Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
I read Kaikeyi because This Story Ain’t Over said it was the best book she read last year.
“A powerful, feminist retelling of the epic…Patel resets the balance of power, creating an unforgettable heroine who understands that it isn’t necessarily kings or gods who change history.” –Washington Post
“A thought-provoking, nuanced new look at one of humanity’s most foundational stories.” —Shannon Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
About The Book 📚
Title: Kaikeyi
Author: Vaishnavi Patel
Publication Date: April 2022
Publisher: Redhook
Suggested Reader Age: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. May include profanity, violence, sexual situations, or drug use.
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Historical, Mythology
Pages: 478
Content Warnings: Sexism, misogyny, death, war, violence, grief, death of a parent, fire injury, abandonment, murder, infertility, pregnancy, domestic abuse, sexual content
“Vaishnavi Patel is a law student focusing on constitutional law and civil rights. She likes to write at the intersection of Indian myth, feminism, and anti-colonialism. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Kaikeyi. Vaishnavi grew up in and around Chicago, and in her spare time, enjoys activities that are almost stereotypically Midwestern: knitting, ice skating, drinking hot chocolate, and making hotdish.” https://vaishnavipatel.com/about/
My Review
›Kaikeyi is a retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana composed by Valmiki more than 2,000 years ago. Ramayana is about the life and banishment of a Hindu deity named Ram. I am not Hindu, so I took a little time to do some extra reading and learning about Ram to better understand this story. According to Britannica, Ram is one of the most worshipped deities and is viewed as “the embodiment of chivalry and virtue” so I would imagine some people won’t like Kaikeyi because Ram is portrayed as a complicated morally-grey character.
Kaikeyi was the daughter of the King of Kaikaya (now believed to be modern-day Pakistan ), one of the 3 wives of King Dasharatha, and the mother of Bharata. She’s referenced as Ram’s evil stepmother. Patel wrote this epic debut novel to show that Kaikeyi is not evil, she’s flawed, just like most of us. “The seeds of Kaikeyi were planted seventeen years ago in a discussion between my mother and my grandmother. Each summer, my grandmother would tell my sister and me stories, passing down myths and legends centered around Hindu gods and heroes that she herself had grown up hearing.” In her author’s note, Patel said she “wanted to give Kaikeyi a chance to explain her actions.”
Some own voices reviewers have said they didn’t like this book because it didn’t stay true to the original story, however, in the author’s note, Patel did say there are many changes. You can read more about that in Patel’s Goodreads post.
›Kaikeyi, daughter of King Ashwapati, is the Princess of Kekaya. From a young age, Kaikeyi felt that her father preferred her brothers because she is female. Ashwapati has the power to understand the language of the birds. One day, her mother leaves unexpectedly and Kaikeyi is left to pretty much raise herself. She’s wed to Dasharath the King of Kosala. Dasharath promises Kaikeyi that their child will be the heir to the throne. They have a son named Bharata. The other princes are Lakshmana, Shatrugna, and Rama.
We see the boys grow up, and Kaikeyi makes incredible changes to help women thanks to her special ability to connect with the “binding plane”. In the binding plane Kaikeyi is able to see the invisible threads that connect her with everyone around her and she’s able to manipulate those threads to make them do what she wants them to do. Kaikeyi is determined to change the minds of men. When Dasharath says Rama will become heir instead of Bharata Kaikeyi uses the “boons” he bestowed upon her at their marriage. A boon is a powerful gift. Kaikeyi’s actions are seen as treasonous, but the reader gets to learn things from a different perspective.
“You did the right thing,” Manthara told me. “No matter what is said about you, Kaikeyi, remember that you did the right thing. You are not wicked.” “Then why do I feel wicked?” I whispered. “Because those who are good question themselves. Because those who are good always wonder if there was a better way, a way that could have helped more and hurt less. That feeling is why you are good.”
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
› Characters: 7 Good characters, but had a hard time picturing them.
›Atmosphere: 4 The binding plane is extremely interesting, however, I wanted more description and world-building. There is also a lack of emotion.
›Writing Style: 7 Repetitive and wordy at times, but I like Patel’s writing style.
›Plot: 4 I often felt bored. There is a lot of fluff (words that aren’t moving the plot forward). I wanted to see more of Rama’s power.
›Intrigue: 6 The binding plane kept me invested in the story.
› Final Thoughts • Kaikeyi is an adventurous character-driven retelling of Ramayana. If you like morally-grey characters you’re going to love reading this debut. 82% of people on Goodreads gave this book 4 or 5 stars, so although this was just okay for me, I feel like there are lots of mythology fans who will love this debut. Quite a few reviewers have said this is similar to Circe, which I haven’t read. I think if you liked Circe then you’ll probably like Kaikeyi. I will definitely be checking out Patel’s next book.
Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
“A dazzling collection of short stories from the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, stories that look deeply into the heart of family relationships, marriage, loss and memory, and what it means to spend a life together“
I requested an advance copy of Old Babes in the Wood after loving Hag-Seed.
About The Book 📚
Title: Old Babes in the Wood
Author: Margaret Atwood
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada, McClelland & Stewart
Suggested Reader Age: PG 13 Some material may not be suitable for children.
Genre: General Fiction, Adult, Short Stories
Pages: 304
Content Warnings: death, talk of suicide, description of injury, gore, violence
About The Author
“Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master’s degree from Radcliffe College.”
First Aid – a story about Nell and Tig. Nell arrives at an empty home to find a knife next to a bloodstained carrot on the cutting board. She suspects Tig has cut himself, decided he needed stitches and headed to the hospital with their daughter. There’s introspection on how things have changed. We once had to wait and find out about emergencies, but now with cell phones, we find out almost immediately. How has it changed us? I love the character they meet named Mr. Foote because he’s a fellow Newfoundlander. ★★★ Two Scorched Men – Nell reminisces about her and Tig’s landlord named John and John’s friend François. It’s a sad thought to be the only person left alive from a memory. ★★★
Morte De Smudgie – a story about grief and the strange forms it takes. Smudgie was Nell and Tig’s cat. ★★
“There is no ‘only a’, she told herself. Nothing and no one is ‘only a’.”
My Evil Mother – This was one of my favourite stories. It’s about mother-daughter relationships. The daughter always thought her mother was evil, classmates and neighbours called her “crazy”. The daughter’s father isn’t around, she doesn’t even know who he is, however, she desperately wants to know why he left and if he loved her at all. ★★★★
“I certainly didn’t want any pointing going on; pointing was how you directed a spell.”
The Dead Interview – an imaginary interview between Margaret Atwood and George Orwell (author of Animal Farm, 1984). This was one of my least favourite stories in the collection. ★
Impatient Griselda – an alien was sent to earth on an “intergalactic-crises aid package” and is tasked with keeping humans entertained by telling them a story. I laughed out loud reading this story. One of my favourites in the collection. ★★★★★
“On my planet, only snacks whimper. Those who are not snacks do not whimper.”
