Thanks to Christmas (time + gift cards), I had the opportunity to go on a shopping spree in my favourite places: bookshops and manga stores. In addition to the first three volumes of Berserk Deluxe Edition (a real treat, by the way, if you are Miura’s fan; the only reason I only got three is because the others are not out yet), this is what I got.
1. The Leper King and His Heirs by Bernard Hamilton
This is on the same line of my November readings in Medieval history but examines one historical leader in particular: Baldwin IV and his strange destiny of being the most famous leper in (Western) history, since he was King of Jerusalem during the Crusades.
Most people remember him for the great interpretation of Edward Norton in the otherwise controversial Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven. It turns out, Scott didn’t make too many mistakes when the personality of this young king was about. This new biography by Hamilton throws new light on this fascinating character. “This book challenges that view, arguing that peace with Saladin was not a viable option for the Franks; that the young king, despite suffering from lepromatous leprosy (the most deadly form of the disease) was an excellent battle leader who strove with some success to frustrate Saladin’s imperial ambitions; that Baldwin had to remain king in order to hold factions in check; but that the society over which he presided was, contrary to what is often said, vigorous and self-confident.” (From the blurb page).
2. The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells.
Considering how much I am enjoying her Murderbot series, I’ve decided to read more about this amazing author, and I found out she wrote this… not exactly in my wheelhouse (I don’t generally read fantasy) but this promises to be so dark that borders with mystery (which suits me better). This is a few lines from the back cover: “Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Consumed by thoughts of vengeance, he is consoled only by thoughts of the beautiful, dangerous Madeline. He is also the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien . . .On the gaslight streets of the city, Nicholas assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for vengeance: the murder of Count Montesq.”
3. Nisshoku (The Eclipse) by Keiichiro Hirano
I had some troubles to find an English translation, so I ended up with the French version, which, I must say, looks really good. This is taken from the writer’s bio here. “The historical novel Nisshoku (The Eclipse), set in medieval France, won him the Akutagawa Prize in 1999.
Hirano may have been the youngest-ever winner at only 23 years of age, but his use of elegant, classical language and profound knowledge of European history had critics lauding him as the next Yukio Mishima.” Not bad, isn’t it?
Some very interesting titles to look forward to and a great reminder that I have yet to spend my gift vouchers.
Lynn 😀
Books are the best way for spending them 😀