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Jim Webster, (In On a Chance! )
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M.T.
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Mar 06, 2019 11:16PM
Was thinking the same thing.
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Shucks, chaps and chapesses! Thank you.
Mystery sheep delivery :)
yes you do wonder at people thinking they were real!
People don't pay attention.
That's true, and they see what they expect to seeBut have strange expectations ;-)
The brain fills in the gaps with any old rubbish that it finds lying around.
yes, and people see what they expect to see as well
And now two new collections from Tallis SteelyardTallis Steelyard. Deep waters, and other stories.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
More of the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. Discover the damage done by the Bucolic poets, wonder at the commode of Falan Birling, and read the tales better not told. We have squid wrestling, lady writers, and occasions when it probably wasn't Tallis's fault. He even asks the great question, who are the innocent anyway?
AND
Tallis Steelyard. Playing the game, and other stories.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
More of the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. Marvel at the delicate sensitivities of an assassin, wonder at the unexpected revolt of Callin Dorg. Beware of the dangers of fine dining, and of a Lady in red. Travel with Tallis as his poetical wanderings have him meandering through the pretty villages of the north. Who but Tallis Steelyard could cheat death by changing the rules?
How about this for a review, for The Cartographer's Apprentice: Leave Them Wanting More
From the amazon.com site
Ron K reviewed The Cartographer's Apprentice
Mapping the Future April 19, 2019
The Cartographer’s Apprentice by Jim Webster is a collection of four short stories that according to one reviewer serves as an introduction to the writings of Jim Webster. I stumbled across another of his works, Deep Water and Other Stories, got completely lost in the first thirty pages, and decided to find out more about this author and his stories. There are many novels in which an author gets praise for effective and complete world building. Jim Webster is the equal of any writer I’ve read. The world building element all by itself is on a level with Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and the fantasy novels of J. K. Rowling. The storytelling can become confusing for readers either not familiar with or unwilling to follow British English. This is writing that requires a reader to pay attention. Readers will not be sanctioned for the inattentiveness, but neither will they receive the full rewards of this excellent writing.
This is one of the few cases for which I looked at other reviewer comments before reading. Two reviewers commented; one with a four-star rating, another rated the collection at five stars. One reviewer commented that The Cartographers Apprentice was a good place to start with Jim Webster writings. That was the advice I was looking for. I have found sixteen Kindle publications by Webster. Although I can tell that they are all stand-alone works, I was looking for some organized way to approach them so I would at least be familiar with main characters as they entered the stage. Since this collection begins with The Prequel’s Prequel, I felt I was in the right place.
We begin in the Land of the Three Seas and meet Benor Dorfinngil, two elements which will appear in many later works. Benor begins this short story collection as a person in search of a trade. His father, Jillig, had already picked out a trade for Benor, he was to be a cartographer. Benor would leave Toelar and go to Meor in a sort of apprenticeship program. Benor could not understand why he could not hang out in Toelar and pursue one of his favorite hobbies, the pursuit of married women He did not have to do much pursuing of neighbor Haitha Giltbar; she seemed attracted to him. Expectedly, husband Gartan Giltbar, was not agreeable to Benor’s games, no matter who was the pursued and who was the pursuer. Throughout the stories in this collection, Benor will relocate often in service of his addiction. Benor became very skillful at departing homes in a hurry through windows and escaping along rooftops.
We next meet Benor after he has joined a group of fellow students as an articled Cartographer looking for his first assignment. What better place to find a job than by word of mouth in the company of friends while drinking? It was at The Gallows Tavern near the barracks at Ointment Gripe that the fellows would have their final meeting before taking separate paths to employment. Hurdelk, a miner’s son from Tarsteps, would go home to work with his father. Palothos Custeel would return to his family’s farm. Tiel was a new member of the group and had yet to start studying. He appreciated the company and the information he received from the new graduates. Benor had received hints from Hurdelk that there might be cartography work connected to the family mine in Tarsteps. The fifth member of the group was Amor Amiche-Aranillu, the son of a large landholder who also had many business interests in the town of Seramis. He didn’t mean much as a friend as he would die that same evening.
The above two paragraphs give a brief idea of the creativity of Jim Webster when it comes to names and settings. This passage describing the social stratification that exists in Tarsteps shows a different kind of creativity. Describing two classes of women: “…they are women from ‘Below the Drain.’ It is a woman thing. Women from Tarsteps Proper, or ‘Above the Drain,’ will only marry men who are taller than themselves. But women from below the Drain will happily marry men who are shorter than themselves. Hence the women from Tarsteps Proper regard the women from ‘Below the Drain’ as little more than hussies. Because of this, when out socially women from ‘Below the Drain’ wear veils to show that they are modest and concerned about maintaining proper decorum.” (Kindle Location 2014).
This deserves five-star Amazon. I am looking forward to reading all of his Kindle novels. The paperback editions cost too much.
Wow! Now that's serious fanning you've got there. Well done!