Bad Teeth – Two “dear old friends” are reminiscing about love (or misremembering). This story takes place during the second Covid summer. I found this story a little boring, but it did make me smile. ★★
Freeforall – is about a version of the future where a sexually-transmitted disease has wiped out humans. I found this story boring. ★
Metempsychosis – “the journey of the soul”. I still don’t know if I liked this or not. It’s super weird, but at the same time, I found myself enjoying it. It’s about a snail whose soul jumped from a snail’s body into a human body. The snail soul has a hard time adapting to the human body. ★★★
Airborne: a Symposium – is about females talking about their experiences with feminism and sexism. I appreciate the discussion, however, I found this story to be long, meandering, and boring. ★
Death By Clamshell – is a fictional retelling of Hypatia of Alexandria’s brutal murder. I loved this story and it made me want to know more about Hypatia. ★★★★★
A Dusty Lunch – Another story featuring Nell and Tig. Nell finds a folder of poems written by her late father, Jolly Old Brigadier aka J.O.B., and is shocked to discover there was so much more to him than she ever knew. ★★★★
“What was it like to live with a man who was only half there? The other half was off somewhere else, left behind on the other side of the Atlantic in a ravaged landscape that couldn’t be mentioned.“
Widows – Nell writes a letter to Stevie talking about how she is doing since Tig died. ★★★★★
Wooden Box – Nell finds a box of Tig’s belongings after his death and reminisces about their life together. ★★★
Old Babes in the Wood – Nell and Lizzie are at the cabin in the woods. Nell’s heart is broken after Tig’s death, but she carries on doing the things that need to be done at the cabin. This story brought me to tears. Absolutely beautiful. ★★★★★
I wonder if characters Tig & Nell are inspired by Atwood’s forty-eight-year relationship with Graeme Gibson.
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 4 Character-driven stories with medium character development. It would have been nice to see more character flaws, conflict, backstory, and diversity.
›Atmosphere: 10 Excellent descriptions, world-building and emotions.
›Writing Style: 10 High-quality writing, some of the sentences hit you right in the feels. Excellent readability and dialogue. I really enjoy Atwood’s writing style.
› Final Thoughts • Old Babes in the Wood is an eclectic collection of reflective, emotional, and sometimes humourous short stories about life, relationships, alternate futures, memories and death. Like most short story collections, there will be some you love and some you don’t. Overall, I enjoyed this collection quite a bit and am looking forward to reading more from Atwood.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
I bought Babel from Books on Main after it debuted #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List. This book is my favourite read in 2022. It’s probably going to end up on banned books lists – SO READ IT!
‘Languages aren’t just made of words. They’re modes of looking at the world. They’re the keys to civilization. And that’s knowledge worth killing for.’ – Anthony, Babel
“R.F. Kuang has written a masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution.” — Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author of Black Sun
About The Book 📚
Title: Babel or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
Author: R.F. Kuang
Publication Date: August 2022
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Suggested Reader Age: Adult Contains violence, drug use
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary, Fantasy, Dark Academia
Pages: 544
Content Warnings: Racism, Colonization, Xenophobia, Death, Violence, Murder, Classism, Sexism, Suicide, Death of a Parent, Grief, Child Abuse, War, Gun Violence, Torture, Slavery, Toxic Friendship, Gore, Drug and Alcohol Use
“Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History, as well as the forthcoming Yellowface. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale” https://rfkuang.com/about/
My Review
›In her author’s note, R.F. Kuang described Babel as a “fantastical version of Oxford in the 1830s”.
1st Line: “By the time Professor Richard Lovell found his way through Canton’s narrow alleys to the faded address in his diary, the boy was the only one in the house left alive.”
The Chinese boy’s mother and grandparents are dead and his father is unknown. A stranger shows up, saves his life, and makes an offer for the boy to come to London to study languages. The strange man is Professor Lovell. When given the choice to be homeless or accompany the Professor it’s an easy decision. The boy agrees to study whatever the Professor deems important and renames himself Robin Swift (inspired by Gulliver’s Travels).
“London had accumulated the lion’s share of both the world’s silver ore and the world’s languages, and the result was a city that was bigger, heavier, faster, and brighter than nature allowed.”
They sign papers to make Robin a ward of Professor Lovell, who teaches at Oxford. One day, a house guest let it slip that Robin was the professor’s offspring, but the Professor shut the conversation down and Robin decided to not question Lovell.
“As long as Professor Lovell did not accept him as a son, Robin would not attempt to claim him as a father.”
The tower of Babel from biblical literature is a mythical structure that explains why people speak different languages. R.F. Kuang’s Tower of Babel is bigger on the inside than it seems from the outside (like the Tardis). It’s the location for the Royal Institute of Translation which was founded in the early 17th century and moved to Oxford in 1715.
Lobby: for business, trading silver bars for service 2nd floor: Legal Department 3rd floor: Interpretation 4th floor: Literature (translation) 5th & 6th floor: Reference Materials & Instruction 7th floor: Faculty Offices 8th floor: Silver-Working
“They gazed up at the tower. It was a magnificent building – a gleaming white edifice built in the neoclassical style, eight storeys tall and ringed with ornamental pillars and high stained-glass windows. It dominated the skyline of High Street, and made the nearby Radcliffe Library and University Chuch of St Mary the Virgin look quite pathetic in comparison.”
At Oxford Robin meets many different kinds of people who can speak different languages. Robin can speak Chinese, Latin, and Greek. Victoire is Black, from Haiti, and knows French and Kreyòl. Anthony is Black and knows French, Spanish, and German. Letty is a white woman who knows French and German. Robin’s best friend is Ramy, a Muslim from Calcutta. Instead of trying to blend in like Robin, Ramy tells people he is royalty. He is bold and blunt and knows Urdu, Arabic, and Persian.
One evening, Robin and Ramy are verbally assaulted by a group of racist young men while walking back to the dorms after studying at the Bodleian library.
“They were both shaken by the sudden realization that they did not belong in this place, that despite their affiliation with the Translation Institute and despite their gowns and pretensions, their bodies were not safe on the streets. They were men at Oxford; they were not Oxford men.”
Robin returned to the Bodleian to get Ramy’s notebook he left behind and on his way home found a group of young adults trying to pick up silver bars that had spilled all over the street. Robin went to help and discovers a boy who looks just like him. He repeats the word they had been saying and the group disappear, helping them escape the police. Robin’s look-alike told him to find him at The Twisted Root. Coincidentally, Victoire and Letty live near The Twisted Root. There he learns about The Hermes Society.
