1. Enhancing Reflection:
As the pace of life slows, the conclusion of summer prompts us to think on the adventures and experiences of the previous few months. Books can be the perfect companions for contemplation, whether you've embarked on an adventure, discovered new interests, or simply enjoyed lazy days at the beach. As you go through the book, you may come across chapters that relate with your own path, providing insights and viewpoints you hadn't considered before.
2. Capturing Memories:
Summer memories are generally rich in emotions and sensory sensations. Reading can assist to solidify these memories, helping you to recall them long after the days have become shorter. Choose books that capture the true spirit of your summer, whether it's a coming-of-age story that matches your own development or a brilliantly descriptive novel that takes you to the landscapes you've visited.
3. Cosy Comfort:
The transition from summer to autumn is accompanied with a craving for warmth and cosiness. Wrapping yourself under a blanket, enjoying a cup of tea, and burying yourself in the words of a well-loved book is unquestionably soothing. Whether it's a classic novel, an array of poetry, or an exciting mystery, the act of reading provides a sense of calm that is perfectly in sync with the changing seasons.
4. Exploring New Worlds:
While the attraction of adventure is frequently associated with summer, the conclusion of the season does not have to mean an end of exploration. Books provide an unrivalled portal to new worlds, unique civilizations, and diverse ideas. From the comfort of your favourite reading nook, embark on literary trips to far-off countries, historical eras, or imaginative realms.
5. Transitioning with Grace:
As nature changes from vivid green to the soft colours of fall, we can elegantly negotiate this transition by resorting to literature. Consider novels that deal with the subject matter of growth, change, and transformation. Whether it's a memoir about someone's personal growth or a novel about the seasons changing, such narratives can provide significant insights as the year progresses.
6. Cultivating Curiosity:
The end of summer does not have to mean the end of curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. Actually, it is an excellent moment to read novels that pique your intellectual interest. Reading can keep your mind engaged and stimulated, whether you're delving into nonfiction subjects you've always wanted to research or taxing your head with complicated mysteries.
As summer draws to a close, let us embrace autumn with open arms and open books. Reading isn't just a solitary activity; it's a trip shared with writers, characters, and other readers all across the world. So pick your favourite volumes, settle into a comfortable nook, and indulge yourself in the wonder of words. You're not just reading a novel when you turn each page; you're experiencing the ups and downs of times of year, both in nature and within yourself.
]]>Malta, a precious jewel of the Mediterranean, has a long history of storytelling that has enchanted generations of readers. It also boasts a rich cultural heritage. You can learn about the Maltese language's charm, the beauty of its mythology, and the timeless lessons that have been carried down through the decades by reading these captivating publications.
These books are ready to fascinate and inspire you, with everything from daring journeys through historic alleys to fantasy tales as well as humorous readings . This selection of Maltese children's books should appeal to readers of all interests, whether they are beginning readers, young explorers, or just children who like the thrill of a good narrative.
So come along with us as we set off on this exciting reading discovery journey, where each page reveals a brand-new adventure just ready to start. We gladly encourage you to immerse yourself in the enchantment and wonder of these tales, which were written by accomplished Maltese authors who gave their all to creating stories that would leave a lasting impression on the minds and hearts of their readers.
Are you prepared to explore the enchantment of Maltese books? When you turn the first page and open the door to a place where fantasy knows no limitations, be ready to be amazed, amused, and educated. Together, let's venture into the enchanted world of Maltese children's books!
Discover our Top 10 Reads for this Summer
]]>‘… that is what it is like being with other people… even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the world in ways you would rather not.’
Genre: Gothic Fantasy, Magic Realism
My Rating:
The first thing the reader notices when he starts reading Piranesi (2020) is that it is written in the form of a diary. Piranesi’s diary. The second thing one notices (apart from the strange aquatic world the narrator lives in), is that the dates of the diary are strangely named, disjointed, and therefore unreliable. One quickly comes to the conclusion, even after the first few pages, that the narrator’s world is not to be taken at face value, much like the narrator himself.
The main character, who describes himself as a pale slim man in his thirties, lives in a House (with a capital ‘H’) which he considers ‘the World’. The house is immeasurably vast, full of Halls and Vestibules which Piranesi must navigate amidst the churning of the Tides, whose ebb and flow govern his life. Perhaps the most important thing about the House is that it is half-submerged in water, in fact, we learn from Piranesi’s diary, a whole section of the interminable House is fully submerged. Nothing exists outside of it except the sun and moon and stars that can be seen through the halls’ high windows. The ‘Lower Halls’ are at the level where the narrator fishes for his food, where he forages for kelp and seaweed to make ropes and ‘seaweed leather’, and is the abode of aquatic life-forms such as fish, muscles and floating vegetation. The Upper reaches of the House, the ‘Upper Halls’, are the abode of clouds and mists, of harsh winds and sudden rainfall. Piranesi lives in the ‘Middle Halls’ with the birds and the statues, the dead, and the Other.
Because the House is not as desolate and empty as it might seem. Thousands upon thousands of statues of all shapes and sizes populate it. Crouching on plinths, they stand sentinel over every doorway, every archway, every room. Some of the statues have serene expressions, others are in fighting positions, struggling and fighting in twos and threes, still others are cracked or damaged, while others sometimes mysteriously disappear. Piranesi’s life revolves around the statues and the birds, his diary and his exploration of the labyrinth that is the House.
And one other. The Other – described by the narrator as a learned, fastidious man in his 60s, whom he meets punctually twice a week for an hour at a time. Piranesi considers both himself and the Other as learned scholars and scientists, and treats the Other as a colleague and as his only other human friend. Indeed apart from the skeletons of dead humans Piranesi finds in niches around the House, he can only count three living humans in the World, that is, the House. Himself, the Other, and the Sixteenth.
This book is not an easy one to review. One risks giving away too many secrets, too many mysteries. In fact, one can say that the novel is one big mystery, and the reader strives to learn the truth of Piranesi and his world, much as Piranesi strives to explore the House and its magical changeable nature.
I also enjoyed the Easter Eggs interspersed throughout the novel, alluding and referring to other fairytale-like worlds such as C.S Lewis’ Narnia and Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast, not to mention echoes of Shirley Jackson’s sinister atmospheric spaces.
If you are looking for a fast-paced book of action, this is not the book for you.
Piranesi is a slow delightful meditation on the humdrum of everyday life. A gradual, almost lethargic study of perspective. A creeping, deliberate investigation into the surreal labyrinths of the mind.
If you have read and enjoyed Patrick Rothfuss’ The Slow Regard of Silent Things (2014), you will definitely enjoy Clarke’s stylistic exposition. The narration is like a dream you are slowly, unwillingly, waking up from. As the story unfolds, the reader cannot help but try to put the pieces together, perhaps even better than the unreliable narrator himself, whose strange religious reverence to the House and childlike trust in what he sees, hinders his reasoning. Clarke’s vivid descriptions of the way Piranesi sees the microcosm that is the House are lovely, and fully lead the reader to comprehend the awe-struck love the narrator feels for it.
I first encountered Susanna Clarke’s unique narrative voice around a decade ago, reading her Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2004) and then watching the BBC seven-part TV adaptation in 2015, and falling in love with both. Some time later, I discovered Clarke had also published a slim volume of short stories (The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, 2006), which I also gobbled up. And then nothing. I waited and waited. And finally, two years ago, Piranesi (2020) was finally published. Was the long wait worth it?
Strangely evocative of that imagination and wonder one enjoys during childhood, Piranesi is a short book which sucked me right in. It is a page-turner, heady, strange, mesmerizing. One I was not able to put down until I had solved the mystery lurking beneath its restless waters.
A huge part of the enjoyment of Piranesi is attained through the puzzle which the narrator and the reader are unravelling together while navigating the World. The sense of discovery is key, and finally solving the riddle is a delight. One I am fully glad to have waited for.
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‘How many times can someone bend before they break forever? You have to take care, dealing with broken things; sometimes they give way, and break others in their turn’
Genre: Gothic Horror, Psychological Thriller
My Rating:
I have always had a soft spot for unreliable narrators. We are all unreliable narrators of our own stories in the end, aren’t we? If, like me, you love a good conundrum, or a mesmerizing psychological mystery, and expect your horror stories to have a big reveal at the end, then read on because this book is definitely for you.
Fans of Shirley Jackson (who wrote The Haunting of Hill House and We have always lived in the Castle, among others), will simply go wild for Catriona Ward.
The fragmented narrative of The Last House on Needless Street is presented to the reader from the various perspectives of a number of different characters. It’s like discovering a bunch of faded photographs in an old trunk and trying to make sense of them by taping them all together. However instead of things becoming clearer as one reads on, the reader is drawn into a mysterious vortex of uncertainties which wraps around him with even more layers, until the difference between truth and perception becomes utterly entwined.
We meet Ted, a reclusive, emotionally scarred resident of Needless street, living in an old boarded up house full of memories. Ted is haunted by echoes of his mother and has blackouts when he ‘goes away’. We are told he is kind to animals and broken things, yet it is blatantly obvious that Ted is dealing with psychological issues he can’t come to terms with.
Then there is Olivia. I loved reading Olivia’s chapters because you see, Olivia is a cat. She and Ted are tied together with an inexplicable thread of love, and her perspective, although at times very funny and relatable, resonates with discordant undertones. There is definitely something wrong hovering around the last house on Needless Street.
The third main character is Dee. Dee’s six year old sister Lulu disappeared while they were swimming in the lake eleven years ago. No body was ever found, and Dee has spent the last decade looking for her sister and obsessing over any tiny detail that might lead to a kidnapper, a murderer, anything at all.
The reader witnesses Ted’s struggles with his daughter Lauren, which reflect much more than parental angst and are taut with emotional meaning. As are Dee’s incomplete childhood memories, which drive her like a shining beacon of rage and need.
Ted’s daughter is loud and difficult, and when she comes to visit, Olivia the cat always hides away in the broken unused refrigerator or under Ted’s bed. The lonely man’s only friends seem to be the birds he loves to feed and observe, yet at the beginning of the novel someone viciously sets a trap for the birds, senselessly murdering them just to hurt the lonely man. This menacing act of violence is the first act which introduces the novel.
This book is hard to review without giving any spoilers. Interspersed with clues, half-forgotten innuendos and characters who both want to forget their past and yet can’t help but remember some version of it – it’s a unique masterpiece of suspense. Cunningly plotted to lead the reader on a twisted carousel. Round and round we go, collecting hints and whispers of things which might have happened, or maybe not.
Ward’s prose is a pleasure to discover. Her atmospheric descriptions bring to mind the darkest of fairytales. The novel is a chilling journey into the human subconscious. The deeper one goes, the colder it gets. Labyrinthine and opaque, the narrative is a gem of suggestive darkness hidden by an almost desperate humour.
As the story progresses, the ever creeping feelings of unease, tension, dread and fear, build up and become stronger. Olivia and Lauren are terrified of going outside, where unfathomable dangers lurk everywhere. It took me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I did, I could not put it down. The chilling and discordant atmosphere permeating the pages kept me coming back for more. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it, mulling over what was real and what wasn't, and trying to puzzle it all out.
The Last House on Needless Street isn’t the sort of horror story that relies on gore or jump scares to terrify its readers. Instead, its darkness is primarily rooted in more mental frights. Readers are left unbalanced by sequences they don’t entirely understand and can’t completely trust, armed only with partial and imperfect knowledge. In reality, this is a story of trauma and survival, of guilt and hope. Gripping, heart-wrenching, and truly haunting. It followed me around in my head even after I had finished reading the book, until I unashamedly made up my mind to look up Ward’s other novels and read them too.
]]>‘What makes you feel safe when you go to sleep at night? Being able to check and see that your secrets are still hidden.’
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy
My Rating:
Holly Black, popular for her many Young Adult fantasy novels, turns to Adult fiction for the first time in this gritty urban adventure. I had never read anything by this author before and to be honest, seeing how many readers likened her work to Sarah J. Maas’, I was kind of dreading it a little. Look at my review of Maas’ latest supposedly ‘Adult fiction’ novel, which I reviewed recently and which you can read here if you want to know why. However, I must say that as soon as I started reading the first chapter of ‘Book of Night’, I was immediately pleasantly surprised. This book is most definitely not YA, and the depth of characterization and beautiful prose used is apparent from the beginning.
Another aspect of the narrative which I personally enjoyed, is that the book is written in the third person, and not using the first person, as in the case of most YA novels.
The plot centers around Charlie, a world-weary ex con-artist with a traumatic childhood, who is trying to live a normal life without falling back into temptation and reverting to her previous illicit job. In the first few chapters we are not only introduced to Charlie, her sister Posey, her boyfriend, and various friends and acquaintances, but also, and most importantly, we are given flashbacks of her childhood and the downward spiral which resulted in her becoming a thief, a robber, and a scammer. One can say that there is a dual timeline, one in the past, where a teenage Charlie comes for the first time into contact with the swindler Rand, who introduces her to a life of manipulation and theft, and the other one in the present, where Charlie, now an adult, still grapples with the wayward and impulsive nature which makes of each dangerous situation, an exciting adventure.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the novel however, is the worldbuilding. Black constructs a world just like ours, but with one difference. Twenty years ago, it was revealed to the world at large, that magic did, in fact, exist. A mysterious dark kind of magic, which only a few individuals have, and which is centered around shadows. People with the capacity to manipulate their own shadow are called ‘Gloamists’, and the way this power is used, we are shown, ranges from the aesthetic, to the mundane, the manipulative, to the criminal. While learning about the different kinds of shadow magic and the way this revelation impacted society, the reader is shown how shadow magic also resulted in an increase in criminality, corruption and abuse of power. Those with money, as always, are those who benefit the most, while a new underground market flourishes for those who desire to use this magic for personal gain. Meanwhile, shadier beings, both human and less so, commit more and more atrocious crimes in order to further their own agenda, and Charlie realizes that not all is as it seems.
Fans of Black who read this novel expecting the usual ‘sizzling hot push and pull’ romance present in many YA books will be disappointed, as the focus on the flirty heady tension and long drawn angsty scenes is totally absent. Instead, we get a love story which has already begun, but where both parties are still trying to come to terms with the traumas of their past and have not yet shown their respective partner their true self. It is a journey of discovery and trust. Charlie’s relationship with her boyfriend Vince is very intriguing. Vince does not have a shadow. In a world where shadows are so important, he is treated as a pariah, a misfit, a person with something ‘lacking’ or ‘wrong’. He is strong, dependable, kind, and he cares for Charlie, yet we realize that the two don’t really know each other, even though they have already been living together for months. After all, how can you expect someone to trust you with the truth, when you yourself have been lying to him from the start?
The novel explores not only the multiple ways (and extenuating reasons) we find to lie to each other, but, perhaps more importantly, the ways humans cannot help but lie to themselves. The magic-system can be said to serve as a metaphor for the shadows which hide in all of us. Those dark, twisted, unacknowledged emotions and feelings we all feel, yet must at times suppress or ignore, to be able to move on and face life.
As Charlie and those around her get sucked into schemes larger than they could imagine, she’s got to find a way to protect the people she cares about from the dark forces at work. Both new villains and ghosts from the past are looking to utilize Charlie for their own ends, and she has to dig every skeleton out of every closet in order to unravel why.
We are faced with a number of gritty issues, such as substance abuse, child neglect, and poverty, not to mention dysfunctional relationships. Most readers have lamented that the book ends with a cliff-hanger, and indeed Black has hinted on her Instagram account that this book may be the first of a duology, even though this has not been officially announced yet. Personally, I think the open-ended conclusion is just perfect since it leaves room for lots more, and yet also wraps up the plot magnificently. I personally do hope there is more where that came from!]]>‘Book of Night’ is compulsively readable, and the characters, despite their significant flaws and failings - or perhaps because of them - are easy to empathize with.’
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“We can be changed, sometimes greatly, by people who come only glancingly into our lives and move on, never knowing what they have done to us. We can do this ourselves to others. And never know. Move past an encounter… leaving something significant behind for another.’
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy
My Rating:
Reading this book was an experience, not only emotionally, but also intellectually and perhaps even psychologically. Kay presents the reader with a world reminiscent of our Renaissance, focusing on the most historically relevant countries of the time.
The novel takes place a few years after the fall of Sarantium (recalling our Constantinople), and the turmoil this caused to the people of the Jaddite faith. The Jaddites, reminiscent of Catholics, worship a Sun god and control most of the Western world, the Asharites, whose culture is very close to the Islamic belief system, reside in the East, while the Kindath, evocative of the Jews, exist on sufferance in almost all countries (except for the Kingdom of Esperana, which like our Spain, has expulsed them).
While this novel is marketed as a stand-alone, the worldbuilding is so overwhelmingly detailed that I was glad I had already had a taste of it in the past, since I had already encountered two other such ‘standalone’ novels by Kay, ‘A Brightness long Ago’ and ‘Children of Earth and Sky’ and so I had already been kind of ‘prepped’ for my foray into this complicated world, densely populated not only with interlocking characters but also political and historical facts re-imagined into a totally different context. If your aim is to be completely enveloped into a world full of intrigue, adventures, nuanced emotions, betrayal and gritty decisions, hesitate no more. Kay’s novel is all of that and more.
Against a backdrop of religious war and seafaring corsair culture with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours, the two characters at the heart of Kay’s story are Rafel and Nadia. Rafel is a Kindath, whose family was exiled from their homeland, Esperana, when he was a child. He is a corsair, a merchant, a witty philosopher and much more. Nadia, originally from Batiara (a country much like our Italy) enslaved by the Asharites as a child, was trained in the use of weapons and combat. Very unusual for a woman in that culture, but more than convenient in a world where survival is a much prized skill. After escaping her enslavement, she joins Rafel in an endeavour which will change the course of history.
The novel explores the effect of their individual actions and choices that lead to both new and forgotten discoveries. One of the things I loved most about this book was Kay’s use of what I am going to call the ‘ripple effect’. Apart from events narrated by the main characters, or action focusing on important historical personages such as Kings, ambassadors, generals or leaders, Kay often leaves such threads to follow, for a time, a character who has played little, or sometimes no role, in the plot to this point. His aim I think, is to show the reader that everyone is a main character in their own story, and everyone we meet, even if only for a moment, can play a shaping role in our own evolution as individuals. He shows the impact and the effect each and every person has on those around him, and how even the most seemingly inconsequential event can play a part in shaping decisions and actions which may affect millions of lives.
Kay’s talent for crafting genuinely evocative scenes that lend themselves well to the visual imagination is also excellent in that the reader feels really invested in the characters and the worldbuilding. Seressa was a particularly interesting location seemingly modelled on the canal-like structure of Venice and I also particularly enjoyed the details about mercantile systems and the way battles can influence commerce and the economy on a larger scale.
The twinned ideas of home and exile serve as the main motif which runs throughout the story. Time and again we are presented with lost, unmoored characters who are seeking a home. Rafel recalls being forced to flee with his family from Esperana when he was a child, uprooted because of the expulsion of the Kindath from the Jaddaith country. Nadia, kidnapped and sold into slavery, forever changed by her ordeal, cannot help but recall her younger days at her family’s farm. Their anger and sense of betrayal by the world at large, colour their decisions and perspectives. Rafel and Nadia are both deeply wounded souls, cut off from not just their families but their very cultures, making them profoundly flawed, yet also singularly perceptive and capable of understanding human nature. The way these two characters grow and evolve is a pleasure to behold.
Nadia in particular, is a very strong character. In a world where women are dominated by the patriarchy, she not only escapes the mold, but refuses to bow down to oppression. Her character arch is illuminating in more ways than one.
All the Seas of the World is both a passionately personal novel, closely focusing on two major protagonists and a number of minor ones, and also a hugely epic one. It is immersive and complex, set in a time of political turmoil when every action can have far reaching consequences, and yet it is the lives of the imperfect, turbulent human beings, which cannot but involve the reader, which offer the most insight.
Wonderfully dense and maybe even challenging, this book certainly makes you think. Not an easy beach read, but definitely a novel which enriches those it touches.
Genre: Epic Fantasy
My Rating:
In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole in which broken children are thrown. This is normal, we are told impassively. It has always been so and is what must be. The world of Abeth is merciless, harsh and cold, and only the strongest survive. It is a world almost totally covered in ice, where the sun is dying and warmth is hard to come by. You must be tough, hardy and willing to completely trust your community to survive the harsh dark landscape of Abeth. No one survives alone.
The Girl and the Mountain is the second book in the Book of the Ice trilogy, following The Girl and the Stars (2020).
If you are not new to Mark Lawrence, you might have already read about this world in the Book of the Ancestor trilogy, however you do not need to have read that previous trilogy to understand this one. There are of course, some Easter eggs to enjoy if you have read it.
Yaz is on the cusp of adulthood. To be declared an adult by the tribe, she has to go through a rite of passage where she is acknowledged by one of the Black Rock priests. The children who are deemed ‘different’ and rejected are pushed in the Pit of the Missing, a vast sheer hole in the ice, and never seen or heard from again. The Girl and the Stars delved into what happened when Yaz found herself in the Pit, why children were abandoned there, and explored the reasons why society accepted such a brutal betrayal of all they were taught and believed in.
While The Girl and the Stars presented us with only one narrator and one point of view, in The Girl and the Mountain, Lawrence weaves the story using three different voices and perspectives. This is one of the instruments he uses to give the reader a broader viewpoint, not only of the plot itself, but also about the world of Abeth and its hidden history. While the main female character is still Yaz, we also see the action unfold from the perspective of the two people who are romantically interested in her – Quell, her childhood friend and the young man she thought she’d eventually build a future with, and Thurin, whom she met in the Pit of the Missing and who like her, commands mysterious powers. The Girl and the Mountain answers a number of questions about the unknown mysteries and powers presented to us in the first book of the trilogy. It can also be seen as a coming of age story, where the adolescent main characters are now able to question authority and face forces which they had believed were entrenched in their culture.
Even though it may seem so, the book does not fall in the Young Adult category, since many of the tropes usually associated with YA are missing and the narrator’s tone of voice is impetuous, stark, almost dry, when describing such things. Romantic feelings are barely mentioned, must less dwelt upon. When you are battling for survival, the cruel realities of life leave no room for frivolities, and the Ice tribes are a hard bitten, strong people, whose narrow perception of reality is a driving force aiding them to face any hardship.
Some things are difficult to face, especially when one’s survival is at stake, and yet Lawrence shows us how it is the interlacing connections between individuals which hold everything together. Friendship, frailty, doubt, trust, all these themes are subtly explored in a jam-packed adventure highlighted by masterful world-building.
The gorgeousness of the prose is as palpable as the extreme setting described. I was shocked at how realistic the ice, the cold, the cramped search for warmth and sustenance, felt. Lawrence entrances the readers, drawing them into the story completely. There is a dark, foreboding quality to the tale that easily lurks in every sentence thanks to the claustrophobic tunnels that seem alive with menace, the ever-present weight of hundreds of millions of tons of frozen water pressing down on every side and the never-ending drip, drip, drip of water.
The plot itself seems to be divided in two in this book. The first part deals with Yaz’s terrifying experience in the Mountain of the Black Rock, while the second part, which was my favourite, explores what happens when Yaz and her friends finally encounter the world outside their community. When they go out of their comfort zone and discover that there are other realities, different languages, cultures, ways to live and a whole new spate of incredible secrets related to their world, which they had known nothing about.
The fierce, icy landscape, the history and culture of the ice tribes, the Tainted, and the world beneath the ice, all feel extremely realistic. I also liked how the book dived into the action and plot right away, unveiling background information alongside the fast-paced bloodshed and fight for survival. The secrets of the Missing, a race preceding humanity whose technology litters the underground ruins and whose menacing automatons pose a real threat to the main characters, are also something I’d love to learn more about.
Needless be said, the focus on the worldbuilding does not inhibit the evolution of the main characters, who are inherently marked through their experiences, their travels, and their losses. The reader sometimes almost feels as claustrophobic and trapped as the characters do, in their icy prisons, the black caves and the situation itself, where hunted and terrified, they still cannot help but hope for a better future, not only for them, but for everyone they hold dear.
Lawrence as always, does not disappoint. And I cannot help but look forward to what must be a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy in the third book, The Girl and the Moon, which was published earlier on this year.
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Genre: Mythology Retelling, Classical Greek Mythology
My Rating:
Whether you are interested in Greek mythology, or fascinated by the complex and at times tumultuous relationships present in every family, you will be emotionally enraptured by Saint’s passionate retelling of a tragedy which has withstood the test of time. Readers who loved Madeline Miller’s Circe, will simply adore this book.
If you’re familiar with Greek mythology, you will surely have heard of the lengthy siege of Troy. Of the unbeatable handsome Achilles, the wily Odysseus, the love-struck Paris and the cuckolded King Menelaus, whose wife’s flight to Troy led to the launching of a thousand ships into battle. But what about the women? What was happening back home, while a war which raged for ten years took place in front of the high walls of Troy?
Elektra (or ‘Electra’) is one of the most popular tragic figures in Greek mythology. In psychoanalysis, it was Carl Jung who coined the term ‘Electra Complex’, referring to a girl’s psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of her father’s attention. In Elektra, Saint portrays the familiar story of Troy as told from the perspective of three different women. At the centre of the story, we have Clytemnestra – Queen of Mycenae and wife of King Agamemnon who leads the consolidated Greek armies to war. Clytemnestra’s voice is a strong one. She is the sister of the famous beauty Helen, whose desertion of her husband is the perfect excuse for the power-hungry Agamemnon to seize control of all the forces of Greece against a common foe. The namesake of the book is Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, who for ten years has idolized and waited for a father she hardly remembers. A father who, raised upon a pinnacle of fictional perfection, represents for her all the pure joys and innocence of childhood. Last but not least is Cassandra, Princess of Troy and Priestess of Apollo, who endowed with the power to see the future, is cursed to never be believed and is reviled as a liar and a hysterical madwoman.
Each of the three main characters is deliciously complex, as are the relationships between them. Elektra takes an insightful look at the intricately layered, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, and the emotional and psychological devastation war and betrayal bring. The nuances of the mother/daughter relationship are masterful, especially when portraying the way this can deteriorate into irrational fury and madness following unforgivable betrayal. On the other hand, Cassandra’s perspective not only shows the reader what is happening in Troy, but also lets us observe the foibles and fickle behavior of the Greek gods from the viewpoint of someone who has become their plaything. Cassandra’s description of the inner confusion that comes along with her gift is very moving, as is Apollo’s duplicity.
All these women have been betrayed by men. Again and again, Saint shows the reader the reality of the times, where in a world dominated by men, women were left to pick up the pieces. King Agamemnon treats his wife and daughters as if they were things to be used and discarded, instead of individuals, as do most of these men, born to rule in a patriarchal society. Women are considered puny and unimportant next to the promise of greatness. Elektra and Cassandra are passive bystanders, forced to wait and witness, but unable to interfere in major decisions directly. On the other hand, Clytemnestra, like her sister Helen, breaks through this pattern of placid futility and takes matters into her own hands. In fact, when they do so, both sisters are reviled and slandered by society for precisely this reason.
The overarching theme of the story is undoubtedly that of vengeance. Betrayal begats pain, pain gives birth to anger, which in turns leads to the thirst for blood, in a never-ending cycle of hatred and fury. Agamemnon’s behaviour is pivotal, shattering all three women’s lives forever, in different ways. Since Clytemnestra is the most dynamic and fully fleshed out of the three narrators, the reader cannot help but be drawn to her reasoning and perspective, even though it is Elektra’s single-minded obsession with her father which gives the name to the book. Clytemnestra and Elektra are two sides of the same coin. Both fueled by hatred and a desire for retribution. Only Cassandra moves away from this vicious cycle, prioritizing her family and her city until the end, instead of focusing on vengeance.
The creative, almost lyrical, language used in Elektra makes the story all the richer. All three women are given distinct voices, and the beautiful prose is paramount in creating the Classical Greek setting. Saint’s handling of the complex themes in the story is excellent. She doesn’t hide away from the more graphic or morally difficult issues, and instead contextualises them and creates what is overall, a beautifully told, gripping and devastating novel, perfect both for readers who are already familiar with the story, and those who are not. Elektra hums with emotion, and the question of how sustainable family loyalty is, when you have already been betrayed by those you love.
I would have liked for the characters of Elektra and Cassandra to be as fleshed out as Clytemnestra's, but I guess I can understand why Saint chose to portray them as she did. I can't help but think the title doesn't really fit the book, as the story isn't mainly about Elektra, but rather centres around all three different women, so this is kind of misleading. Also to be honest, the titular character was not very likeable or relatable. Another character I wanted to know more about was Helen, whom we only glimpse as a side-character now and then. We are never really told whether Helen was really in love with Paris or whether he snatched her away by force. Indeed, the mystery of Helen remains. Was she a selfish seductress or another powerless woman dragged by the currents of men’s prideful egos? I would also have liked to know more about the curse of the House of Atreus, of which Agamemnon was a descendant.
The point of a good story is that you are left wanting more.
While there have been many retellings of stories from Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra is a truly refreshing and intriguing book and I really enjoyed reading it.
N.B - Elektra will be published on May 3rd 2022. A proof copy was provided by Agenda Bookshop for the purpose of this review.
]]>Thousands of quality books from popular authors and famous personalities available to browse through. A wide selection of children’s books, fiction and non-fiction, travel, business, cookery, coffee table books, educational books, architecture… and much more await to find a new home.
Books will be replenished on the daily throughout the event, ensuring a varied selection of titles are continuously available whenever you go.
At only €2.99 per book, it will be impossible to not be tempted to carry the whole tent home. Therefore, we suggest you bring your own shopping bags for the wild spree.
Make sure to follow the event here, where daily updates will be posted ensuring you won’t miss out on the fun.
Jot it down on your calendars, these are the event’s opening hours:
]]>Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy
My Rating:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Nora Roberts in this romantic urban fantasy which will capture readers of Kelly Armstrong and Laini Taylor alike. Sarah J. Maas, known for her YA novels, took her fans by storm with the second instalment of the Crescent City trilogy, described by Bloomsbury as her first foray into Adult fantasy. If you are searching for a roller-coaster of steamy scenes, unbridled emotion, heart-wrenching revelations, and unexpected moments of betrayal and redemption, this book will certainly not disappoint.
While in the first book, House of Earth and Blood (2020), Maas presented us with a symphony of worldbuilding, developing characters, and a rich and convoluted urban back story, in House of Sky and Breath, we are plunged deeper into the history and politics of Midgard. The first book focussed not only on the friendship between Bryce Quinlan and Danika Fendyr, but most of all on the sorrow and pain caused by the loss of that friendship. The emotional trauma also led to mental health issues, which Bryce tried to deal with partly by investigating the shadow-shrouded dealings which led to the blood-massacre resulting in the loss of Danika and her wolf-pack. In House of Sky and Breath, Bryce, Hunt, and their posse of friends, investigate the disappearance of a young boy known to wield amazing forces. While this investigation is slower paced and not nearly as engaging as the one in the first instalment of the series, it allows us to meet not only new characters, but also different types of magics.
The novel picks up around three months after House of Earth and Blood. Dazzling archangels, brawny werewolves, graceful fae, sensual witches - all of these and more populate the city of Lunathion, home to most of the main characters. Being a half-human, half-fae with a chimera for a pet is not easy in a world which looks down on humans and relegates them to the lowest tier of society. Bryce is attempting to process the events that concluded the first book, while navigating a society which now views her with awe and fear after the public revelations which led to her saving the city. The discovery of Bryce’s parentage and her mysterious powers have resulted in a considerable change in her status and in the way the rest of the city and the Vanir treat her. Both Bryce and Orion ‘Hunt’ Athalar, her love interest, are still coming to terms with what happened, and focusing not only on healing, but on getting to know each other better, without letting their relationship deepen too fast. A precarious edge to tread, especially with the ever-burning sensual energy sizzling between them.
It is important to note that this book is not for younger readers, given the graphic nature of some of the scenes.
Although received with high enthusiasm by both avid fans and new readers alike, the novel is far from perfect. First of all, House of Sky and Breath does feel very much like a novel that’s in the middle of things and kind of dragging in places. Also, I cannot help but comment on ‘the males’ (as Maas calls them). Reminiscent of hunks like Geralt the Witcher of Rivia and Dean from the TV series ‘Supernatural’, be they fallen angels, rogue Fae princes, or brooding shapeshifters, the ‘males’ tend to communicate in grunts, growls, snarls, or even roars, especially when they feel that their females are being threatened. Seriously, I get that these paragons of masculinity are big, bold, and physically astounding, but the repetition of expletives does get old after a while. And it’s not like the ‘females’ are weak or reticent in any way! On the contrary, I love Bryce’s plucky sassy attitude, which is more or less reflected in most of the other women in the novel. Though to be fair, you wouldn’t know it at times, since Maas describes how their ‘toes curl’ again and again each time a handsome male makes a move towards them. And of course, everyone seems to fancy Bryce, since she’s apparently physically perfect in every way. But even though every ‘male’ cannot help but fall in lust with her on sight, she has eyes only for Hunt, whose energy ‘sizzles’, ‘thunders’ and ‘pulses’ each time she’s in sight.
Maybe this kind of puerile cliches are one of the reasons why I personally think this series belongs more in the ‘New Adult’ rather than the ‘Adult’ category. The ‘New Adult’ genre is a bridge between the Young Adult and Adult genres, which, though using YA tropes, such as exploring one’s sexuality and the consequences of one’s actions, has a grittier and more explicit content.
New adult fiction is usually marketed for post-adolescents and young tweens (twenty-something year olds), however Maas’ addictive writing style and dynamic characters fascinate readers of all ages, who, tethered to the edge of their seats, cannot help but be caught up in the endearing camaraderie and smouldering tension enriching the story.
In House of Sky and Breath, new forces are shifting, the Ophion rebels on one side, the questionable Asteri on the other, with the powerful Princes of Hel also making an appearance. Bryce and Hunt need to discover the extent of their powers and unleash their potential before things come to a head. We are also given a closer look at the machinations of the Merfolk, the River Queen, and the Ocean Queen.
Unpopular Opinion - the sex scenes served as a cold shower for me. An unwanted interlude between one action packed or emotionally charged, scene and another. Then again, it all depends on what the reader is looking for of course. If like me, you are more fascinated by the mysterious Mystics, the cruel Underking, the internal changes in the wolf pack, and the mystery behind the Asteri’s dominance of Midgard, then yes, the slow sex scenes might seem dragging and repetitive. On the other hand, if you are more interested in the love story and the steamy scenes, you are in for a treat. This does not mean that the plot is not engaging or exciting – it is. Which is perhaps why I was so impatient with all the sensual deviations from it. I wanted to get on with it and discover what happened next!
As with House of Earth and Blood, although the story is full of twists and turns, the biggest revelations happen towards the end. And they are truly explosive and well worth the wait!
In conclusion - while I used to adore Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I must admit that personally, Nora Roberts’ style of writing is not my cup of tea, and maybe that is why I did not much enjoy certain parts of this book which instead of focussing on the plot, focussed in detail on the sexual tension and the romantic push-and-pull dance between the characters. I would have preferred more worldbuilding and character development, instead of what I felt were long drawn-out sex scenes written with the aim of titillating the reader, rather than furthering the plot. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and if what you are looking for is romance and sensual drama, you will be swept away by these sizzling scenes for sure. However, I DID enjoy this book - its revelations, the emotions and relationships between the characters, and the bustling, moody, changeable urban landscape that is Crescent City, with its hidden turmoil and secrets. There are of course, things I also did not enjoy, and this repetitive and irritating perspective sometimes marred my objectivity when it came to Maas’ writing. I am however, definitely looking forward to the next instalment in the trilogy and hoping it will be even better.
]]>The more you spend the more you save!
10% OFF when you spend €25.
15% OFF when you spend €40
20% OFF when you spend €60
With offers this great it's time to stock the shelves with the best books for all the family and friends.
