An Amazing Book That Was Not Written By Me - Part 2
Right, I’m really going to have to stop reading books, I think, because amazing ones keep coming to my attention and then I feel compelled to write about them and then my blog starts becoming about other talented people rather than all about me. First it was the resplendent Deanna Raybourn, and now this.
So, here it is, Amazing Book, Part 2:
Eagle Rising, by David Devereux:
This is the second of David’s books featuring Jack - magician by profession and bastard by disposition. As well as being a mate of mine, Dave is one of the funnest (yeah, I know it’s not a real word - I am hereby creating it) guys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting - and he stays up until the early hours at the author parties with me, rather than going to bed early like all those other wimpy Gollancz peeps (although having office jobs/small children on the side may have something to do with that, I suppose).
Anyway - whilst reading Dave’s book I tried to put aside the fact that I know him to be a Multi-Talented Genius Party Man so that I could judge the book objectively. But even then I still thought it was awesome.
I don’t want to give away any of the juicy bits (and believe me, there are juicy bits), but I can certainly say that there are very few books that make me both laugh and gasp (in the oh-my-God that sounds painful sort of way).
I even took this book to the spa with me (and sort of dropped it in the Jacuzzi, which explains why the pages are now crinkly and scented - unless Gollancz actually scent them?? In which case why don’t my books smell of vanilla too?!). I’m afraid I may even have snapped quite viciously at the schmoozy couple in the Jacuzzi who asked me to press the button to get the bubbles going again but - in my defence - I was in the middle of the eyeball removing scene, and it’s really not one in which you want to get interrupted because of something to do with bubbles.
Another thing I particularly love about this book is all the Neo-Nazi, Hitler stuff. I studied Nazi Germany at both GCSE and AS level and it’s a historical period that I’m particularly fascinated by. The scene where the crazy fanatics are trying to bring Hitler back from Hell was one of the most spine-tingling I’ve ever read. I had goose bumps and everything.
I fully intended to save this book for my trip to Florida in two weeks (tomorrow and counting!), but then I read the first page, and then the first chapter, and it all went downhill from there and now it’s all finished and I wish I’d had more self-restraint. So I am putting my request in now to Dave/Simon/Gollancz Inc./whoever, that Dave’s next book must come out the exact day before I go away on holiday in order that I may keep myself thoroughly entertained on the plane instead of irritating the hell out of everybody around me by complaining that I’m cramped, bored and unreasonably paranoid about the possibility that the stewardess might give someone else my pre-booked vegetarian meal by mistake, thereby condemning me to nothing but over-salted peanuts for the next seven hours.
Tags: Great books
February 7th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I just finished Hunter’s Moon, which was great, so I have got a whole other book to read. Parts of that made me wince, a lot!
I am about a third of the way through The Ninth Circle. I am enjoying trying to figure out who, what, how, where and once I have that sorted you throw a spanner in the works and I have to start again.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Now Hunter’s Moon *did” have a suitable release date – I read that one sipping sweet black tea on the deck of a river boat cruising down the Nile. It was quite idyllic.
There are, indeed, quite a lot of spanners in The Ninth Circle. I’m pleased to hear that they’re doing their job and tripping you up.
I’m also pleased to hear that you recovered your camera, especially as it contains the LAST KNOWN PICTURE of poor old Applecrumble right before his unfortunate and (let’s face it) - ridiculous - demise. You’d better hang on to that, it could be worth something one day.
February 7th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Aw shucks. Thanks Alex!
February 8th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Just finished the first one. It was great fun, and started the second straight after.
Sadly, the trains prevent me from partying into the early hours in London
(“Come and enjoy a night out in London…as long as you’re back at the station by 11pm at the latest!”)
February 8th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Living out in the sticks I usually have the train problem too, which is why I sometimes get a cheap hotel room so that I don’t have to be leaving the pub at the ridiculously early time of 10:30.
February 8th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
The book sounds interesting Alex!!! (and David)