Heartstone - C J Sansom

Heartstone, the fifth in Sansom’s Shardlake series, continues the adventures of hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake. In this novel Shardlake travels to Portsmouth to investigate claims of abuse of a wardship trust, and to look into events that put a friend of his into Bedlam nineteen years previously.

Once again, Sansom really shines in his vivid descriptions of Tudor life – not only do you get the sights and sounds of the time, but the smells, physical sensations, and everyday inconveniences. Even descriptions of naval skirmishes with the French are gripping, and really put you into the heart of the action, and I normally get rather bored during battle descriptions. The bustling military encampments, overcrowded cities and (on the surface) serene, secluded country estates all leap off the page and into the mind’s eye. Maps of Shardlake’s journey and of the areas he visits really add to the immersive quality of the story and allow the reader to trace, in physical terms, the location of the action.

I did find this novel slightly less enjoyable to read than its predecessors, in part perhaps because so few of the characters the reader spends most of the time with are likeable. There is a sense of frustration during parts of the narrative where investigations seem to be going round in circles, which certainly mirrors that felt by the protagonist, but makes for more difficult reading. That said, the dénouement turns assumptions on their head and puts a new perspective on events.

Historical cameos featuring Henry VII, Catherine Parr and the Mary Rose, among others, are done deftly and without ostentation, blending seamlessly into the landscape of the novel without any sense of being unnecessary or out of place.

In short, another wonderfully vivid and compelling instalment in the Shardlake series. Wikipedia tells me to expect book six, Lamentation, sometime this year, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.

Next up: The Island of Dr Moreau, by H G Wells

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

I don’t normally like to post mean reviews, but at this point I think Stephenie Meyer is rather too rich to

care, and is probably quite used to receiving hate mail as well as the locks of hair and used underpants belonging to overexcited and slightly confused young women who think she keeps Edward Cullen somewhere on her person.

Admittedly, The Host is better than Twilight. Significantly better, in fact. The plot actually sounds promising: an alien invasion by parasitic creatures that attach to the spines of their hosts and continue to live their lives as normal until virtually the whole planet is taken over, leaving only tiny pockets of still-human resistance. The narrative is told by one of the alien consciousnesses themselves, which is also an interesting concept.

However, it’s at this point that promising sci-fi originality goes out of the window and Meyer’s compulsion to turn everything into a vapid teen romance steps in. Instead of choosing one of the many interesting potential avenues, Meyer focuses on our alien protagonist Wanda and her human host Mel’s inner girlish arguments, and on the fact that Wanda appears to have inherited Mel’s love interest in her boyfriend Jared.

Wanda decides to search for Jared and her brother Jamie, who are sheltering in a cave in the desert. She’s taken prisoner by the community Jared and Jamie have joined, and, now that Mel’s been taken over by the enemy, Jared is full of hatred for her and immediately proclaims that she should be killed. Although Wanda and Mel manage to gradually win over the trust of most of the community, Jared is staunch in his opinion, and even hits her several times, giving her noticeable injuries and facial scarring. She continues to try and gain his trust by putting herself last in everything and generally acting like a doormat, refusing to stand up for herself even to save her own life. Just as women should do in the face of domestic violence, apparently. Thanks for that, Meyer.

Despite the advances of attractive nice guy Ian, who has come to like Wanda for who she is now rather than Mel as she was previously and acts as protector and comforter to her, both Wanda and Mel cling to their desperate love for the man who quite literally wants to murder them for the majority of the novel. I was worried, given the fact that virtually the same situation happens in Twilight (ie. Edward literally wanting to kill Bella most of the time, and I’m-your-totally-platonic-friend Jacob doing everything for her and being off-handedly rejected for not being her true love), that the Wanda-Mel composite would end up somehow living happily ever after with the violent unpleasant Jared.

However, after telling her that, “You are the noblest, purest creature I've ever met. The universe will be a darker place without you,” (a compliment she was clearly fishing for from the very beginning of the novel), her friends collude to transplant her consciousness into a vacant body (another young, attractive female, obviously), conveniently saving her the trouble of going through with her difficult decision to leave Mel her own body back at Wanda’s expense. Wanda and Ian can live happily ever after, and Mel is lucky enough to have her boyfriend back – the one who weeks ago beat her repeatedly and wanted to kill her. Lucky, lucky Mel. But apparently he’s hot, so that’s what matters.

So, um, yes. Always submit meekly to your one true love, even if he beats you and threatens to kill you, and everything will be ok, until you… get transplanted into someone else and can have the nice guy? I’m still quite confused about the message I’m getting from this one.

Next up: Heartstone, by C J Sansom

Dark Fire - C J Sansom

I finished my second night shift in a row this morning, and between wanting to pass out and continually having to ask myself 'what day is it?', this post may not make much sense. But I'll do my best!

I have to admit that I have difficulty remembering which of Sansom's Shardlake series I've already read, which is why I'm reading the second novel after having already read the third (Sovereign) and fourth (Revelation). That's not to say that they're forgettable - anything but. I blame the short, slightly abstract titles - while they are all relevant to the action, I find I have to really think to figure out which plot was which from the titles alone.

Dark Fire is about the rediscovery of the deadly weapon, Greek fire, in Tudor London, with (as always) a murder investigation thrown in. Hunchbacked lawyer Matthew Shardlake navigates a political minefield, caught between Thomas Cromwell and the factions seeking his overthrow.

Sansom balances mystery, action and intrigue perfectly, with a tempo that draws you in and keeps you hooked throughout. At over 500 pages, this isn't a short novel, but it's one you never want to put down. He creates three-dimensional flawed but mostly likeable characters, even where historical cameos are concerned.

One of the things I really love about this series is the way the historical setting is conveyed - the descriptions have a really tactile quality which places you firmly in the bustling, stinking, dangerous city that is 1540s London, and contemporary events are integrated seamlessly. You never feel like you're having a history lesson, but you come away feeling as though you understand and have experienced life in that time in a way plain facts can never give. I find reading historical novels one of the most effective (and enjoyable!) ways to learn about history - on my masters course we were actually recommended Ellis Peters' wonderful Cadfael series as a way to learn more about Medieval legal administration.

Dark Fire definitely doesn't disappoint - it's gritty, engaging, and keeps you guessing right until the end, without the solution to the mystery being so convoluted you feel you never had a chance to figure it out. If you're a fan of history or mystery novels (you can tell I'm sleep-deprived because I find it very funny that that rhymes), I wholeheartedly recommend the entire Shardlake series. I've still got number five (Heartstone) to read, and am looking forward to it immensely.

Next up: The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger