Anna Bushi

Book Review – Fool’s Fate

Fool’s Fate concludes the Tawny Man series, drawing in threads from the Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogy. I loved the book for the emotional roller coaster and the very satisfying end to Fitz’s story.

The best character out of this series is the Fool. From his riddles to his love for Fitz, the author draws him in such bright colors. He jumped out of the pages into my heart. I loved the poem he penned.

In that last dance of chances I shall partner you no more.
Fool

Chade, another character from the Farseer Trilogy, plays a prominent role in this series. The ease with which Fitz fits into his life at Buckkeep after a decade of absence is mainly due to his old mentor. I loved all the scenes between the master and the student, though their roles were reversed at times.

To quote Fitz: It pleased me that the author accorded Lady Patience the storytime she deserved.

The magic, while well thought out, does allow the author to get her characters out of tough situations without paying for their foolishness. In that one way, this series differs from the Farseer Trilogy. In that earlier series, folks paid a steep price for their mistakes. This series is all about second chances.

I loved the Keppet easter egg.

Robin Hobb is a master storyteller, and she did not disappoint me.

Book Review – Golden Fool

Golden Fool is better than Book 1 of the Tawny Man trilogy. I felt like a skill user drawn into the skill current, forgetting food and sleep. Only in my case, Robin Hobb’s magical storytelling pulled me into the book, and I could not rest till I finished it.

So far, Nettle has only appeared in Fitz’s dreams, and yet, the author paints her in beautiful colors in each scene.

Fitz and the Fool – their relationship is portrayed beautifully. The author squeezed my heart with this line:

I set no boundaries on my love.
Fool

And this line at the end broke me:

Beloved, I have missed your company.
Fitz

Dutiful and Fitz – The boy’s longing for a father and Fitz’s yearning to tell him the truth is sheer poetry. This line is a perfect illustration of that:

he spoke as a prince speaks to a servant, not as a boy would address his father.
Fitz

Robin Hobb is a master in character-driven fantasy. I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this trilogy.

Book Review: Fool’s Errand

After two years, I returned to the magic world crafted by Robin Hobb. You can read my reviews of the Liveships Traders here. She is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and I read Fool’s Errand, no I gobbled this book in less than a week. Once I started reading, I could not stop wanting to know what happened to Fitz, Fool, and other beloved characters.

The story starts a decade or so after the Farseer Trilogy. Fitz leads a life of isolation, but not for long. Beloved characters from that trilogy, Chade, Starling, and Fool, appear in consecutive chapters to help us readers reorient with the story and offer a glimpse of what is to come.

Before long, Fitz is back in the action, looking for Prince Dutiful, and what an adventure it is. I loved how real all the magic feels. Best of all is the characters and how they leaped out of the pages into my heart.

Robin is a master at her craft. And I could happily live in the world of her imagination. I am off to read book two.

Book Review: Talk to Me

The greatest thing a writer can do is to make you care deeply for fictional characters appearing on the page. Author John Kenney achieves that from page one. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew Ted, Claire, and Fran. I could feel their emotions and pain.

Ted, a TV news anchor, has a bad day. His marriage was falling apart. He has no relationship with his daughter. A young immigrant faces the brunt of his anger, and she did nothing to deserve it. Unfortunately for Ted, his verbal abuse is caught on camera.

How we use social media to communicate forms the backdrop for this novel. When our faults are captured for eternity and displayed for the world to consume and comment—anonymously, then there is no room for heroes in the real world. Because who among us is perfect every moment in our lives?

That is why we seek heroes in our books and movies. Legends shaped by our imagination and untouched by reality become our escape.

This is a very human story about marriage and parenthood and how sometimes we lose sight of what is precious.

Book Review: Cassandra in Reverse

I devoured the first half of this book like a book-hungry ravenous monster. It was so good.

The story that unfolds within this book is applicable to all of us. Humans are hard. We don’t say what we mean. We smile when we want to cry. We have a hard time understanding our own emotions, let alone someone else’s. And how many times have I said the wrong thing and wished I could time travel back to erase that mistake.

Cassandra, our delightful protagonist, can time travel by just shutting her eyes and tries to fix her mistakes, not always successfully. The middle does sag in repetition, but the pace picks up in the end.

Heartwarming story of how our words can hurt others, and why forgiving ones we love is the hardest. If you enjoyed The Rosie Project, this book is for you.

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Book Review: Euphoria

Loved this story from start to finish. The author had performed some writing magic to turn Nell, Fen, and Bankson into real humans. As I read the book, I could almost picture myself in the room with them.

Three anthropologists in the 1930s are thrown together while studying tribes in Papua, New Guinea. I am not crazy about how the anthropologists invaded these tribes to learn about them as if these human beings were some exotic sea creatures. But the story stayed true to what happened in real life, so I am not holding that against this novel.

The setting is painted almost like a background score in a movie.

“He had broken her glasses by then, so she didn’t know if he was joking.”
The character dynamic is also unraveled slowly, like this sentence by Nell

I loved learning parts of the story through Nell’s notes. Each character leaped through the pages and caught hold of my attention. When I reached halfway through the book, I had to continue reading till I got to the end.

I cannot wait to read other books by this author.

Book Review: The Last Queen

While writing historical fiction, one of the hardest things is to ensure the voice of the characters stays true to their times. Author Chitra Divakaruni achieves that with The Last Queen.

Rani Jindan is a poor girl thrust into the role of the queen because she happens to catch the eyes of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. She is not a college-educated woman of modern times. Her thoughts and actions reflect that reality in the book. Rani Jindan is irrational and swayed by her emotions and desire for vengeance, which makes her a relatable human figure.

Another aspect of historical fiction based on true events is the plot and pacing of the story. While Author Chitra keeps the story engaging for her audience, readers looking for a fast-paced novel might be disappointed.

Having read this book, I am intrigued by Duleep Singh and hoping to read more about the last king of Punjab. I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction set in pre-independence India.

Let me tell you about my book

I am excited to introduce Prophesied Prince, my debut historical fantasy series. I have written 30,000 words so far, in book one of the Prophesied Prince trilogy.

Writing books set in medieval India, I don’t know why I have not written a scene involving a crocodile before. Good news for crocodile fans in the fiction world. There is a crocodile scene in book one of The Prophesied Prince trilogy. And no, I don’t have a title yet.

Atul, a familiar character from my Land of Magadha trilogy, is one of the lead characters. It has been fun to write chapters in his voice.

The other lead is a brand new girl called Sugandha who is mired in mysteries. I cannot wait to share this book with you next year.

It is more than a month

I cannot believe King in Hiding has been out for more than a month. This is my first historical romance novel. King Dushyant captures Princess Lalitha’s father on the battlefield, but finds himself captivated by her. Without revealing his identity, he offers to escort her on the journey home to her kingdom — and Lalitha feels an undeniable pull towards her mysterious escort. But what happens when the truth comes out?

That first meeting sets the tone for the rest of the book

Princess Lalitha is riding alone on a horse while she encounters King Dushyant and the ground. But this damsel in distress does not want to be rescued.

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