Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen

GENRE

YA Historical Fiction / Arthurian Legend (349 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

Newly crowned King Arthur rules the kingdom... but not the people's hearts. Unless he proves his worth, his power will always be in question. Too many want him dead, and treachery is everywhere.

So the wizard Merlinnus secretly creates a test for Arthur...

A sword in a stone is discovered--a stone that bears a legend promising that whosoever draws out the sword will rule England. If all goes as planned, King Arthur will draw the blade from the stone (with the help of magic from Merlinnus, of course), and the people will at last rally around the young king.

Except someone pulls the sword out first...

MY REVIEW

Yet another retelling of the Arthurian legend? Sign me up! I found this title when I was perusing through my ordering options on PaperBackSwap.com.

I cannot even begin to tell you how glad I am that I ordered this book, and how glad I am that Jane Yolen shared this incredible story! So far, out of all Arthurian re-interpretations, this is one of the best interpretations of Arthurian legend I have read. Yes, it was that good.

Two things really stood out to me as I made my way through this story... characters and plot.

Don't expect the traditional Arthurian characters in this book. Ms. Yolen gave them such fresh traits and stories, it was remarkable! It was so refreshing. The best thing about that was that the characters didn't hurt the story of Arthur in any way... in fact, they enhanced it, and made it even more of a joy to read.

The dialogue between the characters really kept the story moving, and lent so much more dimension to these familiar faces. Each character has their own voice, their own motives.

OMG the plot. I want to tell you about it so bad, but I don't want to ruin it! I can only say that it's not Arthur who pulls the sword out of the stone. And that one of the characters isn't who you think they are... But even so, the plot was excellent. It kept me on my toes throughout the entire novel. After a while of reading, you just have to learn to let go of your pre-conceived expectations, and relish in this new retelling.

Ms. Yolen did such an excellent job of telling this story, I cannot even stress that enough! There are so many twists and turns, it's completely unexpected! But still wonderful at the same time. She's made me fall in love with Arthurian legend all over again, and for that, I have to thank her. This was just a fantastic story!

In the back of the books, there is a short Q&A with Jane Yolen. One of her answers I absolutely loved:

"I am an Arthurholic. If a story is about Camelot, I am there! Quite simply, I think it is the greatest story ever told, or more accurately, the greatest collection of stories ever told." (354)

I couldn't agree more!

MY RATING

4.5****/*

Book #7 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

GENRE

Adult Historical Fiction (310 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

The Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English Crown, the island of Jamaica hold out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, its capitol, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses.

In this steamy climate there's a living to be made, a living that can end swiftly by disease--or by dagger. For Captain Charles Hunter, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking, and the law of the land rests with those ruthless enough to make it.

Word in port is that the galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is awaiting repairs in a nearby harbor. Heavily fortified, the impregnable harbor is guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of the Spanish king himself. With backing from a powerful ally, Hunter assembles a crew of ruffians to infiltrate the Spanish outpost and commandeer El Trinidad, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloodiest tales of island legend, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he even sets foot on foreign shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry stand between him and the treasure...

MY REVIEW

If you know me and my pirates, then you know that as soon as I saw this book at my local library, it was in my hands and I was out the door.

I had heard of the author Michael Crichton before. (Who hasn't?) As the writer of the mega-blockbuster hit Jurassic Park and the creator of the hit TV show ER--one of the longest running primetime TV shows, if not the longest--I went into this book expecting quite a lot.

I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. I don't know how you could write an underwhelming book about pirates, but Mr. Crichton managed to do it somehow.

But I do have to be fair. Pirate Latitudes was published posthumously, after the complete manuscript was found in Crichton's files after his death in 2008. I think that if Crichton had more time with his manuscript, time to tweak it and make it really great, it would have been a much better book. But sometimes, fate has other plans.

Onto plot. As I was reading, I kept waiting and waiting for the real sense of "piratey" adventure to hit me, that wonderful feeling that I absolutely love about pirates... and it never did. All the action was just kind of... there. It didn't pull me in, get my blood pressure up the couple points I'm used to.

There was nothing special about the characters. Absolutely no character development to be seen whatsoever. In the end, Crichton provides what fate the characters met in history, and as I read the author's note, I kept thinking to myself, "I really don't even care what happened to these people." Crichton never built that strong character-reader connection.

Historical accuracy was okay. Nothing elaborate or special. Researched, but not well-researched. I actually think this would be a good book for a guy who's not so into reading and is kind of testing the waters of historical fiction. It's definitely a guy's book.

Overall, I think whoever found this manuscript should have left it alone. I just can't imagine the author of Jurassic Park and the creator of ER wrote this. Obviously, if the manuscript was fully completed, Crichton would have published it himself much earlier.

MY RATING

2.5**/*

Appropriateness Factors

I like to describe this book as an R-Rated version of Pirates of the Caribbean, just sans the adventure and cool characters. A few bedroom scenes, some graphic violence.

Book #6 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

GENRE

Historical Fiction / Fantasy / Sci-Fi (322 pgs.)


