The one thing I’ve noticed whilst looking back through my archive is that I’ve never really posted anything more personal, or personable. I’d like to start posting more than reviews, so consider this my first foray.
This week has been a bit weird, to be honest. I got the phone call last night to say that my grandma had died, and I’ve nowhere near processed that yet, so I’m going to find some solace in books and the beach this weekend.
Currently, as part of my final placement for medical school, I’m working on a tiny archipelago of islands off the North of Scotland. It’s pretty unusual to not feel as if you’re being blown off your feet…it’s also pretty unusual to leave the house in anything other than a waterproof jacket. It is, however, ridiculously beautiful. I went for a run today down by the beach and the water was so clear that you could see the seabed from the end of the pier, a rarity when it comes to Atlantic waters. The splendid isolation has meant that I’ve managed to get at lot of reading done, and, also, a lot of writing.
It’s pretty unlikely that any of you know about my writing, I tend to keep quiet about it around anyone other than my beta. That’s not because I don’t want to talk about it, I’m just at the stage of my manuscript where talking about it takes away from actual time that could be spent editing it. I will say a couple of things: it’s enormous, four POVs, sitting at about 180k words; it’s high fantasy, because who can help writing about mages, but also very character driven (and incredibly queer). The one thing that I realised whilst writing it, is that I just can’t understand the mentality of writers who think that diversity is ‘forced’. If your eyes and heart are open to the world that you live in and the people in it, writing a book with characters of different races, genders, sexualities and health needs is never ‘forced’.
Currently Reading
I actually finished this book just before I started writing this post, but I’m still working out my thoughts for a formal review. One of the initial reasons I picked it up, apart from the plot which is an awesome mix of ghouls, blood magic and classical alchemy, is the rarity of non-eurocentric fantasy written by a POC author. I’ve read ‘fantasy Middle Eastern’ novels in the past written by people without Middle Eastern heritage which have just left a bad taste in my mouth. Saladin Ahmed is, by his own definition, Arab American and it was really awesome to read a fantasy that was respectful to the culture it drew upon. I’ll definitely by picking up other media written by him in the future!
2. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
I’m on a bit of an epic fantasy binge at the moment. I’d had this book sitting on my kindle for a while, slightly daunted by the sheer size and density of it, but decided to pick it up on a whim after finishing ACOTAR last week. It’s very different to what I expected, much more political and keeping more of a distance from the characters than some of the YA books I’ve been reading recently. It tells the story of the displaced peoples of Lumatere, a land that has been magically sealed by a powerful curse, and their struggle to break the spell on their homeland. I can imagine that it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s beautiful and painful but very slow.
3. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Tor, whose short stories are my go to for cerebral sci-fi and fantasy, were giving away this novella for free earlier this week, and I’d heard great things about it even before that. I am not disappointed…at all. The novella deals with a school that has become the safe haven for children and young adults who have returned from faerie and found themselves increasingly lost and disillusioned in the ‘real world’. I haven’t read that much yet, but already I’ve fallen in love with the writing style and our protagonist.
Currently Watching
I’m one of those people that’s really rubbish at finishing TV series or sitting through movies, which is hilarious because I often read books in one sitting. Two series that have managed to keep my attention currently are ‘The Expanse’ (S1), which is giving me all the nostalgic Battlestar Galactica emotions, and ‘Attack on Titan’ (SNK, S1), which somehow I never ended up watching until now…yeah, I don’t understand either.
I’m also permanently watching ‘Critical Role’ between the new episodes and my current watch through from the beginning (I’m on episode 20). It always reminds me that I need to find a D&D group I can actually play in, rather than being perma-DM. It’s a sad fact that I’ve never played D&D as anything other than the Dungeon Master…I want to play as the Elf Ranger I’ve meticulously built a backstory for, oops.
Currently Playing
Sadly, my Xbox, with my copy of ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ and my beautiful alien girlfriend, is a good 1000 km away right now. Whilst away from home, I’ve been playing ‘Baldur’s Gate’ on my laptop, which I’ve been really enjoying. It’s a huge jump from the graphics of ME:A to the near pixel art of BG, but the story’s so good that I’ve barely noticed to be honest.
Coming Up
So, in the next month I’ve got some cool stuff coming up. Look out for an interview with a Elise Kova that I’ll be posting towards the end of the month, and another cover reveal that I’m very excited about.
There’s also be some reviews for much anticipated May releases and the answers to a tag that I’ve been nominated to do.
As always, if you have any queries or suggestions for content you’d like to see more of, the blog contact form and my email are always open.
Advertisements Share this:
