Tag Archives: Australian Authors

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?
Author: Bruce Pascoe
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Indigenous Australians, Non-fiction
Dates read: 14th – 19th May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Magabala Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Sturt climbed one final dune and peered down onto the plain.

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Synopsis

“If we look at the evidence presented to us by the explorers and explain to our children that Aboriginal people did build houses, did build dams, did sow, irrigate and till the land, did alter the course of rivers, did sew their clothes, and did construct a system of pan-continental government that generated peace and prosperity, then it is likely we will admire and love our land all the more.” – Bruce Pascoe

Pascoe puts forward a compelling argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer label for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticed plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating and storing – behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag.

Thoughts

I’ve been meaning to get to this book for ages. Good intentions and all that. And once I picked this up… wow! It completely changed my outlook on Indigenous Australians and their culture – pre Europeans. Alright, I already had a lot of respect and fascination for these peoples, but after reading all of the different aspects of their daily lives and existences… just, wow.

Pascoe brilliantly sets out his arguments for an agricultural and sedentary existence in Dark Emu. Each chapter is set out into different aspects of this lifestyle and filled with examples, quotes and so many different forms of proof. Unlike a lot of books I’ve read which use quotes to back up their evidence, Pascoe provides some great background information before imparting the words of others. It feels less like information has just been spewed forth, and more like the quotes were adding to his information, instead of just complementing it.

When Dark Emu came out, it was highlighted as a great outlook on a forgotten group of people, or at least a group of people who, in Australian history are normally overlooked and forgotten. But for me it was almost something more… it was a great way to immerse myself in the ways that we use the land around us. I’m an ecologist and reading about species and plants which I see in the field all the time, just not in the same quantities. It gave me a much greater appreciation for the land and the soil that I step on all the time. A greater appreciation for the world I live in.

<- More Australian authors reviewsMore Indigenous Australians reviews ->
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Stepping Back by Sara Mackenzie

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of time travel romance book cover

Title: Stepping Back
Author: Sara Mackenzie
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 28th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: He was gone, the valley was gone, and when she turned back to the homestead, it was nothing more than a derelict ruin.

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Synopsis

Helen wants to run away from a bad husband. Claire just wants to remember her past. Two women, one hundred years apart, and their lives are about to intersect.

Thoughts

The telling of parallel storylines is something that has been growing on me more and more as I’ve expanded my reading knowledge and obsessions. So finding one that involved time travel, the Australian landscape and a woman willing to find herself a new life worked brilliantly for my latest literary fascination.

This almost read like a murder mystery. The woman in the present is desperately trying to figure out the history of the past. The woman in the past is trying to escape a grasping, evil man. Yet, the villain isn’t quite who you think he is. And neither are the women. They are both similar, yet different in so many ways. And neither are able to rest until the truth is finally revealed.

 <- Lost and Found ReviewSexual Healing Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for inkheart book cover

Title: Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Series: Inkworld #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Dates read: 18th – 25th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: The Chicken House
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Gravel crunched under her feet as she raced towards the house.

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Synopsis

Dare to read it aloud…

Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinarily secret – a storytelling secret that will change their lives for ever.

Inkheart is the thrilling new adventure from Cornelia Funke, the international bestselling children’s author of The Thief Lord. It’s a story within a story, where the imaginary becomes real.

Thoughts

I kind of forgot why I loved this book so much. I’ve been looking at it on my shelf for months, but couldn’t really figure out why I had such a need to stick my nose between it’s pages and lose myself. But this week I did. And it was so worth it. I’m incredibly glad that I finally succumbed to the voice in my head saying “It was awesome!”

One of the things I love about this book is the way that each chapter starts. Each chapter starts with a quote from another book (most of which are now on my wishlist). These quotes not only set the theme for the following chapter, but they also highlight the different worlds that were entered again and again throughout this story. Not just the parallel story of Inkheart throughout, but the different tales that Meggie and Mo find themselves swept away in.

I’m only realising as an adult that one of the things that I related most strongly to throughout this novel would was Meggie and Mo’s love of books. They are so hooked into the literary world that they are often unable and unwilling to relate to the real world around them. Something that I myself can relate quite strongly to. Actually, I kind of wanted Elinor’s house from the very first moment, and a number of years between readings really hasn’t changed my desires and impressions.

Inkheart is a fantastic beginning to a new series. It has everything that you want in a story – action, adventure and a lot of heart. The villains are the type that are likely to make you cringe repeatedly, the protagonists people that you can immediately relate to. This is one of those stories that I look forward to passing on to my future (theoretical) children.

 <- Inkdeath ReviewInkspell Review ->
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Through the Tiger’s Eye by Kerrie O’Connor

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for through the tiger's eye book cover

Title: Through the Tiger’s Eye
Author: Kerrie O’Connor
Series: Telares Trilogy #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Fantasy
Dates read: 11th – 17th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘We’ll cook dinner, Grandma,’ said Lucy.

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Synopsis

Just then T-tongue decided to take matters into his own paws. He sniffed the air, barked, shot across the floor of the pit – and disappeared.

Lucy and her little brother Ricardo follow their puppy and the mysterious, golden-eyed Tiger-cat into a secret tunnel leading to a foreign country – a country where children are held prisoner in the jungle.

Lucy still didn’t understand anything and it still felt crazy, but suddenly it was also simple; if Rahel was going to risk rescuing the little girl and the other kids, then Lucy had to help, even if she didn’t have a clue how.

Thoughts

This was the second time that I read this book. But, the first time was when I was in early high school, and it has honestly been boxed up ever since. Which is sad, because this reread reminded me how much I truly love this story. It is fun, interesting and powerful. It is based around Australia (which is always a bonus in my book) and centres on siblings that aren’t all love and roses towards one another. Because let’s be honest, there are no siblings who always get along and never fight…

I love the idea that Lucy and Ricardo are able to travel to another reality / country on a regular basis and meet other children their age. But, they are experiencing entirely different things. The children in Telares are victims of war who don’t act like victims. It drives home how truly lucky we are to live in Australia and to have grown up here. Not only does this make the story fantastic with a great message, but it also highlights the differences between peoples’ experiences across the world. We should be grateful for our good fortune a little more often, and this story is a poignant reminder of that.

This story is a great mix of young adventure, the ties of family and reminders of how we should never take for granted what we have. It is a great way to reconsider what people in war-torn countries are truly experiencing. Without the brutality that some adult-orientated books highlight. This still has that beautiful innocence that can carry a message, but not use shock and horror tactics.

 <- Angel’s Elephant ReviewBy the Monkey’s Tail Review ->
Image source: Allen & Unwin

Black Spring by Alison Croggon

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover black spring

Title: Black Spring
Author: Alison Croggon
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Gothic, Retellings, Twisted romance
Dates read: 18th – 25th February 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Walker Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: But now I suspect that they might not have become so close if Lina hadn’t behaved so cruelly to begin with, and that part of his respect for her stemmed from his initial experience of her demonic temper.

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Synopsis

Lina is enchanting, vibrant by wilful. And her eyes betray her for what she truly is – a witch. With her childhood companion, Damek, she has grown up privileged and spoiled and the pair are devoted to each other to the point of obsession.
But times are changing.
Vendetta is coming.
And tragedy is stalking the halls of the Red House.

A stunning new novel by Alison Croggon, inspired by the Gothic classic Wuthering Heights.

Thoughts

The week before I read this I made an attempt at reading Wuthering Heights. I say attempt because I kind of hated it. Not the writing or the storyline, but the characterisation. So I wanted to tackle a retelling immediately after. After all, I like the idea of everything in the original, I just found Heathcliff so damn douchey that my rage couldn’t get past it to enjoy everything else that was going on. Black Spring helped to cure me of this.

Black Spring follows pretty much the same storyline as Wuthering Heights. It also makes Damek (Heathcliff) and Lina (Catherine) far more relatable. I still kind of thought that they were silly, and Damek was still the epitome of selfish, obsessive love. But, they were just on the wrong side of the line and so more approachable. It meant that I could appreciate the themes and ideas that were being shared, and actually enjoy the storyline while I was doing it.

My enjoyment of this story was probably helped along by the fact that there was a fantasy aspect to the storyline. The addition of magic and the emphasis on the disjoint between wizards and witches (gender) worked brilliantly to further highlight the unfairness and indignities which Lina was forced to face. It made her story a lot more tragic and sad than that of Catherine. I actually found myself liking Lina, although she had many of the same character flaws, it was much easier to see myself in her than in Catherine.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. But I think that the aspect I enjoyed the most was the ending. Damek’s haunting and horrible actions towards Lina’s daughter culminate in some kind of revenge. And the sway in which this was done was poetic justice at its finest.

 <- More Australian authors reviewsMore gothic reviews ->
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The Drowned Kingdom by Kate Forsyth

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the drowned kingdom kate forsyth book cover

Title: The Drowned Kingdom
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 18th – 20th February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The clap of thunder was so loud it deafened them all, leaving their ears ringing.

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Synopsis

I’ve heard of a kingdom that was flooded and drowned… and that is where the sea-serpents live…

Quinn, Sebastian, Elanor and Tom have found a dragon and conquered the dreaded Beast of Blackmoor Bog. Only one item remains on their impossible quest – the scale of a sea-serpent.

Now they must journey to the drowned kingdom, where they will face their deadliest challenge yet. And there they will uncover the truth behind all that has happened… the truth that will change everything.

Thoughts

The Drowned Kingdom pulls together all of the little story threads that have been slowly released throughout the first three books of the series. The interconnectivity of the characters, the plots that span a lifetime. It is all revealed. But not completely. Just tied in well enough that you know the final reveals and the completion of the tapestry which Kate Forsyth has created will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I really enjoy the thematic ties to the four elements throughout this series – and this one is completely about water (in case you didn’t get that from the name). Even the moments when they revisit their old home to see what is happening take place amongst the mist and the moisture. There is a sense of completely surreal beauty about this story that worked really well with the water theme and the idea of lost memories and tragic pasts. It all tied in neatly to the secrets revealed.

Quinn has been my favourite character so far. A foundling, someone with a bit of mystery to her and a witch. I love that she spends the entirety of the storyline without shoes on, connecting with nature and spouting riddles. There’s something about this that I’m in love with – probably the idea that this is the kind of character that I would have loved to be this way as a child.

 <- The Beast of Blackmoor Bog ReviewBattle of the Heroes Review ->
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The Beast of Blackmoor Bog by Kate Forsyth

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the beast of blackmoor bog kate forsyth book cover

Title: The Beast of Blackmoor Bog
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 16th – 17th February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Elanor dressed and plaited her long golden-brown hair, then went across to the door.

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Synopsis

The dragons are long gone. This beast is something else – something huge and black and hairy…

After escaping the bog-men in the wilds of the Witchwood, Sebastian, Quinn, Elanor and Tom journey south on their impossible quest.

Sebastian and Elanor seek help from Crowthorne Castle, but both allies IandI enemies will reveal themselves. Tom and Quinn venture into the mysterious moors… where a hideous beast lies waiting.

Thoughts

In all of the Kate Forsyth books / series that I’ve read, one of my favourite things has always been the character development. Even in series such as The Impossible Quest, which is aimed at youngsters, as the stories grow, so do the children. And I think that (at least so far) The Beast of Blackmoor Bog shows the most growth. Especially in the two boys.

Where Tom and Sebastian are constantly bickering in the proceeding storylines, they settle down a lot in this novel. Partly because they aren’t actually with each other throughout the majority of the story. But even then, there are a few moments of acknowledgement of the fact that they are friends and need to stop niggling at each other. From jealous enemies to grudging respect and friends, they are able to show this a lot throughout the split storyline in this story.

The structure of the creatures tamed so far in this story reminds me a lot of the four elements. And I really enjoy the fact that each novel, whilst incorporating the ensemble, has a slightly larger focus on a different character.

I might be an adult, but I still loved this story. It’s one that will stay on my shelf for an easy reread again and again and again.

 <- Wolves of the Witchwood ReviewThe Drowned Kingdom Review ->
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The Silver Horse by Kate Forsyth

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the silver horse kate forsyth book cover

Title: The Silver Horse
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Chain of Charms #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading,
Gypsies, Historical fiction
Dates read: 17th – 21st January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Macmillan
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: You think that’s why she never strays?

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Synopsis

It is the fifth year of the Lord Protector’s rule and while life has always been hard for the gypsies, since Oliver Cromwell has seized control of England, life has become harder than ever.

Emilila and Luka Finch’s family have been accused of vagrancy and murder, and thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. Emilia and Luka’s grandmother believes that only the collection of six ancient gypsy charms will see them escape the hangman’s noose.

Emilia and Luka are now on a dangerous quest to find all six charms and with a little bit of luck – or, as Emilia believes, magice – save their family from the gallows. They have the first, an old gold coin, but now they seek the second precious charm.

The charm, they believe, lies with the horse-trading Hearne family. But the Hearnes are reluctant to help, let alone give up their treasured talisman. With Coldham close on their heels, Emilia and Luka must race against time to win the support of the Hearnes – all the while trying to keep a grumpy old brown bear out of sight and out of trouble.

The second book in this exciting six-book series about the adventures of two daring children, a monkey, a dog and a dancing bear in search of the chain of charms.

Thoughts

I found this story kind of sad. Emilia and Luka are on the next step of their journey to try and find help for their family. And yet, the people who are supposed to be closer than kin are the very ones who turn their backs on the children. And also decide to take advantage of them. No matter that it is a family trying to take care of themselves, my heart broke a little for both gypsy children the further the story unfolds.

This is a reread of the Chain of Charms series, and although it has been over a year between rereading the first story, The Gypsy Crown, and this, the second, I still get that same great joy of the tale. And, as I’ve gotten older and revisited this story, I am realising more and more how amazing Forsyth’s talent is at mixing historical fact with imaginative fiction. The blending of the two, and the notes at the end of the story which highlight the facts and fiction intertwine beautifully.

As a child, there was something intriguing and alluring about being a gypsy. Probably for me, the no shoes and no permanent abode. I’ve mostly lost that intrigue (I can’t have a library like mine if I lived on the road). But, there is still something of that childish and innocent desire to explore the world. That nostalgia for a time and peoples that I’ve never met or experienced. It makes me incredibly excited to pick up the next in this story and continue my very enjoyable journey down nostalgia-lane.

 <- The Gypsy Crown ReviewThe Herb of Grace Review ->
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Wolves of the Witchwood by Kate Forsyth

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolves of the witchwood book cover

Title: Wolves of the Witchwood
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Tom blinked and his vision swam.

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Synopsis

I know every hidden path through these woods. Trust me. There is no griffin in this forest.

Hunted by Lord Mortlake, Tom, Quinn, Elanor and Sebastian flee for cover. The unicorn leads them into the darkness of the Witchwood where the wolves howl. Can Wilda the witch be trusted?

Danger surrounds, but there’s not time to lose. The four unlikely heroes must find the griffin, dragon and sea serpent before it’s too late.

Thoughts

After finding the unicorn, the four young heroes on their impossible quest set off to find a Griffin. I love the mixture of fantasy and growing up that are intertwined in this journey. Even though this is only the second book in the series, the four children have already begun to accept each other for their strengths and flaws – the bickering has already almost stopped.

Something about this story that I love is the fact that the main characters who bicker and fight are the two boys – the girls (who, let’s be honest) are often cast into the “bitchy” roles towards one another don’t have any of these issues. Actually they quietly and quickly accept each other from the very beginning.

Wolves of the Witchwood, for an adult, is an incredibly easy, breezy and simple read. I spent a few nights reading it before bed when I needed to switch off, but was too tired to actually concentrate on anything. It’s the perfect addition to your shelf for those people who like a quick, easy read. Or the perfect addition to a children’s shelf.

 <- Escape from Wolfhaven Castle ReviewThe Beast of Blackmoor Bog Review ->
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Escape from Wolfhaven Castle by Kate Forsyth

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Escape from Wolfhaven CastleTitle: Escape from Wolfhaven Castle
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Elanor screamed.

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Synopsis

Tell your lord to beware, the wolves smell danger in the wind…

Wolfhaven Castle has been attacked, and only four escape capture… Tom, trained to scrub pots, not fight; Elanor, the lord’s daughter; Sebastian, a knight in training; and Quinn, the witch’s apprentice.

Somehow, if they are to save their people, these unlikely heroes must find four magical beasts from legend. But first, they have to make it out of the castle alive…

Thoughts

This is a beautifully easy, fun and light-hearted book. With enough of an adventure-based storyline to make you reluctant to put it down. At least as an adult. I’m sure if this was around when I was a child, I would be far more involved in the storyline and think it was a more intense literary experience than I do as a more widely read adult.

I like the four young adults in this story – they’re on the cusp of adulthood and finding their own way. But there is already a sense of comradery and togetherness that works from the very outset. Each of the four is given their own gifts (literally and metaphorically) and although there is just an inkling in the first of The Impossible Quest, there are hints that these are going to develop in so many ways.

This is a pretty typical young adult, coming of age adventure story. Which is why it’s so lovely. Forsyth has an amazing way with words and this helps to spin a vivid and intriguing storyline. Partner this with that beloved simplicity of the genre and the idea that both fate and courage play a part… and Escape from Wolfhaven Castle is a great introduction to a new world and an epic quest.

 <- Battle of the Heroes Review Wolves of the Witchwood Review ->
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