Out of the Lion's Maw - Witold Makowiecki and Tom Pinch (Review)

Date of Reading: 25/5/2022

Author: Witold Makowiecki

Translator: Tom Pinch

Publisher: Mondrala Press

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

A European bestseller, un-put-down-able since 1946, now for the first time in English.

An elderly Zoroastrian priest and his teenage apprentice, a dark plot to foment a civil war. Can the two thwart it?

570 BC. The Old Mountain Lion, the predatory king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, has destroyed empires, razed cities, and driven whole nations into slavery. Now, he sews discord in the Mediterranean to soften up another victim for a surprise attack. It is up to the two unlikely heroes to try to foil the plot, and persuade kings, priests, bureaucrats, and generals to change their course. They race against the clock across the Mediterranean, pursued by spies, assassins, and eventually the whole state apparatus of eternal Egypt.

A classic tale of high adventure, full of white-knuckle twists and turns, cliffhangers and last-minute escapes, engaging characters, and sparkling humour. Continuously in print across Eastern Europe since 1946, it has been compared to The Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers.

Review:

       This was a moment of self realisation. For one, I never thought my knowledge of ancient civilisations was. . . ah . . . poor. I waded through different Mediterranean nations along with our protagonists with no idea of their present identities. When it comes to the Gods, the footnotes helped a lot. And here I am, awfully glad that I chanced upon this wonderful Polish work because of a random search in NetGalley recommendations.

        Since the blurb above doesn't give much on the story, let me enlighten you. Nehurabhed is a Medean high priest and envoy of the King and he is being held captive in Carthage. He escapes with the help of a Greek sailor, Kalias. Before fleeing Carthage they both save a boy who was sold to slavery. Melicles was captured by the pirates and had tried to escape from his plight many times. Finally Gods had answered his prayers. Nehurabhed finds in him an ally and helper and so the adventures of the duo begin.

        The combination of a wise, old man and a young, naive boy makes this story really a marvel. Nehurabhed's strange ways of finding solutions to each crisis make for many humorous and surprising twists while sixteen-year-old Melicles has a penchant for helping others. The journey opens new worlds to him and we, the readers, share his wonder and joy.

        There is no doubt that this is a timeless classic for both young and the old. Thanks to Tom Pinch we finally have an English translation. Highly recommended!

Meet the author:

Witold Makowiecki (born 1903 in Warsaw, Poland, died 1946 in Radomsk, Łódź province, south-central Poland) is a Polish agricultural engineer and writer, author of popular books for children and young adults, some of which are on the required reading list for Polish elementary schools today. Agricultural engineer by training, he had to abandon his profession for health reasons. Under German occupation during world war II, he took up writing for the young. He is the author of two popular adventure novels set in ancient Mediterranean world, written with his children in mind: Przygody Meliklesa Greka (The Adventures of Melicles the Greek) and Diossos. His books, written in the swashbuckling style, have helped to propagate familiarity with classical Greek civilization. Each book is a stand-alone volume, but the two are bound together by the appearance of the characters of Melicles the Milesian and Kalias the Syracusan. Due to their superior literary quality, both books have remained in print since their original publication in 1946.

Elizabeth of York: The Last White Rose - Alison Weir (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 21/05/2022

Author: Alison Weir

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: May 12, 2022

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours)

About the book:

AN ENGLISH PRINCESS, BORN INTO A WAR BETWEEN TWO FAMILIES.

The eldest daughter of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of a crown to call her own. But when her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, her destiny is rewritten.

Her family's enemies close in. Two young princes are murdered in the Tower. Then her uncle seizes power - and vows to make Elizabeth his queen.

But another claimant seeks the throne, the upstart son of the rival royal House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster - and change everything.

A great new age awaits. Now Elizabeth must choose her allies - and husband - wisely, and fight for her right to rule.

Review

        Before reading this book, I had never given much thought to this Yorkist Queen who united the houses of York and Lancaster. Considering her husband's temperament and her meek nature, I can see why historians didn't spare much time with her. The drama unfolded by her dear son is enough to fill the pages on Tudors, so a pious and charitable queen who always sees the good in others has been put backstage. 

        If the white rose of York represents purity, then Elizabeth embodies it. Not one to question the authority or the established traditions, she was taught to accept her destiny from childhood itself. Not much of a heroine figure, if you ask me. Her subservient nature and abhorrence of confrontations cost her the opportunity to share the power with her husband, Henry VII. On the other hand, her taking a step back in everything resulted in a peaceful marriage. 

        As you can see she is not a model woman for the present age. When you think back to the influential role her contemporary Queen Isabella played in Spain, she surely is a pitiable character. She never had much voice, not even when it comes to the lives of her own mother and sisters. Weir has captured quite vividly how the shifting power balance affects the lives of women. They are mere pawns in political transactions, denied even the freedom of a common woman to marry for love or continue in a marriage that they have come to love.

        Elizabeth's life may not be legendary, but she survived one of the most turbulent times England had undergone. What this novel offers is a captivating and unique picture of the Tudor era that is laying its foundations.

Meet the author:

Alison Weir is the bestselling female historian in the United Kingdom and has sold over 3 million books worldwide She has published twenty history books. Alison is also the author of twelve historical novels, including the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers. The complete short story collection, In the Shadow of Queens, accompanies this series. Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces.

A Magic Steeped in Poison - Judy I. Lin (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 2/5/2022

Author: Judy I. Lin

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: March 29, 2022

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Colored Pages Tours)

About the book:

I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother."

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favour from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

Review:

        I have been waiting to read this book for a long time. For one, even though this is part of a duology (I hate cliffhangers, by the way), the sequel is only months away from being released. And it is all about the art of tea making and the magic brewed with it. That is something I cannot say no to. Glad to say that the story doesn't disappoint.

        Ning is on a mission to save her sister from the brink of death. Her mother has already succumbed to the poison found in the tea leaves provided by the imperial coffers. Her only chance lies in winning the competition organised by the princess. Am I the only one here getting the 'Hunger Games' and 'Goblet of Fire' vibes? Well, don't expect something that nerve-racking; except for the last part, the story follows an even pace as soothing as the morning tea.

         That brings us to the most interesting part: the magic of the shennong-shi, masters adept in the art of tea-making. In a palace riddled with mysteries where every step could lead to danger, the competition adds another layer to the political intrigue. Not everything or everyone is what they seem. As Ning progresses through each round we are introduced bit by bit to the beauty of this art and when the shennong-tu's hands wield the tea, all the chaos seems to recede.

        The story explores the power of female relationships and thus all the major characters are women, except for Kang - the adopted son of the banished prince. His background is still shrouded in mystery, that is something to wait for in the sequel. Their sudden progress from friends to lovers might have taken me by surprise, still, I am rooting for this duo.

        A beautiful story that will ensnare you from the very beginning. Drinking tea will never be the same anymore.

Favourite quotes:

"Grief has a taste, bitter and lingering, but so soft it sometimes disguises itself as sweetness"

"The nice thing about getting old is you realize everything circles back on itself"

"Human hands make mistakes, Ning, but they are the hands the gods gave us. We use them to make amends, to do good things"

"We all have people we care about, those we would give our lives for. It puts us in danger, or makes us dangerous"

"There is a difference between living the suffering and reading about it"

Meet the author:

Judy Lin was born in Taiwan and moved to Canada when she was eight years old. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now divides her time between working as an occupational therapist and creating imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughter.