SEPTEMBER - FANTASY

CLAURENE:   DRAGON FLIGHT BY ANNE MCCAFFREY

The author is American of Irish descent and these books were written while she lived in Ireland.  It was published in 1970.  It is one in a series of books.  Claurene has read all her books and likes science fiction and fantasy written by women.  It's based on an earthlike planet that was settled and then fell apart.  The settlers lost contact with earth.  They return to a rural type of life but have to protect themselves from spores sent off from a red planet when it gets close to them.  The original inhabitants are a species of large telepathic dragons.  They are ridden by dragon riders. Claurene liked the book.

BEV:  MAGICIAN BY RAYMOND E. FEIST

Bev was surprised she enjoyed what she has read.  She hasn't finished it yet as she was very busy but will finish it. It is about an orphan boy apprenticed to a magician.

JO:  RESERVED FOR THE CAT BY MERCEDES LACKEY

The story is about a ballerina in the late 1800's in France who loses her job as she is too good. For a female, at this time, it is very depressing to not have a job.  You either starved or became a prostitute. The cat decides she has to go to England.  The cat turns out to be her father in cat form.  She said it was a good book although not normally her "cup of tea".  It was weird and wonderful.

JUDY:  THRESHOLD BY URSULA K. LE GUIN

The author has received many awards for her books. This book was written in 1980 and Judy said it was very dated.  She had read it in primary school. There are explicit sexual references that don't really fit.  It is about a misfit boy in his 20's.  He has a depressive mum.  He likes to jog in the woods where he meets a runaway girl.  They discover a gate that only certain people can see that takes them to a different land back in time to the 16th century.  Life is degenerating and the boy becomes the chosen one but to save them he needs the help of the girl to translate.  She is able to understand and speak this different language.  Judy would not recommend this book.

ANNE:  NIGHT CIRCUS BY ERIN MORGENSTERN 

Anne said the book was boring, then it became a bit interesting and then boring again.  She only read part of it.  It is about a circus that appears and then disappears overnight.  There are good descriptions but there is a sinister thread throughout.

KRIS:  THE HOBBIT BY J.R.TOLKIEN

This book forms the prelude to the trilogy "Lord of the Rings" and as stated in the front of the book "It is a complete and marvellous tale in itself".   The Hobbit was originally written as a story for his own children but I think it is enjoyed just as much by adults.  The story begins with the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins who has a very comfortable life he does not want to abandon. When the Wizard Gandalf  visits he talks Bilbo into joining a group of dwarves on a quest for reclaiming stolen gold which is guarded by a giant dragon.   On their quest they encounter trolls, goblins, elves and giant spiders. The book was great and Tolkien is a wonderful writer.

LESLEY:  DAGGERSPELL BY KATHARINE KERR

The book has a Celtic feel. The people speak a different language, believe in fate and reincarnation. It begins around 1045 in a fictitious land called Deverry.  The story line didn't grab Lesley and she didn't want to read more of the series but could see how people could get drawn in.

PAULINE:  ANIMAL FARM BY GEORGE ORWELL

Pauline doesn't like fantasy.  She had read this book as a teenager but did not appreciate the political side of the book.  It is an allegory of Russia and the revolution.  It is set on a farm called Manor Farm where the animals are not treated well. There is an old boar called Major. The animals have a meeting and decide to have a revolution but it doesn't happen until after the Major dies.  They take over the farm and get rid of the farmers.  One of their commandments is "All animals are equal" but of course, as in all societies, certain ones take over as leaders.  Pauline found it an interesting book.

JUDY G:  RIVER'S GIFT BY MERCEDES LACKEY

Judy doesn't like fantasy and thought "yuck".  She's not hooked on fantasy after reading this book.

TAM:  INFINITY GATE BY SARA DOUGLAS

This is the third book in a series.  Tam generally doesn't like fantasy but she enjoyed reading this book.  It is a story of good and evil.  It involves sorcery, magical spells, mythical beings and time travel.  The kingdom is going to be overcome by a power struggle.  She thought Sara was quite a good writer and Tam said she will try another fantasy book.

JAYNE: ALICE IN WONDERLAND BY LEWIS CARROLL

Jayne said there was a lot in the book you don't realize as a child. The author is English and Lewis Carroll is a pseudonymn. The book was written in 1865. It was the most popular children's book when Lewis Carroll died. Lewis Carroll was also a photographer and he based Alice on a real child he had photographed. Rumours have said he was high on opium when he wrote the book but these have been disputed.  He was a genius mathematician and there are mathematical puzzles throughout the book.