SYNOPSIS

Aboard the Vociferous Carmichael pupeteer John Chandagnac is sailing towards Jamaica to claim his stolen birthright from an unscrupulous uncle when the vessel is captured... by pirates! Offered a choice by Captain Phil Davies to join their seafaring band or die, Chandagnac assumes the name John Shandy and a new life as a brigand. But more than swash-buckling sea battles and fabulous plunder await the novice buccanneer on the roiling Caribbean waters--for treachery and powerful vodun sorcery are coins of the realm in this dark new world. And for the love of the beautiful, magically imperiled Beth Hurwood, Shandy will set sail on even stranger tides, following the savage, ghost-infested pirate king Blackbeard and a motley crew of the living and the dead to the cursed nightmare banks on the fabled Fountain of Youth.


MY REVIEW

When I found out that the newest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean had been inspired by a book, let's just say I was down at my local Border's before you could say "Bring me that horizon." It is easy to see why Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (screenwriters for Pirates) used this book as "inspiration." The story is filled with high seas adventure and paranormal magic, two ingredients that made the Pirates series so incredibly popular.

This book, to put it frankly, was brilliant fun. The story was original and fast-paced, the characters well-written, and the detail flawless. I even found that Powers' detail when describing the pirate ships had me reaching for my laptop, frantically Google searching words like "mizzen mast" and "gunwale." A little over-educated in the maritime department for me, but I got along just as well.

Onto the characters. Our protagonist, Jack Shandy, aptly fits the characteristics of a slightly more-piraty William Turner. Handsome, simple, and someone who eventually succumbs to the life of a pirate. His love for the damsel in distress, Beth Hurwood, literally drives him across oceans. I was rooting for him the entire novel. SO many things got in the way of his rescuing Beth, I was ready to pull my hair out. But finally, they find each other. I absolutely loved that part of the story.

Powers did a good job writing the character of our main villain, Mr. Hurwood, Beth's father. After the loss of his wife, Hurwood will not stop until he had evicted his own daughter's soul from her body and replaced it with the soul of his dead wife. Pure evil, right? I sure thought so.

It was brilliant how Powers used the concept of vodun magic to explain famous events in piratical history, such as the death of Blackbeard. Blackbeard only "allowed" the Navy to kill him so he could be reincarnated, as he had spilled blood at the Fountain of Youth. I found Power's abstract concept of this strange magic instilled a sense of "foreverness" among the Golden Age pirate stories... that they truly will never die, and that their spirit will live on forever.

The action going on in this story blew me away. The sea battles were uber intense! A little gory, but hey, what do you think happens when you shoot someone with a pistol? The sense of adventure was strong and true throughout the entire novel.

All in all, if you are a fan of anything pirate, you must read this book! Tim Powers did an excellent job of bringing archaic pirates to life. This novel is action-packed, full of romance and strange magic, which ended up being a recipe for success! This is the ultimate pirate novel. A perfect summer read!


MY REVIEW

4.5****/*

Book #3 in Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

GENRE

Y.A. Historical Fiction (329 pgs.)

SYNOPSIS

Sailing aboard her father's trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: Marry a man she doesn't love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long since believed dead, and an anceint stone that weilds a dangerous--and alluring--magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille's father's lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who--and what--matters most.

MY REVIEW

When I first picked up this book at Border's a week or so ago, I wasn't actually sure how this book would pan out for me. Sure, it was Y.A. Historical Fiction (one of my favorite genres), but the synopsis sounded kind of... well... weird. Just different.

But I made the decision to buy it anyway, and I'm so glad I did. Camille Rowen's tale of adventure on the high seas was really really exciting. The secenery in this book is brilliant. All of the marvelous locales in which this story takes place (San Fran, Australia, Hawaii) are really breathtaking. This book definitley takes you on your own mini vacation.

The characters were also written very well. Camille, despite her unfortuante circumstances, remains a strong heroine, who comes to realize that the only real path you can follow is the path your heart leads you on. Oscar remains undyingly by Camille's side, always there to protect her and defend her at all costs.

One character I really admired was Ira Beam. Camille and Oscar pick up this swindler with heart in Melbourne, AU, to be their guide in their travels across the continent. I loved this character because he reminded me of a certain someone... a certain Captain named Jack Sparrow. A quote, to prove my point:

'"Whiskey?" Camille cried as she stood on a wharf in Port Adelaide harbor. "You brought us onto a whiskey cargo ship?"

Ira spread out his arms. "And rum, love. Don't forget the rum."'

Coincidence or not? You decide.

The only thing that didn't strike a chord in me was the whole search for Umandu, the mystical stone of the immortals. For me, it really took a back seat throughout the book. When they actually finally reach the stone, the quest only took about 56 pages to retrieve it. Throughout the book, everyone warns of how so many people have died searching for it, but the quest itself seemed a bit anti-climactic. Just a bit. The 'magic' of the stone never really connected with me.

All in all, this book took me on a really great adventure. A good light read that's action packed. Be sure to pick this one up this summer!

MY RATING

4.5****/*