Day: October 12, 2014
Review of ‘Another Space in Time’
If you’re a fan of esoteric, boundary jumping fiction, Richard Bunning’s Another Space in Time is the book you should read.
Arthur Fieldman is given a new lease on life when the heart of recently deceased Rodwell Richards is transplanted into his body. Problem is – Rodwell’s memories, or some semblance thereof, come with the heart.
Bunning explores a whole host of –isms, philosophies, and schools of thought in this sometimes funny, sometimes eerie romp with Arthur as he tries to come to grips with his ‘new’ existence. Bunning not only creates a whole new world, but does the full monte by creating a new calendar, time system – the whole shooting match. He even comes up with a new version of Latin; and it works.
Not since Doug Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy have I read an author who can just pull words and concept out of the deep recesses of his brain and make you believe the world he’s created as effectively as Bunning. If you want an entertaining weekend read, you have to get this book.
Five stars as soon as I pick myself up off the floor.
Review of ‘Orphan of the Olive Tree’
In 1260, after the battle between Sienese and Florentine forces in Tuscanny, lifelong friends, Enrico Ventura and Carlo Benevento, who have stood together in battle, make a vow to wed their firstborn children. Carlo, crippled before battle, and Enrico, seriously wounded during the battle, though they might be the vest of friends, do not take into account the relationship between their spouses, Prudenza and Felicia.
Jealous of Felicia for being the first to become pregnant, and then having twin boys, Prudenza casts the evil eye on her. Learning of this, Felicia goes to the sorceress Cosma and obtains the knowledge to cause the evil spell to rebound, and thus the lives of the Venturas and Beneventos take an eventful and nasty turn.
I received a free review copy of Orphan of the Olive Tree by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer, the first book I’ve ever read by this author. While I’m not normally a romance genre reader, I found this tale spellbinding and an absolutely fascinating read. The characters are complex, with the mixture of good and bad that is common in the human species, and the interplay – with a healthy dollop of romance as you might expect for the genre – between and among characters makes compelling reading. I particularly like the way Patzer inserts the history of the era into her story, making it a part of the characters’ lives, and thus bringing it to life for readers.
If all romance authors wrote like this, I’d be a total fan of this genre. For now, though, I think I’ll stick to reading Patzer’s books. An easy four-star rating.
Charles Ray's Ramblings 