the problem with fantasy

I've been reading a fair bit of fantasy recently, and though the issues of racism and sexism are not exclusive to the genre, I've noticed a repeated pattern that these sagas are predictably full of white, straight men swinging swords. Women, and People of Colour are rarer than dragons.

Brienne, Maid of Tarth. George R.R Martin, Song of Ice and Fire 
Artwork by Rory Phillips
source

*warning small spoilers for Song of Ice and Fire/ Game of Thrones 
see after the cut for my opinion on the problem with fantasy

fantasy kindle samples

As I mentioned in my review of Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice  I'm looking for a new fantasy saga to get into whilst I wait for the new Game of Thrones (I'm going to have to be patient- it took 10 years between A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons). 

I downloaded a whole bunch of kindle fantasy samples to try, here are my initial impressions:-

Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice

As George R.R Martin is a notorious slow writer, I'm trying to find an alternative fantasy series to get into while I wait for the next A Song of Ice and Fire. Robin Hobb has been highly praised by George R.R. Martin, so I thought her Assassin series was worth a go.

The Plot:The Kingdom of the Six Duchies is heading towards civil war, and further problems arise when is comes to light that the King-in-waiting has fathered a bastard son, Fitz. He is raised in the castle keep, resented by the populace but cared for by the gruff stable master, Burrich. As Fitz approaches adulthood, by order of the King,  he begins his secret training to become an assassin including an eduction in the Skill, the ability to ability to infiltrate and influence people's minds. He also shows a taboo affinity with animals, known as Wit.  

Rating: 4/5

Joffery Baratheon

reblogged from here 

Wimpole Estate & Farm- Grounds and Gardens

To make the most of the sunshine and a national holiday, today we visited Wimpole Estate and Farm. it is a National Trust property just outside Cambridge.

The back of the main house at Wimpole. 

 It seemed lots of other families had the same bright idea, as the grounds were full of people happily munching picnics and laying on the grass soaking up the sun.

 We took our own picnic with us, Though there is a team rooms,  a restaurant and an ice ream van at the property.  I  had a sandwich of feta, green pesto and sun-dried tomatoes on spelt bread. Spelt bread is a good alternative if you are wheat/gluten intolerant by the way.  I took along my current book, Tupac Shakur- The Rose that Grew from Concrete.  I should be putting up a review in the next couple of days. 

A very British Picnic- sandwiches, crisps and gangster rap

 If you forget to bring a book with you to Wimpole and fancy having a read whilst lounging on the grass, There is a well stocked second hand bookshop. It has a bit of everything, books on local history and contemporary classics such as Being Jordan by Katie Price.   

They're very trusting at the National Trust 

Outside I saw some very Game of Thrones-esque statues. My sister rolled her eyes when I mentioned this, I seem to be relating everything to the series at the moment.  

The stag of House Baratheon - Ours is the Fury 

Everyone at work now thinks I'm a massive geek, as I happened to mention that I like to loiter on Game of Thrones/ A Song of Ice and Fire forums and discuss conspiracy theories about Jon Snow's parentage (my bet's on Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen).   

The Lion of House Lannister- Hear us Roar!

"Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time"

- George R R Martin, A Storm of Swords, 1: Steel and Snow  

Currently Reading

As I'm sure you are aware Game of Thrones is back on tv- YAY! So I am currently re-reading A Storm of Swords: 1.Steel and Snow, purely so I can annoy everyone around me by yelling, 'That didn't happen in the book!" at the tv.

Couldn't resist buying the box set, though they are so chunky the kindle version might have been a better  idea. 

Actually, the HBO adaptation, it pretty faithful to the original and if you're a fan of the show I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of George R R Martin's series. In the summer last year, I saw loads of people on the train reading the books, they obviously had withdrawal symptoms after then end of the last tv series and the start of this one.

I will do a proper review of A Song of Ice and Fire soon. I really want to talk about how many strong female characters this series has. It's fantastic to have such a range of women represented instead of just a token one, round of applause for George R R Martin!

I'm also reading some Lisbon guide books. I'm off on holiday in about a month, and at the moment we have no accommodation and no plan.

 Previously when I've been travelling I've always relied on Lonely Planet, as they have lots of budget options, however when I went to the library the other day they didn't have any copies. I quite the DK Eyewitness guides, they have lots of pictures which I find good inspiration. Also they include maps and walking routes, which will be really helpful as my sense of direction is appalling.

Lisbon, Eyewitness Travel, ISBN: 978-1-4053-2649-0

Game of Thrones, family arms

How awesome is this? I've seen a couple of others floating around the internet and some are really funny.     Make your own here.

Anglesey Abbey

We braved the rain today and visited Anglesey Abby, a Jacobean house owned by the National Trust.  It has impeccably maintained gardens, and although the interior is a bit fusty and grandma-ish, the library is pretty impressive.

the books look good, but most of them I wouldn't want to read - A History of  Eton and loads of Punch  annuals

The grounds were the best bit, though it was too wet to go round all of it and parts of it are still a bit dead.

The silver birch reminded me of a Weirwood in  A Song of Ice and Fire  

 We finished up our visit with a cup of tea. The cafe isn't the best, it has no character and looks like a school canteen. Never mind, more importantly the sandwiches were tasty and they had a good selection of gluten-free cake.

Wimpole egg and lettuce 

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies" said Jojen, "The man who never reads lives only one"

- George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons