Review: Series 1 of Blake’s 7

Yes, finger on the pulse as always, reviewing a sci-fi series from the late 1970s. It was the heyday of British sci-fi, when special effects were dire and writing was excellent. I’ve had the notion of watching Blake’s 7 for ages and finally watched the first series.

I had a good feeling before the show even started because I saw the name Terry Nation and, having read plenty of Doctor Who books and seen more than a few episodes of the show, knew that was a very positive sign. And the augury proved true.

In terms of spoilers, I’ve got to talk about the premise and main characters but will try and keep any plot points beyond the obvious to a minimum.

The first episode is a little bit of its own animal as Blake has lost his memory (or, more accurately, had it reprogrammed by a dictatorial government). He discovers through the aid of some political freedom fighters that he once was a leader in a rebellion against the government but when he was captured they used mind-altering techniques to turn him into a model citizen and poster boy for his erstwhile enemies.

His new allies end up being of little use, though, and Blake gets put on trial with a view to fitting him up for harming children and using that as a pretext to get him away from where he might cause harm. Cue episode two, when he’s on a prison ship bound for a penal colony. From this point he starts being more himself, putting together a band of rebels intent on doing good.

I drifted away from New Who some time ago, which happily means that while I’m aware of the idiotic character assassination that has recently occurred I’m less concerned than if I were still into it (Doctor Who was one of my favourite TV shows as a child). Defeating cybermen with happy thoughts, and deus ex screwdriver do not good plots make. Terry Nation is of a different era, and it’s all for the better. It was so refreshing to have intelligent villains making rational plans to try and trap Blake and his crew, and it made the success of Blake et al. all the more impressive. There are two main recurring villains in the first series: Travis, a soldier with a serious grudge against Blake, and the Supreme Commander, who is a very wily (and utterly ruthless) lady.

On Blake’s side, including himself and the ship’s computer Zen, are seven individuals. These range from the telepathic Cally to ex-smuggler Jenna. My favourite is easily Avon, who is a highly intelligent, calculating man who might yet betray Blake and has some cracking one-liners (when another crewman complains of a sharp pain right behind his eyes, Avon asks if he’s considered amputation [NB this is early in the second series]).

Mostly the 13 episode first season is a set of self-contained stories, although the story arc of Blake being incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit and being shipped off does occupy the first few episodes. Likewise, there are recurring villains, and the final two episodes do form a two-parter rather than separate stories.

Effects-wise, things are charmingly ropey. That may put one or two people off, but the sharp writing, smart plots, and entertaining characters more than make up for it.

If you’ve not really heard of or considered watching Blake’s 7 I can strongly recommend giving it a go.

Thaddeus

Review: Taiko, by Eiji Yoshikawa

It’s quite some years ago that I read Musashi, by the same author, and I’d wanted Taiko for a long time but (until recently) found it hard to get my hands on a copy. Was the wait worth it?

In short, yes. Which was a relief.

Taiko actually occurs at a very similar time to Musashi, but the two stories do not intersect (nor is there any reason for them to). It follows Hideyoshi (as he became known), one of the three titans of the later Warring States (Sengoku) period in Japan, in the late 16^th century. I was slightly familiar with much of this political/military story from having played Kessen III a lot, but there are of course differences and more detail with this historical novel. Unlike Musashi, Taiko looks at the big picture of Japan as warlords struggle for supremacy while the shogunate falters. It’s a tale of war, treachery, plots, betrayal, and diplomatic cunning.

We join Hideyoshi as a young boy, and his childhood is not idyllic. From little food to a frail father, things don’t get much better in his later childhood. But eventually our protagonist leaves home and flits from one thing to another, gradually learning more about the world.

Hideyoshi is renowned as one of the three major figures of the era, and it’s in the impulsive but brilliant Nobunaga’s service that he earns the right to advance on merit rather than a prestigious bloodline.

Being the star of the show does mean that some of his weaknesses (womanising, primarily) get somewhat light treatment, and I don’t know the history of the era well enough to judge if the demonisation of some of his opponents is justified (Ieyasu, another major figure, is treated with great regard). What’s fascinating is the very different culture to Europe either at the time or in the medieval era (which, in some ways, is more akin to the Warring States period due to the near constant warfare in the 14^th century). By the end of the book my mind was naturally leaping to lines such as “Well, he screwed that up. Time for him to commit ritual suicide.”

Personally, I found Taiko very easy to not only read but become engrossed in, and the long term, detailed little threads (the enmity then friendship with Inuchiyo, for example) added to the story’s depth. One complaint is that the story is abridged (not sure why or by how much) in the English translation.

Musashi seems to be the author’s biggest hit, in the West at least, but I found Taiko to be very enjoyable. It’s a little like a simpler version of Three Kingdoms, with a greater emphasis on taking the reader into the world. At 926 pages or thereabouts it’s a reasonably hefty read, even abridged.

 

Thaddeus

Retro-Review: Shadow Hearts Covenant (PS2)

And so my impossible quest to acquire a PS5 continues, but I have to say having a PS2 and some great games to play in the meantime is a very nice diversion. One of my favourite games (arguably the single best) I’ve ever played is the RPG Shadow Hearts: Covenant. But how does it stand more than a decade and a half down the line? I’ve kept this retro-review as spoiler-free as possible, though the premise is revealed.

As a side note: the PS2 remains magnificent. It’s smaller than its successors, quieter, and the load times are actually quicker.

 

Story

The story sticks with the protagonist of the first game, Yuri Hyuga. He’s an interesting lead for an RPG, as he’s half-Russian, half-Japanese, and the game’s set in the real world (during World War One). Yuri’s a bit of a smartarse, but a likeable fellow, and he’s mourning the love of his life. Germany’s rolling through the Ardennes Forest, and Yuri’s protecting the church where his paramour is buried. Until he suffers a curse and is defeated.

The premise, then, is to cure Yuri if possible, and to stop the group of politico-religious lunatics who attacked him in the first place (the German army brought one of them in to try and take the church). Aided by an assortment of allies including a former German soldier, a very cool wolf, and a vigilante superhero vampire wrestler, Yuri sets about knocking seven bells out of the secret society. But it turns out they have ambitions way beyond him…

It does help a bit to have played the first game, but it’s not essential. Characters that return stand perfectly well on their own and context should not be a problem. The plot moves along rapidly, there’s little flimflam, and my playthrough (not going for many side distractions) took me around 30 hours over the two discs. Yuri’s the focus but most other characters get fleshed out at least a bit. Lucia was, and remains, both my least favourite in gameplay and story terms.

I’d remembered well a certain clash of powers near the end of disc 1 (being deliberately vague) and it was just as fantastic as I remember. The second disc I was fuzzier on, but also has some great moments, both in terms of fun and seriousness. The pillow question still makes me laugh.

There are two endings, good and bad, and more by fluke than memory I managed to get the good one. Take seriously the questions Yuri gets asked about his happiness, if you want to try and get the happy ending. Also, I’d forgotten a post-credits plot revelation so stick around and see what happens.

 

Gameplay

This is a huge strength of Shadow Hearts: Covenant because it makes excellent use of its unique ring mechanic. Instead of just pressing attack and an attack happening, the ring is summoned. Players must then try to hit areas (ranging from 1 upwards, with 4 or 5 eminently possible) to attack the enemy, with strike attacks causing more damage. Miss one and the attack ends (unless you’re using a practice ring). Other ring variations include one with bigger hit areas and no strikes and, I think, small hit areas but bigger strikes. Both areas can be affected by boosts you find throughout the game.

In addition, the ring soul is a cool NPC who bestows an extra attack on you (you determine who gets it) and has some nice dialogue. Explore dungeons properly to increase your chances of finding him, and enjoy the fourth wall-breaking speech you get when you’ve seen him often enough.

The ring is also used for discounts and markups when buying and selling goods, for healing items and spells, and for the lottery. This requires tickets, which you can find here and there, and has some nifty prizes including accessories and crests.

Crests are demonic powers that everyone who isn’t a shapeshifter (like Yuri) can equip. These gift the wearer magical spells. But there’s more to it than that thanks to some smart design decisions by the developer. Slap two Cure crests on one character and that character can cast Cure for half the normal cost. And complete an area of Solomon’s Key (a book of demonic lore where you can place the crests you own) and you can unlock new abilities, so the old crests you got 10 hours ago can still be of value.

The ring also means there are new status abnormalities such as the line speeding up, areas getting smaller, or even the dreaded fake ring which presents a load of false areas to hit. Standard bad statuses (petrification, poison, paralysis etc) also exist and poison’s particularly well done as it can get worse, with deadly poison causing massive damage.

There’s also a sanity depletion system, characters losing one point per turn. Get down to zero and you lose control of that character who just starts going berserk and attacking stuff. This happened to me a grand total of once during the game. Not the most important feature, but it’s there.

Oh, and the ring mechanic also makes it worthwhile to try your best even in easy fights because putting in good performances (such as a perfect ring battle, taking zero damage, or reducing the enemy to no or few turns) can yield rewards including extra cash, experience, and healing items.

 

Graphics

This was the most jarring difference for me, switching from the PS3’s Dragon Age: Origins to the PS2’s Shadow Hearts: Covenant. And your TV better able to take a SCART or you won’t be able to see the regular resolution. I got used to it fairly quickly but at first it really was a step back in time, and not in a good way.

Menus etc are all fine, and the FMV often looks surprisingly good (crying’s interesting. The scene where Yuri cries blood is great, the ones where he cries tears with a sad rather than angry face looks a bit… less so). Textures are often flat or basic and Yuri’s getup (dark grey) can occasionally blend in disconcertingly well with the background. The character design is good, especially Karin, Joachim, and Blanca, and the varying number of attacks is handled well too.

 

Sound

The music’s pretty good in this game and there are moments (again, crying blood scene) where the sound really adds to an already dramatic moment in the story. I also really liked the Saturday morning adventure style theme of Joachim. Voice acting varies a little, even with the same actors, which makes me wonder if sometimes they were lacking context. Kato’s voice is well done, and while we don’t hear Blanca talk too often (he is a wolf, but does speak with other wolves) his boundless confidence and occasional contempt for those who dare challenge him is rather endearing.

 

Bugs and Other Problems

I have very few gripes. No crashes, freezes, hangs, or suchlike, and while save points are required these are very common in dungeons and saving can also occur on the world map.

One problem that did irk me somewhat is that companions not in the party get only half experience. Throughout the game, until disc 2, you don’t need to worry about that at all, or buying them equipment. But then there are two parts (one early in disc 2, one optional and right near the end) that requires the whole party to have good crests and equipment. Because this wasn’t necessary until then you may find (as I did, having forgotten this part) your non-regular characters are incredibly weak, and the lack of warning means you can’t buy some fresh gear. I did get through the story part of this ok but decided to give up on the optional bit (a shame, as the Man Festival is a… unique videogame experience) because Gepetto and Lucia were just rubbish.

 

Replayability

This is an interesting one. There are optional things you can do, if you go looking for them. Completing steps in the pedometer challenge is one such example, likewise completing the Man Festival, finding wolves for Blanca to fight (I didn’t stress these but, if you want to, try going back to areas you’ve cleared out to find more, such as the wine cellar), and fighting the ‘ghosts’ that Solomon’s servant offers you.

The story is a good one and combines the personal strife Yuri faces with potentially cataclysmic events that threaten to reshape, or destroy, the whole world. A bit like The Last of Us, the strong but linear story means it’s a game I like a lot but not one I’ll be replaying in the near future.

 

Conclusion

Shadow Hearts: Covenant looks dated, but in many ways it still knocks the socks off modern counterparts. The ring mechanic really keeps combat engaging and is used smartly throughout, the cast is likeable, the story is both intriguing and moves along rapidly without padding, and the final boss is suitably challenging (I’d cruised through the penultimate fight only to spend an hour or so desperately surviving before getting the upper hand with the last fight). It’s a damned shame Shadow Hearts: Covenant didn’t get a sequel that it deserved, as it’s a humorous, innovative, and very enjoyable game. If you haven’t played it for a while or you’ve got a PS2 kicking about and have a chance to buy a copy, give it a shot. You’re in for a treat.

 

Thaddeus

Review: Conspiracy (Emperor’s Edge book 4), by Lindsay Buroker

I’ve got two series on the go at the moment, and one of them is the Emperor’s Edge, by Lindsay Buroker. It’s a slightly different setting than my usual medieval/high fantasy, being more steampunk in nature, and follows the eponymous gang of criminals/heroes (a sort of steampunk A-Team) as they try and do good and foil evildoers.

I really like Buroker’s writing style, which makes reading relaxing and effortless, and I often ended up reading more in a single sitting than I’d intended. By this stage, the characters have all been fleshed out significantly, from the leader Amaranthe Lokdon, formerly a cop, to ladies’ man Maldynado, magical teen punk Akstyr, Books the academic, Basilard the mute foreigner, and Sicarius the ruthless assassin.

This time, Amaranthe and company are seeking to rescue the emperor himself, who is effectively under the control of the mysterious Forge conspirators (the series’ antagonists). We see at least one returning face, and a few more seemingly significant characters enter the stage.

I won’t spoil the plot, though it’s interesting that this book is a bit less of an isolated episode than some previous entries in the series. Every book tends to slightly shift the focus, so while Amaranthe is the core of the group the others do get their time for development, and this time Akstyr gets his slice of the action (in a way that fits perfectly with the story).

There’s some nice banter, twists and turns, though I admit one or two of Amaranthe’s decisions did make me raise an eyebrow. But, on the whole, I found the book to be very engaging and will definitely be getting book 5 at some point.

Thaddeus

(Retro?) Review: Dragon Age: Origins (PS3)

I really liked Dragon Age: Origins when I played it over a decade ago. It was one of my favourite games of all times, but how would it hold up nowadays? For the sake of reference, my PS3 is the original fat version.

Character Creation

Character creation is a whole different beast to other games because, in addition to selecting your sex, race (dwarf, elf, or human), and class (rogue, mage, warrior) players pick an origin. These determine the first two hours or so of your game before converging into the common thread of the plot. Elves have three potential starts (city elf, which is very dark, Dalish, and mage), dwarves have two (both cool, noble and common) and humans have two (noble, also very dark, and mage). Dwarves cannot play as mages for lore reasons.

You make your own face, which mostly works ok except that beards give your characters totally hollow cheeks that look weird. There’s also a decent range of haircuts which were copied in the sequel and replaced with mostly rubbish in Inquisition.

On this occasion I played as a female dwarf warrior with the commoner origin, but during the years I have played every single origin and all of them are good. It’s a great way of making each start distinctive and you will encounter again those you meet at this stage. It’s also excellent at immersing you in your own corner of the world and making you understand things from a certain perspective.

Story and Sound

The story is the single strongest point of Dragon Age: Origins, and the writing team hit it for six. The basic plot is very simple. There’s a blight. Think fantasy zombies called darkspawn plus an undead dragon (there’s more interesting lore to it than that, but that’s the shorthand). Ferelden (a sort of fantasy Britain) is at risk of annihilation. You join the Grey Wardens, the only chaps and ladies who can stop it, and that’s your job.

Players have to rally different factions obligated by ancient treaties to help. But with each group paths can diverge according to how the player acts. You can choose to be super nice (as I did on this occasion) or be brutal (lots of murder-knife action for those who want it). Often these are moral questions or dilemmas with no clear cut answer, but two legitimate yet opposing choices. And because the player has a few of these factions to get on-side, there’s a constant feeling of progress towards the greater goal.

The writing of dialogue, from cutscenes to party banter, is excellent, and the voice acting is great (a particular favourite of mine is Simon Templeman as Loghain). There’s a deep sense of authenticity to the world (if one can say that about a fictional place). The dwarves aren’t just short humans, they have their own civilisation and culture. Similarly with the elves. Companion dialogue is especially good, with differing people getting along well, or not (I went with the classic Alistair-Morrigan party, plus Leliana). Unlike other games, there’s not really a weak link (one might say the dog, who cannot talk) and you can go all the way from sleeping with a companion to annoying them so much they leave or try to kill you.

The music is also good, particularly the main Grey Warden theme.

Gameplay

Combat still works very well, with differing classes bringing different but complementary skills to the table. There are some minor niggles here as frames can drop or the game stutter a little. There’s a good but not enormous range of enemy types, with differing types and level of darkspawn, alongside the mindless undead, revenants, abominations, and good old-fashioned bandits. A nice touch is the mini-slowdown and animation you may get when you kill an ogre.

There’s also a party camp where you can recover from injuries and enjoy some chats with party members (also possible for the three you choose to take into the field), and a merchant.

Graphics

Graphically, things still look pretty good. Character models for companions and the like are decent but do look a shade dated now. Less significant characters are prone to hollow cheeks. I have this turned off, but if you have a sanguine sense of humour, leave the blood spatter on. Having your characters discuss things while covered in blood is, er, interesting. Menus etc are completely fine graphically, lighting effects could be better, fire has a notably low frame rate flicker, but things are basically fine given its age.

Bugs and Other Issues

When it comes to problems I’ve already mentioned the potential in combat for things to stutter a little (it is only a little, it’s an annoyance but not a major one). I did experience three crashes during my playthrough of around 33 hours or so (NB I did not do everything that was possible by a long way). All occurred when entering the menu during combat, and in the latter half of my playthrough. Not ideal. Load times can be on the long side, and you’ll encounter shorter loading when just entering a house in a village, or suchlike.

Replayability

Replayability is excellent. Not only are there the usual differing classes and races to pick, but the unique origins add a lot to the depth of a playthrough. Plus there is a very broad range of outcomes and serious decisions with major consequences. You can be delightfully nice, or a demon-shagging, child-murdering, elf-slaughtering psychopath. Your character might end up dead, or on the throne of Ferelden.

Conclusion

Origins really does stand up as a great game. A few technical points weigh against it (dated graphics, the odd crash) but the core of the game is a match for anything that’s been released since and it remains the best entry in the series by a long way.

 

Thaddeus

Comparing the Penguin and Oxford editions of Polybius

Quick note: these editions are divided into large sections termed as books, so if I refer to a ‘book’ then that effectively means what most modern people mean by chapter.

It’s been over a decade since I last read Polybius, so I decided the time was right to reacquaint myself with this top chap. But, as I finished the first book, it occurred to me I had two editions and had never compared the two. So, I thought I would. And it turns out there’s actually a lot missing n one and present in another. Because I like Polybius quite a lot it seemed interesting (and maybe useful for anyone pondering which to buy) to compare and contrast the Penguin and Oxford editions of his writings.

Note: the size of each page is identical so the page guide is very useful but not a perfect comparison.

Book	Penguin pages	Oxford pages
I	71	75
II	68	56
III	100	93
IV	15	68
V	12	81
VI	52	44
VII	12	X
VIII	23	X
IX	19	X
X	21	X
XI	6	X
XII	24	42
XIV	13	X
XV	31	X
XVIII	25	X
XXIV	4	X
XXXI	15	X
XXXVI	6	X
XXXIX	2	X

 

So, as the table clearly indicates the first three books and book VI are present in both editions and in roughly the same size. However, books IV and V are vastly expanded upon in the Oxford edition, and Book XII is longer there as well. On the other hand, the Penguin version has multiple books (though often small) that are totally absent from the alternative. In terms of total length (NB this is only the Polybius text not counting introductions and the like) the Penguin version comes in at 519 pages to the 459 of Oxford.

But as any history reader knows, there’s more to text than the, er, text. Penguin employs the use of footnotes, which I far prefer to the endnotes of Oxford (requiring the reader to flit from front to back and so forth). However, Oxford also has textual notes on translations from the Greek which may be helpful for some.

The Penguin edition has maps at the back, covering Iberia, the Alpine route of Hannibal, northern Italy, Italy itself (a two page map including Sicily), Carthage’s territory, northern Greece, and central and southern Greece. There’s also a diagram of a four legion camp, as described by the author, and a chronological table of events.

In the Oxford version, maps are at the front, and cover Italy, Greece (a two page map), and the Mediterranean (a two page map). There’s also a five page glossary at the back explaining Greek and Latin terms, and a chronology (at the front).

Both versions have introductions, select bibliographies, and indices.

Because I was reading the sections that each version missed I saw a little overlap (end of one edition, start of another) and the text of both conveys much the same meaning though the translations so slightly differ. Neither, I would say, is inferior to the other, however.

 

So, what’s missing?

With such a degree of variance I can’t give a categorical list, but I did make notes of some of the chief areas of difference, looking primarily at things I found very interesting but which were only in one translation.

A prime example would be after the end of the First Punic War when the Carthaginians had to deal with rebellious, and savage, mercenaries and were almost undone by the conflict (present at the end of book I in Oxford but not Penguin).

Greek and Macedonian affairs are a mixed bag, with the Social War and early career of Philip V of Macedon absent from Penguin, and later parts of the same king’s reign and doings in Penguin but not Oxford. Another highlight, in book VIII and only in Penguin, is the account of the Romans trying to storm Syracuse only to run into the inventions of Archimedes that would set them back into settling for a prolonged siege.

For the most part, sections absent in one edition come in large lumps, either contiguous sections (such as the end of book I in Oxford) or complete books (as per Penguin). An exception is book XII, which is fragmentary in both but has more parts present in Oxford.

So, which would I recommend? As mentioned, it’s an annoying fact that there are very good sections missing from both, probably adding perhaps 300 pages or so (collectively). I would say it is worth getting both, but if you only want one I would probably go for the Penguin version. The convenience of footnotes is a nice bonus, and it does have the Third Punic War included (to an extent). While the earlier part of Greek and Macedonian events is absent, it has more on the later doings in this sphere. But, if you have the money, time, and inclination, there’s a significant amount of text that is only present in one or the other book.

 

As the cunning among you will have noticed, this is very much a comparison of the two editions and not a review of the general contents (excepting the parts missing from each edition). Concisely, Polybius covers quite a lot of history, the largest section of which is devoted to the Second Punic War in which Hannibal tussled with Rome but Scipio Africanus ultimately proved victorious. The conduct of that war is included, in both versions, down to the Battle of Cannae, with more in the Penguin version. It’s an excellent source for the Second Punic War, though not as complete as Livy’s account.

It’s also quite ironic that Polybius, whose excellent work has been whittled down over the years due to only excerpts being preserved, is still being reduced even in the modern era and, while the knowledge is retained, it still struck me as something of a historic echo of a trend that sadly deprived us of his complete works.

Thaddeus

Review: The Machine Stops, by EM Forster

I don’t often read short stories, especially as a stand-alone rather than part of an anthology, but I heard of this book by EM Forster some time ago and decided the time was right. There are spoilers below.

Published way back in 1909, books about future technological, social, and political developments can naturally be prone to looking rather false and even quaint. I think there’s much value in Brave New World and 1984 (far more in Animal Farm, mind) but these dystopian futures are also something of a slog to read.

The Machine Stops, while very short (just over 12,000 words), falls into neither trap. If anything, it’s combination of being not merely easy but compelling to read and the chillingly relevant consideration of the dangers of an excessive reliance upon technology feels like it’s eminently timely.

The story is thus: mankind has become civilised, meaning we all know live underground, each individual occupying a single hexagonal chamber. The Machine summons whatever is required, and facilitates instant communication across the globe. Vashti, most content with this, is unexpectedly asked to visit by her son Kuno, who is less enamoured with the Machine than she and has even had the temerity, daring, or perhaps heretical thinking to venture outside not via an approved access point but by finding his own way.

The Machine reacted by drawing him back in, and slaying a woman he encountered on the surface. Soon, respirators, permitting surface excursions, are forbidden. The Machine begins to be worshipped.

And then fails. The Machine Stops. And everyone underground, utterly dependent on the creation of their forefathers but not understanding it at all, coddled, comfortable, lazy, compliant, dies. So too does Kuno, but in the knowledge there are surface dwellers who will live on.

The dangers of excessive technological integration with everyday lives are easy to understand. Some parents have literally let their babies starve because they were so busy playing videogames. In China, social credit is a real world hell combining state control with tracking and data managed by the power of modern technology. In the UK and elsewhere, politicians are keen to inflict so-called vaccine passports not for international travel, a common and long term approach to such things, but to permit free citizens to access essential goods and services.

I was slightly wary of reading The Machine Stops as some comparable books I’ve read have sometimes been a bit of a chore, though the subject matter was of great interest and relevance. But this is one of the best books I think I’ve ever read and if you’re remotely interested in any aspect of it then you should spend the 72 pence or so it will cost you and grab the e-book.

Thaddeus

Review: The Iron Circlet (Chronicles of the Black Gate Book 4), by Phil Tucker

I really enjoyed the first three books in this series, and have been looking forward to the fourth entry for a while. Naturally, spoilers abound.

 

We resume our adventure with Tharok on the rampage and set fair to invade the very pinnacle of the Empire, which has just ‘fallen’ in surprisingly concordant fashion to Iskra Kyferin. Meanwhile, Tiron, and his vastly diminished band of allies, manage to escape the massacre of the Ascendant’s forces but find themselves in the middle of nowhere and with precious few supplies.

One of the things I like the most about this series is the combination of internal and external struggles, and how well the storylines weave together. Perhaps the best example of this is Audsley, who goes from bookworm to demonically destructive. But is he the manipulator, or the manipulated?

The remaining forces of the Empire assemble to try and fend off the seemingly unending tide of kragh, the first of many grand battles within this book. Another aspect I like is that while the author is unafraid to have prolonged storylines he’s also not worried about snipping them off when the time is right, and we see a number of significant secondary characters meet their doom, alongside a very dramatic ending that utterly alters, in a plausible yet unexpected fashion, the nature of the conflict.

It remains a very easy to read series, with more depth added to the backstory of the world in a way that’s relevant rather than being a full-blown info-dump, so if the lore of this world is something you’re into then the revelations here add quite a bit.

I’ll probably read something else next, just for the sake of variety, but fully plan to read parts 5 and 6 fairly soon. If you haven’t read any of this series I’d strongly advocate checking it out.

Thaddeus

Review: A Concise History of Republican Rome, by Georgina Masson

I actually finished this a couple of weeks ago but between F1 and having the short term memory of a boiled cabbage I, er, only got around to reviewing it now.

Despite the name the book actually covers the royal period too, making it just about seven centuries of history contained within fewer than 200 pages, so the concise part of the title is entirely accurate. As might be expected, there are some periods that receive significantly more attention than others, as differing historical periods vary not only according to how interesting they are but also the availability of sources.

Although I like reading of the Punic Wars I know relatively little of the latter 2^nd century BC through to Caesar’s time and the sections covering the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, and the triumvirates were very engaging indeed, and showed a surprisingly rapid transformation of the Roman political structure (which had been absolutely rock solid during the Second Punic War). This was fascinating stuff, and I raced through it.

Probably because I was more familiar with much of the rest, I read it at a slower pace. The book’s well-suited, given its nature, to newcomers either to history or this particular (lengthy) period. Maps do not feature but there are many black and white photographs throughout. Also worth noting it’s an older book so if you go for it then second hand may be the optimal route.

This was one of many still on a literal to-read pile and I was a bit unsure how I’d like it. After a slightly slow start, the decline and fall of the republican era was very engaging indeed.

Thaddeus

Review: The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, by Marc Morris

I’ve got a few books by the author, this being the fourth, and, as with the others, this is an easy to read book so whether you’re looking to bridge the Roman-Norman gap on your bookshelf or are buying this as a first foray into history it’s a sound purchase.

The period covered includes a useful section preceding the arrival of Angles and Saxons explaining what the Roman state of play was, their departure, and the unexpectedly ‘free’ Britons of the 5^th century AD. From there it goes up to the Norman Conquest but there’s little after 1066 (although the author does have an excellent book dedicated to the Norman Conquest which I can heartily recommend).

After the Romans left, the central authority was gone and trade declined substantially. This impoverished and weakened Britain and enabled the Saxons, and others, to roll up, invade, and carve out significant territory (more or less modern day England). After a brief period of many low level ‘nobles’ power began to be aggregated into larger realms by aggressive kings. As time passed, the number of kingdoms declined and the power of individual kings waxed. And then the Vikings showed up and everything went arse over kettle.

It was interesting to read how the heptarchy, which I’ve often heard of, is more or less fictional, a simplification based on something existent in a brief period of time during significant political flux.

Maps are presented roughly at the start of each chapter and reflect the changing political state of play, which fluctuates wildly from the start to the finish. Useful for both British and non-British readers as there are some places that either don’t exist any more or were far more important in the past than they are today (it’s surprising how many settlements have lasted the millennium or more to still be around).

Incidentally, anyone after a similar time frame (400-1000 AD) but covering a much wider geographical area should definitely consider Chris Wickham’s The Inheritance of Rome, which is a cracking book.

Thaddeus

Review: The Middle Ages (Everyday Life in Medieval Europe), by Jeffrey L. Singman

Recently, as a belated (for obvious reasons) Christmas present I received The Middle Ages (Everyday Life in Medieval Europe) by Jeffrey L. Singman. As I found Ian Mortimer’s The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England very engaging I had high hopes for this. Did it fulfil them?

In a word, yes.

