THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE

Review of THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE by PHILIPPA GREGORY

I adore Philippa Gregory. She’s my favorite historical fiction author and, as such, I use her as my measuring stick for other historical fiction, asking myself, “Did I like that as much as a Philippa Gregory novel?”

After THE CONSTANT PRINCESS, which focused on Henry VIII’s first wife Katherine of Aragon, and THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, which focused on the infamous Anne Boleyn as well as her less well-known sister Mary, Gregory follows with THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE. This novel continues the saga of Henry VIII’s many unfortunate wives, as told through three perspectives: his fourth and fives wives, respectively, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, as well as Jane Rochford, widow of Anne Boleyn’s brother.

What makes Gregory’s novels exceptional are the characters. Each feels like a living, breathing human with complex emotions and understandable motivations. My issue with some historical fiction novels comes when a character follows history…but why? Their decision doesn’t make sense for the personality the author has created. Gregory sticks to the major historical facts, but crafts such compelling, convincing characters that, even knowing the ending and likely “twists,” I’m riveted to the page.

Gregory’s version of Anne of Cleaves is a timid young woman desperate for any opportunity that will free her from her brother’s tyrannical control. Like Katherine of Aragon, she’s easily underestimated, but proves herself worthy of admiration over time. Anne may be quiet and unassuming, but she’s smarter than she’s been given credit for and she learns to make the best of her circumstances.

Meanwhile, Katherine Howard, even younger, lives fast and wild. She’s a vain, selfish, thoughtless child of a young woman who snatches at forbidden fruit without thinking any further ahead to possible repercussions. She innocently believes life will work out in her favor, because…well, so far it always has.

Last, there’s Jane, reduced to an existence of memories, regret, and self-torture. Her testimony sent Anne Boleyn and her brother (Jane’s husband) to their deaths. Jane has always told herself whatever she most needs to believe is the truth and she’s reaching the point where she cannot remember what the real truth is.

Whether these woman are anywhere close to accurate depictions of the true historical figures, Gregory’s novels are so enjoyable precisely because she makes these character her own. Each one is captivatingly compelling and distinctive.

LEAGUE OF DRAGONS

Review of LEAGUE OF DRAGONS by NAOMI NOVIK

(ninth in the TEMERAIRE series)

I feel sad even writing this review. Why? Because it’s the last book in the Temeraire series, one of those series I wish could keep going forever. Laurence, Temeraire, and their many other comrades – human and dragon alike – have come to feel like familiar friends. I enjoy their casual banter almost as much, and in some cases even more, than their high stakes adventures.

This last installment sees a weakened Napoleon retreating. The opportunity to end his reign of terror is clear, but still threatened by debate about treatment of dragons. In a desperate ploy to maintain his control, Napoleon promises the sun and moon to dragons who join or defect to his cause.

These books have always been skilled at examining the complexities of war and politics. Laurence and Temeraire do not merely need to plan a strategic battle plan for approaching and fighting Napoleon’s troops. More importantly, they need to maintain the morale and support of their own ranks.

The ending of this final Temeraire story could only ever be bittersweet for me. Except for one amnesia twist miss, I enjoyed every book in this series immensely and would have happily continued reading as many as Novik wanted to write. Laurence, but Temeraire especially, carved out places for themselves as some of my top-memorable characters.

INKDEATH

Review of INKDEATH by CORNELIA FUNKE

(third in the INKHEART trilogy, translated by ANTHEA BELL)

This final installment in the captivating INKHEART trilogy finds our heroes trapped within the beautiful but dangerous (and fictional) world of Inkheart. The entire novel has a very somber tone, with clear “the grass is always greener” themes. Meggie, among others, yearned for this magical world and, now here, she yearns for home. Neither will ever fulfill her completely.

This series features a huge cast of interesting characters and unfolds through short chapters in alternating viewpoints. I will confess that multiple viewpoints is never my preference. Funke is a master with her material, but nevertheless I find that when the viewpoint splits so does my investment. Rarely do I invest as strongly in multiple viewpoint stories as I do with one perspective. It lends too much to the idea of each character as an almost insignificant piece in an overwhelmingly huge puzzle.

