John Thornburn is an artist, recruited to teach in Ireland by historian Derval Keane. He has come because he is a huge fan of ancient Irish art. But one day he mysteriously opens a doorway into tenth-century history. He and Derval unwittingly become a part of the history they have studied… R. A. MacAvoy burst … Continue reading A Novel Ian Likes: The Book Of Kells by R. A. MacAvoy
Tag: Magic
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 40: Raising Steam
Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, has a vision of future greatness for the city. Harry King, a millionaire who has made his fortune from other people’s rubbish, is going to help him achieve this… with appropriate supervision, of course. Dick Simnel, the brains behind this vision – a literal transport of delight, if you can … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 40: Raising Steam
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 39: Snuff
At the insistence of… his wife, Lady Sybil? Or is it his boss, Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork…? Well, at someone’s insistence, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes is taking a two-week vacation. To sweeten the deal, Sybil and Young Sam, their son, will be coming with him. They are headed for The Ramkin's ancestral country seat. … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 39: Snuff
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 37: Unseen Academicals
Ponder Stibbons has taken over a large part of the running of Unseen University, the (for the moment, at least) premier college of magic on the Disc. This is largely because of two things: he can do it; and people don’t mind that he does it. During this time he has discovered that the Wizards … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 37: Unseen Academicals
A Novel Ian Likes: The Blood Of Roses by Tanith Lee
Mechail is the son of Korhlen and his second wife, Nilya. At the age of three he was attacked by something while asleep in his cot, leaving him crippled. As an adult, he is the target of fear and abuse from those around him, mostly his stepbrother Krau. Krau finally arranges for Mechail to be … Continue reading A Novel Ian Likes: The Blood Of Roses by Tanith Lee
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 34: Thud!
Koom Valley is a fairly unassuming place but it is the site of a series of battles between the Trolls and the Dwarves. The most famous battle was inconclusive and resulted in the disappearance of the kings of both races. Whoever it was that won the battle has been a point of contention ever since … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 34: Thud!
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 31: Monstrous Regiment
Polly Perks cuts her hair and joins the army: she wants to find her brother Paul who joined a year ago but who hasn't been heard from for months. However, the war has been getting closer and her basic training becomes on-the-job as she and the other new recruits discover that they are just about … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 31: Monstrous Regiment
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 30: The Wee Free Men
After the success of The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents (2001) it was inevitable that Terry Pratchett would turn his hand to another Discworld novel for children. Although, given his turnover of books at this time, Maurice could have just been the advance guard for the Tiffany Aching novels that seemed to dominate the … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 30: The Wee Free Men
The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 29: Night Watch
His Grace, Commander Samuel Vimes is pursuing Carcer, a cold-hearted killer. However, it’s also the eve of the birth of his first child and the 30th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution Of The Twenty-Fifth of May, a people’s uprising that happened during a brief period of turmoil in the city of Ankh-Morpork’s recent past. During … Continue reading The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 29: Night Watch
A Franchise Ian Likes One Entry Of: Highlander
Russel Nash appears to be a successful antiques dealer in New York in 1985. But when Brenda Wyatt, a forensics expert with the police, begins to investigate his possible role in a series of beheadings across the city, she uncovers the unbelievable possibility that Nash is in fact Connor MacLeod, a Scottish man nearly 470 … Continue reading A Franchise Ian Likes One Entry Of: Highlander
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