Tag: Shelf Control

Shelf Control #71 – 11/10/2023

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Happy Friday lovely readers and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post. Honestly, I’m glad I’m featuring a Shelf Control instead of a Well, I Didn’t Know That! post. Wednesday’s Vikings of Mann post, in terms of content, is very similar to this feature. I wouldn’t have been able to commit to undertaking a Well, I Didn’t Know That! as well.

Shelf Control posts are nice and easy… and give me a chance to get excited about the books I’m going to read! As always, let’s recap the purpose of these posts.

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Today’s book is actually an omnibus, and currently the first chronologically in a developing, epic scale series. How epic you ask? Well, it has the same number of primary works as Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Intrigued as to what this is? Let’s take a look!

 

The Mage Wars – Mercedes Lackey

The Mage WarsGenre: Fantasy

Pages: 784

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Titan Books

Publication Date: 06 Sept 2016

 


Goodreads – The Mage Wars

 

Set around three thousand years before the rest of the Valdemar series, this is the ancient history of Velgarth and the story of Skandranon Rashkae, a gryphon with gleaming ebony feathers, keen magesight and acute intelligence. He is the fulfillment of all that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm – a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Ma’ar.

Together with Amberdrake, a Healer of body, mind and spirit, Skandranon will defend his nation from his evil counterparts created by Ma’ar, the makaar. The glorious city of White Gryphon will rise from the ashes, but it will take careful negotiation, spying and terrible war against the mysterious Black Kings to secure the stronghold. Even then, the elite guard force, the Silver Gryphons, will discover a greater terror lurking in the forests beyond the city walls…

The Mage Wars omnibus follows Skandranon and his lifelong friend, Amberdrake, and their children, as they seek to establish and defend a Kingdom of peace and tranquillity.


My Thoughts

I’m not committing to starting such a large series when I already have several ongoing. Maybe, because of the size, I should try to finish Discworld before I take this on.

Confession time – I picked up The Mage Wars, together with two other omnibus collections at Waterstones, on a whim. I did check out the books and the author enough to know that these books are very highly rated. I have never read any books by Mercedes Lackey before, but I can recognise potential in the general consensus of the reviews! Flicking through the other books she has written, and looking the average Goodreads rating – she has a good run! 

I love fantasy that involves complex magic systems and plot lines. This omnibus feels like it has all the components of a grand epic fantasy that I enjoy. Personally, I can’t wait to dive in and find out!

The other two omnibus books, I bought at the same time are The Mage Winds and The Mage Storms. I didn’t realise it at the time, but these books chronologically fall later in the series. It’s one of those scenarios where you could read the books in the order they are published, or in chronological order.

I haven’t decided which I’m going to do yet, so if you have any opinions and or experience with these books, I’d love to see what you think I should do? Which should I pick up first?

 

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Shelf Control #70 – 29/09/2023

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Happy Friday fellow readers and welcome to today’s instalment in my Shelf Control series. In today’s post, I feature a young adult novel by an author I have come to know and love every book I’ve read of his so far. I’ve recently picked up a young adult series by this author, and I’m eagerly awaiting publication of the next instalment!

As always, let’s recap the premise of this post and then get into the details of the book!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

The Rithmatist – Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Pages: 386

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Tor UK

Publication Date: 01 May 2014

 

 

Goodreads – The Rithmatist

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

 

My Thoughts

One of my favourite things about Sanderson novels is that he grounds the magic systems built into his stories with some scientific element. I’m hoping that’s the case with this book as well. It is something he does very well, and even still, manages to do it in a unique way for each separate series!

Whilst young adult isn’t a genre I read all that much of, I still enjoyed the Skyward series, which has a similar audience to The Rithmatist. If this book is anything like that, then we can expect a lot of angst and a desire to prove oneself in the characters driving the narrative.

To date, I am yet to find a Sanderson book that I haven’t enjoyed! Given that I’ve read quite a few at this point, that is quite a feat. He is also a very diverse writer in terms of storylines and setting. I’m yet to find anything he hasn’t done well. I’ve already read and experienced great writing in a fantasy and science-fiction overlap, just as this book is.

I really can’t think of any reason why I should expect any different here!

Have you read The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson?

 

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Shelf Control #69 – 08/09/2023

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In today’s Shelf Control post, I am thrilled to share the details of a historical thriller novel originally published in German. There’s no particular reason for translated books making up only a small proportion of my TBR… I just don’t discover them all that often! That means when I do, I get really excited about them! 

Before I share the details of that book, let’s recap what the Shelf Control regular feature is all about!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

The Hangman’s Daughter – Oliver Pötzsch

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller

Pages: 450

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Amazon Crossing

Publication Date: 16 May 2011

 

 

Goodreads – The Hangman’s Daughter

Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman’s son—except that the town physician’s son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father’s wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and there hasn’t been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.

Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.

 

My Thoughts

The Hangman’s Daughter, or Die Henkerstochter, appealed to me initially as it’s a work of historical fiction. However, I’m also intrigued by the thriller and mystery element that takes place within the story.

If you like reading books that feature witchcraft, or speculation of witchcraft, then this should appeal to you as well. I haven’t read very many books from this angle, but I have several on my TBR (both fiction and non-fiction!). Off the top of my head, the only witchy book I’ve read is To Snare a Witch, now titled Bell, Book and Candle. 

The main protagonists in this book may be considered unsavoury, or at least unpleasant to deal with. Let’s face it, if you have business with a hangman it doesn’t look good for you! It’s a unique perspective to take in a book, and if done well, I think there is ample opportunity for character depth and exploration.

The Hangman’s Daughter is quite unlike anything I have read before. I’m looking forward to picking this up and exploring a new period of historical fiction and uncovering the mystery within.

That’s all for today’s Shelf Control post! Have you read The Hangman’s Daughter? Let me know what you make of this book either way in the comments!

 

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Shelf Control #68 – 11/08/2023

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Welcome to a happy Friday! It’s the end of another working week, and today marks the beginning of some annual leave for me! I’m planning to pick up several reads whilst I’m off from the 9-5, but I doubt I’ll make it to today’s Shelf Control feature just yet…

In today’s Shelf Control post, I share the details of a historical fiction novel from one of my favourite periods – the Tudors! Before we get into the detail of today’s post, let’s take a moment to recap what Shelf Control is all about if you’re unfamiliar!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen – Alison Weir

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 602

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: 31 May 2016

 

Goodreads

The lives of Henry VIII’s queens make for dramatic stories and Alison Weir will write a series of novels that offer insights into the real lives of the six wives based on extensive research and new theories.

In all the romancing, has anyone regarded the evidence that Anne Boleyn did not love Henry VIII? Or that Prince Arthur, Katherine of Aragon’s first husband, who is said to have loved her in fact cared so little for her that he willed his personal effects to his sister? Or that Henry VIII, an over-protected child and teenager, was prudish when it came to sex? That Jane Seymour, usually portrayed as Henry’s one true love, had the makings of a matriarch? There is much to reveal …

Alison will write about the wives in the context of their own age and of the court intrigues that surrounded these women and – without exception – wrecked their lives. She will transport readers into a lost and vivid world of splendour and brutality: a world in which love, or the game of it, dominates all.

 

My Thoughts

I am yet to read any books by Alison Weir. She’s a prominent writer in the genre focusing on royalty, and as a result has written several books about the Tudors. On the one hand I’d say it’s a wonder I haven’t picked any up yet. However, considering the constant number of books I want to read, I suppose it’s not really.

I’m looking forward to diving into her Tudor books. Katherine of Aragon is the first book in her Six Tudor Queens series. If I enjoy these as much as I expect to, I’m sure I’ll branch out to other books and periods she explores.

Katherine of Aragon has been on my TBR for a little over five years now. I distinctly remember reading an article in Writing Magazine and discovering her books as a result like it was yesterday. Isn’t it funny what you remember?! If only my memory were that good all the time… I’d forgotten when I started writing my regular Sunday Summary posts on my blog. I was surprised to find a Sunday Summary post mentioning the discovery when I searched for other posts on the book on my blog!

The combination of a new-to-me author and a favourite subject is one that I can’t wait to get to. This book, and potentially the series, are a promising jaunt into a turbulent and interesting period of history!

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Shelf Control instalment!

Have you read any books from the Six Tudor Queens series, or by Alison Weir? What’s your favourite period of history to read about?

 

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Shelf Control #67 – 14/07/2023

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It’s the end of the working week, so it can only be time for a Friday feature. This week I’m back with a Shelf Control post. I have the pleasure of featuring a stand-alone historical fiction novel that I’m excited to pick up! I have already read several books by this particular author, all from this best known series which has been televised in recent years.

Before we jump into the details of the book, let’s recap what Shelf Control is all about!

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Fools and Mortals – Bernard Cornwell

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 19 Oct 2017

 

 

Goodreads – Fools and Mortals

 

Lord, what fools these mortals be . . .

In the heart of Elizabethan England, Richard Shakespeare dreams of a glittering career in one of the London playhouses, a world dominated by his older brother, William. But he is a penniless actor, making ends meet through a combination of a beautiful face, petty theft and a silver tongue. As William’s star rises, Richard’s onetime gratitude is souring and he is sorely tempted to abandon family loyalty.

So when a priceless manuscript goes missing, suspicion falls upon Richard, forcing him onto a perilous path through a bawdy and frequently brutal London. Entangled in a high-stakes game of duplicity and betrayal which threatens not only his career and potential fortune, but also the lives of his fellow players, Richard has to call on all he has now learned from the brightest stages and the darkest alleyways of the city. To avoid the gallows, he must play the part of a lifetime . . . .

Showcasing the superb storytelling skill that has won Bernard Cornwell international renown, Fools and Mortals is a richly portrayed tour de force that brings to life a vivid world of intricate stagecraft, fierce competition, and consuming ambition.

 

My Thoughts

I’m interested to see what I make of Bernard Cornwell’s writing given that Fools and Mortals is a completely different setting to The Last Kingdom. I’ve come to really enjoy his writing on that series, having read the first 6 books of that series so far.

I’ve featured Fools and Mortals in a First Lines Friday, and I was drawn in by the introduction. I’ll link that post in case you’re interested to see it!

As a former performing arts student, I’m looking forward to seeing whether I like the setting of the stage and theatre. It’s something I’ve enjoyed in other historical fiction books, so I have all my fingers crossed that I’ll like it!

If I go on to enjoy this book as much as I think I will, then I’ll definitely consider reading some other stand-alones by Bernard Cornwell. Some of his other ones were published quite a bit earlier than Fools and Mortals, but that’s okay! He also has a number of other series I could try!

Thanks for reading my Shelf Control post!

Have you read Fools and Mortals, or any other books by Bernard Cornwell?

 

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Shelf Control #65 – 20/05/2023

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Happy Friday Saturday and welcome to today’s Shelf Control feature post. As you know, I usually post these on a Friday. However, I made a mistake in planning as I was out with friends on Friday night. I had most of the post drafted, but I didn’t get home till after midnight. Needless to say, I wrote off trying to finish and share the post!

In today’s belated Shelf Control, I feature a YA fantasy novel I intended to read in September last year, but didn’t get around to it. Before we get into the details, let’s recap what my Shelf Control feature is all about.

Shelf Control is a regular feature – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Everless – Sara Holland

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 362

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 02 Jan 2018

 

 

Goodreads – Everless

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

 

My Thoughts

I don’t read much young adult fantasy, but I really like the premise of the book. There are elements of danger, mystery and intrigue to unravel! The book has it’s own magic system, whixh I’m looking forward to exploring.

Being the length it is, I think this will also make a great book as a palette cleanser. It’s long enough to establish a world and some details to get immersed in, but short enough to avoid being dense.

It’s also good to branch out and read books for a slightly different audience once in a while. Whilst I don’t read a lot of YA, I have enjoyed a number of books that fall into this category before.

That’s all for today’s Shelf Control post. Have you read Everless?  Would you recommend it?

 

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Shelf Control #62 – 10/03/2023

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Happy Friday and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post! I don’t know about you, but it has been a very snowy 24 hours here! I hope you’re keeping safe and warm if you’re in a similar situation!

Today I feature a novel written in collaboration between two authors. One author, I have read before extensively; the other I have merely sampled. However, I am excited to give this book and potential series a try.

Before we jump into the post in earnest, here is a recap of what Shelf Control is all about.

Shelf Control is a regular feature – a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

The Long Earth – Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Genre: Science fiction / fantasy

Pages: 336

Audience: Adult

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 21 Jun 2012

 

 

Goodreads – The Long Earth

1916: the Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where have the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No Man’s Land gone?

2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive – some said mad, others dangerous – scientist when she finds a curious gadget – a box containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a… potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way Mankind views his world forever.

And that is an understatement if ever there was one…

 

My Thoughts

I have read a book that Terry Pratchett has co-authored previously. That book was co-authored with Neil Gaiman, and unfortunately, that didn’t end up being a hit! I’d had a hit and miss experience with Neil Gaiman’s writing before. Take my reviews of Stardust and American Gods, for example. In hindsight, it wasn’t really a surprise.

On the other hand, I am a huge fan of Terry Pratchett. I am nearly halfway through his Discworld series, which I’m picking up again very soon. I love his serious content matter, entwined with the satirical tone of which he is a master. I don’t know if this will come to play in The Long Earth, as this is very different from his Discworld novels. That is why I want to give it a try!

I have less experience with Stephen Baxter’s writing, so I’ll be going into The Long Earth without any especial bias. I have sampled one of his books before – one that my dad has loaned me. In truth, I have multiple books that I’ve been loaned that I REALLY need to get around to. Sorry dad! I’m looking forward to giving The Long Earth a try. It could be the perfect opportunity to Segway into his solo books. 

Science fiction is a genre that I have been picking up more of in recent years. It is one I enjoy going back to and exploring different themes in. I’m looking forward to seeing how these two authors broach this genre together.

Have you read The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, or any other books by these authors?

 

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Shelf Control #61 – 17/02/2023

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Happy Friday and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post! Today I feature a classic novel that I’m willing to try. If it were a more modern book, it’s not something I would really choose for myself. However, it is it’s fame that makes me want to give it a try. Even if I don’t like it, I can say I’ve tried it!

Before I share the details of the book, here is a recap of what Shelf Control is all about.

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog. It’s a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies… a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Now, let’s dive into today’s featured classic novel!

 

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

 

Genre: Classic / Romance

Pages: 532

Audience: Adult

Publication Date: 16 Oct 1847

 

 

Goodreads – Jane Eyre

Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by the brooding, proud Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard.

But there is a terrifying secret inside the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall. Is Rochester hiding from Jane? Will Jane be left heartbroken and exiled once again?

 

My Thoughts

Romance isn’t a common genre to find on my reading list. Despite that, there are a couple of instances in which romance has been a hit with me.

I have never read a classical novel in this genre. The Brontë sisters are very well-known in the classical world. Even if I don’t particularly like their books, I would like to at least give them a chance. I have heard a lot of mixed things about Jane Eyre. It is just one of those books that I’m going to have to pick up for myself in order to make my own mind up.

Arguably, I am more likely to like Jane Eyre compared to contemporary romances based on the setting and tone of the book. It’s not flowery. If anything, I have read that it is more gloomy, almost Gothic in nature. For the most part, I’m not a fan of happy ever afters and the predictability of modern contemporary romance. They have their place and I’ve enjoyed a couple in my time. But they are not catnip for me like they are for others. The complete change of tone, and I hope elements of historical fiction (or at least the historical setting) will help with the appeal of this novel.

If nothing else, I want to try and pick up Jane Eyre as I want to slowly work my way through the classics. Reading classical novels is completely different to reading something modern. Very often, the language and setting is very different. Characters and culture can portray very different attitudes to that of society now. As a result, there is a lot to gain from a book like this from a historical point of view.

 

I hope you have enjoyed today’s Shelf Control post.

Have you read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, or any other books written by any of the Brontë sisters?

 

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Shelf Control #60 – 27/01/2023

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Happy Friday and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post! If you are looking for a fun, short sci-fi crime thriller, then stay tuned to check out today’s featured book.

Before I share the details on that book, here is a recap of what Shelf Control is all about.

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog. It’s a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies… a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Now, let’s dive into today’s featured book!

 

Punishment – Scott Holliday

 

Genre: Sci-fi / Crime 

Pages: 240

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 31 Jul 2018

 

 

Goodreads – Punishment

 

Do you want to know what it’s like to die, to kill, to really fear for your life? Then get hooked…

Detroit-based homicide detective John Barnes has seen it all—literally. Thanks to a technologically advanced machine, detectives have access to the memories of the living, the dying, and the recently dead. But extracting victims’ experiences firsthand and personally reliving everything up to the final, brutal moments of their lives—the sights, the sounds, the scents, the pain—is also the punishment reserved for the criminals themselves.

Barnes has had enough. Enough of the memories that aren’t his. Enough of the horror. Enough of the voices inside his head that were never meant to take root…until a masked serial killer known as Calavera strikes a little too close to home.

Now, with Calavera on the loose, Barnes is ready to reconnect, risking his life—and his sanity. Because in the mind of this serial killer, there is one secret even Barnes has yet to see…

 

My Thoughts

I can’t remember exactly how I discovered this book when I added it to my reading list back in 2018. However, now, I love the idea of the synopsis!

Punishment is a very short book at just 240 pages. I imagine it would be the kind of book that would be great for crime or mystery readers who want to try a cross-over of science fiction for a change. Having read other books about virtual reality, and seeing/experiencing things from alternate perspectives relating to crime (Ctrl+S and Dark Matter are good examples), I’m excited to see how this comes to play in the narrative.

with the inevitable psychological element to the plot (and the impact witnessing such events would have on detectives investigating such crimes), there is a lot of potential for character development and future exploration of the impact using this technology has on people. As a former student of psychology, I would like to see some of this introduced in this short book.

I’m not entirely sure how graphic the book will be in its descriptions, but I’m not intimidated by that. There is very little I will shy away from in a book. Once I read this one, I’ll be sure to let you know.

It seems to me that there is a lot to fit in to the narrative with such a small page count. I’m hoping for a fast paced, crime thriller, full of action and with an interesting sci-fi twist!

 

That is all from me in today’s Shelf Control post.

Have you read Punishment by Scott Holliday? Have you read any other books like it?

 

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Shelf Control #59 – 13/01/2023

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Happy Friday and welcome to today’s Shelf Control post! This week, I’m excited to share my featured book. I have absolutely no idea what this book is like, and I have never tried this author before. However, I have added this book to my list as the main character of this book is one I’ve loved from a TV series I used to watch. If you want a sneaky hint before we jump into the book, the character was a detective, played by Idris Elba.

Do you know which character I’m talking about?

Before we get into it, I’ll quickly go through the usual recap of what Shelf Control is all about for any new readers.

Shelf Control is a regular feature on my blog. It’s a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies… a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

Now, let’s dive into today’s featured book!

 

The Calling – Neil Cross

Genre: Thriller/Crime

Pages: 362

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 04 Aug 2011

 

 

Goodreads – The Calling

Meet DCI John Luther.

He’s brilliant. He’s intense. He’s obsessional. He’s dangerous.

DCI John Luther has an extraordinary clearance rate. He commands outstanding loyalty from friends and colleagues. Nobody who ever stood at his side has a bad word to say about him. But Luther seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn’t; things way beyond the limits of the law.

The Calling, the first in a new series of novels featuring DCI John Luther, takes us into Luther’s past and into his mind. It is the story of the case that tore his personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice. Beyond fury, beyond vengeance. All the way to murder…

 

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the TV series, Luther. I’m not convinced I started watching it from the very beginning, but what I did watch was great!

I had no idea there was a book about his character, never mind a potential series (there is a record on Goodreads for at least a second book). Idris Elba was a fantastic portrayal of Luther; he encapsulated the description of the character in the synopsis above perfectly. Of course, I want to read the book that inspired the character! I have added this to my reading list based on my enjoyment of the TV series alone. And why not?

I have no idea if the storyline in the TV series is related to the book, but I don’t think it would matter if it was. For one thing, it might fill in the gap in my mind of what happened in the first series. I’m pretty sure I missed that one. Even if it’s not, I am here for the character more than the plot line seen in the TV series. I’m going into this with a reasonably open mind.

If the execution of the character doesn’t meet my expectation, then that may colour my interpretation of the book. It’s rare that a TV series has made an impression on me before a book. That can be a make-or-break experience sometimes, but I’m willing to give it a go!

 

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