The period covered is a little broader than Mortimer’s 14^th century, covering the high Middle Ages (10^th to early 14^th). It’s also, interestingly, both more and less focused, using examples from across western and northern Europe. But the two-thirds of the book dedicated to specific chapters on life in village, castle, monastery, and town use specific examples from history to explore what life was like (in England for the first two and France for the latter two).

It’s a very easy to read book, with helpful information presented in tables (how much English/French money was worth, prices, the monastic calendar etc). Unusual terms are explained, and the author does a very good job of putting the reader in a medieval person’s shoes. If you’re into world-building then this would be a very worthwhile book to buy. But even if you’re not, it’s highly engaging, with many little details that help bring the dim and distant past alive (monks were only allowed to run if one of them was about to imminently die, or the monastery was on fire, for example).

In addition to the specific setting chapters there are a few others covering a more general medieval worldview, and certain big differences that might not be immediately obvious (labour and land were cheap, objects were very expensive so possessions tended to be far fewer than today).

Very interesting book, and well worth reading.

 
Thaddeus

Review: Rhythm of War (Stormlight Archive book 4), by Brandon Sanderson.

This one took me a while to read because it’s quite hefty at over 1,200 pages. Returning to the world of Roshar, there are spoilers aplenty for preceding books in this review. So, beyond the cover below this paragraph, be aware of that.

 

We find war ongoing between the coalition of countries/leaders, led by Dalinar (master of the ancient tower of Urithiru), and the immortal (but also partly insane) Fused, led by the domineering god Odium.

The enemy is no fool, and has a number of intelligent leaders who aim to use a combination of treachery and sly, bold manoeuvres to rob the Urithiru alliance of their single greatest asset.

Advancing technology in a fictional world, particularly one with a developed magic system, is an interesting part of the story, and from the flying ship to certain other innovations, they add to the plot in a credible way, mingling magic and science.

There’s quite a lot in the way of mental health as a major theme, with addiction (Teft), being ground down (Kaladin), and what feels to me like the dulled, almost drug-like state of functional existence of Moash (we spend a lot less time with him). Perhaps most of all, the multiple personalities of Shallan. By and large it does fit in with the world and story, although there are parts where it feels Kaladin’s situation gets too much word count, which slows the pace.

However, I should stress this is very much not a problem in the last couple of hundred pages where there’s an excellent sense of crescendo building as the various plot points come to a head and leave them very nicely poised for the next instalment.

I also very much enjoyed (again) Taravangian, the elderly man who can vary from Machiavellian ruthless genius to eminently likeable yet pathetically ineffectual. In addition, portraying the enemy not as uniformly evil or mindless villains helps to make both the storylines more complicated and the world/plot more credible.

The Stormlight Archive is one of a few fantasy series I have on the go, and I’m looking forward to the next part.

Thaddeus

Review: Assassin’s Fate, by Robin Hobb (book 3 of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy)

And so to the third part of the third trilogy featuring the eponymous Fitz and the Fool. I’ve been a little slower reading this than the others, partly due to a natural tendency to drag out endings of books/series I enjoy.

But I devoured the last two hundred pages in a little over a day. The climax of the story as our namesake heroes head to Clerres to try and wrest Bee, Fitz’s daughter, from the vicious, torturous grasp of the Servants is a highlight of the trilogies. I won’t betray the ending, but I found it to be perfectly done.

Naturally, there are spoilers for earlier entries in this series, as well as the preceding trilogies (Farseer, and Tawny Man).

 

The main characters have come a long way from the first book, and are accompanied by Lant (the son of Chade, who was Fitz’s mentor), Spark (Chade’s last protégé as a shadow-sneaking thief-spy-assassin), and Perseverance, the aptly named stableboy who has sworn to rescue Bee. There are some unexpected allies both within and without Clerres, some of whom may be more trouble than they’re worth. Will Bee survive? Will she see her father again? And will saving her cost him his life?

As always, Hobb absolutely excels at emotive writing that’s also incredibly easy to read, letting the reader get swept away on a churning river that ranges from slow sentimentality to rapid stress, gnawing dread, and tentative hope.

It’s a wonderful book, and if you’ve got this far then frankly you’re a daft sod if you miss out on the final book in the final trilogy.

Thaddeus

Deadly Games (Emperor’s Edge Book 3), by Lindsay Buroker

The previous entries in this series have been reviewed here for book 1, and here for book 2. There may well be spoilers for earlier instalments within this review.

Amaranthe and the assorted members of the Emperor’s Edge (think steampunk A-Team) return just as the fictional equivalent of the Olympics are being held. But athletes are going missing, and nobody knows why. The Emperor’s Edge sets about investigating, only for a couple of their most capable warriors to captured, leaving Amaranthe and the rest to try and work out where they are and how to save them.

The side-plot is trying to get a newspaper editor on-side to get some good PR to counteract the widely held but false perception of the group as terrorist, violent nutcases.

One thing I like about this series is the character development, which falls into neither the trap of becoming stale nor into overly rapid/inconsistent changes. The people do change in a natural, credible way, and while each individual adventure is largely self-contained, the underlying group dynamics evolve along the way (reminds me a little of Tales of the Ketty Jay, by Chris Wooding, in that regard).

Similarly, the tone remains as before, adventurous and occasionally a little serious without straying into grimdark. It’s a really easy read, a rollicking tale of good versus evil, with occasional moral ambiguity and genuine tensions between mercenaries. And the ending is very good as well.

In short, if you liked the first two entries in the series, the third book will also be right up your street. 

Thaddeus

Review of Fool’s Quest (book 2 of Fitz and the Fool), by Robin Hobb

Alarmingly quickly after finishing the first book (reviewed here) I polished off the second in this third trilogy by Robin Hobb. I’ll keep things as light as possible but there will necessarily be spoilers for the first book below.

Lashings of anguish and concern lace the storyline, which has twists that turn things around in a way that’s credible and fits perfectly with the characters and plot.

Bee and Shun have been taken, but Withywoods is far from Buckkeep and a lingering curse means word will be a long time coming. Will Fitz and his allies find out in time, or will his daughter and ward be spirited away to the unknown realm of Clerres, out of reach forever?

The story feels quite close rather than being grand in scale, but loses none of its impetus or urgency for that. Indeed, the more personal stakes make it more immediately sympathetic than a global war or suchlike. As an undertone, the ageing Fitz seeing the court change around him and his old ways becoming outdated has a sentimental realism that can be readily appreciated, whether the reader is old or not.

As before, I read this book far faster than my usual rather sedate pace, in much the same way I eat chocolate rather more enthusiastically than lesser treats. I’m taking a short break before I start the third and final book.

Thaddeus

Fool’s Assassin (book 1 of Fitz and the Fool), by Robin Hobb

What to say about this book? It’s as effortless and excellent to read as one can imagine, and brings me right back to the preceding trilogies, which are amongst the best fantasy I’ve ever read. Hobb excels at placing a reader in her characters’ shoes and extorting emotive responses (don’t think I’ve ever encountered a writer better at that). And this return to Fitz and the Fool is no different.

We return to an older Fitz, in a sort of relaxed retirement at his father’s old country estate. All is well, which is a sure sign it won’t be that way for long. He’s still in touch with old friends in the capital but isn’t really involved in politics, and hasn’t assassinated anyone for quite some time.

It’s Winterfest, and a messenger turns up. But what’s the message, and who’s the sender? And who are the unknown strangers that have shown up?

This is the third of a series of trilogies, so it makes little sense to start here if you’ve never read the previous ones, (the Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies) but if you have these continue the story in splendid fashion.

Thaddeus

Review: Rome and the Mediterranean, by Titus Livy

This is the last of Livy’s books I had to read, and is also the last in chronological order, dealing with Rome’s antics primarily in Greece and Asia Minor (with other diversions in Iberia and Italy) during the first half of the 2^nd century BC.

It follows shortly after the end of the Second Punic War, so Hannibal is still around, as is Scipio Africanus, and it’s interesting to note that neither great man ended his days as he perhaps deserved. This is very much a purple patch for Republican Rome, a time of successful wars and expanding influence, the most significant steps since claiming Sicily in the journey to transforming the Mediterranean into a Roman pond.

Livy, as ever, is very easy to read and his mention of sources (often disbelief in lesser historians and backing up some details by citing Polybius as the origin) is useful. Perhaps more than the military endeavours it’s the individual (or cult) human stories that make the greatest impression. Philip V of Macedon and his family squabbles are a true classic tragedy, and the alarming changes and rise of Bacchus’ worshippers was as engaging to read about as it was disturbing.

There’s a pretty much continuous run of wars, primarily focused on Greece. The Romans receive an invitation to thwart Philip’s hegemonic ambitions and, given he sided with Hannibal during the Second Punic War, the Romans are only too pleased to accept. To the west, Iberian tribes continually rebel, and lose, and end up being pacified at the point of a sword. Similarly, Gauls in northern Italy reacquaint themselves with the hobby of losing to Roman armies.

And yet this military dominance is starkly contrasted by the seeming increase of bending the rules of the state, allowing personal feelings to override a sense of duty. The enervation of discipline in the luxury afforded by victory may have its very earliest origins here. The Bacchic depravities are the most obvious sign, but there are vendettas in the Senate (although these were present earlier as well). Some stark counterpoints exist, such as Marcus Porcius Cato and Lucius Aemilius Macedonicus, but the former was loathed for his energetic time as censor and the latter had to fight his own troops to be awarded a triumph because they disliked the old-fashioned discipline imposed upon them during his successful prosecution of the final war against Perseus’ Macedon.

It’s also interesting to note certain families having great sway and wondering how the early empire might have looked if we’d have Aemilius, Metellus, or Flaminius as the noble family rather than the Julio-Claudians of Caesar.

In short, if you enjoyed Livy’s other books you’ll certainly enjoy this one.

Thaddeus