Books in April 2020

A combination of lockdown and stress at work has accelerated my reading. Lots of gaming books which you'll have seen in the 'First Impressions' posts but a respectable number of novels too.

False Value (Ben Aaronovitch)

So, this the eighth in the Rivers of London series (excluding the novellas and the comics) and it ticks all the boxes. You know what you're going to be getting with it, and if you like the rest of the series, you'll enjoy it. The story sees Peter Grant going undercover to investigate a technology company, giving Aaronovitch an opportunity to introduce analytical engines and steampunk technology. The story namechecks D&D and board gaming reasonably heavily as it shows the geek culture at the company. Peter even gets to play.

It doesn't feel as fresh as 'The October Man' did, but it did deliver an enjoyable, well written read.

A Brightness Long Ago (Guy Gavriel Kay)

Guidanio Cerra is the son of a tailor the fantasy equivalent of renaissance Venice. Fortunate to win a scholarship to a renowned school, he exists on the edges of the circles in which people with power move. He secures employment at court in a small city-state ruled by a mercenary warlord, but events swiftly move him into a chain of connections with the movers and shakers of the age.

This is a beautifully written book. GGK's style has a lightness to it that draws you in. The text is written from the perspective of Cerra looking back, and there is love and loss and a sense of the insignificance of the individual against the movements of history. The writing is gripping; one sequence follows a horse race, something that I have little interest in, but I found myself almost holding my breath and mentally cheering on the character I wanted to win. The novel is a recollection of moments in a life and the small chances that can make all the difference.

Life can hinge on such moments. It is sometimes that close, in our lives, in the lives of others. Sometimes the arrow or the sword misses us, or wounds instead of killing, the earthquake smashes the world flat a little distance away from where we are, and there is a life for us . . .

Like most of GGK's novels, this is set in an alternative, historical fantasy version of our world. It's the same setting as the 'Sailing to Sarantium' duology and also 'Children of Earth and Sky', albeit at different times and places. This is not a novel that relies on energy and pace to take you through; rather, it's subtle observations, character developments and interactions against the relentlessness of history. Absolutely recommended, one of the best books I've read in a while.

Snow, Glass, Apples (Neil Gaiman)

A beautifully illustrated and darkly macabre retelling of the Snow White story.

The Names of the Dead (Kevin Wignall)

This is an entertaining spy-adjacent thriller which I found hard to put down. The protagonist is a former CIA agent who has taken the fall for a failed operation which they were in charge where French citizen's died. Now imprisoned in France, he is held in a facility which also holds those imprisoned for war crimes, shunned by his colleagues and divorced by his wife.

Three years into his sentence, he gets the news that his wife is dead, along with a son that no one had told him that he had. His release is brought forward, putting him in jeopardy as elements in the CIA need to ensure his silence.

The plot moves at pace and heads all around Europe. I'm not sure how I felt about the way the author approached the female protagonist and her mental health; it felt a little contrived. The involvement with war criminals was interesting, as it tried to portray them as human beings as well as the monsters that their actions showed them to be.

Overall, an entertaining read. Better than a popcorn book, but definitely not a le Carre.

The Bridge (Iain Banks)

The Bridge is one of my favourite novels by Iain Banks. I realise that may not be a common view, but there is something about the dreamlike fractured reality of the narrative that resonates strongly with me. I enjoyed the lushness and imagination of the elements of the story, set against a twisted backdrop of a bridge inspired by the Firth of Forth railway bridge, as as they twist around each other and slowly draw together. This isn't a novel with a strong plot arc; rather you go on journey of discovery to find out what has set the scenes in motion.