England is using Babel to make money from magical silver bars. Rich people use it for frivolous things like colour-changing curtains. The military and slave trade also use the bars. Babel pretends to be collecting knowledge however it’s really in the business of colonialism. It’s all about expanding the English Empire. The Hermes Society steals the silver to send it to other countries.
Translation makes communication possible which makes trade possible. People from all over the world are welcomed at Babel – not despite who they are, but because of who they are.
Robin doesn’t agree with the tower’s involvement in colonization, however, he also doesn’t like the illegal actions of The Hermes Society. He must figure out who he is and how he feels about the necessity of violence.
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 10 Incredible characters with goals, strengths, flaws, conflict, backstory, characteristics, and diversity. I would read a book about any of them.
›Atmosphere: 10 Made me cry numerous times. Kuang includes plenty of descriptions and details. For example, a vial of blood is added to a wall of drawers in the tower, which gives it the ability to distinguish the people trying to enter the tower. There are wards in place to protect the books and silver from thieves.
›Writing Style: 10 I enjoyed the footnotes. I love Kuang’s ability to discuss difficult topics such as racism and misogyny without coming across as lecturing.
›Plot: 10 This did not feel like a 544-page book. The pacing is awesome. I never felt bored and every sentence has a purpose and reason for being there.
›Intrigue: 10 I didn’t want to put it down. I talk about this book with a lot of people and can’t stop thinking about it.
›Logic: 10 I never felt confused and can even understand the action scenes (which I often find difficult to follow in books).
›Enjoyment: 10
My Rating ★★★★★ I would give it six stars if I could. One of the best books I’ve ever read.
› Final Thoughts • Babel is about survival. It’s about British colonization and how countries steal resources to grow their empire on the backs of minorities. It’s about language. I learned thought-provoking aspects about the roots of sayings and words.
There are a few reviewers who’ve said this book is racist towards white people, which is ignorant. As a white person, I did not come away from this book feeling insulted in any way. Instead, I walked away learning important aspects of racism against people of colour and making sure I realize I can NEVER put myself in their shoes completely and MUST listen to their words and experiences to help myself become a better ally and human being.
Some reviewers have said the author is promoting violence. The title is Babel: or The Necessity of Violence.
Highly recommend this novel to fans of dark academia who like alternate history stories.
Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
In this post, I’m going to do a short review of three Literally Dead Bookclub Books that I read in 2022. After that I just need to review Babel then I can finally put together my favourite reads of 2022. I’ll be talking about The It Girl by Ruth Ware, You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa, and House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson. I listened to all three as audiobooks.
The It Girl: nominated for Goodreads Best Mystery & Thriller 2022
You’re Invited: “Absolutely addictive…it’s like Agatha Christie meets Crazy Rich Asians. Amanda Jayatissa is an author you want to watch.”—Brad Thor
House of Hunger: nominated for Goodreads Best Horror 2022
About The Book 📚
Title: The It Girl
Author: Ruth Ware Narrated By: Imogen Church
Publication Date: July 2022
Publisher: Scout Press/Simon & Schuster
Suggested Reader Age: PG-13 Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 423
Content Warnings: pregnancy, murder, death, grief, violence, stalking, drug use, alcohol, gun violence, infidelity, kidnapping, medical content, sexual assault, panic attacks, suicide
Review
›The It Girl is told in two timelines with chapters entitled “before” and “after”. Before, “it girl” April Coutts-Cliveden is the first person Hannah meets at Oxford. They have many good times with their friend group Will, Hugh, Ryan and Emily during the first semester. Then April was killed at the end of the second semester. After, it’s ten years later. Hannah and Will are expecting a baby, and the man who was convicted of killing April has died in prison. When a journalist contacts Hannah showing new evidence that proves John Neville’s innocence she becomes obsessed with finding April’s killer.
“Afterwards, it was the door she would remember. ‘It was open’, she kept saying to the police. ‘I should have known something was wrong.’”
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 5 I wanted more backstory, didn’t understand some character motivations, and some of the side characters were boring. I had a good time hating all of the characters. April – disliked her the entire time Hannah – disliked the entire time Will – disliked the entire time Do you see a pattern? hahaha The only character I liked was Hugh. ›Atmosphere: 6 I needed more description, had a hard time picturing the settings and didn’t really feel emotion. ›Writing Style: 7 Love the audiobook. Excellent performance. The phone voice for Hannah’s mother was a nice touch. I enjoy the audiobook more when I speed it up to 1.5. ›Plot: 4 The beginning was boring, but the middle was the best part. I felt bored at times and I didn’t enjoy the pacing. The time jump was a little weird. The ending felt a little muddled and rushed. ›Intrigue: 8 Definitely wanted to know who killed April. ›Logic: 9 Some weird plot baiting/plot holes. ›Enjoyment: 6 It was just okay for me. Average 6.4
Content Warnings: self-harm, misogyny, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, gun violence, murder, emotional abuse, death, classism, pedophilia, sexual content, mental illness, death of a parent, panic attacks, alcohol, pregnancy, addiction, homophobia
Review
You’re Invited is a suspenseful story about culture, class, wealth, secrets, lies and manipulation. The danger builds gradually and the reader knows information that Amaya does not know. She’s unexpectedly invited to her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend’s wedding (and for some reason spends a lot of money to attend) and decides she must stop the wedding. Amaya’s ex-best friend, Kaavi goes missing and everyone suspects Amaya. There’s lots of drama as we discover more about the other guests and their intentions.
“No one seems to understand that real loss never eases; we just become more adept at carrying a weight that settles deeper in our chests, smiling through it, pretending like we are totally fine whenever someone mentions them.”
›Characters: 5 Amaya is selfish, however, I think she’s suffering from anxiety, OCD, and maybe other mental health afflictions. I don’t understand her goals or motivations. The characters are ruthless. ›Atmosphere: 4 I loved the setting and descriptions of Sri Lanka, but I didn’t feel the appropriate emotions and didn’t enjoy the mood. ›Writing Style: 6 I don’t like the mental health struggle unreliable narrator trope and the writing is repetitive. I love the back and forth, flipping timelines and hearing the interviews. I’m listening on Audible. I loved reading about Sri Lankan culture and traditions. ›Plot: 4 It took me a minute to get into this one. I didn’t enjoy the pacing. It was slow-moving and I felt bored. ›Intrigue: 2 I finished it because it was a book club book. ›Logic: 5 Some confusion, plot holes, and elements that didn’t make sense. ›Enjoyment: 4 It was just okay for me. Average 4.3
Suggested Reader Age: R (Restricted) Contains profanity, violence, drug use, or nudity.
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery
Pages: 304
Content Warnings: toxic relationship, blood, gore, violence, death, murder, body horror, torture, emotional abuse, sexual content, drug use, cannibalism, confinement, physical abuse, self-harm, animal death, chronic illness, classism, addiction, alcohol, drug abuse, incest
Review
Marion lives in the slums. When she sees an ad in the paper looking for bloodmaids she decides to leave the only life she knows for a better life of wealth. Her closest friend Agnes doesn’t want Marion to take the train north to be a bloodmaid, but Marion is tempted by the money she could make. Countess Lisavet hasn’t left her house in seven years. She has a chronic illness and requires blood from four bloodmaids a day to stay alive.
House of Hunger is about sacrifice, sex, and secrets. It’s about the value of freedom, the danger of greed, and the hunger for blood. It’s about sex, belonging, truth, trust, love, and power. In a way, this reminds me of The Last Unicorn. King Haggard kept the unicorns captive, claiming they keep him young. It also reminded me of The Shining by Stephen King.
“WANTED – Bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life’s finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply.“
10s across the board! Incredible characters, setting, description, world-building, atmosphere, writing, plot, and intrigue. I didn’t want to put it down.
Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
After enjoying The Other People I jumped at the chance for an arc of The Drift by C.J. Tudor. Thanks to Shiver by Allie Reynolds, I’ve already learned survival in a winter storm is right up my alley. That reminds me, I haven’t read her new book The Swell yet.
“This is a masterpiece of its kind.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“The wildest thriller of the year is three thrillers in one. Buckle up.” —Linwood Barclay
“A truly terrifying, ice-cold chillder. Tudor should be on everyone’s must-read list.” —Chris Whitaker
About The Book 📚
Title: The Drift
Author: C.J. Tudor
Publication Date: January 19, 2023
Publisher: Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House Canada
Suggested Reader Age: 17+ Contains profanity, violence, drug use, or nudity.
I’m trying to get better at providing content warnings to give people a clear idea of what to expect so they can decide if they are in the right head space to read this story and to also keep children safe. I believe every book should have a content rating at the front just like movies and tv shows.
About The Author
Author of The Burning Girls, The Other People, The Hiding Place, and The Chalk Man.
Lives in England with her partner and daughter
Grew up in Nottingham
While working as a Television Presenter she interviewed Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams
Favourite films: Ghostbusters and The Lost Boy
Fav authors are Stephen King, Michael Marshall and Harlan Coben.
My Review
› In an interview, Tudor said she came up with The Drift before covid which is kind of crazy considering what we’ve been living through the past three years. She likes locked-room mysteries and this story is a locked-room mystery to the extreme in the best way.
“The devil was an angel once.”
› Hannah is a medical student at The Academy, an isolated school in the mountains run by her father Professor Grant. The Academy sent them on the bus in a snowstorm to quickly get them to safety because there is an outbreak at the school. Their phones were confiscated before getting on the bus so the students couldn’t give anyone their location. There was an accident, the bus tipped over and is now stuck in a snow drift. Of the twelve students on the bus, five are dead. The doors are jammed, including the escape hatch. Hannah, Lucas, Josh, Ben, Cassie, Daniel, and his sister Peggy are stuck with minimal supplies and no way to call for help. Meg discovers one of the dead people was infected with the airborne virus that has destroyed the world. If they are rescued and The Department realizes the infection is among them then none of them will make it to The Retreat alive.
› Meg wakes up in a cable car hundreds of feet in the air with five other people. They have no idea how they got there. Sarah, Karl, Max, Sean, Mark and Meg are volunteers headed to The Retreat. Meg discovers a dead man, and although his lanyard id says his name is Mark Wilson, she knows his real name is Paul Parker because Meg used to work with him in Homicide.
› A previous unknown accident has left Carter with a cavity in the center of his face, lips dragged to one side, no nose, and parts of his face permanently scarred by frostbite. He and his dog Dexter are living in the four-level mountainside retreat with Caren, Nate, Miles, Julia, Jackson, and Welland. The basement is off-limits to everyone except Miles. Miles tells Carter that someone has been stealing supplies from the basement and Jackson is missing. They are having problems with the battery that supplies energy and the delay in the backup generator is getting worse. The automatic locks in the basement will open if the power fails.
› A quarter of the way into The Drift I was on the edge of my seat with many questions: – Where is the driver of the bus? – How are Hannah and the group going to get out? – Is Hannah’s father going to save her? – Why was Paul Parker wearing an id for Mark Wilson and who killed him? – Who drugged the group and left them in the cable car? – What happened to Carter’s face? – Who is stealing the supplies? – What’s in the basement? – Why did Jackson leave? – Do the groups know each other? – What is The Academy? What is The Department?
› The bus is stuck in a drift, the cable car is drifting in the air, and a storm is drifting towards the Retreat. Humanity and morality are drifting away as people do what they need to do to survive.
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 10 These characters are incredible. With such a large cast you’d think some of them would be flat or boring. Every single character is unique. The main characters have goals, strengths, flaws, external and internal conflicts, characteristics, and backstories.
›Atmosphere: 9 My only complaint about the atmosphere is that I wanted to know more about this world. I want to know more about The Department. I would read a prequel or sequel set in this world in a heartbeat.
›Writing Style: 10 Tudor is a master storyteller. This is high-quality writing with incredible readability, style and dialogue.
›Plot: 10 The beginning, middle, and end are intriguing. This is a page-turner with an incredible climax. There is no fluff, every scene is moving the plot forward. There are many twists I did not see coming.
›Intrigue: 10 I didn’t want to put it down.
›Logic: 10 I was never confused. I didn’t notice any plot holes or elements that didn’t make sense (that doesn’t mean there are none, I’m not an expert).
›Enjoyment: 10 Outstanding overall experience. I would read it again (and probably will).
› Final Thoughts • Told from three perspectives, The Drift is a terrifying and thrilling novel about the price of life, morality and doing what you have to do to survive. In the same interview that I mentioned earlier Tudor talks about her next book which is in the works set in Alaska with vampires. Yup. I’ll be pre-ordering that one!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Welcome to Smitten For Fiction! My name is Amanda and this blog is all about books. I mainly share spoiler-free book reviews and sometimes other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I will try to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.
I was excited to receive an arc for Begin Again after loving Tweet Cute, You Have A Match, and When You Get The Chance. I’ve given all of Emma Lord’s books four or five stars, so she’s earned a place on my list of favourite authors.
About The Book 📚
Title: Begin Again
Author: Emma Lord
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Suggested Reader Age: Teens
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 352
Content Warnings: death of parent, grief
About The Author
Author of Tweet Cute, You Have A Match, When You Get The Chance, and Begin Again
› Andie Rose believes in destiny. She uses corny cuss words, has everything planned and if you have a problem Andie will brainstorm a solution. After a lot of hard work, she’s finally attending her dream school, Blue Ridge State. And she even gets to surprise her boyfriend Connor because she managed to keep it all a secret. The only thing is, he surprised her by transferring to their local college. They decide to stay put for this semester and continue their long-distance relationship. Andie was raised by her grandmothers after her mom died and her dad was absent. Andie’s RA is a tall guy named Milo Flynn. Milo is addicted to coffee, super serious, and broken-hearted after his girlfriend left him for his brother. Andie’s new roommate is Shay Gibbins, a bibliophile who runs an Instagram with no idea what to claim as her major.
› Andie also wants to be a therapist. She plans to get a Psychology degree, then a Master’s in clinical psych. She also wants to get into one of the secret societies at Blue Ridge. She feels that it’s part of her destiny. Freshmen attend a ribbon event where they complete a task to earn a yellow, red, or blue ribbon. Each ribbon represents a different secret society. They can join the society at the end of the semester if they have enough ribbons. “The Knight’s Watch” is a radio show hosted by an anonymous student that shares updates about the school and ribbon events. Andie has been listening since she was a little girl. Andie’s mom was the original Knight – she’s the one who started it all.
› Andie is determined to join the same society that her mom was in, but she doesn’t know which one to choose because it was a secret, so she has to collect enough ribbons from all three societies. She’s dealing with grief, a determination to follow in her mother’s footsteps, intense emotions about her father wanting to reconnect, a long-distance relationship with Connor, struggling with college courses, and trying to help her friends with their problems. It’s too much for one person. However, it’s when things fall apart that we can begin again.
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 10 The main characters are well-developed with goals, motivation, strengths, flaws, external and internal conflict, backstory and characteristics making them unique. The side characters are interesting and diverse.
›Atmosphere: 10 I can picture every setting and felt appropriate emotions.
›Writing Style: 10 I love Lord’s writing style. It’s original and readable with authentic dialogue. It’s not repetitive.
›Plot: 10 I enjoyed the beginning, middle and end. This was a page-turner for me. I loved the pacing.
›Intrigue: 10 I didn’t want to put it down.
›Logic: 9 Who in their right mind transfers schools without telling their boyfriend? It’s out of character for Andie who’s had her life planned out for years.
› Final Thoughts • Begin Again is a heartfelt and charming story about grief, navigating relationships, resilience, and self-love that made me try a cheese bagel with strawberry cream cheese (it’s delicious BTW). If you liked A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings, The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston or Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali then I think you’ll love Begin Again. Highly recommend it to fans of contemporary RomComs!
Tweet Cute ★★★★★ You Have A Match ★★★★ When You Get The Chance ★★★★★
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Hello readers! I’m here with a book review for Haven by Emma Donoghue. I put this book on hold at the library after enjoying The Wonder. Haven is a short book, filled with that familiar Donoghue claustrophobic atmosphere.
This story is inspired by a real island called Skellig Michael. It was used as a location in Star Wars. Its first recorded history is from 490 AD when Duach King of west Munster took refuge on the island. A monastery was founded on Skellig Michael around 600 AD. Some of the stone huts still stand today.
All of my reviews are spoiler-free. My synopsis will usually only include information from the book’s first quarter.
About The Book 📚
Title: Haven
Author: Emma Donoghue
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Suggested Reader Age:
Genre: Historical Fiction, Ireland
Pages: 272 pages
Synopsis
“In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks—young Trian and old Cormac—he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?
Three men vow to leave the world behind them. They set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. What they find is the extraordinary island now known as Skellig Michael. Haven has Emma Donoghue’s trademark world-building and psychological intensity—but this story is like nothing she has ever written before.”
›Haven begins at a monastery. Trian has been training at the monastery for six years. He was given to the monastery by his parents when he was thirteen. Cormac lost his wife and three children to the plague. He has a head injury, and his people brought him to the monastery to save him. Artt is a stranger. He’s known as a sage, claims to have read every book, can do complicated mental math and knows the paths of the stars. After a vision of an island, he decides to set out on a pilgrimage with two people to find the island (because 3 is the most sacred number).
Artt, Trian, and Cormac leave on a boat that is only the length of two men and take only absolute necessities. Artt believes they don’t need to steer the boat and says God will guide them to the island.
And so the three of them embark on a perilous journey to find the island. Will it be the haven they seek?
“Our faith stands like an island,’ he proclaims, ‘lashed by a sea of doubt.”
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 6
›Atmosphere: 7
›Writing Style: 8
›Plot: 7
›Intrigue: 10 Theme of 3 (and multiples of 3): ~ 30 monks ~ half a dozen strangers ~ three-day-old bread ~ 3 people for the pilgrimmage ~ Cormac had 3 children Trian has had 6 years of training ~ 9 evils: pride, vanity, anger, envy, avarice, lust, gluttony, apathy (greed), sadness
› Final Thoughts • Haven is a bleak, raw, rugged story about friendship, survival, faith, nature, depression, and fear. Some readers may find this boring, as there isn’t much plot. If you like a story that will make you wonder, then this might be for you. It reminded me of The Lure of the Labrador Wild.
Happy Friday book lovers! Amanda here, with a book review for The Stand by Stephen King. I read it in August as part of my journey of reading King’s work in chronological order. At 471,485 words it’s the longest book I’ve ever finished (started War and Peace a couple of times but have never finished it). To put that into perspective, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King COMBINED have 550,147 words.
All of my reviews are spoiler-free. My synopsis will usually only include information from the first quarter of the book.
“A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge–Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious Dark Man, who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them–and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity. Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting and eerily plausible as when it was first published.”
›My edition of The Stand included a two-part preface. In part two King wrote, “I am republishing The Stand as it was originally written not to serve myself or any individual reader, but to serve a body of readers who have asked to have it” (referring to the four hundred pages that were cut in the original publication due to production costs). In a 1990 interview, King said it was 520 pages cut.
› This edition of The Stand takes place in 1990 (there are other versions that take place in 1980 and 1985) and the story takes us on a journey through many states in the U.S. The story begins with Charlie coming home from work in a panic, telling his wife to grab their baby and pack everything up because they have to leave immediately.
“By dawn they were running east across Nevada and Charlie was coughing steadily.”
› Chapter One First Line “Hapscomb’s Texaco sat on Number 93 just north of Arnette, a pissant four-street burg about 110 miles from Houston.
› Bill Hapscomb owns a Texaco outside Arnette, 110 miles from Houston, Texas. His buddies Stu, Norm, Tommy, Hank, and Vic often hang out at his establishment drinking beers. On June 16, 1990, Bill and his friends witness a man crashing his car. They find the man’s wife and child dead in the car and call an ambulance. They don’t know it yet, but by helping the man out of his car they have now exposed themselves to a deadly superflu with 99.4% excess mortality engineered by the US government called Captain Trips. The man in the car is named Charlie.
› Stuart Redman is one of the main characters. He’s the strong, silent type, and served in Vietnam. He has a very sad background and I quickly found myself rooting for him. The army brings Stu, and his buddies via plane to the Stovington Plague Center. Dr. Denninger (Who Stu calls Dr. Dick) tells them the virus is spreading quickly.
› Starkey works for Project Blue in California. Major Len Creighton later tells us that they have quarantined Arnette, Texas and that all of the people who first came into contact with Charlie are sick except for Stu.
› “It’s out of control now. It’s popped up in Oregon, Nebraska, Louisiana, Florida. Tentative cases in Mexico and Chile. When we lost Atlanta, we lost the three men best equipped to deal with the problem. We’re getting exactly nowhere with Mr. Stuart ‘Prince’ Redman.”
› Frannie Goldsmith lives in Ogunquit, Maine. Her brother was killed by a drunk driver when he was thirteen and she was four. She’s pregnant and doesn’t want to stay with the father. She’s forced to team up with her best friend’s younger brother, Harold, after everyone she knows dies from Captain Trips. They make a plan to go to the StovingtonPlague Center.
› Larry Underwood is a musician on the verge of becoming a famous rockstar when Captain Trips forces him to get clean. While travelling towards the ocean he meets Nadine Cross and Leo Rockway. Nadine was a school teacher before Captain Trips and she found Leo on her travels. Very little is known about Leo. He’s eleven years old when Captain Trips kills his parents and three siblings. He’s in a horrible state when Nadine finds him. She and Larry try to help the boy let go of his violent tendencies. They decide to make their way to the Stovington Plague Center.
› Nick Andros is a deaf non-speaking boy born in Nebraska. As a child, he lost both parents and he’s now a twenty-two-year-old living on his own in Arkansas, working odd jobs to get by. Most of the small town is wiped out by Captain Trips, so Nick leaves and ends up meeting Tom Cullen in Oklahoma.
› Tom M-O-O-N is intellectually disabled. He may only have the education of a third-grader, but he has the heart of a lion. He’s a loyal and generous friend. He has lapses where his face goes limp and his mind is able to make connections he wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Nick and Tom sometimes have trouble communicating as Tom isn’t a good reader, however, he is able to read Nick’s lips.
› Glen Bateman was a Sociology professor before Captain Trips. He’s talkative, and intelligent, and adopts one of the only dogs left. He’s the first person Stu meets after leaving the Stovington Plague Center.
› Mother Abigail becomes the leader of the “good” people left after Captain Trips has killed 99% of the population. She uses dreams to reach out to Stu, Frannie, Nick, Tom, and Glen. They see images of her in a house near a cornfield. They also have dreams about a man with no face. Some see him wearing jeans and a denim jacket, and others see him in a black suit.
› Lloyd Henreid and Andrew “Poke” Freeman are fugitives on the run after killing six people. After an altercation, Lloyd ends up back in prison. Captain Trips kills everyone except him and he’s left in the cell starving. Randall Flag comes to let him out, offering Lloyd a deal to be Flag’s, right-hand man.
› Randall Flag is the most important villain in Stephen King’s universe. He appears in many King novels such as The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Mist, Carrie, The Long Walk, From a Buick 8, the Dark Tower series, and Gwendy’s Button Box. He is called many names and has supernatural abilities. He uses dreams to recruit people to join his evil army. Lonely, lost people like Don Elbert, AKA Trashcan Man who embarks on a quest across the country blowing up enormous gas tanks.
› The survivors of Captain Trips must choose a side before they make The Stand.
“The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there…and still on your feet.”
Original Cover of The Stand
Other King book aspects mentioned in The Stand: – “something dark in the corn” (Children of the Corn) – “the man with no face” – “the shining” – Mother Abigail lives in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, the same place where Ben from It lives – Stovington, Vermont is the same place where Jack and his family live before they take over The Overlook Hotel in The Shining
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 10 There are so many great characters. I love Tom Cullen and Nick.
›Atmosphere: 10
›Writing Style: 10
›Plot: 8 Page 455 gave me goosebumps. The beginning and end were excellent, but the middle was a slog. The end will leave you with questions, but I’m okay with that. It’s one of the things I love about King’s books. I personally feel like we don’t get an ending tied up with a neat bow because IT’S NOT OVER. This story, like most of his work, is tied to his multiverse, so we don’t have an ending yet.
› Final Thoughts • The Stand is about good versus evil and the temptation of power. It’s about innocence and guilt, generosity and greed. It’s about human nature, psychology, desperation and perseverance. Definitely inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, I think epic fantasy readers would enjoy this tome. One of the best books I read in 2022.
Hey book lovers! I’ve been putting off this review for a long time because I really didn’t like this book, however, I am going to try and leave you with some final thoughts that will help find the right reader for this story. I read The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager for The Literally Dead Book Club. You can find the club on Goodreads or Instagram and Kayla also talks about it on her Youtube channel called Books and Lala.
About The Book 📚
Title: The House Across the Lake
Author: Riley Sager (pen name for Todd Ritter/Alan Finn)
Publication Date: June 2022
Publisher: Dutton
Suggested Reader Age: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Pages: 349
“The lake is darker than a coffin with the lid shut.”
My Review
› “By mid-October it feels like the darkness of the lake has flooded the shore and seeped into the houses themselves, dimming their light. This is especially true of the house directly across the lake.”
The House Across the Lake is a mysterious and suspenseful thriller set on a secluded lake in Vermont. Casey is an actor and a thirty-five-year-old widow. Her husband recently drowned and she’s not dealing with it well. After a public meltdown, her family suggests she should stay at the family’s lakehouse to avoid the paparazzi. The house was built by her great-great-grandfather and the lake only has 4 other houses. Casey’s alcoholism is quickly getting out of control. One day, she sees a woman fall out of a boat and Casey saves Katherine from drowning. Katherine recently quit her modelling job and her husband is the CEO of a social media company. Casey and Katherine become fast friends. Then, Katherine goes missing. Tom is suspected also to be missing, yet Casey is convinced he murdered his wife.
The story is told in dual-timeline, “before” and “now”. In the “now” chapters Casey has someone tied up on the bed. We don’t know who she has tied up, but she’s convinced they know where Katherine is.
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 2 Boon Conrad…..meow! He’s really the only character that I liked. None of the women are written as smart, capable people.
›Atmosphere: 4 I liked the setting and atmosphere.
›Writing Style: 1 The author is telling the reader things that are obvious, not letting us think. I don’t like the info dumping either. I do like the dual timeline. I’m tired of alcoholism being used as a plot device. The repetition drove me crazy. The young women were “taken in their prime”?! UGH. How are women “past our prime”? I found the “before” chapters really boring. This story is a mess.
