What’s on my Shelf: September-October

Obviously, it’s been a while. I’ve basically got two, almost three, months’ worth of reading material to update y’all on. However, in my defense, one of these months (or at least 4 weeks between September and October) were the High Holy Days, and I didn’t spend time reading much outside my liturgy. Regardless, I have done quite a bit of reading, and I need to just get this over with. This time, however, I will try to be a spoiler-free as possible.

The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

When I left y’all near the end of August, this was something I had already begun to read. It is the second novel in Brennan’s Memoirs of Lady Trent series. As I said before, it is a brilliant blend of scientific observation, sociological commentary, and fantasy.

Like all accomplished authors, Brennan continues forming her world, not entirely unlike our own. In fact, her utilization of our world’s geography and history in adapting it to her world is fascinating. Half the time I’m reading, I’m picking up on nuances of both trying to guess which part of the world and history she’s referring to through her main character’s explorations. It keeps me on my toes, and I love guessing not only where I am, but when I am.

For example, I’m certain this particular book is written about both the African savannah and swamps drawing from elements of either the creation of the Suez canal or the South African Wars, more specifically what could be the Boer Wars or the Anglo-Zulu War. (I know very little about these conflicts, but it’s my first guess based on the events in the book.)

Additionally, her continuation of her character’s life, Lady Isabella Trent, is equally as captivating. You begin with her journey of becoming a natural scientist at the malleable age of eleven in book one, and she’s now a flourishing woman in her mid-twenties in book two. She’s gone on one expedition, is a mother and a widow, and continues to fight against the staunch conservatism which imprisons her sex.

I love watching Lady Isabella grow into a woman, overcoming her weaknesses all the while becoming more fearless. As someone who is about her age facing the reality that I live in a “man’s world”, I easily empathize with her journey. The context just makes it all the more intriguing.

I find myself continuously recommending this series to my friends for the sole reason of Brennan’s effortless capability to blend science, fantasy, and history into one world. It’s stunning, and I can’t wait to read more.

(And yes, I have started book three, Voyage of the Basilisk.)

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

You may recall this being on my “for later” shelf. What you do not know is that it is the first book in a series by Sarah J. Maas, a series which I very quickly devoured. The titles of all three books, sequentially, are as follows: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin.

Maas did an impeccable job of creating this fantasy world loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, only to take you far beyond, “And they lived happily ever after.”

If you’re a nerd like me, you know the original Beauty and the Beast by Madame Villeneuve, NOT Madame de Beaumont, is an intricate eighteenth century novel with an entire second “half” (more like three-fourths) describing both Beauty’s and the Beast/Prince’s personal histories leading up to the moment their destinies intertwine. One of the critical elements of said novel is the involvement of fairies within the narrative. In fact, they are almost half of the characters.

Now, I’m not sure if Maas is aware of it. (Considering her online bio and the intelligence of her voice within her writing, I’d doubt she is not.) Regardless, as someone who has read the actual original Beauty and the Beast, I was intrigued by the mentioning of fairies when I read the book description, and wanted to see if she incorporated some of those original elements into her version. I think she did, and it was so meta.

The first book stays fairly close to the traditional Beauty and the Beast plot points: woman is daughter of bankrupted merchant, she is doomed by a Beast to live as his prisoner, they fall in love, and through their love she breaks a curse on him thus saving his world from an evil enchantment. Only the depth of the plot goes further than the traditional fairy tale (pun intended).

Hiding amongst the subtle details of the first book is a looming threat of war between two different fae realms, one of which is the kingdom of Feyre’s (Beauty) beloved fae (Beast/Prince). Books two and three further develop this war as it comes to fruition in the latter, bearing down up Feyre and her new family of fae, threatening to destroy their dream of world where humans and fae live together in peace.

It should be noted that within this world, humans and fae are ethical enemies, both fearing and hating each other. Feyre overcomes her own racial prejudices, becoming a fae herself, and soon acts as a bridge between the two worlds as they collide within this war.

Like most teen/young adult literature today, it’s a bit dark, groping with deep psychological issues and sociological tensions much like our volatile culture today, but overall it’s a page-turning, thrilling drama.

And I’m still not recovered from it.