Andrew Lacey's Blog
June 16, 2020
A little while ago I finished Hayden Wand's delightful ad...
A little while ago I finished Hayden Wand's delightful adventure, Hidden Pearls. The book is set somewhere between the late 1700s and early 1800s, and (mainly) follows the adventures of Constance Steele, a young woman from a large English family. She and her sister are orphans being raised, along with their cousins, by their grandparents. The book is reminiscent of Jane Austen's work, but has a clear identity and style of its own which makes it by far the best Austen-inspiration I have yet come across.Hidden Pearls was a delightful read, charming in all aspects.Charming is indeed the word which springs to mind most prominently when thinking about this story. It is fair to say that I was completely charmed by it; charmed by scoundrelly rogues, noble-hearted gentlemen and dignified (and sometimes undignified) ladies. The narrative sweeps through a wide range of settings, moving from England to Bermuda, land to sea, from elegant country mansions to cozy town houses. There was an excellently described presentation of period-era families, with a warm setting and nicely-drawn inter-character relationships. I found the pace was reasonably well balanced and the writing was of a high quality. The themes of Christianity were refreshingly well matched to the story. However, there were a couple of times when their directness came close to seeming out of place in the rest of the story’s setting. This was only a minor note of discordance in an otherwise gripping read. So, overall, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to those interested in good, clean, but by no means simple romances, families, lost identities, and the soul-feeding themes of honour, truth, self-discovery and faith.What detains you, good reader? Go forth and purchase Hidden Pearls at once…! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21416213-hidden-pearlshttps://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Pearls-Hayden-Wand/dp/1492262439
May 19, 2020
I have just had the honour to participate in one of Jenel...
I have just had the honour to participate in one of Jenelle L. Schmidt's wonderful character interviews!
So, today we are introducing Alan de Martreu, one of the main characters from Bridge of Honour. Check out the interview to meet Alan and learn more about the world of medieval Wales and England.
https://www.jenelleschmidt.com/blog/2020515interview-with-a-knight
So, today we are introducing Alan de Martreu, one of the main characters from Bridge of Honour. Check out the interview to meet Alan and learn more about the world of medieval Wales and England.
https://www.jenelleschmidt.com/blog/2020515interview-with-a-knight
May 4, 2020
The Master of Verona by David BlixtThis book was a deligh...
The Master of Verona by David BlixtThis book was a delightful exploration of Medieval Italy, following the adventures of the poet Dante and his children. Set in the city of Verona, the story was full of intrigue and suspense, with mysterious villains and endearing heroes alternately wielding swords and Latin quotations…
I was impressed with the high level of the story’s dramatic appeal; while it did not appear rushed, the narrative was highly riveting. The characters were excellently portrayed and Blixt does a good job of portraying medieval figures in a way that makes them relatable, while retaining elements that allowed me to view them accurately within their historical setting.
I did find that there was some use of modern language, which jarred somewhat with the tone of the work in its historical context, but this was a minor issue that did not occur often enough to detract from the story’s overall splendour.
Highly recommended for those interested in adventure, intrigue and Medieval Italy.
For those looking for strictly clean reads, I would advise that the story contains the occasional crude reference, low level swearing that is Medievalized, and some very brief romantic description. Overall, I thought it was fine...use your discretion when reading.
View all my reviews
April 23, 2020
In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses,...
In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row...
Tomorrow is April 25th, Anzac day, the day we remember those who gave their lives in armed conflict in the service of our nation.
I thought this would be a fitting subject for this blog. Remembrance is central to history...it is often how we practice history and the reason why we learn it.
For New Zealanders and Australians, the commemoration of Anzac Day is all about remembrance. But I believe that it should embrace a much deeper perspective than a mere mournful contemplation of the lists of our fallen dead.
Too often, I think, we can get into the habit of mentally connecting Anzac Day with nothing more than a grave acknowledgment of war and death. We look back at it from a vast distance now, (over a century ago to WWI) and think, 'oh, that fighting that took place, yeah, very sad all that loss of life.' And sometimes I get the feeling that that is as far as it goes. But if we pause for a moment and think about it, we will realize that there is much more that can be found in the history of the Anzacs.
Soldiers who fought and died in past wars of undreamt-of carnage, did so for certain reasons, with specific motivations and often out of specific approach to life. Evil does exist in this world, and while we are not always right in identifying it, it must be opposed. Whether or not we agree with all the varying reasons, both past and present that are put forward for different wars, the fact remains that principles, virtues, and ideas were inextricably embroiled with them. They serve, even today, as some of the most moving and motivational examples that history can offer us.
I think that these are the aspects we should revisit and study when we remember our dead on Anzac Day.
Freedom, courage, the threat of cruelty and the beauty of sacrifice are all important elements of the Anzac story that we ought to ponder more deeply when we see the red poppies. What can our past heroes show us by their example? Even today, what lessons should we learn from them?
Courage to face the most horrifying destruction with set teeth?
The determination to never turn our backs to cruelty?
Yes, we should remember the deaths with feelings of sadness for the loss of life, much of it perhaps a needless loss of life. But we should also remember how those lives were lived and what they tell. The breeze among the poppies shouts louder than all the guns of the Western Front.
Lives given for others are not lives that have lost.
I recently found this song by Alan Brydon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDthFz_U7Zc and while its not specifically about the Anzacs, it speaks to their story too. Check it out and don't feel any shame if you shed a tear.
Poetry - what better time for stately, moving verses? Here is a link to some Anzac poems, lots of info and some beautiful stanzas.
https://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com/category/anzac-poetry/
A Brown Slouch Hat - J Albert & Son, Sydney, 1942 https://anzacday.org.au/a-brown-slouch-hat
Lest We Forget
Tomorrow is April 25th, Anzac day, the day we remember those who gave their lives in armed conflict in the service of our nation.
I thought this would be a fitting subject for this blog. Remembrance is central to history...it is often how we practice history and the reason why we learn it.
For New Zealanders and Australians, the commemoration of Anzac Day is all about remembrance. But I believe that it should embrace a much deeper perspective than a mere mournful contemplation of the lists of our fallen dead.
Too often, I think, we can get into the habit of mentally connecting Anzac Day with nothing more than a grave acknowledgment of war and death. We look back at it from a vast distance now, (over a century ago to WWI) and think, 'oh, that fighting that took place, yeah, very sad all that loss of life.' And sometimes I get the feeling that that is as far as it goes. But if we pause for a moment and think about it, we will realize that there is much more that can be found in the history of the Anzacs.
Soldiers who fought and died in past wars of undreamt-of carnage, did so for certain reasons, with specific motivations and often out of specific approach to life. Evil does exist in this world, and while we are not always right in identifying it, it must be opposed. Whether or not we agree with all the varying reasons, both past and present that are put forward for different wars, the fact remains that principles, virtues, and ideas were inextricably embroiled with them. They serve, even today, as some of the most moving and motivational examples that history can offer us.
I think that these are the aspects we should revisit and study when we remember our dead on Anzac Day.
Freedom, courage, the threat of cruelty and the beauty of sacrifice are all important elements of the Anzac story that we ought to ponder more deeply when we see the red poppies. What can our past heroes show us by their example? Even today, what lessons should we learn from them?
Courage to face the most horrifying destruction with set teeth?
The determination to never turn our backs to cruelty?
Yes, we should remember the deaths with feelings of sadness for the loss of life, much of it perhaps a needless loss of life. But we should also remember how those lives were lived and what they tell. The breeze among the poppies shouts louder than all the guns of the Western Front.
Lives given for others are not lives that have lost.
I recently found this song by Alan Brydon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDthFz_U7Zc and while its not specifically about the Anzacs, it speaks to their story too. Check it out and don't feel any shame if you shed a tear.
Poetry - what better time for stately, moving verses? Here is a link to some Anzac poems, lots of info and some beautiful stanzas.
https://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com/category/anzac-poetry/
A Brown Slouch Hat - J Albert & Son, Sydney, 1942 https://anzacday.org.au/a-brown-slouch-hat
Lest We Forget
