Thinking along the lines of complex characters, non-conforming women with agency, and sapphic romance in the fantasy genre, I thought I’d stop by with a recent read:
The Jasmine Throne; by Tasha Suri
Quiet Contemplation
It has been a long and productive day on catch up with emails and various admin tasks, mostly in relation to up-and-coming events and conventions. Countdown has begun for WorldCon, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago – thanks to Zoom I will be attending from the comfort of my writing room.
I’m looking forward to taking part in more panels and readings at WorldCon and other events coming soon. There’s certainly no time like the present to hone in on some of the subjects that strike a chord for me in reading and writing: intersectional feminism and queering the genres, non-conforming women warriors, challenging stereotypes, power dynamics, worldbuilding and the societies and creatures that inhabit them. I could go on…! It will be wonderful to share thoughts and ideas, be inspired, and add to that all-important reading list that never seems to diminish. Magic, literally magic!
In the meantime, around home are colourful corners for quiet contemplation. With more recent artwork to hang, I’ve been discovering unexpected partnerships between portrait and abstract mosaic landscape.
For further afield moments of calm, I feel grateful to have a river close by. Last Saturday involved a day’s cycling trip downstream as far as the sea, seeing the changing flow and feeling refreshed as the ocean’s vast expanse takes shape.
Yesterday evening, in need of a quiet moment and a big breath of fresh air, we took a meandering amble along the river, catching a riverside scene basking in a golden glow, before resting a while in Belle Isle park, where the weeping willows drape feathery tendrils against the riverbank.
Wishing everyone a good weekend ahead.
Stepping Out
I often make a point of getting out and about, appreciating the surrounds, finding calm in nature, inspiration in creativity, and optimism in colour. A recent visit to Stone Lane gardens was oozing in nature, creativity and colour. An enchanting woodland gardens on the edge of Dartmoor, famous for its Birch and Alder trees, and home to a collection of inventive sculptures, as well as giant rhubarb leaves (or at least I think so).
Another wonderfully colourful outing was an accidentally well-timed visit to Tiverton canal, where we were fortunate enough to meet the old shire horse, and resident collie of the horse-drawn barge, all set against a perfectly idyllic riverside backdrop.
There have been a few trips recently, delving into the countryside, looking for places to offer quiet, contemplative calm. And there is a reason for this, after being hit with the tragic death of my wife’s lovely mum, Ruth. It was of course a tragedy for Kate and all the family, and a loss that reverberated throughout the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital, since, like Kate, Ruth worked there as a nurse for many years.
#nursinglegends
We were comforted by the fact that Ruth died peacefully in the intensive care unit. Since my own hospital stay in 2019, I had gifted the unit with one of my paintings, and while waiting in the family room for news of Ruth, it was a comfort to see familiar artwork.
Throughout this time, it has been food for the soul to step out into nature, whether to the granite tops of Darmoor’s Haytor:
Or the tranquil fields of Dart’s farm:
Or closer still to home, along the banks of the river Exe, where sight of an old red telephone box filled with flowers, went some way to lift the spirits.
Wishing everyone a good and peaceful week ahead.
xxx
For the Love of Books #17
There’s a summer heatwave here in the UK, which begs the question of recommendations to while away sunny afternoons lounging in the sun, or taking shelter in the shade. I’ve gone for two epics, something to get your teeth into, both great reads in their own right.
An Unkindness of Ghosts, by Rivers Solomon
For generations, World ship HSS Matilda has ferried the last of humanity through space to a mythical Promised Land. With a society organised like the antebellum South, led by brutal leaders, it is a system built on racism and misogyny, attacking the dignity of sharecroppers like Aster. While the ruling sovereign enjoy comfort in the upper decks, the lower class are effectively slaves, forced to occupy the uninhabitable lower decks. It is a story of survival, where brutal losses are not shied away from, making it at times a difficult read, but also an important one.
It is sci-fi, with a world that feels so real, driven by characters that reflect a range of human experiences, including neurodivergence, and representation of LGBTQ+ exploring sexuality and gender. The protagonist, Aster, is flawed, self-effacing, astonishingly courageous, with a huge heart and fierce hope despite what most would think are hopeless odds. I adored her. Each step of the way her journey is a lesson in working with what you’ve got, never giving up, appreciating that no matter what, there are always choices to be found. She actively looks for those choices, never stops fighting, never relents to the iron fist of the perpetrators. There’s so much depth in the writing, and in Aster’s character that it’s impossible not to root for her from the beginning. As the reader I found myself in her point of view, searching for the clues her mother left, cheering her on as she pieces together scraps of evidence, desperately hoping that she may find that infamous way off the ship. But first she must sow the seeds of civil war.
The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin
The world is ending, again, for an unstable Earth where geological disasters lead to apocalyptic events that happen every hundred years or so; little wonder the population regard Earth as the enemy, and value survival above all else. This most recent apocalypse sees a great red rift tearing across the heart of the continent known as the Stillness, spewing ash that will darken the sky for years if not centuries. Against this deadly backdrop, a complex society exists, with various human races, and another sentient species, Orogenes, those with power over the earth itself. Orogenes are feared, hated and exploited by humans, since the Orogene’s powers are deadly, but they can also protect civilisations.
The story follows three distinct and haunting voices. Young Damaya is a powerful Orogene, kept locked away because of her dangerous curse. Syenite is so powerful she is able to raise an obelisk, something not seen in over 3000 years, exposing mysterious ruins of the many civilisations that came before. And Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, who comes home to find her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. A powerful Orogene, Essun sets out across the dying lands in pursuit of her wrecked family, prepared to tear the world apart to save her daughter.
I was invested in the main characters from the start, in particular Essen’s emotionally charged opening storyline. Through Essun we explore those shades of grey: emotionally closed off, she cares only about finding her daughter, and will kill anyone who gets in her way. I also appreciated the diversity of characters, and the ease with with LGBTQ+ relationships are introduced, as is the case with other works by this author. Overall, with its intricately built world and highly complex cast, this is an in-depth, imaginative and inventive story.
What are you reading?
The Warder Celebration & BGC Art
June 2022 was the month for finally getting together to celebrate last year’s release, The Warder. The event was set to go ahead here in Exeter, and preparations were going swimmingly…
but alas, we were thwarted by Covid. Life can be as unpredictable as the twists and turns of our stories, and so came a last-minute shift onto zoom.
Hosted by my publishers, the lovely folks of Stairwell Books, and joined by local guest readers bringing more fantasy, folklore, poetry and rhyme, it was lovely to spend time in the company of other writers, as well as readers of my series so far. And onto my readings.
With a brief intro. to Book One, Return of the Mantra, I was reminded of intrepid Suni and her search for justice and her own identity. Thrust into some stark environments, she discovers what she’s really made of, in contrast to the mountaintop view where her worldview is forever changed. And of course, when you’re up against tyranny and fighting for the natural world, it takes more than one voice. Onto Book 2, The Warder, where we get to know more of our heroines and heroes.
With three main characters in The Warder, three scenes jumped out at me to share.
Wanda, an eighteen-year-old young man, gifted but also cursed by a shadow bound to him. One of his opening scenes is a favourite, looking out over the grasslands, searching for respite from his curse.
Ten-year-old Luna, troubled by strange visions, experiences her own personal breaking high in the mountains.
And, perhaps holding it all together, Suni returns, working to restore harmony to her hometown, while using her gift to watch out over her young friend.
The dominoes are falling, squeezing characters and revealing timeless bonds. All set in a world with new lands revealed, where old and new, the mundane and the fantastical, coexist. Prepare to be cast away to an archipelago of islands in the far western reaches, with the musty air of the cavernous temple and the sound of footsteps crossing the mosaic-tiled floor; in contrast to the warm desert winds of Shendi, carrying spells and curses that touch all those with the gift to hear…
With themes of wildlife and the environment, social justice and marginalisation, magic, animism, being true to oneself, and dragons… Not to mention a diverse range of character arcs revealing love in all its forms.
Prior to the event, I set myself a project to imagine what my characters might look like. Of course, it’s ultimately for readers to draw their own conclusion, but I’ll leave you with the result of the project: a series of portraits, my own artistic interpretation of my beloved characters that span the series, Blood Gift Chronicles.
Happy Reading!
Summer Days
A moment to reflect on summer days, which have been a riot of colour for one reason or another. During Pride month, it would be remiss not to mention Exeter Pride, as colourful as ever and such a great thing to be back after so long. An eclectic gay day filled with love, laughter, and a public display of respect and tolerance; it’s always interesting to compare with the more political marches of ‘back in the day’, and a sombre reminder of all those still fighting for their rights. Usually, I get a gazillion snaps of the parade, but this year it was the faces of friends. Perhaps it still feels like a novelty, being out on mass. All ending with a stage of rap, beat boxing, poetry and drag. Such a great day!
Another local treasure that I was introduced to only recently came when I went to see a friend, Peter Farrie, perform at the glorious gardens of Studio 36. Prepare to feast your eyes on a wild and colourful spectacle that is a hidden garden here in Exeter, largely unknown but a favourite among art lovers. (Peter was also brilliant. Click here to check out his website of mellow sounds, catchy lyrics, and poignant snapshots of life.)
And last, but by no means least, a visit to Torre Abbey in Torquay, in time for a wonderful exhibition featuring Nigerian-born British artist, Chinwe Russell and her prominent women in history collection.
She said, and I quote: “In my usual bold style, I seek to remind us of the powerful powerhouse that women represent around the world. I am a huge admirer of women, who despite the many atrocities committed against them around the world, remain strong and steadfast to assure the next generation in perpetuity.”
Wangari Maathai was a particular favourite of mine, a woman who inspired a few lines in my climate change poem:
“Meanwhile, for inspiration look ahead of the curve,
Africa…
Mass reforestation and the great green wall, an aptly ambitious reserve.”
The art, gardens, building, and history perfectly capture a brilliant fusion of old meets new meets colourful.
All topped off with a view of the sea, and a lone swan beneath a bright blue sky.
Hope everyone’s having a great week… xx