I would like to back up and describe the premise of this third installment, but with so many characters and plot lines it feels too complex to summarize. Of course, those who read the first two novels have an idea of where the story’s headed. To do my best, I’ll suggest that this entire third book is a long and dramatic showdown between Meggie’s family (among others) and the evil Adderhead.

As always I adore that books play an active role in both the story and the magic of this series. An exceptional book becomes the key for either success or failure in overcoming the Adderhead.

Despite my disinclination for series with so many viewpoint characters, the INKHEART trilogy will go down in my memory as a classic favorite. I, too, understand the perhaps misguided yearning for the magical world of Inkheart.

THE SIN EATER'S DAUGHTER

Review of THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER by MELINDA SALISBURY

(first in THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER trilogy)

Twylla is her kingdom’s executioner as well as the future queen. Her bare skin has the power to kill anyone who touches her, with the exception of the royal family thanks to their superior blood. She she is betrothed to the crown prince and, in the meantime, utilized by a vicious queen for murdering traitors, not to mention scaring everyone else into submission. Then the queen assigns Twylla a new guard, a too friendly guard with a habit for asking questions he shouldn’t.

For me, this turned out to be a trust-the-author book. By that, I mean that all of my criticisms were eventually explained to my satisfaction. Everything fits together; everything has been considered. Even what doesn’t make sense now will fall into place at the right moment. I want to avoid spoilers, so I can’t be as specific as I want, but let me list some examples. The queen seemed at times over-the-top evil to me, but later her character made perfect sense to me. Also the magic system had weak points, but the questions I asked turned out to be extremely relevant to the plot.

I really connected with the characters emotionally and felt intensely affected by their excruciating circumstances and decisions. I’m a critical reader, but I can’t wait to rave about this book, primarily because it made me feel. When you read as much as I do (and write and study the craft of writing, including how to dissect a story into structural pieces) well, it becomes harder and harder to be surprised and, more importantly, to be moved. That’s all the more reason I’m impressed when a book really gets me.

THE SIN EATER’S DAUGHTER, first in a series, does end on a bit of a frustrating cliffhanger, but resolves the most important threads. I am thoroughly invested and can’t wait to see where this story takes us next.

DAVID AND GOLIATH

Review of DAVID AND GOLIATH: UNDERDOGS, MISFITS, AND THE ART OF BATTLING GIANTS by MALCOLM GLADWELL

This author has been recommended to me plenty of times over the years, but this is my first read by him. It definitely lived up to all the hype and made me eager to read the rest of his work. The premise of DAVID AND GOLIATH lies in the namesake story: how thinking outside the box can flip the game.

For his examples, Gladwell reaches far and wide, but in so doing emphasizes how applicable his theory is to all aspects of our society. Chapter 1 focuses on youth girls’ basketball. I do not know enough about basketball to be any kind of expert here and that will be clear in my paraphrasing. Gladwell follows a specific couch who volunteered to coach his daughter’s basketball team, but really didn’t know a thing about basketball himself. He realized that his team simply wasn’t good enough to win based on skill alone. However, in his research on the sport he also realized there are other ways to play the game that could give his girls an edge, such as focusing more on stamina than skill. Again, no basketball expert here, but my understanding is that this coach’s particular approach is completely legal by the rules of the game, but considered unsportsmanlike by some. Gladwell argues that it’s really a matter of opinion. As with David and Goliath where Goliath expected a hand to hand combat only to be taken out by a rock, the girls didn’t play the game like people expected. Subverting expectations gave them a much needed advantage, but those who feel tricked by flipped standards call out the strategy as cheating.

I especially loved Chapter 2, which discussed our misperception that many factors in life are a linear graph. Take money, for example. It’s a typical fallacy that the more money you have the happier you are. Realty (and logic, in my opinion) suggests that it’s actually a bell curve. Money increases happiness until a certain point at which more money only makes happiness decrease.