ROSEMARIE:  PETER PAN BY J.M. BARRIE

Rosemarie doesn't like fantasy so read Peter Pan instead.  Rosemarie said it was a good tale.  J.M.Barrie was born in 1860 and died in 1937. He was a Scottish author and dramatist.  Peter Pan was based on his older brother who died in an ice skating accident when he was fourteen. The book popularized the name of Wendy.   Rosemarie enjoyed the book.

LAURA:  ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER BY SETH GRAHAME-SMITH

The book is a mashup which is two genres mashed together.   In this book the biographical facts are correct and very good.  The vampires could buy slaves to eat and Lincoln hated slavery.  Laura enjoyed it as she is interested in both genres but wasn't sure who else would enjoy it.

ROSEMARIE O: APPLE FOR THE CREATURE BY CHARLAINE HARRIS AND TONI L.P. KELNER

This book is a number of short stories.  Rosemarie chose the Spellcaster.  It is about a group of university students writing up documents for the professor. One of them is a saboteur changing formulas for the spells and when the wrong spell is used a demon is unlocked.  The saboteur is killed.  The demon is in control of faith and science.  Rosemarie found it hard to get her head around. She also read a second story about Suki Stackhouse who is visiting her nephew when a failed suitor comes to the school with a gun.  The replacement teacher is a witch.  Rosemarie enjoyed the stories and might read more.

ED:  PAWN OF PROPHECY -THE BELGARIAD BY DAVID EDDINGS

This book is part one of a series.  Ed enjoyed it.  It is a coming of age story of young man called Garion and the recovery of the legendary Orb of Aldur.  He seeks to fulfill an ancient prophesy that will decide the fate of the universe.  She enjoyed it much more than two of our recent authors, one being Doris Lessing.

JULIA:  WIZARD OF OZ BY L.FRANK BAUM

The author was born in 1856 in New York.  This is America's best loved fairy story.  Julia saw the movie10 to 12 times as a child and she loved it.  The author wrote the book in the late 1800's .  He thought it was time for a new fairy story, a modernized fairy story.  His incentive was to have a fairy tale that did not have all the horrible things.  Julia found it very interesting.

PAMELA: GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT - ANONYMOUS

Although it is not known who wrote it, the book was edited by Tolkien. It is a late 14th century tale written in the north west midland dialogue which is more Germanic than Chaucer (more Norman French).  It is a serious as well as funny story.  The setting is King Arthur's court on Christmas eve.  A challenger rides into the hall on horseback.  He is very big and green and his horse is also green.  He is carrying holly for good luck.  In the other hand he is carrying a 90cm wide axe.  The green knight wants someone to cut his head off.  Gawain takes it on.  The head rolls under the table and people try to keep the head separate from the body so it will die but the knight gets his head and races off.  In a year and one day Gawain has to travel to the green chapel to have his head cut off.  He keeps his part of the bargain.  It is a long journey in winter and he stops at a castle beforehand to rest.  The host is married to a beautiful woman who tries to entice him.  There is also an old, ugly lady at the castle who is treated with great respect.  There is a very interesting twist at the end.  The book explores fidelity, chivalry and loyalty.   It is a wonderful story.


SHEILA:  A BLINK OF THE SCREEN BY TERRY PRATCHETT

Sheila doesn't enjoy fantasy.  She read it due to pressure from her family.  She thought it was clever but she said "she wouldn't really give you two bob for it".  She also read THE DIRTY STREETS OF HEAVEN.  She said she should have thrown it in the bin.  It was about good angels and bad angels fighting over the spirit as it leaves the body.  She said the language is appalling, the swearing terrible and there was a lot of torture.  She only got to page 40 and said it was just awful.

DIANE:  WATERSHIP DOWN BY RICHARD ADAMS

This book won an award for children's fiction.  Diane thought she would enjoy it.  It is a story of rabbits who leave their warren to find a safer place. She got to page 130 and didn't like all the different names and trying to follow them.  The pace of the story was slow.  The author is English and he's a brilliant wordsmith.   It is a bit drawn out because it started as a story told to his children on a long road trip.

PAT:  LAVINIA BY URSULA LE GUIN

She only read 12% of the book.  It is a book of passion and war and the cost of war.  Pat just could not get into it.  She has enjoyed some fantasy including the Hobbit.

CONNIE:  ENCHANTMENT BY ORSON SCOTT CARD

The book is well written and she enjoyed the first few chapters.  It is set in what is now the Ukraine  The story is about a boy who liked to run in the woods. His parents are poor farmers.  He gets lost and finds a female body lying on a pedestal in a lake full of mud.  After he is grown up the body of the woman still haunts him. He studies Russian folklore as he believes it is necessary for our psyche to read very old folklore.  He sets out to find the body 20 years later and falls in love with her. They cross a bridge to a land 2000 years ago and go back and forth in time.  They continue to do this even after they get married and have children.  Connie said it was well written but it was too long (400 pages) and the print was too small.