I can definitely appreciate that feeling of enjoying a book and feeling okay recommending it but at the same time just wishing it was just a little _more,_ and not because you got lost on hype or had expectations but because you saw the potential in the book itself. I appreciated your balance of praising what the book did well while still expressing disappointment, that can be a hard line to walk.
You nailed it! Part of it is that Kay's other books completely swept me away. I'm comfortable recommending this duology for other readers who aren't bothered by my nitpicks and might have a stronger emotional response than me. In fact, I've been highly recommending it to a fantasy reviewer who happens to be a glass professor/researcher. I think he would love it! There was still much to appreciate, and I always want to consider a variety of readers when reviewing a book. Thank you so much!!!
Though The Sarantine Mosaic didn't turn out to be your favorite story by Kay, I'm still looking forward to reading it as part of my GGK read through in 2025. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it here, Johanna! Also, great to hear your reactions to The Bluest Eye, another book I hope to read! I'm afraid I'm behind on The Great Ordeal as my SPFBOX reads are taking longer than I thought they would, but I'm looking forward to it very much.
Philip, please read The Sarantine Mosaic and show everyone how Yeats’s poems powerfully illustrate the themes and symbols in the story. I tried in our discussion, but some of my guests-who consider the duology an all-time favorite-failed to see the connections. I predict you’ll have the same nitpicks I had, but I also think the highs might hit harder for you than they did for me. I’m behind on The Great Ordeal as well, but we’ll get there! Thank you, Philip!
I really appreciate you taking the time to share your nuanced thoughts on this. Oftentimes I find more balanced reviews like this one to be the most helpful in recalibrating the top of my TBR and this video came to me at the perfect time for that.
Toni Morrison has been on my tbr for a while but she sounds like someone I have to be in the right mood for to appreciate. Haven't tried Sarantine Mosaic but I'm a bit of a GGK hater. Still enjoyed hearing your thoughts! I've been reading a fair amount of weird/unsettling stuff lately and it's mostly been excellent.
What an evaluation of The Bluest Eye!👏👏👏 Your point about this story’s power, its impact, in a large way stemming from the way the horrors of the book are normalized within the community Morrison writes about, was brilliant. Thank you. Read Beloved. Not now; when you are ready.
Many people have hyped The Sarantine Mosaic to me. I am reluctant to try it though I am a fan of Kay's writing. We ll see how it will turn to be. It was interesting to watch something that does not hype it. Also great that The Great Ordeal is on. This might be my favourite fiction book. It can arguably be the weirdest, most difficult book of the whole series, but I think it gas the most palpable atmosphere and tone and the greatest parts of Bakker's morbid imagination. A truly special book for the genre
Easily the book of Bakker's I look forward to reading again the most. I hope you like Sarantine Mosaic if you chose to read it. I personally don't care about hype.
I appreciated hearing your thoughts on Sarantine, Johanna. I feel like I’ve heard such glowing reviews, so it’s nice to hear some of the things that didn’t really work for you. I still want to read it, but I feel more informed going in. Thank you!
The writing in Bluest Eye really blew me away. She has such a command of language, and the the way she approaches difficult topics. I can see Octavia Butler having inspiration from her, in the way she handles hard situations.
Really refreshing to hear your thoughts on Sarantine, especially because I had not heard a women's perspective on the series before. Glad that you still found so much to appreciate in there though, GGK is just a master at his craft! Also, I really need to read some Toni Morrison already, but I just keep putting it off because I keep not being in the right headspace for such a heavy story. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, hope you are having a great start to October 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! Toni Morrison is brilliant and that book does require a certain head space. I wish I could've connected with The Sarantine Mosaic more, but I'm sure I will enjoy more from him in the future. Wishing you a wonderful October!
I burst out laughing at the 🌽y and 😘y aside after the very serious discussion that preceded it! You have a really interesting and keenly observed way of framing a book, so I wasn’t entirely expecting that shift 😆
So glad to hear you appreciated The Bluest Eye. After reading this twice, Beloved, and Recitatif, I do find it very difficult to pick up another Morrison so I completely understand!
Lots of heavy and thematic reads this month, it seems like maybe it wasn't the most "enjoyable" of reading months, but definitely got you thinking which I know is something you love about reading!
I didn't mention this in this particular video, but my cat passed away very suddenly at the beginning of the month. His passing and this particular combination of books didn't make for the most enjoyable experience, but my reading life is picking up this month so far! Thanks, Rodger!
@@Johanna_reads oh no I’m so sorry for your loss, losing furry family members is always so rough. I’m glad to hear your reading, and hopefully emotional state, are doing better this month!!
I'm glad to hear that you appreciated The Bluest Eye. It was certainly difficult for me to get through at times too. I've only read three of Morrison's books (Sula, The Bluest Eye, and Beloved) and despite the heavy subject manner I do want to continue on with her bibliography. She has some of my favorite prose I've come across.
Great breakdown on GGK! I agree, I really enjoyed it but it didn't hit quite as hard for me as Lions or Arbonne. But at the same time I definitely enjoyed it quite a bit more than some of his other work like Under Heaven, Ysabel, etc.
@@Johanna_reads GGK's spectacular, you can't go wrong reading anything from him. If you ever give that a try, would be interested to see your take on it!
Glad to hear your thoughts on The Bluest Eye. It’s a great book. I’m thinking of reading the second book in December. I feel like I might have been to caught up in the newness (to me) of the story and of Kay’s writing.
Thank you, Brian! I can now see why you're such a big fan of Morrison's writing. GGK provides a lot of exposition, so I can understand if that newness felt like overload at times. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Lord of Emperors!
I will definitely try Morrison on audio now, thanks for the tip. I've been debating which book of hers to read next--was hoping for one not so emotionally taxing--but I haven't decided yet.
I found her narration helped me flow with the rhythm of her prose all the more. It is definitely an emotionally taxing read! Thank you so much for watching!
Great video! I'm so happy that I finally watched a review of a GGK work where I felt like I needed to add it to my already too long backlog of books. Unfortunately, though, I might have to add some of Toni Morrison's works to the to long of a list. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Great Ordeal, as that and TUC are my favorite Bakker books. Thanks for sharing you thoughts
Thank you, Andrew! The Bluest Eye might've been the most disturbing book I've read all year, and Morrison's prose is superb! I'm going to dig into The Great Ordeal very soon! I can already tell it's going to be a very wild ride.
I'm just so intrigued by Kay but this year was a rollercoaster and didn't manage to read anything. But the inspiration for this one sounds so good! He always has a historical inspiration, right? Your reflexion about art, its meaning, and how it "preserves" was fascinating. Definitely an intriguing read, thanks for sharing Johanna!
Sorry for your loss, Johanna. Completely understand where you're coming from. I read Sarantine Mosaic very shortly after losing my grandmother (I finished StS on the ferry to the funeral, ironic given there's 0 sailing in StS 😂) and found it a very cathartic experience, though as a result Sailing to Sarantium stands out way more in my memory than Lord of Emperors does. I will say, i strongly agree with you on the horniness of the series, we didn't need that much page time dedicated to it given by Fantasy standards the books aren't that long. In September I've read: *DC Comics* Green Lantern: Secret Origin (re-read) Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis *Fantasy* Dunk & Egg 1: The Hedge Knight (re-read) - I was kinda underwhelmed on my first read, but on re-read I loved it. Rain Wild Chronicles 2: Dragon Haven Rain Wild Chronicles 3: City of Dragons Rain Wild Chronicles 4: Blood of Dragons - 1st 3rd of Dragon Haven was kinda rough but it really picked up after that. Overall it is my least favourite subseries of RotE, though I'd read it again. Fitz & Fool 1: Fool's Assassin - Book of the Month! Loved the Gothic atmosphere throughout and exploring the later years Fitz's life. My only complaint, is that there isn't enough of the Fool. *Image Comics* Criminal 1: Coward Written by Ed Brubaker | Art by Sean Philips - Read in a sitting! It's a series I'd been curious about for years. *Marvel Comics* Astonishing X-Men Complete Collection 1 Written by Joss Whedon | Art by Sean Cassaday Daredevil 1: Hell Breaks Loose Written by Saladin Ahmed | Art by Aaron Kuder - Thoroughly enjoyed this. Waiting for the next trade to come down a little in price. Moon Knight 1: The Midnight Mission Written by Jed McKay | Art by Alessandro Cappuccio - Love me some Moon Knight. *Mystery* Mystic River / Dennis Lehane - One of my favourites of the year! So far in October I've finished: *Fantasy* Memory Sorrow & Thorn 2: Stone of Farewell *Short Fiction* Hell is the Absence of God / Ted Chiang - I'm not a religious or spiritual person but gave me a lot to think about. As for what I'm currently reading: *Comics* Ultimate Spider-man 1: Married with Children Written by Jonathan Hickman | Art by Marco Checchetto *Fantasy* Memory, Sorrow & Thorn 3: To Green Angel Tower
Thank you so much! I'm sorry you also went through a significant loss when reading StS. The beginning and end of that book fit the tone of grief. Sounds like you had a great reading month!
Definitely on the same page with Sailing to Sarantium (book one at least) but man do you do a fantastic job describing the parts I really enjoyed as well!
Excellent review of Sarantine, Johanna! Even if you are on the list of enemies now 😆 I really need to pick up some Toni Morrison but I know it has to be the right time.
Thank you, Kyle! I'm glad you loved my review of The Sarantine Meh-saic! 😂😂😂 Yes, make sure you're ready to have your heart bruised when you read Toni Morrison.
I've not read every Kay book but I think I've got this right: Tigana - It's own world A Song for Arbonne - It's own world Fionavar - Portal Fantasy Ysabel - Our world Under Heaven & River of Stars - Their own world Sarantine Mosaic Lions of Al-Rassan Last Light of the Sun A Brightness Long Ago All the Seas of the World Children of Earth & Sky - Their own world.
I loved the way you talk about The Bluest Eye. Along with Ishiguro, Morrison is another author I really want to read. Baldwin is another… is he also on your TBR?
In September I read three Rosemary Sutcliffe novels: 2 YA Historical Fiction Novels, «The Silver Branch» & «The Lantern Bearers» (set in Ancient Britain during the Late Roman and the Roman Withdrawal & Saxon Invasions, respectively) and an Arthurian Historical Fiction novel, «Sword at Sunset», all loosely connectied to each other following a family over generations, with the POV character of «The Lantern Bearers» as a mentor figure and his son one of Arthur’s companions in «Sword at Sunset». I also finished «Sword in the Storm» («Rigante» series #1) by David Gemmell (S&S/Heroic Fantasy, inspired by Celtic Britain and the Roman Invasions) and «The Eternal Champion» by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse S&S/(Anti-?)Heroic Fantasy). Also finished «Lustrum» (US: «Conspirata», «Cicero»-Trilogy #2) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Statesman), that one or «Sword in the Storm» might be my Book of the Month! Cheers Johanna and stay safe!
Wonderful reading month!! I’m looking forward to reading Mary Stuart’s Crystal Cave next year. Arthurian historical fiction can be great! Happy reading!
Shame Sarantine didn’t reach the heights of your other GGK reads, and I fear the same thing will happen for me since I truly cannot imagine having an experience to the same level as the one I had with a Song for Arbonne-the most special read of my life by a pretty wide margin. I should be getting to Sarantine within a couple weeks so I’ll be right behind!
A Song for Arbonne is on a level all by itself! When you read Sarantine Mosaic, please don’t skip out on the Yeats poetry. It will make more sense after you finish the books. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 😊
I should read Kay in English I guess… I don’t have enough challenges for my self. 😎 But first Philip’s trilogy, Tad Williams in English… Esscelmont books also waiting for me. Your reviews are always great.
I have not read the Lord of Emperors yet or watched the spoiler section of your group discussion but I think you mentioned the women in Sailing: Spoiler for sailing to sarantium I agree the book feels dreamlike in the first half and that was 5 stars for me, but the second half not so much because those aristo women, they were complete dreck! I do hope they are not in the second one so much.🤞GGK’s editors should have put a kibosh on them!
Yes, you understand what I'm talking about! There were a lot of things to appreciate but not that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your reading experience, and thank you so much for commenting, Heidi!
I can definitely appreciate that feeling of enjoying a book and feeling okay recommending it but at the same time just wishing it was just a little _more,_ and not because you got lost on hype or had expectations but because you saw the potential in the book itself. I appreciated your balance of praising what the book did well while still expressing disappointment, that can be a hard line to walk.
You nailed it! Part of it is that Kay's other books completely swept me away. I'm comfortable recommending this duology for other readers who aren't bothered by my nitpicks and might have a stronger emotional response than me. In fact, I've been highly recommending it to a fantasy reviewer who happens to be a glass professor/researcher. I think he would love it! There was still much to appreciate, and I always want to consider a variety of readers when reviewing a book. Thank you so much!!!
Though The Sarantine Mosaic didn't turn out to be your favorite story by Kay, I'm still looking forward to reading it as part of my GGK read through in 2025. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it here, Johanna! Also, great to hear your reactions to The Bluest Eye, another book I hope to read! I'm afraid I'm behind on The Great Ordeal as my SPFBOX reads are taking longer than I thought they would, but I'm looking forward to it very much.
Philip, please read The Sarantine Mosaic and show everyone how Yeats’s poems powerfully illustrate the themes and symbols in the story. I tried in our discussion, but some of my guests-who consider the duology an all-time favorite-failed to see the connections. I predict you’ll have the same nitpicks I had, but I also think the highs might hit harder for you than they did for me. I’m behind on The Great Ordeal as well, but we’ll get there! Thank you, Philip!
I really appreciate you taking the time to share your nuanced thoughts on this. Oftentimes I find more balanced reviews like this one to be the most helpful in recalibrating the top of my TBR and this video came to me at the perfect time for that.
Thank you so much for this! It means a lot. Happy reading!
Toni Morrison has been on my tbr for a while but she sounds like someone I have to be in the right mood for to appreciate. Haven't tried Sarantine Mosaic but I'm a bit of a GGK hater. Still enjoyed hearing your thoughts! I've been reading a fair amount of weird/unsettling stuff lately and it's mostly been excellent.
Toni Morrison's writing is phenomenal but very bleak in the Bluest Eye. I hope you enjoy all the weird books!
What an evaluation of The Bluest Eye!👏👏👏
Your point about this story’s power, its impact, in a large way stemming from the way the horrors of the book are normalized within the community Morrison writes about, was brilliant. Thank you.
Read Beloved.
Not now; when you are ready.
Thank you, Bart! The way those everyday horrors were normalized was extremely unsettling. I will read Beloved when the time is right! 😅
Many people have hyped The Sarantine Mosaic to me. I am reluctant to try it though I am a fan of Kay's writing. We ll see how it will turn to be. It was interesting to watch something that does not hype it.
Also great that The Great Ordeal is on. This might be my favourite fiction book. It can arguably be the weirdest, most difficult book of the whole series, but I think it gas the most palpable atmosphere and tone and the greatest parts of Bakker's morbid imagination. A truly special book for the genre
Easily the book of Bakker's I look forward to reading again the most.
I hope you like Sarantine Mosaic if you chose to read it. I personally don't care about hype.
@@thatsci-firogue me too
The first pages in Chapter 1 of The Great Ordeal were so visceral. I can already tell I'm in for the wildest ride with that book. Happy reading!
I appreciated hearing your thoughts on Sarantine, Johanna. I feel like I’ve heard such glowing reviews, so it’s nice to hear some of the things that didn’t really work for you. I still want to read it, but I feel more informed going in. Thank you!
Thank you, Chas! I appreciate that so much and hope you enjoy it! 😊
The writing in Bluest Eye really blew me away. She has such a command of language, and the the way she approaches difficult topics. I can see Octavia Butler having inspiration from her, in the way she handles hard situations.
While I've only read Kindred, I thought about that comparison as well! So glad we got to read this one together!
Really refreshing to hear your thoughts on Sarantine, especially because I had not heard a women's perspective on the series before. Glad that you still found so much to appreciate in there though, GGK is just a master at his craft! Also, I really need to read some Toni Morrison already, but I just keep putting it off because I keep not being in the right headspace for such a heavy story.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, hope you are having a great start to October 🥰
Thank you so much, Esmay! Toni Morrison is brilliant and that book does require a certain head space. I wish I could've connected with The Sarantine Mosaic more, but I'm sure I will enjoy more from him in the future. Wishing you a wonderful October!
Great wrap-up, Johanna! I enjoyed your thoughts on the Sarantine Mosaic, even if our individual appreciation did differ in that one.
Thank you, Josh! ♥️
I burst out laughing at the 🌽y and 😘y aside after the very serious discussion that preceded it! You have a really interesting and keenly observed way of framing a book, so I wasn’t entirely expecting that shift 😆
Hahahaha! Glad to make it a little spicy!
Thanks so much for sharing your detailed thoughts, Johanna. Great video!
Thank you, John! I hope to read a Sarantine Mosaic review from you someday!
So glad to hear you appreciated The Bluest Eye. After reading this twice, Beloved, and Recitatif, I do find it very difficult to pick up another Morrison so I completely understand!
Than you, Ben! I'm looking forward to reading more from Morrison when I'm in the right headspace. Beloved might be next for me. She's brilliant!
Lots of heavy and thematic reads this month, it seems like maybe it wasn't the most "enjoyable" of reading months, but definitely got you thinking which I know is something you love about reading!
I didn't mention this in this particular video, but my cat passed away very suddenly at the beginning of the month. His passing and this particular combination of books didn't make for the most enjoyable experience, but my reading life is picking up this month so far! Thanks, Rodger!
@@Johanna_reads oh no I’m so sorry for your loss, losing furry family members is always so rough. I’m glad to hear your reading, and hopefully emotional state, are doing better this month!!
@@RodgersReads thank you! ❤️
Happy reading to you!! 😊
Thank you! You too!
I'm glad to hear that you appreciated The Bluest Eye. It was certainly difficult for me to get through at times too. I've only read three of Morrison's books (Sula, The Bluest Eye, and Beloved) and despite the heavy subject manner I do want to continue on with her bibliography. She has some of my favorite prose I've come across.
Thank you, Marianne! She is such a gifted writer! I just recently bought Beloved, and I'll certainly read it when I'm in the right headspace.
Great breakdown on GGK! I agree, I really enjoyed it but it didn't hit quite as hard for me as Lions or Arbonne. But at the same time I definitely enjoyed it quite a bit more than some of his other work like Under Heaven, Ysabel, etc.
Thank you so much! I haven't yet read Under Heaven. We shall see! 😅
@@Johanna_reads GGK's spectacular, you can't go wrong reading anything from him. If you ever give that a try, would be interested to see your take on it!
@@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels it's so true! I think he's got to be one of the best fantasy writers by far!
Glad to hear your thoughts on The Bluest Eye. It’s a great book. I’m thinking of reading the second book in December. I feel like I might have been to caught up in the newness (to me) of the story and of Kay’s writing.
Thank you, Brian! I can now see why you're such a big fan of Morrison's writing. GGK provides a lot of exposition, so I can understand if that newness felt like overload at times. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Lord of Emperors!
I will definitely try Morrison on audio now, thanks for the tip. I've been debating which book of hers to read next--was hoping for one not so emotionally taxing--but I haven't decided yet.
I found her narration helped me flow with the rhythm of her prose all the more. It is definitely an emotionally taxing read! Thank you so much for watching!
Great video! I'm so happy that I finally watched a review of a GGK work where I felt like I needed to add it to my already too long backlog of books. Unfortunately, though, I might have to add some of Toni Morrison's works to the to long of a list.
Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Great Ordeal, as that and TUC are my favorite Bakker books.
Thanks for sharing you thoughts
Thank you, Andrew! The Bluest Eye might've been the most disturbing book I've read all year, and Morrison's prose is superb!
I'm going to dig into The Great Ordeal very soon! I can already tell it's going to be a very wild ride.
I'm just so intrigued by Kay but this year was a rollercoaster and didn't manage to read anything. But the inspiration for this one sounds so good! He always has a historical inspiration, right? Your reflexion about art, its meaning, and how it "preserves" was fascinating. Definitely an intriguing read, thanks for sharing Johanna!
Thank you, Livia! This was definitely not my favorite Kay, but he never fails to convey beauty in his prose and theming!
Sorry for your loss, Johanna. Completely understand where you're coming from. I read Sarantine Mosaic very shortly after losing my grandmother (I finished StS on the ferry to the funeral, ironic given there's 0 sailing in StS 😂) and found it a very cathartic experience, though as a result Sailing to Sarantium stands out way more in my memory than Lord of Emperors does.
I will say, i strongly agree with you on the horniness of the series, we didn't need that much page time dedicated to it given by Fantasy standards the books aren't that long.
In September I've read:
*DC Comics*
Green Lantern: Secret Origin (re-read)
Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis
*Fantasy*
Dunk & Egg 1: The Hedge Knight (re-read)
- I was kinda underwhelmed on my first read, but on re-read I loved it.
Rain Wild Chronicles 2: Dragon Haven
Rain Wild Chronicles 3: City of Dragons
Rain Wild Chronicles 4: Blood of Dragons
- 1st 3rd of Dragon Haven was kinda rough but it really picked up after that. Overall it is my least favourite subseries of RotE, though I'd read it again.
Fitz & Fool 1: Fool's Assassin
- Book of the Month! Loved the Gothic atmosphere throughout and exploring the later years Fitz's life. My only complaint, is that there isn't enough of the Fool.
*Image Comics*
Criminal 1: Coward
Written by Ed Brubaker | Art by Sean Philips
- Read in a sitting! It's a series I'd been curious about for years.
*Marvel Comics*
Astonishing X-Men Complete Collection 1 Written by Joss Whedon | Art by Sean Cassaday
Daredevil 1: Hell Breaks Loose
Written by Saladin Ahmed | Art by Aaron Kuder
- Thoroughly enjoyed this. Waiting for the next trade to come down a little in price.
Moon Knight 1: The Midnight Mission
Written by Jed McKay | Art by Alessandro Cappuccio
- Love me some Moon Knight.
*Mystery*
Mystic River / Dennis Lehane
- One of my favourites of the year!
So far in October I've finished:
*Fantasy*
Memory Sorrow & Thorn 2: Stone of Farewell
*Short Fiction*
Hell is the Absence of God / Ted Chiang
- I'm not a religious or spiritual person but gave me a lot to think about.
As for what I'm currently reading:
*Comics*
Ultimate Spider-man 1: Married with Children
Written by Jonathan Hickman | Art by Marco Checchetto
*Fantasy*
Memory, Sorrow & Thorn 3: To Green Angel Tower
Thank you so much! I'm sorry you also went through a significant loss when reading StS. The beginning and end of that book fit the tone of grief. Sounds like you had a great reading month!
Definitely on the same page with Sailing to Sarantium (book one at least) but man do you do a fantastic job describing the parts I really enjoyed as well!
Thank you! We aligned so much with our feelings on this one!! 🙌
Excellent review of Sarantine, Johanna! Even if you are on the list of enemies now 😆 I really need to pick up some Toni Morrison but I know it has to be the right time.
Thank you, Kyle! I'm glad you loved my review of The Sarantine Meh-saic! 😂😂😂 Yes, make sure you're ready to have your heart bruised when you read Toni Morrison.
Wow, way to add Toni Morrison to my huge tbr! What a great review, colour me intrigued! Very interested to Dre how you get on with IT.
Thank you so much! I’m getting closer and closer to finishing IT!