I strongly related to Chapter 3 and its analysis of organic chemistry, as I know several people who have struggled with that educational requirement. Gladwell posits that the emphasis of organic chemistry comes from a perhaps outdated mindset, and instead weeds out many students who would make spectacular doctors…who maybe aren’t brilliant at organic chemistry. This same chapter also brings up the old phrase big fish in a small pond and vice versa. In this case, Gladwell applies the adage to schools. Many students believe the obvious smart decision is to attend the most prestigious university into which they’re accepted. The truth is that this may have a little fish in a big pond effect and there are times when it’s wiser to choose the smaller pond, the place where you’ll thrive and stand out the most.

This book was written several years ago, but Chapter 6’s focus on racial tension will feel especially relevant today, in particular given Gladwell’s focus on media portrayal. Then Chapter 8 addresses our ever-confused perceptions of crime and how best to take preventative measures. He mentions common statistics and debunks possibly misguided interpretations of those numbers.  

I’m only scratching the surface here, but Gladwell offers many specific examples that successfully make his case for “thinking outside the box.”

NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD

Review of NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD: A WRITER ON WRITING by MARGARET ATWOOD

This book about writing by the famous Margaret Atwood is adapted from the series of six Empson Lectures that she gave at the University of Cambridge. I will admit that the book does read like a series of lectures, at times more long-winded than necessary as though to meet a certain time obligation rather than establish a point as concisely as possible.

I often argue that writing advice and discussions breaks down into three categories: business, craft, and philosophy. This book is definitely about the philosophy of writing: what it means to be a writer, in a broad sense. Each chapter (lecture) is loosely thematically organized, but all tie together as a broad analysis of this societal role. In fact my favorite quote states, “Writing…is an ordinary enough activity…Being a writer, however, seems to be a socially acknowledged role.”

Writing can be a lonely profession, tucked off in a solitary room spending hours considering human nature. Writing books are invaluable reminders that we writers aren’t alone. Many say that we are telling the same stories over and over again, but it’s the specifics that make them unique. Well, each of us writers may have a unique, specific set of life experiences, but there’s plenty of familiar trends, too. You’re special, but you’re not alone.

WHAT ALICE FORGOT

Review of WHAT ALICE FORGOT by LIANE MORIARTY

Last that Alice remembers she was young and madly in love. Then she wakes in the hospital where they tell her she has amnesia. Oh, and she’s apparently ten years older, the mother of three children, and divorcing the love of her life.

First, my ranty disclaimer. I am not, broadly speaking, a fan of amnesia as a plot device. It didn’t help that I happened to be reading three books at once that all made use of amnesia as a twist. However, I will say that of those three I liked the amnesia element the most in WHAT ALICE FORGOT, and I can articulate why. Usually I find fictional amnesia very frustrating, because – when it’s introduced midway into a story – the reader has to wait for the character to catch back up with everything the reader already knows…and the character knew only a few pages previously. More often than not the amnesia element feels like a pause button; the story doesn’t resume with new developments until the characters remember what they should. WHAT ALICE FORGOT avoids that tired trope, because we catch up with Alice. She has amnesia from the very start of this novel and we know as much about her current life as she does.

My typical quibble with Moriarty’s novels is that she always utilizes a juicy piece of mystery bait for suspense. In this case, there’s a woman people keep mentioning to Alice and then clearly wishing they hadn’t mentioned. Alice has no idea who this woman is or why she’s so important, but comments make clear her name is associated with tragedy and drama. My issue with mystery bait is that it’s usually unnecessary. In this case, I saw no reason Alice couldn’t ask someone for more information about this woman and save us pages of wondering and speculating with her.

However, my nitpicky comments asides, I found this a heart-wrenching, powerfully affecting novel. Moriarty manages to step away from the cliché, dramatic nature of amnesia as a plot device and really made me imagine what it would feel like waking up one day only to be told I am ten years older, now married, and have kids I can’t remember. I highly empathized with Alice’s terror at suddenly being responsible for children she cannot even remember having, not to mention the agony of having her devoted partner switch from besotted to bitter overnight.

And, of course, this story features what I always adore about Moriarty’s work: great characters and interesting relationships with crackling dialogue. It’s her unique, dynamic characters that make all of her work so addictive.