Three for the Month (December 2019)

Steph P. Bianchini December 5, 2019 6 Comments

After Medieval history in November (rewarded by S2 of Knightfall just landed on Netflix, something that makes me cringe but I can’t void watching it. Review to follow shortly), this festive month I’m all for entertainment, and therefore, back to fiction. These three are on my table just now:

1. Mika Waltari, The Egyptian. It’s by no means the first time I read this -one of my first and favourite historical novels, but it is the first time I do it in English. My initial sensation was that French version I read long ago was not the original, because the one in my hands now is way longer and far more descriptive I had memory of.

I have checked out and bingo -the first translations around actually were from a shorter version in Swedish instead of the original Finnish. So, if you like me have read the abridged novel, you will appreciate the original one in all its splendour.

2. Tamsyn Muir, Gideon the Ninth. V.E. Schwab famously summarised this novel’s plot as “lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space.” Impossible not to read it and even difficult to put it down. Love it or hate it, it’s one of the books of the year. Oh, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Grab your copy!

3. The Murderbot Diaries #2 – Marta Wells After having read the first instalment in less than two days, I am now with the second novella, as powerful and entertaining as the first one. This one is Artificial Condition, and it explores the dark past of the Murderbot. Another winner!

By the way, there are two more novellas in this series, so don’t be surprised if they will be appearing again in this list.