Tag Archives: Mythology

An Introduction to Jewish Myth and Mysticism by Steve Hockensmith

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: An Introduction to Jewish Myth and Mysticism
Author: Steve Hockensmith
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 30th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I’ve known it all along.

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Synopsis

This professor of Jewish myth and mysticism has a few secrets in his closet. And he’s about to use them to make the world a better place…

Thoughts

I know next to nothing about Jewish beliefs and practices. And by next to nothing, I mean nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. And that’s probably not going to change. But this short story made me seriously consider changing my outlook for about twenty minutes. It managed to bring to life an aspect of a belief system that (I’m assuming) is a slightly off kilter and different one to what is normally displayed on TV.

As soon as the little professor offered to “fix” the nice lady’s problem, I was kind of expecting a vampire story. I’ve been reading a lot of them lately and it seemed suitable that a vampire would lecture of Jewish myth and mysticism (I believe Judas is also tied up in vampires and Judaism and Christianity). Then I spent the rest of the story trying to figure out what the little man was… because he certainly wasn’t a vampire!

This was a fun, easy and enjoyable read. There was a great level of humour throughout. A nice departure from some of the more serious books I was reading at the time…

 <- Magic Tests ReviewVSI Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of dark magic book cover

Title: The Sage of Theare
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Gods, Mythology
Dates read: 26th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1982
5th sentence, 74th page: As soon as he pushed the door open, thick smoke rolled in, filled with harsh crackling.

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Synopsis

The Gods are ruled by order and they like it this way. So when the Sage of Dissolution is born they begin to fear that it will be the end of the world as they know it.

Thoughts

Order is not something that comes easily to me. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly organised and have a system for things. But my life in and of itself is not actually organised. And I don’t tend to follow conventions about 90% of the time. So I kind of liked a dark fantasy tale that dealt with the intersection of order and chaos. How they are both important to the existence of life as we know it.

The gods in this story are kind of a sick-in-the-butt characters. They have rules and restrictions for literally everything, and there is no way in which to deviate from this set path and plan. It means that no one can be questioned and nothing can change. Which in and of itself isn’t horrifying, until you realise that it means the world becomes stagnant and… well, boring.

I like that the mechanism for change in this tale is the child of a god. And in trying to avoid a prophecy, they, well don’t necessarily make it happen. But they bring to light their stupidity and inability to understand the world around them.

<- The Witch’s BicycleTimekeeper ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Wagers of Gold Mountain by Steve Berman

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: Wagers of Gold Mountain
Author: Steve Berman
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The hatchet man turned to Yuan.

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Synopsis

Yuan just wants to help his brother survive, but a deal with a pair of tricksters could be his downfall… or his salvation.

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting a Trickster story with a Chinese spin on it when I started reading this story. I was kind of expecting another Native American / Coyote story. But I really liked the fact that there was a very different spin on the Trickster tale. For starters, it is based in California during the Gold Rush and features a time long gone.

The duality of an immigrant moving to a new country is reflected in the duality of the trickster which Yuan comes across. There is the Chinese inspired woman who is a little blood thirsty and kind of terrifying, and then the fat American trickster who is a lot more pompous and self-centred. They work as two sides of the same coin… the impact which the gold rush and movements of immigrants into California during the period.

Most Trickster tales I’ve read involve the trickster getting the better of the victim. Instead, the tables are flipped and he spends his time figuring out the trap that has been laid for him. And, eventually it is the victim of the deal who is able to gain the upper hand.

 <- Coyote Woman ReviewThe Listeners Review ->
Image source: Amazon

One Odd Shoe by Pat Murphy

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: One Odd Shoe
Author: Pat Murphy
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: You’ll find small pools here and there.

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Synopsis

If there’s a shoe on the side of the road, it’s probably best not to pick it up… it could be Coyote teaching someone a lesson.

Thoughts

This was a really cute, funny story. I loved the narrator’s voice as it unfolds. There is a sense of wandering storytelling that isn’t common in a lot of other stories. It made me feel like I was being told the story by the woman in the story – sitting next to her as she told me about Mark, who really should have known better.

I’ve always loved tricksters – they’re equalisers and neither good nor bad. Any stories which have a grey area make me happy to be honest. And this short story epitomised the idea of equalising. Mark is obviously not the best person in the world, so Trickster decides to mess with him. And teach him a lesson. And show him how to be a little less not-good and a little more… better.

Now, every time I see a single shoe lying beside the edge of the road, I’m going to wonder about who is getting their comeuppance. And who is learning a new lesson.

 <- The Coyote Road ReviewCoyote Woman Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Come to Me by Heather Clitheroe

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Come to Me
Author: Heather Clitheroe
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Those days, she was glad to leave tiny Vauxhall – the short main street with the farm supply store at one end and the fire station at the other, the flat horizon that stretched out and away until it met the sky.

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Synopsis

A voice keeps on telling her to go to the forest and never return. Will she obey the strange compulsion?

