A Web of Air by Philip Reeve

A Web of Air is the latest outing by Brighton born author Philip Reeve. The book is the sequel to Fever Crumb and as such is a prequel to the Mortal Engines quartet.

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I was fairly disappointed with Fever Crumb. Not because it was a bad book, in fact it was a highly enjoyable one, but simply because it did not live up to the truly superb Mortal Engines quartet. Compared to the first four books it was limited in characters, lacking in depth and had nowhere near the scope of the others. So, needless to say I was apprehensive about this one, but optimistic at the same time...

A Web of Air starts well, you are introduced to a number of new and interesting characters, and we meet a more developed lead character than previously. Fever Crumb has taken on the role of guardian for two children from the first novel and because of this has had to evolve, if only slightly, into a more rounded human being. We are then taken to a new city, Mayda, where buildings rise and fall on runners and Angels fly through the sky (at least birds called angels do), where we meet even more new, and often shady, characters. It has scope. It has depth. It has most of the things that Fever Crumb lacked. Plus Reeve stays true to the dark, sinister and treacherous plot lines that make his stories stand out from the crowd. And yet it still does not live up to the quartet, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe the characters aren't as believable, nor likeable. Maybe it's due to the lack of the big, dirty, exciting traction cities. It is hard to say, but something is lacking.

Another point that needs to be made is the similarities to Airman by Eoin Colfer. Although I would never suggest that Reeve would steal ideas, he really does not seem the type and has plenty of his own ideas - in fact, judging by his blog, he has probably never heard of Eoin Colfer – but the similarities are there. Mainly it is the plot centring around flight that does it, along with the lead male character that has gone through a great deal of hardship that has left him with an obsession with flight, and then the finale with the protagonists flighting for their lives defending a keep that holds their flying machine whilst the baddies try to break their way in with superior force. Even so, there plenty of original ideas within A Web of Air that more than make up for this slight tarring.

A Web of Air is a good book, a really good book. As a stand alone book, or even as a sequel to Fever Crumb, it's great. As a prequel to Mortal Engines it remains a mild disappointment. Reeve has suggested that the next outing will be on a broader scope, with more in common with the originals – let's hope so!

Highly Recommended – but read the Mortal Engines Quartet first!

Grandville: A Graphic Novel by Bryan Talbot

Grandville: A Detective-Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard Scientific-Romance Thriller, is the latest graphic novel by Bryan Talbot. Inspired by nineteenth-century French illustrator Gerard, who worked under the nom de plum J.J. Greandville, the novel is the story of DI LeBrock on the hunt for the ruthless killers of a British diplomat. All fairly standard so far, but that is all that is standard in this graphic novel...

The first stand out point of the book is the characters themselves. Talbot has substituted the majority of the characters with animals instead of humans, whilst humans in the book are referred to as under-developed 'dough-faces', who are little better than slaves and have no citizens rights. The use of anthropomorphous animals is done excellently, with some hilarious results such as the drug dealing horse and the poodle hooker!

Another key part of the book is it's setting. Based mainly in France, Grandville is an alternate history story, set in a world where Napoleon won the war and Britain is little more than a colony that has just won independence. Alternate histories are a real favourite of mine, if done well, and Grandville does is perfectly. You are made aware of the worlds history early on, and the plot is largely based around the politics of this alternate timeline, but you are not smothered by it, which is something that has blighted many other books. If an author keeps emphasising the differences of their world to ours, it somehow looses it's sense of reality. The same can be said of the fact that this graphic novel falls into the category of 'steampunk', but Talbot understates this fact and it almost becomes unnoticeable, whilst managing to be an integral part of the story.

I was originally unimpressed by the artwork in Grandville, in fact it almost put me off completely, but whilst reading the book I realised how engrossing and beautifully detailed it is, with deep, rich colours and a great sense of pace. I particularly like both the blood and the movement effects, which are done perfectly. Talbot is clearly a masterful artist.

All in all I loved Grandville. It is a graphic novel I have been wanting to read for a long while and I am so glad I finally have. If anything, my only gripe is with the length of the book, I feel it could have been fleshed out more, it could have gone deeper into the heart of the story and we could have learnt more about the brilliant Detective-Inspector LeBrock. Fingers crossed that this is not a one off, as I can't wait for more Detective-Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard Scientific-Romance Thrillers!

Highly Recommended.

P.S. I love the front cover of this book!

The End of Publishing

Congratulations to the DK imprint at Penguin Group, I really think this is an amazing video and a great message to all

Nation - the play

Nation by Terry Pratchett was the first non-Discworld book that the author has written in quite a long time, so I was fairly worried when I first picked up my copy. I really shouldn't have worried, it was excellent.

Nation, the play adapted by Mark Ravenhill from the book of the same name was the first play based on a Terry Pratchett book, Discworld or otherwise, I have seen, and I was most certainly worried. Maybe this was due to iffy reviews I had read, maybe it was because I tend to find novels turned into plays can be disasters (Note: seeing The Hobbit at the Eastbourne Congress next month – Nervous!), either way I was worried.

The first couple of scenes did little to alleviate my fears, with slightly wooden acting and, shock-horror, singing. Fortunately, my initial misconceptions were lifted as I found myself drawn into the world of Mau – a native of the Nation, the largest of the Islands – and Daphne, an aristocratic 13 year-old whose father is 139th in line to the throne, who has been ship wrecked on the Nation. Mau's people have been wiped out by the same storm that destroyed Daphne's ship, and together they must build a new Nation.

The play deviates from the book in a few ways. For instance Cox, the evil mutineer from the book has been transformed into a butler who is sent off the rails by the death of his son. This change, like most of the others, is welcome enough and does not effect the overall feel of the story. Another large difference is the ship's parrot, Milton, who in the book is a minor character who occasionally shouts “dirty knickers!” before disappearing for a few chapters. In the play Milton is transformed into the main supporting character, used for both comic relief and every once in a while for moving the plot on a little. The human-dressed-as-parrot aspect of the play was one of my biggest apprehensions – I really can't stand actors dressed up as animals (possibly brought on from being forced to sit through a truly awful adaptation of Orwell's Animal Farm when I was at school...) - but turned he out to be a likeable addition.

The first few scenes were a low point, the singing put me off and it took a bit of time to grasp what was happening, even though I had read the book and heard the excellent BBC audio play, but as it got into it and I realised there wasn't much singing I really came to love this adaptation of Nation – so much so that I found myself humming along to the song (one song repeated a few times throughout the play, by the way). The other low point of the play, I'm afraid to say, was the end. I felt everything that involved characters not on the Nation (namely Daphne's family) was not executed that well and the closing of the story felt very rushed. Fortunately this did not diminish from the overall excellence of Nation.

Highly Recommended.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I shall start as I plan to go on: The Book Thief is one the most beautifully told, enjoyable and moving books I have read in ever such a long time.

The book starts by introducing us to our narrator, the brilliant Death - a quirky, observant and kind anthropomorphic personification – who tells the story of Lisel Meminger, a child in Nazi German sent to live with foster parents in a poor area of a poor town.

The Book Thief is not the happiest book I've ever read, but it is by no means depressing. Markus Zusak tackles tough issues in a sympathetic manner, helping you to relate to each of the characters in turn. The day to day life of Lisel and her foster parents – the hilariously angry Rosa and the quiet and sweet Hans – gives us an insight into the everyday life in poor suburbs of Nazi Germany. The story really starts with the introduction of Max, a Jewish fist-fighter on the run, who takes up residence in the family basement. Max's character never really develops, but his introduction brings with it a host of new problems for Lisel and her family.

There is not a lot else I want to say about The Book Thief, but I must urge you to pop down to your local bookshop, or library, and pick up a copy of this uplifting, if heart wrenching, story.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

The publication of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is, in itself, a tragedy – Stieg Larsson died suddenly shortly after delivering the manuscript for the book, and its two sequels, to his publisher, leaving behind the unfinished plot outlines for a further 3 books featuring the main characters, a fact that has helped his sales along the way. Because the Millennium Trilogy are all that will be published by Stieg Larsson, so there is no risk of the series being marred by further, weaker books, something that has afflicted a great deal of authors.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced Journalist who is hired by an ageing industrialist to solve a mystery that has haunted him for decades. Whilst this storyline unfolds, we are gradually introduced to a socially inept computer hacker by the name of Lisbeth Salander – declared legally incompetent and yet incredibly gifted. As the story progresses, Salander and Blomkvist find themselves thrown together to try and solve the almost unsolvable mystery, whilst someone else will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

The plot plods along at an amicable and gentle pace for the first third of the book, which is surprising, but at the same time works very well. At this point, the friendly pace of the book is interrupted by some brutal and fairly distressing scenes of a violent nature, before slowing back down again. This up and down feeling to the novel does continue throughout and it is an excellent plot device. The characters are likeable, although both of the main two have some annoying personality traits, and the large cast of other characters are varied, and make for a tough time trying to guess the culprit.

All in all, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a great read and it is easy to see why it has become such a massive success, both in its native Sweden and across Europe. Can't wait for the Swedish made film which is released shortly, although dreading the inevitable American remake...

Highly recommended.

Special Editions

The 21st of Feb was my birthday, and for it I received 2 books - 2 special books!

A numbered special edition of the latest Terry Practchett novel, Unseen Academincals, and a numbered & signed special edition of Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve:

As well of these wonderful books, I also received the Fuji Finepix S1500 on which these photo's were taken.

Thanks Jenny!

Gold by Dan Rhodes

Set in the idyllic Welsh countryside, Gold is the story of Miyuki Woodward, a half-Japanese/half-Welsh interior designer who takes her two weeks vacation alone in the same village, in the same cottage, every year, away from her partner Grindle, in order to consolidate their love through separation. The novel takes place during the two weeks vacation and is set mainly in the village pub, The Anchor, and the surrounding countryside.

The story is fairly minimalistic – the biggest thing to happen in the village for a long time is Miyuki painting a rock gold... – but this matters not as the book is driven forward by the characters. The village locals are quirky, with tall Mr Hughes, short Mr Hughes and Mr Puw on one side of the pub, and Septic Barry & the Children from Previous Relationships on the other, and Miyuki is a really likeable lead. The star character, however, is the owner of the pub in which the novel is largely based – Mr Edwards. Mr Edwards is perfect, not used too much nor too little, and throughout the book barely says more than his favourite saying “Holy Mackerel!”.

This is my first Dan Rhodes novel, and it is clear that he is a gem of an author who chooses his words carefully. Descriptively speaking, Gold is a beautiful novel, but on a small scale. When describing (repeatedly) how Miyuki's contact lenses dance across the stove, his ability with words really shines through, but then when describing the sun sparkling on the golden rocks, I found it hard to picture, it didn't really jump out.

All in all, this little novel is a treat, I'm so glad to have found Dan Rhodes and I'm thoroughly looking forward to his latest book, Little Hands Clapping.

A beautiful, sweet and very funny book. Highly recommended.