Yes I was impressed by the way they gave a taste but there were no spoilers
Yes, I'm shallow and easily pleased :-)
And another review! From a literary gentlemanFor Swimming for Profit and Pleasure
Will Macmillan Jones reviewed Swimming for Profit and Pleasure: The Port Naain Intelligencer
Fun, if a little damp! 2
Another fun romp for Benor. Dark doings below the waters of the harbour with a slightly gruesome twist at the end. Great fast read
Will is a gentleman? Well, well, well.
Gingerlily - Deleter of Worlds wrote: "Will is a gentleman? Well, well, well."Obviously he is, if he wasn't a gentleman he wouldn't have such good tastes in literature
I'm still dubious about that.
And another review!For A Much Arranged Marriage
Marriage Can Be Murder June 5, 2019
Tallis Steelyard in his position as a jobbing poet frequently encounters situations where he is asked favors, something he is almost always willing to do as a normal part of the networking a jobbing poet needs to do. Word-of-mouth fame brings business. When his latest potential patron, Mistress Bellin Hanchkillian asks him to do a favor for an old friend of hers, for Tallis it is an offer he can’t refuse. Mistress Bellin knows a lot about Tallis; she knows of wife Shena, Mutt, Shena’s assistant, and Benor, the Toelar Roof-runner, and cartographer who is temporarily staying with Tallis and Shena. Mistress Belin gives Tallis permission to share information with his close confederates to help solve a vexing problem of blackmail.
In A Much Arranged Marriage by Jim Webster, someone is threatening to reveal an unfortunate incident from the past about Fidelia, the granddaughter of Sophire Eranis, the friend of Mistress Bellin. It seems that Fidelia has returned to Port Naain after a long absence. She has become engaged to Thrab Jisqueal, one of the last surviving heirs to a fabulous family fortune. The engagement would not have surprised the residents of Port Naain; Fidelia had been seen in Thrab’s company before she left for several months in the company of her father for Prae Ducis. One of the reasons she had gone with her father was to avoid Thrab. She didn’t want to escape Thrab, but her father disapproved of him.
Returned to Port Naain and engaged to Thrab, a new complication came to the attention of Tallis via his patron. Vargan Acatour of Prae Ducis had shown up in Port Naain to look for wife Fidelia and their baby. A housemaid from the house of Sophire Eranis informed him Fidelia was dead; another servant told him the child was alive and was being looked after at a Foundling Hospital run by The Order of the Illuminated Seditionists. Mistress Bellin knew all of this was going on; she gave Tallis the mission of unscrambling the mess and finding a truth that would avoid a scandal for her old friend.
The above summary set up illustrates a few things. One of the joys of a Tallis Steelyard tale is names. Names of characters are so improbable they have their amusement factor. There is The Order of the Illuminated Seditionists. The explanation of why this title was adopted is given in the story. The thinking behind it is revolutionary. Later in the story, readers will encounter an authoritarian body known as The Council of Sinecurists. What a great name for a governing body of officials!
Language for Tallis and all associated with these stories veers between Victorian English on one side and made-up words tinged with sarcasm and humor on the other. One example is: “ Tomorrow the midden is going to hit the windmill.” (Kindle location 622). During one incident, a character must unobtrusively enter a building. How to do it is a problem. As with many cases, money is the answer. Seeing a sum of money exceeding his expectations, Tallis states: “For that sort of money we could get you in there riding in a chariot, drawn by usurers being flogged by naked harlots.” (Kindle locations 635-636).
While the story content and world building of Tallis Steelyard adventures are superior, I am addicted to the language play. This short story is a five-star Amazon read. I will read more by Jim Webster. I highly recommend Tallis Steelyard adventures.
And another collections of Tallis Steelyard stories.Tallis Steelyard. Gentlemen behaving badly, and other stories.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TRYZV6C
More of the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. Not only have we got Gentlemen behaving badly, we see Port Naain by starlight and meet ladies of wit and discernment. There are Philosophical societies, amateur dramatics, the modern woman, revenge, and the advantages of a good education. All human life is here, or at least such of it as Tallis will admit to.
Then there is
Tallis Steelyard. A guide for writers, and other stories.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
We continue to explore the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. In this invaluable publication Tallis Steelyard discusses the ways in which a writer can bring their work to the attention of the masses and more importantly, sell the book to them. As well as this, we have the importance of getting home under your own steam, music and decorum, brass knuckles for a lady, and of course, a few simple spices.
Surely this is the one essential book that every aspiring novelist should both purchase and study.
Oh look, a couple of new books have suddenly appeared on my tablet. I wonder how that happened...
Gingerlily - Deleter of Worlds wrote: "Oh look, a couple of new books have suddenly appeared on my tablet. I wonder how that happened..."'as if by magic' :-)
Funnily enough, in Tallis Steelyard. A guide for writers, and other stories. Tallis discusses the possibility of books in some sort of electric format
Woot! Excellent, I must hie me to Amazon and purchase those.
M.T. wrote: "Woot! Excellent, I must hie me to Amazon and purchase those."And I think I've sent you an invite to take part in the blog tour as well :-)
I've said yes to the tour. ;-) Let me know date and time, Saturdays are always great, and I can cue it up in advance.Cheers
MTM
Just bought them both. I'll review in due course (not too long, I hope).
Not one book but threeOn the Mud. The Port Naain Intelligencer
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mud-Port-Naa...
When mages and their suppliers fall out, people tend to die. This becomes a problem when somebody dies before they manage to pass on the important artefact they had stolen. Now a lot of dangerous, violent or merely amoral people are searching, and Benor has got caught up in it all. There are times when you discover that being forced to rely upon a poet for back-up isn't as reassuring as you might hope.
Tallis Steelyard and the Rustic Idyll
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
When he is asked to oversee the performance of the celebrated 'Ten Speeches', Tallis Steelyard realises that his unique gifts as a poet have finally been recognised. He may now truly call himself the leading poet of his generation.
Then the past comes back to haunt him, and his immediate future involves too much time in the saddle, being asked to die in a blue silk dress, blackmail and the abuse of unregulated intoxicants. All this is set in delightful countryside as he is asked to be poet in residence at a lichen festival.
And finally, for the first time in print we proudly present
Maljie, the episodic memoirs of a lady.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maljie-episo...
In his own well chosen words, Tallis Steelyard reveals to us the life of Maljie, a lady of his acquaintance. In no particular order we hear about her bathing with clog dancers, her time as a usurer, pirate, and the difficulties encountered when one tries to sell on a kidnapped orchestra. We enter a world of fish, pet pigs, steam launches, theological disputation, and the use of water under pressure to dispose of foul smelling birds. Oh yes, and we learn how the donkey ended up on the roof.
All a mere 99p each
Triple awesome!!! Off to Amazon....
It was one of those occasions when I said to myself, "Isn't it time you finished something?" :-)
And then finished 3 somethings! Nice work :)
And another novella, it appeared serialised in a blog tour promoting everybody else so it's only fair it gets its day in the sun :-)Tallis Steelyard. Enemies and how to make them.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tallis-Steel...
Life for a jobbing poet is difficult. You have to be flexible with regard to your art. One day you’re organising an elegant soiree, the next a pie eating contest. Yet all the while you are striving to raise the tone and to ensure that decency, dignity, and an appreciation of the fine arts prevails.
And sadly it appears that the more honest your attempts, the more noble your endeavours, the more likely it is that you end up making enemies. Tallis helps out the family of an old friend, obliges a patron, and does his best to aid the authorities in the administration of justice. Each time he merely manages to upset the powerful, the petty, and the vindictive.
And a review for Tallis Steelyard. A guide for writers, and other stories.Satire, acerbic wit & British literature... what's not to love? November 27, 2019
This book contains a delightful collection of short stories that transported me into the world of the poet, Tallis Steelyard.
I would call Webster’s style of writing speculative historical fiction. It’s as if he stepped back into another time period just so he could channel these stories for our reading enjoyment.
I found there to be many British colloquialisms which added a sense of realism to his prose. Another thing I enjoyed was that the writing style was very British, leaving no doubt as to where these stories originated.
Written in the voice of Tallis Steelyard, he begins by sharing several anecdotal experiences with the publishing business and his knowledge of book promotions. For a reader, writer, and reviewer such as myself, the stories were humorous. I laughed when I learned that characters from the author’s own online writing community were portrayed in one section of the book.
The real beauty of these stories is the author’s acerbic wit. He has a gift for satire, which led to several startling revelations about the flaws in the publishing industry. And then get ready for Tallis’ bawdy stories of drunken debauchery featuring a few select ladies of his acquaintance. I guarantee you will chuckle over his predicament.
Webster is a prolific writer. He’s published over twenty novellas and I’m still counting. His theory is simple. He believes a good book should be like a holiday. When you finally close it, you feel you’ve been somewhere else for a while.
I received this book as part of a book promotion and chose to share my thoughts.
That's fab! What a great review. Well done.
And a new one in the collection of dog and quad storiesLambing almost live
The Goodreads link still isn't active!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
The fourth of these collections of anecdotes, rants, pious maunderings and general observations on life. Yes we have dogs, quads, sheep and cattle, but in this one we follow the ‘lambing year.’ It starts with ewes being put to the tup in late autumn and finishes in summer with the last of the laggards lambing.
But as well as this we have endless rain, as well as sleeping in a manger. Be brave and you’ll meet young ladies in high heeled cowboy boots, Sir John Moore of Corunna, brassieres for cows, and, incidentally, David Essex.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Yay! Woot for Maljie, I'm so looking forward to reading this one, I haven't yet but the minute she got a mention a while back, I thought, oy-oy, I hope Jim does something with this one. So glad you have!Cheers
MTM
not only that but the second is being proof read even as I write :-)
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