has passed, but he sends Alder onwards to visit the young king, Lebannen, in Havnor, where his wife, Tenar, and adopted daughter, Tehanu, are visiting.

Lebannen has been trying to make peace with the warlike Kargs, and has been trapped by their proposed solution, marry their high princess to unite the kingdoms. It wouldn't be as interesting a story if he didn't fight the proposal tooth and nail, so you can bet on the outcome, if you like. And recently, the Archipelago has been undergoing a plague of dragon attacks on property, for which he is trying to determine a cause.

All of these plot threads are woven nicely together into a gripping story which kept me up far later than I should have been. The origins of the conflict between the two races of men and the race of dragons is finally brought to light, as well as the source of the wizards' power. Truly worth the wait, though I wish I'd read it sooner.

Around the Web

Just to kinda, sorta, halfway make up for lack of posting in a week, here's a link to a great rant by John Scalzi.

Around the Web

Just for fun, here's a link to an indie publisher in New Zealand you might like to check out - Splashdown Books.

Always bet on the Old Guy

Yesterday, I went to NAPA to get grease seals for my little camp trailer. Now, I know that with non-automotive applications, the guys at the counter are going to have to do some research. Usually there's a cross reference book they can look up the part number etched on the edge of the seal rubber and find an NAPA replacement. The young fellow there was trying quite hard to figure it out, but after inputting several numbers into the computer, he's "if it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist."

He hunted up the old paper version of the books, tried measuring it with a digital micrometer, and still couldn't figure it out, kept mumbling "if it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist."

Finally the old parts geezer who had been on the phone this whole time hung up, walked over and glanced at the seals, asked me "Trailer?" and walked back into the shelves, from where he hollered, "How many?" and emerged with four identical seals, as required.

Always put your money on the old guy.

The Human Division by John Scalzi

 I kept trying to remember what this book reminded me of, and finally it came to me - the Retief books, by Keith Laumer, where Retief of the CDT (Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne) falls into one odd adventure after another, and constantly solves problems in ways his bosses never expected nor condoned. The novel was originally "serialized" as 99 cent Kindle shorts, then linked together into a broader story, which made it nice to read in small doses when I had ten or fifteen minutes to spare.

It's been so long since I read the Old Man's War series that I'd forgotten where things left off, but if this book takes up from that point, not in a good place for humans. The Colonial Union is estranged from Earth these days, and opposed by the Conclave, an alliance of about four hundred intelligent races from around the galaxy, as well as under attack by some shadowy conspiracy which keeps putting the protagonists of the stories into deep trouble.

Ambassador Abumwe and her aides are definitely not the A-Team, perhaps not even the C-Team, so they draw the assignments that either no one else wants or which are doomed to failure from the start. Her technical geek, Harry Wilson, is on detached assignment from the Colonial Defense Force, and has a tendency to take a skewed perspective on problems. Her assistant undersecretary gopher flunky, Hart Schmidt, comes from a very powerful family on the colonial world of Phoenix, but prefers to toil in obscurity, where at least he feels like he's making a difference. The captain of the Clarke, the starship they all get around the galaxy in, when they're not getting it destroyed, Sophia Coloma, takes it all in stride.

Fun little vignettes, good dialog, mysterious plots afoot - no happy endings, but it made me smile.

May Winds Down

Things continue to be slow as far as reading and reviewing books goes. I spent the long weekend in the mountains, for the most part, and had only taken one book along, Kitty Rocks the House, which I finished the first night. I rummaged through the shelves at the cabin, and found a collection of Frank Herbert's short stories and essays from the early 80s, called Eye, which was interesting, but dated, being populated with Cold War spy stories and other paranoia. Had to reluctantly put that one back on the shelf when I left, so didn't finish it - maybe on my next visit.

Next, I overnighted at my parents' house, and found a collection of Essays, On Stories, by C.S. Lewis. I was minded once again of just how brilliant the man was - it's not the sort of thing one simply breezes through cheerily and without deep contemplation. Again, I had to leave my bookmark a couple of dozen pages in, and hope to return someday.

I leave you with a link to a book review by Andrew Klavan and some book-sparked meditations by J. Christian Adams.

I may have something new to say by Monday. Have a wonderful weekend!

Around the Web

A book review on Lagniappe's Lair.

And some book commentary at New Jovian Thunderbolt.

Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn

 Dear Lord, is is just that I've read far too much of this stuff, are are there only a limited number of writer's methods to set up certain situations. This installment of Kitty's adventures just seemed really predictable to me, for some reason.

After a meeting with a powerful vampire who is considering an alliance with Rick (the Master of Denver) and Kitty (who may possibly be the Regina Luparum), a lone werewolf, Darren (Any relation to Samantha's husband from Bewitched?...sorry, my brain goes off on odd tangents once in a while) shows up in Denver and tells Kitty he's tired of being lonely and wants to join her pack, though he's not very submissive about it. Anyone with half a brain can tell this is just going to be trouble, and she should boot him right back out of town, but instead she decides to give him a chance, ignores all the early warning signs, and ends up in a battle for control of the pack, before sending him...ahem...packing.

One of the themes/conflicts in the novel was about how Kitty wasn't spending enough time with the members of her pack, perhaps taking too much of a hands-off approach instead of being involved in their lives, what with her recent history of traveling all over the place either doing publicity for her show, or dealing with supernatural community issues in other cities, plus being involved in the whole Long Game conflict against the followers of Dux Bellorum, or Roman, the millennia-old vampire who wants to rule the world, with humans merely fodder, and werewolves merely servants. Hmm, seems like a recurring theme there with the last novel I reviewed - humans as food. I wonder if the whole scenario wasn't suggested to Vaughn by some feedback from a fan who just wondered what in the world is going on with the pack back home while Kitty is traveling, or how things might begin to fall apart when the alpha is absent.

The other odd thing that happens starts out in a surprising manner (at least I don't recall reading about the idea before), when a powerful yet mild-mannered vampire shows up in Denver, and asks Kitty to be introduced to Rick. Rick's original name was Ricardo, and he was one of the Spanish conquistadors who came to the New World five hundred years ago, a loyal son of the Catholic Church. When it turns out that the vampire, Columban, is actually an undead priest, known to the Vatican, it rocks his world. While he has tried to keep his faith through the centuries, despite the common consensus that vampires and werewolves are spawn of the devil, and damned to Hell for all eternity, it has been very hard for him, trying in an almost Hippocratic sense to "do no harm". Columban wants Rick to join him and his brethren - there are more vampire priests? - which would probably be a bad thing, leaving Kitty without her strongest ally in the city, and the vampires in Denver master-less.

The oddly obvious thing to me in this plotline is that while Columban is holed up in a deconsecrated (though why it had to be deconsecrated, given that the Vatican sanctions his existence, I couldn't say) cathedral, he has written symbols and runes on the outside of the church, and cast a circle of protection (my M:TG history comes through) around the building. Kitty and Ben's friend, the ex-bounty hunter possessed by the spirit of a witch, Cormac, tries to lure the vampire out of hiding by messing around with the wards. They all spend a lot of time wondering what in the world Columban could be afraid of that he would have to ward so powerfully against it. When they finally find out, catastrophically, it's like "well, duh." I'll leave it unstated, no need for true spoilers here.

So, while no real progress is made in the Long Game war, there's a few new alliances made, old alliances perhaps lost, and potential allies still unswayed. Sounds like the next novel will be out fairly soon.

Shadows of Falling Night by S. M. Stirling

 This third installment in the Shadowspawn series doesn't seem to quite have the (pardon the expression) bite of the first one. It's as if Stirling has gotten everyone hooked on the series, and now can settle in to make it as long as possible, selling more books along the way. I remember something similar happening with the Left Behind series towards the end, when one day's worth of events would fill and entire volume, putting us no closer to the resolution of Revelations.

The Shadow Council is on the move, coalescing to a gathering in Tblisi, where they will vote on which option to take with regards to "thinning the herd" of humans; EMP to destroy technology, or plague to kill the masses without spoiling the fruits of industry. Harvey Ledbetter, of the Brotherhood, is also moving towards that dark reunion, with a nuclear weapon in his back pocket, figuratively speaking. He hopes to detonate it near the conference, killing a large portion of the Shadowspawn and making the Brotherhood's overall mission of defeating the remainder much simpler.

Adrienne Breze wants Harvey to succeed in his plot for her own reasons. If the old discorporeal leaders are killed by the radiation from the nuclear blast, she can assume leadership of the council and have her own reign of terror when she releases the plague. Adrian Breze and his wife, Ellen, are trying to foil both Harvey and Adrienne's schemes, while behaving reasonably politely towards the rest of his relatives. Adrienne's minions attempt to kidnap back hers and Adrian's children, which prompts a nightmare flight by Eric (the former detective), Peter (former renfield and physicist who has discovered a way to mask humans from the power wielded by the Shadowspawn), and Chiba (peasant girl who wants vengeance on Adrienne) across the face of Europe, trying to reunite the children with their father before another assassin gets to them first.

Some good twisty plot elements and a very surprising ending which should twist things in an interesting direction in the next book, which I trust will be forthcoming when Stirling needs some more money.

Take the Star Road

Peter Grant, of Bayou Renaissance Man, has written his first science fiction novel, and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by it. Sarah Hoyt's blurb says, "evocative of Heinlein" and I have to agree that it reminds me a bit of some of his earlier young adult novels, both in theme and execution, such as Between Planets, The Star Beast, or Starman Jones, perhaps, but also is full of technical details in a manner reminiscent of Allen Steele's Clarke County, Space or Orbital Decay.

Steve Maxwell, the young protagonist, seems to be one of those folks who can fall in a pile of crap and come out smelling like a rose. The story begins when he and his employer are attacked by several members of a criminal tong, and Steve disables several of them quickly with his martial arts skills, which he acquired while defending himself from bullies in the orphanage where he was left after the death of his parents. Though he has only been doing temp work, his employer is grateful enough for Steve's help that he gives him a full time job as a server in his tavern, and sets him up with a meeting with the bosun's mate of a space ship when the opportunity arises, so that Steve can fulfill his dream of being a spacer, himself.

From that point, things proceed somewhat inexorably, given Steve's good character and strong work ethic, as he learns new skills and is rapidly promoted. Grant uses Steve's innocent eager questions as springboards for a metric ton of exposition about everything from the way space ships make their way through hyperspace to the traditions of the space navy and the history of Earth and its colonies. It works, but occasionally I was left wishing for a little less explanation and a touch more action.

It wasn't a page-turner, which kept me up past my bedtime, but it was a good solid read for a couple evenings' entertainment, and I'd certainly pick up the sequel, when Grant gets around to publishing it. Any and all sex and violence were strictly PG rated, and the lessons that Steve and readers of the book will learn are those of the traditional American mom and apple pie variety.

You can get a second opinion on the book from Brigid at Home on the Range, if you like.

Around the Web

A book review on Financial Ducks in a Row.

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

 The mind is the first thing to go, I guess. I cannot for the life of me remember where I found a review of this book that intrigued me so much I had to put it on hold at the library. Thanks, whomever. This is the most completely fresh take on the whole vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night that I've seen in ages.

Hmmm...the premise...The Others were on the Earth long before humans came on the scene, and for the most part humans were merely prey, but their rapid breeding and technology kept them around long enough to colonize the new world, where they found a whole new batch. The telling of the tale of the colonization and negotiations sounds very similar to what happened with the native Americans here, except that in this case the indians were not overwhelmed by the invaders, and turned out to be very shrewd negotiators, as well as having supernatural powers. I'm not quite sure, given the dynamics of the situation, how we got from point A to the setting of the story, which has telephones and automobiles and modern weaponry in the cities, while still being threatened constantly by what might happen if the humans irritate The Others, who actually include elementals capable of drowning a city or burying your civilization under a glacier, but if we just wave a magic wand over the whole history and logic thing and accept the situation as presented, it gets pretty cool.

Meg Corbyn (not her real name, she really only has a number designation) is a cassandra sangue - blood prophet. She, and other girls like her, are kept as property of very wealthy patrons who ration out their prophecies to those who can pay for them. Every prophecy is created by cutting a portion of the cassandra's skin somewhere, and eventually when all the untouched skin is used up, so is the prophetess. The public believes they are pampered servants, but they are actually abused slaves, and Meg risks her life one day by escaping from her compound and running away into a snowstorm. As her strength and hope begin to flag, she arrives at Lakeside Courtyard, a colony of The Others, and is rescued from the storm by their Wolf leader, Simon Wolfgard, and given the job of Liason between the nearby humans and the supernatural community, mostly to spite the other applicant for the job, Asia, who has been trying to worm her way into Simon's bedroom, and whom he just doesn't quite trust for some unknown reason.

Though her only knowledge of the world outside of the compound comes from books and other lessons she has been taught - just enough to let her interpret what she sees in her visions - Meg turns out to be a very conscientious and thorough Liason. Her primary duty is to receive shipments from human suppliers, and mail from the outside world, sort it, and make sure it gets to the right "people" within the Courtyard.

At the same time, there's a new sheriff in town. Lieutenant James Crispin "Monty" Montgomery has been run out of his last job for allowing a young Wolf girl to kill and eat the pedophile who had been holding her captive, after Monty handcuffed the pervert. The Humans First folks made life difficult for him, his fiancee broke up with him, and kept custody of their daughter. It did, however, make him nearly perfect for a job that opened up in Lakeside Courtyard, enforcing laws on the human side, and making sure the humans don't run afoul of The Others more immediate methods of justice.

In addition to getting used to their new surroundings, developing relationships and understanding their place among the Others, and learning new jobs, Meg and Monty must also deal with outside forces that threaten to destroy what they have. Meg's controller has hired mercenaries to recover his "property", Humans First fanatics are scheming to start a war between the races, and others with merely mercantile motives are snooping about for more information on the Others. Good, semi-twisty intrigue, the threat of violence and mayhem, and some slightly different protagonists make this a really good read. Hope Bishop writes a few more in this world.