I've not read every Kay book but I think I've got this right:
Tigana - It's own world
A Song for Arbonne - It's own world
Fionavar - Portal Fantasy
Ysabel - Our world
Under Heaven & River of Stars
- Their own world
Sarantine Mosaic
Lions of Al-Rassan
Last Light of the Sun
A Brightness Long Ago
All the Seas of the World
Children of Earth & Sky
- Their own world.
Thank you so much! I'll have to keep this handy.
Such eloquent reviews, as always.
Thank you so much! 😊
I loved the way you talk about The Bluest Eye. Along with Ishiguro, Morrison is another author I really want to read. Baldwin is another… is he also on your TBR?
Thank you, Wera!! 🤍 I haven't read anything by Baldwin. I'll have to figure out where to start!
@@Johanna_reads people often recommend Giovanni's Room! It'll probably be my first
@@valliyarnl Oh wow! I have heard about that book. Maybe I will look into it. Thank you!
In September I read three Rosemary Sutcliffe novels: 2 YA Historical Fiction Novels, «The Silver Branch» & «The Lantern Bearers» (set in Ancient Britain during the Late Roman and the Roman Withdrawal & Saxon Invasions, respectively) and an Arthurian Historical Fiction novel, «Sword at Sunset», all loosely connectied to each other following a family over generations, with the POV character of «The Lantern Bearers» as a mentor figure and his son one of Arthur’s companions in «Sword at Sunset». I also finished «Sword in the Storm» («Rigante» series #1) by David Gemmell (S&S/Heroic Fantasy, inspired by Celtic Britain and the Roman Invasions) and «The Eternal Champion» by Michael Moorcock (Multiverse S&S/(Anti-?)Heroic Fantasy). Also finished «Lustrum» (US: «Conspirata», «Cicero»-Trilogy #2) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Statesman), that one or «Sword in the Storm» might be my Book of the Month! Cheers Johanna and stay safe!
Wonderful reading month!! I’m looking forward to reading Mary Stuart’s Crystal Cave next year. Arthurian historical fiction can be great! Happy reading!
Shame Sarantine didn’t reach the heights of your other GGK reads, and I fear the same thing will happen for me since I truly cannot imagine having an experience to the same level as the one I had with a Song for Arbonne-the most special read of my life by a pretty wide margin. I should be getting to Sarantine within a couple weeks so I’ll be right behind!
A Song for Arbonne is on a level all by itself! When you read Sarantine Mosaic, please don’t skip out on the Yeats poetry. It will make more sense after you finish the books. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 😊
@@Johanna_reads thanks for the tip, I usually don’t have too much patience for poetry but I’ll definitely pay attention to it!
Have only read A Song for Arbonne by Kay and I think The Lions of Al-Rassan will be my next read by him. The Bluest Eye sounds very interesting.
A Song for Arbonne is my favorite by GGK, but The Lions of Al-Rassan is a close second for me. Enjoy!
I should read Kay in English I guess… I don’t have enough challenges for my self. 😎 But first Philip’s trilogy, Tad Williams in English… Esscelmont books also waiting for me.
Your reviews are always great.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy your epic fantasy TBR! 😊
@@Johanna_reads I always do. I don’t remember when I had to dnf a book. Not in this decade.
The Bluest Eye sounds like a brutal read. Honestly sounds more horrifying than anything im picking up for October.
It's the most disturbing book I've read this year, and that's saying a lot! 😅
a less than daily reminder that you should read KJ Parker
Noted 🫡 😅
I have not read the Lord of Emperors yet or watched the spoiler section of your group discussion but I think you mentioned the women in Sailing:
Spoiler for sailing to sarantium
I agree the book feels dreamlike in the first half and that was 5 stars for me, but the second half not so much because those aristo women, they were complete dreck! I do hope they are not in the second one so much.🤞GGK’s editors should have put a kibosh on them!
Yes, you understand what I'm talking about! There were a lot of things to appreciate but not that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your reading experience, and thank you so much for commenting, Heidi!
Hello there hey there hey Hello hey there
Hello there!