The Island of the Mighty by Evangeline Walton

Goodreads Synopsis:
Tricked into giving birth to him, the sorceress Arianhod swore that the child should be nameless until she named him...that he should not bear arms until she herself bestowed them...and that he should never love a woman of the human race.

But her brother and lover Gwydion tricked her into bestowing a name, Liew...and Gwydion's wiles brought her to arm him...and then Gwydion called upon his craft to produce a woman who was supremely lovely and ardent in her passion for Liew..yet not human. (less)


My Review:
If you are a fan of mythology in general then read this book. If you are a fan of, more specifically, English and Welsh mythology/literature then you definitely need to read this. Evangeline Walton takes from the Welsh cycle of legends, called the Mabinogion, and creates an amazingly vivid narrative. And for the super nerd, she sprinkles footnotes and various references throughout the book that refer to these ancient stories.  You can definitely get a sense of Walton's love and knowledge of the legends. She uses all of it to bring each character to life with language that is flowery but intelligent. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading the rest in the series.

If you'd like to read more about the Mabinogion: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/index.htm

The Author

Author Tidbit: Walton said of her knack for writing fantasy: “My own method has always been to try to put flesh and blood on the bones of the original myth; I almost never contradict sources, I only add and interpret.”

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

Goodreads Synopsis:
One late spring evening in 1912, in the kitchens at Sterne, preparations begin for an elegant supper party in honor of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday. But only a few miles away, a dreadful accident propels a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors to seek shelter at the ramshackle manor—and the household is thrown into confusion and mischief.

Evening turns to stormy night, and a most unpleasant parlor game threatens to blow respectability to smithereens: Smudge Torrington, the wayward youngest daughter of the house, decides that this is the perfect moment for her Great Undertaking.

The Uninvited Guests is the bewitching new novel from the critically acclaimed Sadie Jones. The prizewinning author triumphs in this frightening yet delicious drama of dark surprises—where social codes are uprooted and desire daringly trumps propriety—and all is alight with Edwardian wit and opulence.



My Review:
I looooooooved this book. This entire novel spans one evening of merriment and madness that is almost dream-like. The characters enter the story already well-developed, the dynamics of each relationship understood and entertaining. The problem these characters face seems simple at first. But there is a dark twist towards the end that throws everything into new light.

My absolute favorite character is the youngest daughter, nicknamed Smudge. Her Great Undertaking is a hilarious balance for what the rest of the characters are going through in their grown-up dinner party. The author creates a wonderful romantic tension between the younger characters as they see each other with new eyes, but the underlying menace of their mystery guest creates a darkness that stretches for the novel's duration. 

Another added treat is the author's use of language and imagery. When describing the dinner scene, she actually makes ox tongue sound sexy. Her style made me think of Elizabeth Cunningham's "The Wild Mother." Both have that delicious combination of English propriety set against the Wild Primitive. Sadie Jones can write a story.

The Author

Author Tidbit: Sadie Jones's first novel, "The Outcast," was adapted for television by the BBC.