The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 198

The Great Book of King Arthur: and His Knights of the Round Table by John Matthews

Goodreads Blurb: The world’s leading Arthurian authority reimagines one of the most beloved and influential legends—the story of King Arthur and his Knights—for a new century in this gorgeous keepsake edition, illustrated with luminous full-color paintings and drawings by internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe. The stories of King Arthur and Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan and the rest of the Knights of the Roundtable, and the search for the Holy Grail have been beloved for centuries and are the inspiration of many modern fantasy novels, films, and shows. These legends began when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur stepped on to the stage of history sometime in the sixth century, generating a host of oral tales that would be inscribed some 900 years later by Thomas Malory in his classic Morte D’Arthur ( The Death of Arthur ). The Great Book of King Arthur brings these legends into the modern age, using accessible prose for contemporary readers for the first time. In addition to the stories in Morte D’Arthur, John Matthews includes many tales of Arthur and his knights either unknown to Malory or written in other languages, such as the story of Avenable, the girl brought up as a boy who becomes a famous knight; Morien, whose adventures are as fantastic and exciting as any found in Malory’s work; and a retelling of the life of Round Table favorite Gawain, from his strange birth to his upbringing among the poor to his ascension to the highest position—Emperor of Rome. In addition, there are some of the earliest tales of Arthur, deriving from the tradition of Celtic storytelling. The epic hero is represented in such powerful stories as “The Adventures of Eagle-boy” and “The Coming of Merlin,” which is based on the early medieval text Vita Merlini and tells a completely new version of the great enchanter’s story. The Great Book of King Arthur includes 15 full-color paintings and 25 pencil drawings.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: This is a very well written, very well researched book that strives to shed light on stories of King Arthur often forgotten by history. It also tries to rehabilitate Sir Gawain – it did not succeed for me, I ended up wishing someone would stab him through his perfect face. Also not a book for Sir Kay lovers – hint for the future I should not be cringing in dread everytime I hear my favourite character’s name.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 197

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Goodreads Blurb: At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: The ending, oh my god the ending. It is just so perfect.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 196

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

Goodreads Blurb: What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?

Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilisation rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: A well done mystery with a fascinating and heartbreaking premise.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 195

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Goodreads Blurb: The future of storytelling is here.

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she’s suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister’s wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she’s not sure what comes next.

In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life – she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others. A science fiction drama about androids and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes.

What follows is a tale of love and loss, fame and infamy, of extraordinary events in one world, and another. And as Zelu’s life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: This was an amazing tale of the deep moving forces of culture, family, and love spanning even into the world of robots. Plus the profound communication between an author and her characters – and that twist at the end, my God, you don’t see it coming. Either that or I’ve completely misunderstood the ending. Whatever the case, would recommend.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 194

Gryphon Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Goodreads Blurb: Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End, to say nothing of the tourists and travelers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure–or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can.

Cliff’s End is rocked by the death of Lord Albin. As soon as the funeral ends, Albin’s son Blayk takes over and starts instituting wholesale changes in how the Cliff’s End Castle Guard is run: enforced retirements of older guards (including Captain Osric), surprise promotions (including Grovis to replace Osric as Captain of the Guard), sword requalifications for all guards, and much more.

Worse, Blayk has split up Lieutenants Torin ban Wyvald and Danthres Tresyllione and given them new partners. Lieutenant Dru, still devastated by the loss of Lieutenant Hawk, also has a new partner. All three detectives catch separate cases, but the more they investigate, the more they realize that all three are related–and connected to a conspiracy that targets the King and Queen themselves!

An all-new adventure of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard!

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: A fun and thrilling romp through the world of political conspiracy. My favourite one of these books yet 📚

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 193

Goblin Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Goodreads Blurb: Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End, to say nothing of the tourists and travellers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure–or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can.

A new drug called Bliss is sweeping across the slums of Goblin Precinct. It makes people feel better–but if they take too much, they overdose and die. It doesn’t truly become a concern for the Castle Guard until one of the overdoses turns out to be a former elf lord who is wanted for war crimes.

The Captain of the Guard must put his best detectives, the half-elf Danthres Tresyllione and the ex-soldier Torin ban Wyvald, on the case to find out what happened to the elf. But when the magickal examiner discovers the truth behind Bliss, it becomes a firestorm of controversy that brings the Brotherhood of Wizards into the case–and that never ends well…

An all-new adventure of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard!

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: And the endings of this fascinating fantasy just continue to top each other 😎

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 192

Unicorn Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Goodreads Blurb: Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End, to say nothing of the tourists and travellers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure-or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can.

Arra Cynnis is the youngest child in one of the most powerful families in the wealthy district of Unicorn Precinct. When she’s found murdered, with the culprit’s identity hidden from the magickal examiner’s spells, the Captain of the Guard sends his best investigators. Ex-soldier Torin ban Wyvald and half-elf Danthres Tresyllione have two viable suspects: Arra’s fianc, who is the cousin of another member of the Castle Guard, or the unknown person with whom Arra was having a torrid affair.

Torin and Danthres must navigate the difficult political waters of Cliff’s End’s upper classes in an attempt to determine the girl’s killer. Complicating the case is the unexpected appearance of Torin’s estranged father, who has come to return the detective to his far-off homeland of Myverin, and he won’t take no for an answer . . . .

An all-new adventure of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard!

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: I just flew through this one – desperate to see who did it, who killed her, – and I have to say, I never saw it coming. Normally I’d be embarrassed about something like that, but with this book I was having too much fun to care that I was being slow 🙂

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 191

Dragon Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Goodreads Blurb: Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End, to say nothing of the tourists and travellers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure–or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff’s End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can.

Gan Brightblade is one of the world’s greatest heroes and a personal friend of the Lord and Lady of Cliff’s End. So when he’s brutally murdered in grubby lodgings in Dragon Precinct, on the eve of a great quest, the Captain of the Guard puts his two best investigators on the case. The half-elf Danthres Tresyllione and ex-soldier Torin ban Wyvald soon discover that the crime scene is empty of any forensic evidence–physical or magickal. They have no clues, and heat is on.

The Lord and Lady want their friend’s murder solved–now. The populace is mourning the loss of a great hero. The ever-unhelpful Brotherhood of Wizards could take over the case at any minute. And then another member of Brightblade’s party turns up dead….

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: I think I’m really starting to like police procedurals – but if there’s one genre I absolutely love, it’s fantasy. Especially swords and dragons kind of stuff. So when I stumbled on a book that mixed the two it was like striking gold. And I did, I really did.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 190

William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher

Goodreads Blurb: Hot on the heels of the New York Times best seller William Shakespeare’s Star Wars comes the next two installments of the original trilogy: William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back and William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return. Return to the star-crossed galaxy far, far away as the brooding young hero, a power-mad emperor, and their jesting droids match wits, struggle for power, and soliloquize in elegant and impeccable iambic pentameter. Illustrated with beautiful black-and-white Elizabethan-style artwork, these two plays offer essential reading for all ages. Something Wookiee this way comes!

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: This has to be my favourite of the original trilogy – both in Shakespeare and otherwise 💜💜

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 189

Theogony by Hesiod

Goodreads Blurb: This translation contains an introduction, commentary and interpretive essay and well as numerous notes and annotations to provide the history and background of the epic, and the mythological context in which it is placed. Hesiod’s straightforward account of family conflict among the gods is the best and earliest evidence of what the ancient Greeks believed about the beginning of the world. Includes Hesiod’s “Works and Days”, lines 1-201, and material from the Library of Apollodorus.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: Wow, no one does a twisted family tree like the Gods of Olympus. Although looking back that should have been kind of obvious 😁

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