›Plot: 2 I felt bored for the first third of the book. The ending was a cheap cop-out.
›Intrigue: 3
›Logic: 2 It’s strange that Casey saved Katherine from drowning then minutes later they’re just chatting like it’s Sunday afternoon tea time. When Casey tells Marnie about it, it’s just mentioned in passing and they move on as if this is something that happens every day. When Eli finds their boat abandoned in the lake with the fishing gear, he didn’t think to maybe look around for Tom? Also, there is NO WAY a detective would show an ex-cop and a civilian that kind of information about an active investigation. It was mentioned Katherine was making more money than what is reported, but then never explained. The Royce’s don’t have a house alarm on a fancy lake house? Strange character choices and missing time.
› Final Thoughts • Although The House Across the Lake isn’t for me, and I’m done reading Sager’s books, there are people who loved this in our online book club. This is a good choice for a book club because it will inspire lots of discussion. I recommend this to people looking for a quick read set in a cool location with an isolated atmosphere and is okay with a ridiculous ending.
Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan. My reviews are usually spoiler-free, but this is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time series, so if you haven’t read the first five books then there will be SPOILERS! I first read the first 9 or 10 books of this series twenty years ago and currently doing a re-read. This post is LONG. I love deep-diving into The Wheel of Time universe. Get your favourite drink, maybe a snack, and let’s dive in…
“The first part of the Great Lord’s message was simple. ‘Let the Lord of Chaos rule.’ His words, exact.” The corners of his mouth twitched, as close to a smile as Mesaana had ever seen from him. Then he told them the rest.
~ Demandred to Graendel, Semirhage and Mesaana
About The Book 📚
Title: Lord of Chaos
Author: Robert Jordan
Publication Date: 2012 (first published 1994)
Publisher: Tor Books
Suggested Reader Age: 14+ (some intense and violent scenes)
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy
Pages: 960
The Wheel of Time, 4.4 million words, 11,898 pages.
Synopsis
“In Lord of Chaos, the sixth novel in Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time(R), Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, builds his army of Light even as sworn enemies–and supposed allies–move against him.
Now ruling Tear, Andor, and Caemlyn, among other nations, Rand is recruiting all men capable of channeling to be trained as his Asha’man soldiers. The warrior Aiel clans have pledged loyalty to Rand, acknowledging him as their chief of chiefs, even though the Shaido Aiel remain a threat.
Split into two factions, the Aes Sedai of the White Tower and their rebel counterparts both seek to ally themselves with the Dragon Reborn. Rand knows all too well the manipulative nature of the Aes Sedai, no matter which side of their internal war they stand upon. But even he cannot predict just how desperate, cruel, and treacherous they can be.
And in the shadows, the Forsaken and the Dark One are conjuring even more chaos…”
›Lord of Chaos is my favourite book of the series so far. It has incredible character development, an intriguing plot, fascinating magical objects, and a brutal battle. I wanted to take this opportunity to learn more about The Wheel of Time timeline to try to make sense of a few things.
There are seven Ages which repeat. We don’t know how many turnings of the wheel there have been, nor do we know what happened during the First Age of this current turning. We do know that the portal stones were built.
Second Age (The Age of Legends): 400 years before the Breaking: Lews Therin Telamon is born 110 years before the Breaking: Aes Sedai researching the power accidentally puts a hole into the Dark One’s prison and his evil starts to influence society. Over the next 100 years, fear grows, the Dark One’s power grows, and some swear allegiance to him becoming dark friends. Some Aes Sedai join him and they become the first Forsaken.
7-10 years before the Breaking: The War of the Shadow is happening. Most technology is lost.
3-7 years before the Breaking: Lews is given the label The Dragon.
1-3 years before the Breaking: The seven seals are made. Lews uses these to imprison the Dark One and the 13 Forsaken, but the Dark One taints the male side of the power Saidin, which makes men lose control of their minds if they use the power.
The Breaking of the World: Chaos ensues. Lews dies by suicide and Dragonmount is formed. An Aes Sedai named Deindre has a vision that the Dragon will be reborn to fight the Dark One. The Breaking lasts hundreds of years. Ogier and humans almost go extinct. The land changes and some parts sink into the seas. The Breaking ends when the last male channeler is killed/gentled.
The Third Age is split into three periods: After Breaking, Free Years, and the New Era. After Breaking 0-1350 years: Some people go to sea and become Sea Folk. Aiel clans are created, and some become the Tinkers. The Aiel cross the Spine of the World and build the city Rhuidean. Powerful kingdoms are founded. Tar Valon is chosen to be the location to reunite the Aes Sedai. Ishmael awakes, creates the Black Ajah, starts the Trolloc Wars, then fades back into prison. Shadar Logoth is created during the Trolloc Wars. 1200 AB – Manetheren is destroyed. 1350AB Trolloc Wars end.
Free Years 1-1135: 29 Kingdoms exist, false Dragons come and go, the White Tower’s power grows, battles are fought between kingdoms, and many try to translate the prophecies. Artur Hawkwing has many gains and losses. 994 FY The War of a Hundred Years begins. 1021FY: The Children of the Light is founded. 1117 FY: The War of a Hundred Years ends 24 kingdoms left
The New Era: The Great Blight is still expanding, ruining steddings. Amyrlin Seat, Kings and Queens come and go. The Children of the Light are powerful. Steddings start to be repopulated. 526 NE: the last Aes Sedai dreamer dies. 908 Loail is born 953 Lan is born 956 Moiraine is born 958 Siuan is born 972 Logain and Mazrim are born. Moiraine and Siuan become novices at the White Tower (arrived on the same day) 973 Nynaeve is born 975 Min is born 978 Rand, Mat, and Perrin are born 979 Moiraine meets Lan. Gawyn is born. 980 Aviendha is born 981 Egwene and Elayne are born 984 Thom kills Taringail 989 Min begins to see visions of the future 997 Logain names himself Dragon Reborn 998 The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt 999 The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos
“The lions sing and the hills take flight. The moon by day, and the sun by night. Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool. Let the Lord of Chaos rule.” – chant from a children’s game heard in Great Arvalon, the Fourth Age
This chant is from the Age following the one we are currently reading about in The Wheel of Time.
The 79-page prologue begins with Demandred in Shayol Ghul.
“Demandred stepped out onto the black slopes of Shayol Ghul, and the gateway, a hole in reality’s fabric, winked out of existence. Above, roiling gray clouds hid the sky, an inverted sea of sluggish ashen waves crashing around the mountain’s hidden peak. Below, odd lights flashed across the barren valley, washed-out blues and reds, failing to dispel the dusky murk that shrouded their source. Lightning streaked up at the clouds, and slow thunder rolled. Across the slope steam and smoke rose from scattered vents, some holes as small as a man’s hand and some large enough to swallow ten men.”
