Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 47

Ancient Maps (a fetish)

I need to confess. I have a fetish for ancient maps. (Yeah, I know, shocking). I remember some that my father had hanging in the den, and I always loved looking at them. Given the subject period for Felix, I doubt you’ll be surprised at the squeals of glee I emitted when I came across two absolutely amazing and highly useful projects.

First is the Mapping Rome project. While the project builds up multi-layered, sophisticated maps, concentrating on the Forma Urbis Romae – the maps...

Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis (of Kindred Spirits: Royal Mile, by Jennifer C Wilson)

Dear readers, tonight with me is the ghost of the trusted lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots. She is here to tell us of royal life in in sixteenth century Scotland.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Ah, Scotland. We were a mobile household, but that’s what life was like in sixteenth century Scotland. I was one of seven, so they were lively times. That’s the thing about a good castle; what’s designed to protect and defend in times of siege and attack is g...

Action Choreography for Novels

This post arose out of my review of Six of Crows. I complained that many action sequences were problematic. I didn’t provide examples, to avoid spoilers and in fairness to Bardugo, but I think this subject deserves a full post. There were a few scenes in the novel, more than a passing oversight, where the action ejected me from the story with a thought of “This is impossible, as every student of Euclid should see”. The aim of this post is to ruin it for other readers give f...

The Hunter of Voramis (of Darkblade Assassin: Hero of Darkness, by Andy Peloquin)

Dear readers, tonight on the interview couch is the best assassin the world has ever seen. Driven by a cursed dagger with an unquenchable thirst for blood and death, he kills only those who truly deserve to die.

He’s here to tell us of his world and of fight for his life as he tries to find a way to atone for his mistakes.

Tell us a little about where you grew up and your history before becoming the legendary assassin of Voramis.

I have no memories of my childhood or anything before ar...

Book Review: Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo

When I first came across Six of Crows I filed it under “potentially interesting” in my TBR. I then got a copy for my daughter (who’s obsessed with Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass), and it seems I matched her tastes well. I decided to give it a read too.

What to expect

A tale of six teenagers in the wonderfully crafted “Grisha-verse” by Bardugo. The story proceeds on classic thriller themes of an impossible mission (prison break more than heist). Point of vie...

Rhuna (of Keeper of Wisdom, by Barbara Underwood)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a young woman who grew up on the fringes of the empire of Atlantis. 

She is here to tell us about her travels across oceans and ancient worlds (from Atlantis to Ancient Egypt), her inherent mental powers, and her mysterious visions.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up on a small island called Chinza.  It’s in the middle of the world’s biggest ocean and far away from any other place.  I didn’t even know that there was an...

Plotting? Pantsing? Plotsing!

In the eternal quest to improve my writer’s craft, I do three things. These are, for me, the three pillars that make the best, most stable structure for growth. They are:

Writing often (novels and short stories – there’s always something going on in my head) Reading voraciously (in and out of my particular genre mix – see my book reviews) Studying the theory about literature and story crafting (see for example my thoughts on Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules for Writing)....

Cora (of Grim, by Gavin McCallion)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a young woman, with a unique heritage.

With two dads and a year she was locked up in a basement and forced to practice her music, she has a very intriguing tale to tell.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Hey, I’m Cora, I’m nineteen and excellent. I’m from a little, angry, wet island called Wilson’s Well. It never stops raining and everything is grey. It’s a population of workmen, cafes and pubs. We’re all just getting by.

Livi...

Book Series Review: Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart

Whenever someone asks me about my all-time favourite books, I invariable whinge about not being able to choose just one. But if I’m pressed further, Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds is amongst the first books I’ll mention.

The novel tells of the first adventure of Number Ten Ox (the villager who’s telling the story) as he’s trying to solve the mysterious sickness that afflicted the children of his village. He teams up with master Li Kao, a rather eccentric octoge...

Shawn Kleiner (of The Blue Bells Chronicles, by Laura Vosika)

Dear readers, tonight with me is the world famous trombonist, Shawn Kleiner. He is here to tell us of his recent trip to Scotland with his girlfriend Amy – and what happened when she stranded him in a Scottish castle tower overnight.

Tell us about your life—back before this whole story started.

At the time, I had it all. Or I thought I did, anyway. I was rich. Well, I still am. More money than I know what to do with—except of course, provide for James—that’s my son, he’s just over a y...