New Read: Root

After a glorious bank holiday weekend last week the rain has now returned to the UK. Finding myself inside again I was happy to lose myself in the exotic world of Root by Tara Maya the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but until January I seemed to have forgotten all about it. Earlier this year I polished off the second and third instalments and I was ever so lucky to get my hands on more instalments straight away. I am very glad this is a series I have rekindled my interest in.

Root is the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on previous instalments first as this post may contain spoilers.

Root continues to follow the exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable life of the young girl Dindi. After surviving a gruelling test Dindi has had her life spared and is now allowed to dance with her clan’s Tavaedi group even though she doesn’t possess magic. This is small consolation as Dindi is required to return to her home with her clan folk after losing the man she loves. There is one thing Dindi clings onto and that is the secret that in fact she does have magic. Other’s can’t view this magic because long ago a curse was placed upon her bloodline which Dindi must discover how to break if she ever hopes to reach her dreams. However there is someone  who can sense her magic. He is a dark, mysterious, and dangerous man who is to bring death and war down upon Dindi and her clan folk in the pursuit of her.

Dindi’s teacher, friend, and love interest Kavio was sadly missing from this instalment leaving Dindi to narrate the majority of Root. Kavio was mentioned but his story line was never viewed. I really hope we will return to him in later instalments because I thought the relationship between the two protagonists was really good. It was however quite refreshing to focus in on Dindi as she progresses in maturity and strength. Maya also included the voices of Kemla and Tamio two ambitious Tavaedi dancers who have a bit of sexual tension going on, the faerie born White Lady who is on the run, and the dangerous man in black who is hunting both the White Lady and Dindi herself. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought different dimensions to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all works perfectly together. Other than a few typos I thought Maya’s style, language, and story flowed really well and I didn’t notice the use of any too modern sounding language to break me out from my magical revelry.

Root was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content in this series so not recommended for younger readers. I have the next instalments Wing and Blood waiting for me on my kindle. I can’t wait to read them.

I received a free copy of Root from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of dark fantasy?

I’m counting Root as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

Re-Read: The Horse and His Boy

One of my goals for 2013 is to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia’. Recently I have been reading long and pretty intense novels so over last weekend to lighten up my reading again I reached for The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Horse and His Boy follows Shasta a young boy who has grown up in a small fishing village in Calormen. Arsheesh the man who Shasta calls father is a fisherman who works the poor boy very hard. One night Shasta meets a talking horse named Bree who convinces the boy to run away with him. And so begins their adventure through the mighty city of Tashbaan, over the vast desert, through the mountains of Archenland, and finally to the magical land of Narnia. Where Bree and Shasta hope they will find freedom from slavery and servitude that they were subjected to in Calormen. I haven’t read The Horse and His Boy since I was a child and I found I’d forgotten much of what happens. This re-read felt almost more like a new read! What I loved the most about this instalment is how it gives us a glimpse into the lives of people living in the lands around Narnia. Calormen is an exotic country with little to no magic, it reminded me of Middle-Eastern countries here in our own world. This instalment also stands out because it doesn’t involve anyone travelling from our world into Narnia instead it involves characters that already live there.

The Horse and His Boy has an interesting collection of characters. The protagonist Shasta is young, naïve, kind, and he finds out along the way he is also pretty brave. With his blonde hair and fair skin he has always felt an outcast in Calormen. Bree the talking horse was captured when young and brought to Calormen so knows where he truly belongs, and convinces Shasta that he too must come from the north. Along the way they also meet Aravis a Calormene princess and her own talking horse Hwin who are both seeking freedom too. What I enjoyed the most was to meet the Pevensie siblings when they are all grown up and are in the middle of their golden reign of Narnia. I particularly loved seeing Mr Tumnus again!

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the books. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading The Horse and His Boy as the third instalment really helped me to understand better Narnia and its relationship with the lands around it. Plus it also gave me more detail about Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy’s reign over Narnia.

The Horse and His Boy is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, friendship and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday evening. I am keen to move on to Prince Caspian next, the fourth instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Have you read The Horse and His Boy? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

I’m counting The Horse and His Boy as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

New Read: A Game of Thrones

I was gifted with a full set (to-date) of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin for Christmas. I picked up the first instalment A Game of Thrones in March thinking it would be a great read leading up to the release of season 3 of the TV adaptation Game of Thrones on the 1st April. I finished the book just after this date!

A Game of Thrones starts the action in the Seven Kingdoms with the death of Lord Jon Arryn the Hand of the King. King Robert turns to his childhood friend Lord Eddard Stark to become his new Hand. Reluctantly Ned (Eddard) agrees and moves south to the capital King’s Landing to start a new life of political schemes, intrigue, and flattery that the royal court is rife with. It is not long before Ned discovers a secret that threatens The Iron Thrown and the lives of those he loves. Meanwhile in the North beyond The Wall winter is returning and with it an ancient evil. While across the sea in the East the last descendants of the Targaryen Dragon Lords are making plans to retake The Iron Throne. As you can see there is a lot going on in A Game of Thrones I needed my wits about me to keep up with it all. On the other hand though I can’t say this was a dull read. There was always something going on and I was eager to read on to find out more!

Alongside all the action and adventure of A Game of Thrones there is a whole host of interesting characters to get to know too! I couldn’t possibly discuss them all here so instead I will just focus in on my favourites. Lord Eddard Stark better known as Ned is a good, loyal, kind, and honourable man, possibly too honourable. Arya Stark is the youngest daughter of Ned and makes the journey to King’s Landing with him. Arya is spunky and intelligent I loved hearing about all the scrapes she manages to get herself into. Jon Snow is the illegitimate son of Ned who is sent to The Wall to join the Brothers of the Night’s Watch. Jon starts out rather naïve and bitter but I loved watching his progression during his training to become a great warrior but also a loyal friend. Tyrion Lannister is the youngest of King Robert’s brothers-in-law. Tyrion is a dwarf who receives much abuse and prejudice against him for it even from his own family, however Tyrion is very intelligent and witty! Daenarys Targaryen is the sister to Viserys Targaryen the heir to The Iron Throne. While I disliked Viserys I found Daenarys appealing as she is young, beautiful, and poorly used by her brother but through the book she begins to find her own strength.

While I have watched the television series, George R R Martin and the book A Game of Thrones are new to me. I have been contemplating reading this book since the first season of the television show came out but if I’m honest the sheer length of the book put me off. At nearly 800 pages this is a long book! I could have read two possibly three books in the time it took to read this one book. My real fear though was that the story would be slow and would drag which fortunately turned out to be an unfounded fear. A Game of Thrones is long because it needs to be long. It is jam-packed with action, adventure, intrigue, love, war, hardships, lies, secrets, and shocks! Martin’s writing is detailed and compelling, and his choice to break the book up into bite-size chapters which focus on different characters was a great idea. As a reader I found myself completely immersed in the Seven Kingdoms as I got to explore different cities, castles, and lands from the view-point of the different characters.

A Game of Thrones is an excellent example of epic/high fantasy. I highly recommend to those who enjoy fantasy and for some reason haven’t already read this! This book does contain sexual and violent content so recommended for adults only. Now I have season 3 of the Game of Thrones television show to watch I may leave starting the second instalment of this series A Clash of Kings until that has finished.

Have you read A Game of Thrones? Are you watching the television show?

I’m counting A Game of Thrones as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

Meme: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. Oh My!

I spotted these interesting meme questions over at Sarah Says Read who found it on SF Signal. I love fun memes like this but I thought how appropriate this one was as I have just signed up for Once Upon a Time VII challenge. I have slightly tweaked this meme to suit me and an UK audience.

Science-Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?

Fantasy! Although I am certainly not adverse to a bit of Science-Fiction and Horror too.

Hardback or Paperback?

On the whole I prefer paperbacks just for the pure easy of carrying them about as they usually smaller and lighter. I do have some hardback copies of cherished favourites that I want to re-read again and again.

Heinlein or Asimov?

I’ve actually read neither, but my father has recommended reading Heinlein.

Amazon or Brick and Mortar?

For physical books I don’t think you can beat a physical brick and mortar shop but now I have a kindle too I use Amazon for that.

Hitchhiker or Discworld?

How can you make me choose?! I love both! Narrowly Discworld is possibly my favourite, I stress narrowly though.

Bookmark or Dog-ear?

Bookmark. Folded pages even just folded corners annoys me yet I am a self-confessed spine-breaker…no one can be perfect I guess.

Magazine: Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?

Neither. I’ve heard of them but I don’t read any magazines.

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?

I keep the books I think I would like to re-read. The rest I pass on to friends and family, or donate to charity.

Year’s Best Science Fiction series (edited by Gardner Dozois) or Years Best SF series (edited by David G. Hartwell)?

Erm…I don’t know what these are…

Short story or novel?

I’m open to reading both but I prefer novels.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

This is an easier one as I’ve never read Lemony Snicket so Harry Potter it will have to be.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

I really try to get to a chapter break but if I fall asleep mid chapter I don’t have much choice in the matter!

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

“It was a dark and stormy night”

Buy or Borrow?

Buy but sometimes borrow.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse?

I tend to go mostly by recommendations and browsing.

Lewis or Tolkien?

Again how can you make me choose?! Again I love them both but for different reasons which mean I don’t think I can pick between them.

Hard SF or Space Opera?

Neither. I read a bit of Science-Fiction but not enough to know about these.

Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?

I read both but prefer collections.

Hugo or Nebula?

Neither. Are these awards? I don’t tend to take much notice of awards.

Golden Age SF or New Wave SF?

Neither. Again I don’t know enough about Science-Fiction to know about these.

Tidy ending or Cliff-hanger?

Tidy ending. I can only put up with a cliff-hanger if it’s in the middle of a series and have the next instalment ready to read!

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?

I’m happy to read most times of the day but I think the best time to read is in the afternoon. There is nothing better than a lazy afternoon spent snuggled up with a book and a cup of tea.

Standalone or Series?

I read a mixture of both.

Urban fantasy or high fantasy?

High fantasy.

New or used?

Both!

Top 5 favourite genre books read last year?

1. (re-read) The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien (Children’s Fantasy)
2. The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
3. The Moon Coin by Richard Due (Children’s Fantasy)
4. Sacrifice by Tara Maya (Fantasy)
5. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)

Top 5 favourite genre books of all time?

1. The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien (Children’s Fantasy)
2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Horror)
3. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis (Children’s Fantasy)
4. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (Science-Fiction)
5. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (Fantasy)

Top 5 favourite genre series?

1. The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien (Fantasy)
2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis (Children’s Fantasy)
3. Discworld by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Science Fiction)
5. The Dark Tower by Stephen King (Fantasy/Horror)

What about you; Science-Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror?

If you’ve had a go at these meme questions too please let me know and leave a link to your post in the comments below.

Challenge: Once Upon A Time

(Art by Melissa Nucera)

Spring has arrived which usually means the start of longer and warmers days, flowers, and generally new life all round. Yet here in the UK all we’ve got is more snow and warnings of even more! But while the weather might be letting us down Carl V @ Stainless Steel Droppings hasn’t. Spring means the beginning of Once Upon a Time VII.

“Thursday, March 21st begins the seventh annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through Friday, June 21st and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims” Carl V

I have been avoiding challenges recently because I have been worried about pinning myself down too much, considering I like to read by mood. This is hardly a challenge though for me because it encompasses all the genres and sub-genres I love the most! And with the depressing weather I have found myself in the mood for them all the more.

Here are the books on my bookshelf I could choose from:

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin

A Game of Thrones (currently reading)
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords 1: Steel and Snow
A Storm of Swords 2: Blood and Gold
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust
A Dance with Dragons 2: After the Feast

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C S Lewis (re-read)

The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

The Wind Between the Keyhole

Here are the books on my kindle I could choose from:

A World Apart by David M Brown

The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales (currently reading)

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales

The Unfinished Song series by Tara Maya

Root
Wing
Blood

So plenty of books to choose from?! Of which two of them I have already started reading. I have decided to join up at The Journey level which means I am pledging to read one book. I will probably read more than one but I like the freedom this level offers me. I am really looking forward to seeing what I and the other participants read.

Are you taking part in Once Upon a Time VII?

Re-Read: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

My goal for 2013 is try to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia‘. Recently I have been reading pretty long and intense novels. Over the weekend I fancied lighten up my reading so I reached for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis the second and the most well known instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe follows the Pevensie siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who have been evacuated from London during the war to a big country house owned by an eccentric old professor. They are given free range to explore the big old house and its grounds. On one of their many explorations the youngest of the four Lucy discovers a magical wardrobe which is an entrance to the land of Narnia. Once within Narnia Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy finds themselves on an extraordinary adventure to join the mighty Aslan to try to defeat the powerful White Witch. I hardly need to tell you more what with this story being one of the most beloved childhood novels, what with all the radio, TV, stage, and film adaptations without reading the book most people know it. There were no surprises for me either on re-reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe as it is the only one of the series I had re-read before. I find that this book loses known of its charm after several reads though.

The protagonists of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe the Pevensie siblings are memorable, interesting, believable, and individual characters. Peter is clever and caring although he can come across rather pompous now and again. I think his heart is in the right place though. Susan is kind, attractive, and assumes a quite mother like role. Sadly I think she is the least interesting of the group. Edmund starts off moody and naïve which leads him to betray his family, yet he is the one who grows the most as a person and by the end of the book I think he is probably my favourite character. Last but certainly not least is Lucy the youngest. Lucy is generous, loving, brave, and forgiving she doesn’t change much during the novel but I don’t think she needs to.

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the book. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading this as the second book in the series does mean it loses some of its surprise elements but I don’t think it makes it any less magical.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, family and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday afternoon. I am keen to move on to a re-read of The Horse and His Boy next, the one instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia I think I remember the least about.

Have you read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

Re-Read: The Magician’s Nephew

My goal for 2013 is try to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia‘. Recently I have been a rather busy lady with work, hobbies, and socialising. When I found myself with a free evening I decided the best way to spend it would be to tuck myself in bed early with a box of chocolates and a good book. The book I reached for was The Magician’s Nephew by C S Lewis the first instalment chronologically of The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Magician’s Nephew follows a young boy called Digory who has to move to London to live with his mother’s unmarried siblings as his mother’s health deteriorates. Digory befriends Polly the girl who lives next door, and together they start exploring the tunnel that connects the attics of their houses. The two children make a wrong turn though and find themselves within Digory’s uncle Andrew’s forbidden study. Uncle Andrew is in fact a magician working on some magic rings and after playing a cruel trick on the children sets them on an adventure in another world. I remembered fondly Digory and Polly crawling through the attic tunnel and yet on a re-read I realised just how much I’d forgotten about. The Magician’s Nephew has a lot of elements woven into what seems at first a simple tale. In hindsight this makes sense because it is actually the sixth book to be published and was written by Lewis to explain how things came to be as they are in later books of the series.

The protagonists of The Magician’s Nephew Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer are interesting and like-able characters but maybe not as memorable as the Pevensie siblings which we meet later in the series. You may be thinking Digory Kirke sounds like a familiar name and you’d be right because Digory grows up to be Professor Kirke; the old gentleman who takes in the Pevensie siblings as evacuees in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Another important character is of course uncle Andrew the magician. He starts off as a sinister figure as he bully’s and tricks the children into his experiment with the magic rings. Yet as time goes by and we learn his true nature, the two children and us as readers start to see he is actually quite a ridiculous character whose silly remarks and actions add a lot of humour to this tale.

I am obviously no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Magician’s Nephew is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the book. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it.

The Magician’s Nephew is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, friendship and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold dark evening in February. I can’t wait to move on to a re-read of the most beloved instalment of the series The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe next.

Have you read The Magician’s Nephew? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

New Read: Sacrifice

On my long weekend break with my mother in the New Forest the rain continued to fall which meant we opted to stay in. I was happy to lose myself in the exotic world of Sacrifice by Tara Maya the third instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but until January, where I read the second instalment Taboo, I seemed to have forgotten all about. I am very glad this is a series I have rekindled my interest in.

Sacrifice is the third instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on previous instalments first as this post may contain spoilers.

Sacrifice continues to follow the lives of the young Dindi and Kavio. The peace party led by Kavio has returned from the Blue Water clanhold miserably unsuccessful, only to find while they have been away there has been a coop. This coop has seen the over throw of the war chief Hertio who gave Kavio his position of power, to be replaced by Kavio’s enemy Vultho. Kavio now finds himself back in the middle of the dangerous political and power struggle of the Yellow Bear clan. Meanwhile Dindi has returned to find that she has her own problems as the initiates struggle for power within the lower mob of the clan. In the midst of all this Dindi and Kavio are still meeting secretly so Kavio can teach Dindi the magical dances of the Tavaedi. A secret which if it came out could mean the forfeit of both their lives.

Dindi and Kavio both continued to narrate the majority of Sacrifice which I prefer because I feel they are both like-able characters. It also means we get to hear from a male and female, and higher and lower status perspectives. Maya also included the voices of Brenna a female Tavaedi dancer from the Yellow Bear clan, her daughter Gwenika an initiate training to be a healer, and Rthan of the Blue Water clan a former prisoner of the Yellow Bear clan. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought different dimensions to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all works perfectly together. While reading the previous instalment Taboo I sadly found I was broken out of my magical revery now and again by the use of language I felt was a little modern for the setting. I am really pleased to inform you I had no such problem in this instalment. The style, language, and story flowed really well for me.

Sacrifice was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content in this series so not recommended for younger readers. I would really like to read the fourth instalment of the series Root just need to get my hands on a copy!

I received a free copy of Sacrifice from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of dark fantasy?

New Read: Taboo

On Sunday my father and I fought our way through the snow to my grandfather’s house. After a large delicious roast dinner I settled myself down in front of the fire with my kindle in the mood to lose myself in a fantasy tale. With that in mind I took a mooch through my to-be-read folder for a relatively short fantasy book, and I came across Taboo by Tara Maya the second instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but seem to have forgotten about since.

Taboo is the second instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on the first instalment Initiate first.

Taboo continues to follow the lives of the young Dindi and Kavio. Dindi has survived her initiation test but has failed to show she has magic. This means no more dancing for Dindi she is now expected to train as a maiden in the art of cookery, collecting, and cleaning all the skills she will need for the role of wife and mother. Meanwhile Kavio is no longer seen as an outcast, after saving the lives of Dindi and her fellow initiates Kavio has now been promoted to leader of the Yellow Bear warriors. This new home and position could be lost though if Kavio cannot find a way to bring peace between the Yellow Bear and the Blue Water clans. Even though Dindi and Kavio come from completely different spectrums within the clan their lives seem inexplicable entwined for good or bad.

Dindi and Kavio both continued to take turns in narrating the story in Taboo which I enjoyed because I feel they are both like-able characters, and it means we get to hear from a male and female perspective. Unlike Initiate though Taboo had more than two narrators. Maya added the voices of Brenna a female Tavaedi dancer from the Yellow Bear clan and Rthan her slave husband from the Blue Water clan. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought a whole new dimension to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all worked perfectly together. The only thing that broke me out of my magical revelry during Taboo was the use of language. I never noticed in Initiate but in Taboo there were a few times the language used sounded too modern for the setting in my opinion. This was a minor problem though which didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Taboo was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content so not recommended for younger readers. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment Sacrifice which is already waiting on my kindle.

I received a free copy of Taboo from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of darker fantasy?

Rediscovering Narnia

Near the end of 2012 I really enjoyed a re-read of my childhood favourite The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien. In consequence one of my aims for 2013 was to try to make time for re-reads of old favourites.

With this in mind I have decided to set myself the mini-challenge of re-reading my way through The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis by the end of 2013. A couple of years a go my mother bought me a beautiful set of these books (as pictured) and yet as an adult the only one I have re-read is The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe the most famous of the set of course. In fact at university I wrote my major dissertation on the adaptations of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which sadly might have put me off a little. As after an intense year of study on the one story I really was ready for something new.

My interest and love seemed to return to me in 2012 with me avidly re-watching the film adaptations; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005), Prince Caspian (2008), and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).  It was actually the latter film that piqued my interest in a re-read of the series. From my childhood I remember The Voyage of the Dawn Treader being my favourite instalment of the series, yet watching the film there were details I didn’t recognise. Now is that because the film makers have made some alterations? Or because I’ve simply forgot? A re-read is the only way to find out!

I am really looking forward to rediscovering Narnia and its colourful inhabitants this year. I hope you will come back to see my thoughts during the year.

Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia? Have you got a favourite series you’d love to rediscover?