Discount is automatically applied at the Payment stage depending on the value of the order. Discount applies on to books.
Offer valid up to 10 February 2022. ONLINE ONLY.
PLUS a chance to WIN your order for FREE!
How to Participate.
Simply place your order this weekend (Friday 12 November - Sunday 14 November) and the extra 10% Off books will be automatically added to your order. There is no minimum or maximum amount!
Once your order is confirmed you will also automatically enter into our free order promotion. On Monday 15 November we will pick 2 lucky winners at random to have their order for free!
We truly appreciate all of you.
We at agendabookshop.com would like to thank each and every one of our customers. We are proud to serve you and hope to continue serving you for a very long time!
We will try our best to offer you a better service and a larger selection of books.
Sincerely
Agenabookshop.com Team
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We wanted to expand the Malta Book Festival Week to all our book lovers and will be giving an extra 10% Off on all orders not using the MBF Gift Voucher with a minimum purchase of €25 on Books. No need to enter any codes, prices will be automatically discounted at checkout.
When you redeem the €5 National Book Council Voucher with agendabookshop.com , you will also receive a €2.50 Agenda Bookshop Voucher with your order, which will be sent via email or sms depending on the contact preference. The €2.50 Agenda Bookshop Voucher is valid up to 31 January 2022, and can be redeemed against any purchase from the website. It can also be used in conjunction with other offers.
You can only use one offer per order, to make use of both offers you will need to do 2 separate orders.
Alternatively, head over to our 2 stands at The Malta Book Festival in Ta' Qali and benefit from:
📙 Stand Agenda: 2+1 FREE on all books
📘 Stand Bookends: ALL books at €3
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The more you spend, the more expensive the gift, plus you get to choose your favourite gift.
Get €5 OFF your order WITH EVERY €30 spent when you shop book instore and online between 19 - 25 April, 2021.
Now is the time to stock up on your reading list ... and get another one or two for your mum 🥰🥰🥰
Offer is not valid on textbooks and charity books.
To apply discount, kindly click on Checkout on the pop-up box before you checkout. For pop-up box kindly click on round Discount Icon on the bottom right hand side of the screen, as per below screenshot.
In today’s world full of digital distractions, it’s easy for children to forget how magical reading can be. What fun it is to let your imagination paint the scenes, instead of watching a movie.
To encourage a sense of adventure in these difficult times, check out these newly released adventures themed books for kids.
That's right, for the month of March we are giving you AN EXTRA 10% OFF our already discounted prices for any book that's listed under our Bestsellers list.
What's more this list is updated daily by our customers, so if you do not see your book on the list, check again to see if it made it to list 😍
Discount is automatically added at checkout. Only one offer can be applied at checkout, if you have a discount code that you would like to use instead of MarchBestsellers, simply type it into the Discount Code box after Checkout and click Apply.
Check out our online Bestsellers Collection which is updated daily! 💥😍
From Monday 1st February to Sunday 14th February, Agenda Bookshop will be offering its customers added value by means of a FREE BOOK with every 3 books purchased (the 4th cheapest book is free). The offer is applicable both instore and online!
As part of this awesome Valentines promotion, customers are also being offered free gift wrapping when purchasing online.
Discount is automatically added at checkout.
It is recommended that Valentines gifts (requesting home delivery) are purchased online by Monday 8th February, so as to guarantee delivery in time for Valentine’s Day.
With prices that compare (and even beat!) overseas online bookshops giants such as Book Depository and Amazon, agendabookshop.com provides for a very user-friendly shopping experience. Offering the largest selection of Maltese and British books (including all current best-sellers), thousands of books are being added daily…with the ultimate goal of an offering of over 4 million titles in the weeks & months to come.
Spread the love this Valentines 😊
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With Christmas just around the corner we want to spread the holiday cheer to all our customers with special offers to make this Christmas even more magical!
Get a €2.00 Voucher when you spend €10.00 and over and opt to collect your order from one of our shops.*
Free Gift Wrapping and Free Christmas Card. To add Gift Wrapping to your order, simply click on the Free Gift Wrapping button on the bottom right hand side, and create your Gift Wraps. You can split your order into as many Gift Wraps as you want.... and you can also leave a personal note to each Gift Wrap!
Plus you also get a 10% OFF voucher when you spend €20.00 and over!*
With offers this great it's time to stock the shelves with the best books! Merry Christmas everyone!
Offer valid from 7 to 20 December.
* Vouchers are valid until January 2021. €2.00 Voucher is redeemable on orders above €15.00.
The 2020 Malta Book Festival organised by the National Book Council will take place online between 11-15 November due to COVID-19, and applies to local publications.
We wanted to expand the Malta Book Festival Week to all our book lovers and will be giving an extra 10% Off on non-local publications. No need to enter any codes, prices on website are already discounted!
When you redeem the €5 National Book Council Voucher with agendabookshop.com , you will also receive a €2.50 Agenda Bookshop Voucher with your order. The €2.50 Agenda Bookshop Voucher will be valid for 2 months, and can be redeemed against any book title on the website, excluding Charity Books with a minimum purchase of €15.00.
The €5 National Book Council Voucher applies only to local publications.
We invite you to view our Malta Book Festival events , streamed straight into your home. All our events will be streamed on the National Book Council Website and Facebook page and also on the Agenda Bookshop Facebook page.