The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan : a review

The Ambassador's Mission is book one of the Traitor Spy trilogy and follows on from Trudi Canavan's previous seven novels (two trilogies and a standalone). For a reader coming in without any of the previous back-story there is little sense of missing any required history or appreciation of the characters. Canavan cleverly reintroduces the important players and provides whatever context is required for the story to progress. I'm still amazed that I've gone all this time and not read any of Canavan's stories before.

There are three key characters whose tales intersect at various levels and who the story follows throughout. Sonea is a Black Magaician and tied to the guidance and control of the Kyralian Guild of Magicians. She is a Healer and has emerged from within the ranks of the very poor to be a powerful magician (and somewhat feared by her colleagues). Her son, Lorkin is also a magician but an Alchemist. He agrees to accompany Lord Dannyl, the newly appointed Guild Ambassador, to Sachaka as his aid - both to help Dannyl in his search to fill some of the gaps in Kyralian history and also to explore more of the world than the city of his birth. Cery is an old friend of Sonea and a Thief in the City, he's familiar with the darker side of life.

"The Ambassador's Mission" ends on the delightfully teasing note of intrigue and deception, and as any good story does leaves you wanting more. Sonea has helped catch the rogue magician and Thief Killer; Cery has avenged his family's deaths and grown closer to his only surviving child (and learned a nice tidbit of information about a certain other Black Magician.... no spoilers); and Lorkin has come closer to discovering more about the Sachakans, the people they call Traitors, his father Akkarin, and hidden magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am keen to continue reading the trilogy to discover what happens with our three main characters. It has everything: political intrigue, clash of cultures, fighting, magic, avoiding capture, more magic, quips. But more importantly it is enjoyable and I really do want to know how this story ends. I've ended up caring about these characters, curious about the Sachakans and Traitors and blood gems and magic, wondering how the Wasteland fits into all of this, and whether the Guild will let go of old prejudices and fears.

Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson: a review

Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson takes place in 2008 and follows young teenager Fuzzy Mac (Ocean Skye McCardell) and her life in the country town of Laurel Dale. Raised by her grandparents she explores her relationships with them, with her mostly absent father, with her dead mother, with her friends, neighbours, and  community. Fuzzy's grandparents are a mix of Islander and Koorie and the absolute cornerstone of Fuzzy's life. They instill a pride in family and heritage in Fuzzy which shines through her interactions with everyone she meets. 2008 is a big year for this family: it's the year the nation says "sorry" for removing Aboriginal children from their parents. It's the year Fuzzy is faced with some tough decisions and learn to find grace beside her -the grace which comforts and settles torn emotions, the grace which provides wisdom, the grace to be at peace with you are  and within your own skin whatever that may be.
Grace Beside Me is a well written young adult story. The story labours a little to start with, laying deep and somewhat complex foundations, but goes on to find its own rhythm and flow. It is a novel which is very much about the value of stories in identifying who we are and where we come from. The book does tend to cover a lot of ground and attempt to expose Fuzzy to as much of the darker side of Australia's past which Aboriginal people have been subjected to as McPherson can fit within the pages. At times the story itself seems to lose its focus as a result.
That said, this is a powerful story and one which explores what it means to be Aboriginal in Australia and the impact Australia's past has even now. It does not sugar coat anything but provides a simple and straightforward insight into a young girl's family and life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was heartened by the choices Fuzzy makes and the wisdom her grandparents use to guide her.

This is the second book I have read as part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge for 2014. It is Sue McPherson's debut novel and written with the support of the State Library of Queensland's 2011 kuril dhagun Indigenous Writing Fellowship which is part of the State Library's black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project.

Friday Brown by Vicki Wakefield

on GoodReads

Friday Brown is a beautiful story of self-discovery and self-determination. It is the coming-of-age tale of a young girl, discovering who she is, but on her own terms. At 17 Friday's life has been under the singular influence of her mother until she finds herself alone and lost in Sydney. As she falls into the company of a group of homeless children she learns the value of friendship, the meaning of love, and finally the meaning behind her mother's philosophy of life: that if you can't make a good choice, at least make a choice you can live with.

I enjoyed this story immensely (4/5 stars). Wakefield describes Sydney and the various country towns Friday finds herself in with clarity and detail. Her characters are honest and flawed, the dialogue cleverly reinforcing their various natures. Friday is an engaging character and her struggle to remain true to herself whilst also discovering who she is, the sort of person she chooses to be, is universal.

When all is said and done, Friday Brown is a story about how the choices you make are what end up defining you as a person, and accepting people for who they are, regardless, is the sign of true friendship.

I look forward to more by Vikki Wakefield. Her first novel, All I Ever Wanted, was shortlisted for the 2011 Gold Inky Awards, shortlisted for the 2012 REAL Awards, a 2012 CBCA Notable Book and winner of the Young Adult Fiction Award at the 2012 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. Friday Brown is her second novel and was shortlisted for the 2013 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers.

2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

A new year brings a new reading challenge.
As well as #rwpchat and the ubiquitous GoodReads challenge, this year I've decided to participate in the Australian Women Writers Challenge.

For me the challenge will be in developing my review writing skills. I've done a little bit of reviewing for ALIA's inCite magazine a few years ago but mostly keep my personal reviews to GoodReads or this blog. (Let's be honest, mostly I just rate a book on GoodReads and leave it at that, call me lazy). Which is why I'm excited about #aww2014. It's a challenge that not only stretches me as a reader and reviewer but more importantly highlights the work of Australian women writers.
And if there's one thing which I am passionate about as a reader, it is supporting Australian writers.

So I've joined the AWW challenge group on GoodReads and I'll be signing up and focusing my reading efforts (and reviewing efforts) on the work of Australian women. I am still debating what level to aim for (Stella = 4; Miles = 6; Franklin = 10) but am really looking forward to sharing my reviews and reading the reviews of other readers participating in #aww2014.

This is going to be fun!