(no subject)
Yesterday I decided that on my lunch break I would walk down to the bookstore and have a light lunch. I had a coconut-lime-almond scone and a London Fog, which is something I have seen nowhere else but is earl grey tea steeped in steamed milk instead of hot water. It is quite good and remains the only way to get me to drink earl grey tea.
Anyway.
There was a local author there promoting her debut novel. I took a quick look. Fantasy, with sort of an Arabian Nights flavour, and I did the Arabian Nights, always have. I admit to having got a little tired of fantasy... so much of it is just yet another medieval setting, and there's only so much you can do with that. I still like it, though, so any time anything different comes along I'm all over that.
On a whim, I decided to pick up a copy. The author signed it; she was very nice and chatty, mentioned that the whole "locking all your princes into a big building to keep them out of trouble" thing is something they actually did in the Ottoman Empire, which is cool, and when she asked me my name, she told me that the protagonist in this other story she's working on is also named Jessie.
The book is The Princes of the Golden Cage, by Nathalie Mallet. I'm about three-quarters through right now, and I'm really liking it. It's fast-paced, with strong undercurrents of mystery, and it's caught my attention enough that I've been making up all sorts of theories as for what's going on. The plot is basically that in this annex to the palace where all the crown princes are kept, where they generally just engage in intrigue to make themselves look good and off their competitors for the throne, princes are dying in weird circumstances where black magic seems obvious, and the protagonist Prince Amir is vaguely suspected, because he's a studious sort of person, even if he's all "Magic does not exist, yo."
Er, without the yo.
It is really enjoyable. Give me a bit to finish it, and I'll probably give my official recommendation.
Now. I have waffles to eat.
Anyway.
There was a local author there promoting her debut novel. I took a quick look. Fantasy, with sort of an Arabian Nights flavour, and I did the Arabian Nights, always have. I admit to having got a little tired of fantasy... so much of it is just yet another medieval setting, and there's only so much you can do with that. I still like it, though, so any time anything different comes along I'm all over that.
On a whim, I decided to pick up a copy. The author signed it; she was very nice and chatty, mentioned that the whole "locking all your princes into a big building to keep them out of trouble" thing is something they actually did in the Ottoman Empire, which is cool, and when she asked me my name, she told me that the protagonist in this other story she's working on is also named Jessie.
The book is The Princes of the Golden Cage, by Nathalie Mallet. I'm about three-quarters through right now, and I'm really liking it. It's fast-paced, with strong undercurrents of mystery, and it's caught my attention enough that I've been making up all sorts of theories as for what's going on. The plot is basically that in this annex to the palace where all the crown princes are kept, where they generally just engage in intrigue to make themselves look good and off their competitors for the throne, princes are dying in weird circumstances where black magic seems obvious, and the protagonist Prince Amir is vaguely suspected, because he's a studious sort of person, even if he's all "Magic does not exist, yo."
Er, without the yo.
It is really enjoyable. Give me a bit to finish it, and I'll probably give my official recommendation.
Now. I have waffles to eat.