Thoughts

I’ve heard of the suicide forests in Japan. I’ve also read a lot about the kitsune. So a vampirific story that combines both of them? Well, that’s right up my alley. Especially when written with the dreamy, wafty style of this short story.

There is a constant quiet voice throughout this story that eggs on the unhappy lead. She is lost in her world and too stubborn to make a change. So someone else decides to make the change for her… in an incredibly negative way.

 <- Sleepless in Calgary ReviewAn Ember Amongst the Fallen Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Death and Relaxation by Devon Monk

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Death and Relaxation

Title: Death and Relaxation
Author: Devon Monk
Series: Ordinary Magic #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Odd House Press
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror.

Synopsis

Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the valkyries, werewolves, gill-men and other paranormal creatures who call the small beach town of Ordinary, Oregon their home. It’s the vacationing gods who keep her up at night.

With the famous rhubarb festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she’s finally caught the attention of Ryderr Bailey, the one man she should never love.

No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god.

Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That’s gonna take some work.

Thoughts

I loved this book from the very beginning. Partially because one of the secondary character couples is a gay couple. And they’re a vampire and werewolf. Which makes me incredibly happy and delirious. I love gay couple. An inter-racial mythological creature relationship that is traditionally at odds with one another… well, that’s even better. It also gives a hint to the ways in which this story tends to push the boundaries a little more than most of the urban fantasy books on my shelves.

I’ve read a lot of stories that features the gods in one way, shape or form. I’ve never read a novel about what happens when the gods want a vacation. Or how they go about giving up their godly duties to actually take a break and relax. This concept in and of itself would have meant that I loved this story. But add to that a small town competition where jealousies run high, a rhubarb patch being blown sky-high and the murder of one said god… well, it’s definitely the kind of story that you shouldn’t pick up if you have boring, and responsible things to do…

Delaney is exactly what I want in a heroine. Just so completely human and flawed. The entire story she’s running around half-delirious with exhaustion and awkward and crabby at times to boot. Both of which I can completely relate to. Her relationships with her sisters is kind of like mine – lots of love, love of frustration, and an overwhelming sense of safety. It’s her relationship with men that kind of messes with my head. Mostly the guy that she is involved with throughout – there is a lot of mystery attached to him and I really want the next books to arrive so that I can find out what his deal is!

 <- More Devon MonkDevils and Details ->

Image source: Goodreads

Prayers of Forges and Furnaces by Aliette de Bodard

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of SteampunkTitle: Prayers of Forges and Furnaces
Author: Aliette de Bodard
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology, Steampunk
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 
5th sentence, 74th page: And he picked up his things, one by one, and left.

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Synopsis

She meets an old god who wants her help in destroying the world that she knows. In risking everything, she learns the true meaning of sacrifice.

Thoughts

I was quite surprised by this short story. Not because of the steampunk themes and threads running throughout, but because of the Mayan theme to it. Somehow I never really associated steampunk with Mayan. And, weirdly enough, it worked incredibly well.

Mayan mythology has a heavy influence of sacrifice and gods that aren’t actually “good” and this story is no different. It features a horrible god and sacrifice. The fact that the sacrifice actually got to live was kind of a surprise, and it worked so unbelievably well. It just didn’t really capture my attention like many of the other stories in this collection…

 <- The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jala-ud-din Muhammad Akbar Review The Effluent Engine Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Dangerously Driven by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Dangerously DrivenTitle: Dangerously Driven
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Broken Riders #3.5, Baba Yaga World #6.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Mythology, Paranormal romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Deborah Blake
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: “Ah,” Jazz said, lifting one finger into the air.

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Synopsis

The Riders… three legendary brothers who were born to aid the Baba Yagas, until tragedy changed everything. Separated by guilt and circumstance, they will finally have a chance to come back together. But what will happen when they do?

Neither Mikhail, Alexei, nor Gregori are enthusiastic about the invtiation to join the three Baba Yagas at Bella’s home in the Wyoming woods. But Bella and her apprentice Jazz have just spent a year in the Otherworld after Jazz’s disastrous attempt to cure the Riders’ loss of their immortality, so it isn’t really a summons any of them can refuse. As much as they might wish they could.

Each brother has his own reason to feel guilty, and they all mourn what they have lost despite having built themselves rewarding new lives. None of them is quite ready for a reunion. But they no longer have all the time in the world. So they get on their enchancted steeds (now a black Harley, a red Ducati, and a white Yamaha) and head out across the country, never expecting the adventures that lie ahead.

The brothers travel different roads to get to Wyoming, but they all end up on the same path. A surprise visit from an old friend might just show them that the journey is more important than the destination… especially when you travel it with those you love.

Thoughts

This was a cute way to tie in the three brother Riders after the Broken Riders series. It also lets us revisit the Baba Yagas and their apprentices. Something that I found incredibly enjoyable and refreshing. There’s also the lingering hint of a future tale in the last words and scene of this novella.

I loved the world of the Baba Yagas and every time Blake creates a new novella or story that fits into the world, I have a lot of fun revisiting something that I so thoroughly enjoyed previously. And Dangerously Driven was no different. It let us revisit all of our beloved characters and also find out how their lives ended up.

Dangerously Driven visits each of the three brothers and follows them as they journey to their reunion. In more ways than one. It left such a happy feeling in the pit of my stomach to find the three brothers united and with a goal in life yet again. Definitely a nice way to tie up the Broken Riders trilogy and one that I would certainly suggest to lovers of this series.

 <- Dangerously Fierce Review Wickedly Dangerous Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Sword of Summer

Title: Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: He nodded and smiled.

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Synopsis

MY NAME IS MAGNUS CHASE. I’M ORPHANED AND LIVING ROUGH ON THE STREETS OF BOSTON. AND THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE.

My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, ‘They’re after you.’ Next thing I know, I’m reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.

Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing ofr war. Apparently, if I can’t find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.

A fire giant atatcking the city?
Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?
Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?
It’s all coming up.

But first I’m going to die.
This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there…

Thoughts

I keep meaning to read this (which is kind of the story of my life), but I just haven’t found the time to pick it up as of yet. Until I needed to complete it for a reading challenge, and this gave me a beautiful excuse to drown myself, yet again in the world and writing of Magnus Chase. You would have thought that the name Chase would have clued me in on the relationship to Annabeth and Percy. But it took Annabeth’s actual appearance to make me understand… and then finally start grinning with joy.

I love how Magnus is a homeless child, with a bad two years and a mother that he has fond memories of. He has a completely different background to anyone else I’ve met so far in Riordan’s worlds and I found that this, once again, outsider was a great insight into the difficulties of a rough past. As the novel unfolds, you find out more and more of Magnus’ life on the streets, and his pre-street life with his mother. The slow unfolding and release of memories throughout help to really build his character and give a great structure to the battles that he not only faces in this book, but those I’m sure he is about to face in future stories.

I am vaguely familiar with the Norse Pantheon, enough so that I know the names of the major gods. So I was completely expecting Magnus to be the son of Odin or Thor, two of the most famous Norse Gods. He isn’t. And his father was completely unexpected, but so much more exciting in the discovery. I can’t wait to see how the son of a Norse God will develop further. Although I might have to dig out some of my books on mythology to find the tales behind this modern adaptation.

<- 9 from the Nine WorldsThe Hammer of Thor ->

Image source: Amazon UK

Black Scales, White Fur by Kylie Chan

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Black Scales White FurTitle: Black Scales, White Fur
Author: Kylie Chan
Series: Dark Heavens #9.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Demons, Mythology
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Kylie Chan
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: She broke off the kiss and smiled up at him through stinging tears of joy.

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Synopsis

The Demon King’s harem is a dangerous place, with the Snake Mothers constantly battling for prizes and promotion. But the smallest Snake Mother doesn’t want to play the cruel games; she just wants to create beautiful works of art. After a chance meeting with the Celestial Emperor of the West, the White Tiger, she quietly plots to escape Hell and find freedom – and perhaps even love.

Thoughts

I didn’t realise that this novella fits towards the end of the Dark Heavens series, I actually thought it sat in beforehand, a bit like Small Shen. But, there is a small mention of Simone as a woman, so I figure it is much later in the overall series. That’s not to say that it really gave anything away, there is a small mention of Emma and John going out for Yum Cha with Simone, but that is the only hint of the future. And to be completely honest, you know that eventually they will get their happily ever after… Chan has just put them through too much to not give them that. Or me. I need that. I haven’t even finished the series. And I know that I need that happily ever after…

Bai Hu’s harem of wives and women is something that is both interesting, and a little concerning to me throughout the rest of the Dark Heavens books. So it was interesting to read a story about a woman (of a sort) that falls for him and is willing to become one of many. Honestly, I understand Emma’s one and only feelings a lot more, even if it means she can’t touch her one and only… But the sweetness of the main character in this, and the way in which Bai Hu is able to completely change her life makes the fact that this does happen make a little more sense to me. The fact that she hangs on to her free will, no matter what the risks also made me love her a little more. After all, falling in love and being swept away by your emotions doesn’t mean that you have to lose your will power and independence.

I really liked this look into Chan’s demonic world. It gave a completely different perspective into a reality that I am already in love with. The fitting of a mythological world on top of our own works beautifully. Actually, this is one of the best ways in which I’ve seen an author do this, and switching from the Celestial, and our world to the Underworld in this novella was a great change of pace. And it still worked fantastically. It made a lot of sense, and the brief appearances of known Celestial characters against he horror of this small Snake Mothers’ real world help to give even more layers which has made me pick up White Tiger again and just devour it.

 <- Black Jade Review Small Shen Review ->
Image source: Smashwords