Demandred tells the Dark One that Rahvin was killed yesterday and Lanfear and Asmodean have vanished. The Dark One asks Demandred to be Nae’blis, second in command.
“What can’t be changed must be endured.”
Nynaeve, Leane and Siun are in Salidar and have Moghedien captured. Nynaeve thinks she can heal Siuan and Leane returning the ability to use the One Power. There are rumours that Rand killed Morgase. Elayne wants to go to Caemlyn to seek the truth and is determined to become Queen and be reunited with Rand. Only Nynaeve knows that Elayne bonded Birgitte as her warder. They send Min to Rand to help him.
Perrin tells Faile he feels like he must go to Rand. (I’m still not on board with their marriage.)
“Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather.”
There’s a heatwave. Lord of Chaos dials up the pace and danger of the series, just as the weather in the book is heating up. The characters are feeling the heat, pressure and chaos build.
Pedron Niall is trying to make deals with Morgase.
Gawyn wants to revenge his mother’s death.
Sevanna is given a magical cube that will help capture Rand.
Rand is in Caemlyn. He still doesn’t trust the Aes Sedai, but he is willing to use the rebel Aes Sedai group that split from the White Tower. Mazrim Taim shows up claiming he will serve Rand. Rand brings him to his farm where he’s training a group of men who can channel. He asks Taim to test them all and help train them for war. The voice in his head, Lews Therin, disagrees with almost every decision Rand makes. Rand is waiting for Mat to give the signal to attack Sammael’s army.
The Forsaken would be unbeatable if they would simply trust each other and work together, yet their hunger for power and immortality clouds their vision. Graendel is disguising herself as Lady Basene. The Dark One has offered more than one Forsaken to be second in command if they help him with his plan. We don’t know what his plan really is, and we don’t know if any of the Forsaken are actually working with the Dark One or if they are working with other Forsaken, or if they are all just out to win it for themselves.
Some of the speaking characters in this book: Demandred: previously known as Barid Bel Medar. He is arrogant, petty, and jealous of Lews Therin.
Shaidar Haran: taller than a regular Myrddraal, it carries out direct orders from the Dark One. There’s something different about this Myrddraal.
Nynaeve: One of the most powerful living female channelers
Leane: stilled, Aes Sedai green Ajah (was originally blue)
Siuan: stilled, Aes Sedai blue Ajah, formerly Amyrlin Seat
Marigan/Moghedien: one of the Forsaken, the Spider. Formerly known as Lillen
Elayne: daughter heir of Andor. In love with Rand. Made an a’dam to leash Moghedien.
Birgitte: legendary hero, warder to Elayne
Min: can see auras and visions, also in love with Rand
Faile: former Hunter of the Horn, now married to Perrin
Perrin: AKA Goldeneyes, AKA Young Bull, wolfbrother, can manipulate Tel’aran’rhiod, married to Faile, Lord of Two Rivers
Gawyn: Elayne’s brother, Galad’s half-brother, Elaida supporter, training a group called the Younglings
Elaida: former advisor to Queen Morgase, took Amyrlin Seat from Siuan
Jisao: one of Gawyn’s Younglings
Katerine Alruddin: Black Ajah
Sevanna: Shaido Wise One, agrees to help White Tower capture Rand
Morgase: Queen of Andor, escaped Rahvin’s control, fleeing Andor, believed to be dead
Lini: nurse to Elayne and Morgase, has a saying for almost every situation
Pedron Niall: Commander of the Children of the Light
Mesaana: previously known as Saine, Forsaken, disguised as someone in the White Tower
Semirhage: previously known as Nemene, Forsaken
Graendal: previously known as Kamarile, Forsaken
Osan’gar: previously known as Aginor/Ishar (one of the 13 Forsaken trapped at Shayol Ghul). He created the lifeforms known as Shadowspawn. Second in strength to Ishamael.
Aran’gar:reincarnation of Balthamel, Forsaken
Rand: the Dragon Reborn, reincarnation of Lews Therin
Bashere: one of Rand’s most-trusted advisors, Faile’s father
Mazrim Taim: a false Dragon
Aviendha: in love with Rand, training to be a Wise One
Mat: reluctantly accepts what he needs to do, one of Rand’s closest allies, enjoys gambling, drinking, and women
Sammael: Forsaken
“Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt.”
Who is the Lord of Chaos? There is some debate about this. The Dark One says “let the Lord of Chaos rule”, which some readers have said he was talking about himself, but I always felt like he was talking about Rand. Rand is creating chaos, and that’s exactly what the Dark One wants. Other people are paying the price for Rand’s decisions. The Dark One wants to divide the White Tower from Rand – divide and conquer.
However, immediately following the scene where Demandred says the Dark One’s message is “let the Lord of Chaos rule” there is a scene told from Osan’gar’s perspective. Could he be the Lord of Chaos?
In another scene, Graendal says “she would sow chaos till the harvest made Demandred’s lungs explode.” Is Graendal the Lord of Chaos?
In another scene, after Demandred spies Elayne in the dreamer world watching Rand and says, “‘Let the Lord of Chaos rule,’ he told the thrones – though he still wished he knew why it had to be so – and opened a gateway to leave Tel’aran’rhiod.” What did he mean by this? Why does he wish the Lord of Chaos didn’t need to rule?
What do you think?
› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books. 0-3 Really bad 4-6 Mediocre 7-9 Really good 10 Outstanding
›Characters: 10 Nynaeve is one of my favourite characters. She’s the most important channeller in my opinion. And of course, I’m a Perrin stan! Always and forever. I’m feeling frustrated that some characters aren’t talked about at all in some books.
›Atmosphere: 10
›Writing Style: 9.5 Third-person limited perspective. I dislike the amount of re-cap. I realize Jordan did this because there was time in between each book as it was published, but it just feels like way more re-cap than what is necessary.
›Plot: 10
›Intrigue: 10
›Logic: 9 I don’t like Elayne, Min, and Aviendha making this agreement that they will all love Rand, but NO ONE TALKS to Rand about this! Super weird. Why didn’t they tell anyone they had Moghedien. She’s a Forsaken! That felt like a strange choice.
›Enjoyment: 10
Average 9.8
My Rating ★★★★★
Where does this rank in the series for me? The Eye of the World 9.7 The Great Hunt 9.3 The Dragon Reborn 6.7 The Shadow Rising 9.3 The First of Heaven 7.4 Lord of Chaos 9.8
› Final Thoughts • The Lord of Chaos is my favourite book of the series so far. A close second behind The Eye of the World. I can’t wait to see the TV adapt the Dumai’s Wells battle. It’s going to be epic.
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