I have a new post up today on my writing group blog, about learning from a writing device that doesn’t work. I’m not usually a reader of horror because I don’t like being disturbed…but there is one way to tell a horrible story that ends up not bothering me. Though that’s not at all what the author intended! Come by and read the post, and then let me know if this is just me, or if you have the same experience with Hidden Horrors…
Author: cherylmahoney
I'm a book review blogger and writer. I have published four novels, The Wanderers; The Storyteller and Her Sisters; and The People the Fairies Forget; and The Lioness and the Spellspinners. All can be found on Amazon as an ebook and paperback. In my day job, I'm a Marketing Specialist. Find me on Twitter (@MarvelousTales) and GoodReads (MarvelousTales).
Rapunzel’s Revenge
In between sections of Les Mis last week, I picked up the far lighter Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. I’ve loved Shannon Hale’s novels, and naturally I was intrigued by a graphic novel retelling of “Rapunzel”–and apparently one with a very awesome heroine.
Happily, I was not disappointed. This takes “Rapunzel” as its jumping-off point, but mostly tells an original story. Mother Gothel did steal Rapunzel as a small child, but in this version she’s using her magic to rule over the surrounding country, and keeping Rapunzel’s real mother as a slave in her mines. When Rapunzel discovers the truth and reacts defiantly, Mother Gothel locks her up in a tower…where an effect of Mother Gothel’s growth magic causes Rapunzel’s hair to get longer and longer. This Rapunzel rescues herself, and sets off to fight Mother Gothel and free her mother, joining forces with a good-hearted if slightly inept young man named Jack for a series of adventures.
There’s a bit of an Old West flair to this magical world, not the least in Rapunzel’s outfit. She puts her hair into two braids and uses them as ropes or as whips, as the situation calls for it. The idea of Rapunzel using her hair as a weapon is pretty awesome. It’s a little similar to Tangled, but this Rapunzel has a lot more control of her hair than Disney’s Rapunzel.
I rather enjoy the gender role reversal too. Jack has his talents, but he’s not as good a fighter as Rapunzel–and seems to be remarkably well-adjusted about that fact. They’re clearly partners and mutually respect each other…and it’s fun to see the girl be the more aggressive half of the partnership.
This is an excellent, light retelling of a fairy tale–with an awesome, braid-toting heroine! I’ve already got the sequel on request from the library.
Author’s Site: www.shannonhale.com
Other Reviews:
Fyrefly’s Book Blog
EA Younker
Tales Old as Time
Anyone else?
Buy it here: Rapunzel’s Revenge
It’s…Not Quite Monday, But What Are You Reading?
As usual, I’m joining in a little early for the Book Journey meme, “It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?”
I haven’t had much to report here recently, because I spent two weeks reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I turned the last page Friday evening–loved it, won’t even begin trying to unpack it here. Stay tuned for a review (maybe more than one…it’s long, you know?) In between volumes of Les Mis, I had some fun with graphic novels, and The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury.
Looking ahead…yesterday at the library I picked up Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, Book Two in her series of sci fi fairy tale retellings. I waited literally months on the library hold list for Book One, Cinder, so for this one I was smart and got on the list much earlier. Scarlet just came out in February, and I’m excited to jump in–apparently it brings in Little Red Riding Hood!
I also have Imagined Lives: Portraits of unknown people, a collection of short stories inspired by, well, portraits of unknown people. I’m fascinated by paintings, especially portraits, and this collection is put together by my favorite museum (ever!), the National Portrait Gallery in London. Plus I saw a TED talk by one of the authors referencing the book, and have been intrigued ever since–and without even realizing that Terry Pratchett contributed a story!
After those two, I’m hoping to read Marie, Dancing by Carolyn Meyer–if Amazon and the Post Office cooperate with my plans and get it to me! I’ve read it before and it’s a pretty good historical fiction story about the model for Degas’ statue, The Fourteen Year Old Dancer. I must confess, though, I’m mostly interested in a reread for the sake of what it can tell me about life in the Paris Opera House, circa the 1880s. There’s not so much as a hint of a reference to Monsieur Phantom, but he was inhabiting the same time period…and I recently have been failing utterly to find an actual history book that will tell me about the Opera in that time. So I’ll see what fiction can offer!
That sums up my immediate plans…what are you reading? 🙂
Saturday Snapshot: Signs in London
I have a bit of a thing for British signs. I have a bit of a thing for London in general, but part of the fun is all those signs that remind me, subtly or not, that I’m not in Kansas–er, California–anymore. Here are a few favorites.
These are ubiquitous and remarkably useful. I spent a lot of time striding around London, and it meant surprisingly lot to not need to pause at every street corner and remember which direction the cars might be coming from. Quick glance down to orient, quick glance up to make sure nothing’s barrelling down, and on you go. We should have these in this country.
I have a mad fondness for terribly polite signs. It may be a bit harsh to remove innocent bicycles, but at least they warn you politely first. And speaking of politeness…
And the wonderful thing about this is that it works. You can get on these enormously high escalators, and everyone is standing on the right and walking on the left. We definitely need to import these signs to the United States.
I don’t quite know why, but I’m slightly obsessed with this sign about ventilation on the Tube. Maybe it’s just that there’s a four-syllable word on a sign on public transit, when they could have just said “air.”
This is a movie theatre down the street from Sherlock Holmes…nothing particularly British about it, but just fun. 🙂
Do you have favorite signs you’ve seen, in London or elsewhere?
Have a wonderful weekend, and visit At Home with Books for more Saturday Snapshots!
Wrapping Up the Sci Fi Experience for 2013
Is February over already? I don’t know about you, but January lasted forever and then I blinked and February was gone. That means it’s time to bid farewell to another year of the Sci Fi Experience, hosted by Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings.
I’ve had an excellent time in sci fi reading over the last two months. I started out with a big stack, and have read my way through nearly all of it. I dropped a couple of titles from my plans (one Trek book, after looking more closely at the writing, and one Pellucidar book when I realized it was later in the series than I thought) and I have one unread Star Trek book still sitting on my shelf and patiently waiting its turn. But other than that… Well, here’s the full list with links to reviews:
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (reread) – Group Read, Week One and Week Two
At the Earth’s Core and Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Star Trek
Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (reread)
The Abode of Life by Lee Corey
Star Wars: The Callista Trilogy
Children of the Jedi by Barbara Hambly
Darksaber by Kevin J. Anderson
Planet of Twilight by Barbara Hambly
I also got some Sci Fi on Screen viewing in.
I’m a bit sad to wrap up the Sci Fi…but mostly I’m looking forward to diving into some fantasy! And I have no doubt I’ll be continuing to read more science fiction anyway…if only because I added so many titles to my To Be Read list throughout the Experience. 🙂
Tales of the Marvelous 