Well, November was a month dominated by NANOWRIMO and Thanksgiving.
Writing
I missed the goal of 50,000 words by about 8K between all three projects. Th main reasons I missed out had to do with slowing down on weekend and spending more time over Thanksgiving with family than writing, which is a good trade off. Still, I’m good with 42,000 words for the month. That’s a good amount of writing.
Movies and TV
Finished off Andor in November. That was a fun show, getting into the dark background of Star Wars without adding Jedi and Darth anything. It was a slow start, sure, but I enjoyed it, especially Mon Mothma’s storyline, and Stellan Skarsgard’s character of Luthen. I look forward to the next season.
Over the holiday I went to see Devotion, about the the first African American Naval Aviator and the Korean War. I liked the movie, and had a fun experience where my knowledge of World War 2 aircraft led me to anticipating some plot points. There was one minor plot that I felt was forced, but overall, I liked it.
Books
I read the next Gregory book, The Other Boleyn Girl, and I’m working on the blog post for that. The book is from the POV of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and is the first time we get to see the events of Henry VIII’s life from the Boleyn faction. I’ll leave more for the blog post.
I also read another 30K book, Heralds of the Siege, book 52 of the Horus Heresy series. Like all the other anthologies in the series, some of the short stories were very good, and others were forgettable. And most involved characters we haven’t seen in ten books or so, so I had no idea who they were. But, one more down, twenty to go?
Games
I’m continuing to wrap down the Sunday night game. I’ve only got a few more sessions before it finished up, and I’m hoping I’ve got a good idea how to get a final battle that will be challenging and enjoyable.
The other two games I’m playing in ar moving along. We have an almost TPG (Total Party Kill) on Monday night, so a bunch of us had to replace our characters. It’s a chance to try something new.
What’s Next
On December 10th I’ve got the next Books and Beer Pop-Up Bookstore at the AZ Gallery in St Paul. Other than that I’m working on three book projects and a number of short stories. I want to published at least one book in 2023 if I can get it to work out.
Man, the monthly change really sneaks up on you. No sooner am I planning the update, then BAM, we’re past the first. Well, I’m only a day late to cover what I managed in both September and October.
Writing
I have been making a lot of good writing milestones the last few weeks. I got past the last big issue with Book 3 and I’m writing through that act. Then I’ll have to keep writing into the next act and start ironing out what doesn’t make sense, and iron it into the act before. I’ll have to take a few passes to make it work, but then I’ll finally have my rough draft. The downside is that even though I’m finally over 100,000 words (yay!), a lot of the work ahead is re-writing, so the word count won’t increase as much.
The SciFi and Fantasy novel re-writes are going well. Each is over 20K and progressing daily. Both are a lot stronger than the rough drafts were. It’s nice to be able to jump between them as I need to.
NANOWRIMO Note: My goal for NANOWRIMO is to add 50K words between the three projects. The Book 3 Re-writing will be a bit odd to count, but I’ll make it work.
Movies and TV
I cannot say I watched a lot of new Movies or TV the last two months, in part because I tried not to turn my TV on a lot over October.
I watched through She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the MCU show on Disney +. I liked the show, especially how the main character kept breaking the fourth wall to share joked with the audience. The misogyny the character experienced was hard to watch, but I don’t think you could tell her story without it. At least the character had a fulfilling arc. I hope to see her in future shows.
Started the Andor show. I’m enjoying it so far, though I’m watching it more for what they’re doing with Mon Motha, the political character, than I am for what they’re doing with Andor. I mean, I like Andor, but I find her arc much more interesting. We’ll see how it turned out.
Books
Read through a five-book young adult series called the Phantasmagoria series, written by a Minnesota author named El Holly. The five books follow five middle schoolers who have to travel to a world of imagination called Phantasmagoria. They go to find balance between the worlds and save both from destruction. They’re books written for a younger audience, so there’s some wackiness in the story and some odd decisions, but it was still a fun series to read through.
I also read through a 40K book called ‘Battle of the Fang’, about the Thousand Sons attack on the Space Wolf homeworld of Fenris. A pretty decent book, as 40K books can go. A lot of cool combat sequences, some fantastic sci-fi, and a bunch of ‘seriously?’ moments. About what I’d expect.
Games
Finished Terran Command and Farcry: Primal. I may go back and finish some of the extras in both, but I don’t have to. I’ve got the stories done and that’s pretty decent. Playing through Epic 40K: Final Liberation, which is a game I played through way back in the 90’s when it first came out. I’m having another experience (like I did with C&C) where I’m playing much more competently now than I did as a child. Very much enjoying the playthrough.
Not much changing on the Role-Playing Game front. My Sunday night ‘Homecoming’ game should be wrapping up soon, so we’ll see if that ends on a high note. Hot Springs Island and Known World are still running great.
What’s Next
Focusing on NANOWRIMO (at least how I’m doing it this year). Got my eye on some conventions and events come the new year, hit 2023 swinging and selling. Keep selling on Fiverr if and when I can. And of course trying to blog more often.
Book Eight in the series (halfway through) follows Margaret Tudor, older sister to King Henry VIII and Queen of Scotland. The book takes place between November of 1501 and the summer of 1533. The title is a reference to the relationship and paths of Margaret and her sister Mary, Queen of France, and sister-in-law Katherina of Aragorn, Queen of England.
Overall, I liked this book. Not only did we get a chance to see how Scotland of the 16th century worked, but we get to see the same events of previous books through lenses that completely change how we interpret them. I found it a fascinating read.
Margaret in the Book
Margaret Tudor is introduced as a young woman in the Tudor court of Henry VII. She has the Tudor arrogance and belief in their divine right to rule, pickled with the humility enforced by the Red Queen and her supposed reduced value as a princess. She is present for the death of Arthur and the beginning of Katherine’s years of exile from court. Margaret is then married to James IV of Scotland and sent north.
As Queen of Scotland, Margaret has a tumultuous life. She bears the next king of Scotland, but James is then killed in battle with the English (under Katherine’s banner, which Margaret never truly forgives her for). French and English factions at court threaten both her and her son. She falls for a Scottish lord and marries him in secret, upsetting the Scottish families and her brother. Her husband, it turns out, is stealing her wealth and putting his clan over the safety of the nation, yet because he is her husband she had little recourse to save herself or protect her son. He is eventually disposed, and her son safe.
While Margaret is navigating the intricacies of Scottish politics and her own heart, she is in constant correspondence with Henry, Katherine and Mary. These letters tie the book in with the rest of the series.
Margaret and Katherine
Margaret’s relationship with Katherine changes constantly throughout the novel and is dependent on Katherine’s position in relation to Margaret. When Katherine is in a superior or stable position, she is Katherine of Arrogant, and Margaret is dismissive of her advise. When Katherine is reduced or suffering, Margaret is more sympathetic.
Where Margaret and Katherine’s stories truly conflict is in regard to divorce. As we saw in The Constant Princess, the concept of divorce is seen as a threat to women everywhere. Women cannot work for themselves (or rarely can) and if a man can set his wife aside at will, then all women are threatened.
But Margaret’s second marriage is an example of the dangers of not having the option of divorce. Her second husband, Archibald Douglas, uses his position to steal her income for himself. Margarets attempts to defend herself and protect her son, King James V, are often ignored because he is her husband, and it is his right to steal from her.
Both Margaret and Katherine know that Margaret’s success will doom Katherine. Henry is looking for a reason to set Katherine aside so he can marry Anne Boleyn and sire an heir. Katherine repeatedly writes to Margaret to respect her marriage, as terrible as it is, so that her own will survive.
I read these exchanges with interest. I know Katherine’s impossible situation and understand how devastating the concept of divorce would be. At the same time, I’m reading Margaret’s impossible situation and knowing that divorce is her only salvation (that or untimely death). I know how it ends for Katherine. I was invested in learning how it ends for Margaret.
Margaret and Mary
Of the three sisters, Mary Tudor was the one I expected the least from. I barely remember her from earlier books. She’s the younger sister, married to the King of France for three months before his death, then married in secret to a friend of Henry’s before her return to London. Her early letters are about dresses and hair styles and jewelry and lack much substance.
Mary’s second marriage is much like Margaret’s second, yet the two are received entirely differently. Mary’s results in acceptance and a heavy fine, while Margaret’s takes much longer and some bloodshed to achieve any recognition. Mary’s is longstanding and true, but Margaret’s turns false and ends in divorce. Several times I came to the conclusion that Margaret, as much as she sees Mary as frivolous, she is also jealous that Mary gets to lead an easier life.
Mary is easily dismissed early on, but towards the end her letters become important windows into Henry’s court. She writes of the shift of Henry’s attention and the court moving its focus from Katherine to Anne, and how impetuous Anne and her family becomes as Anne’s influence grows. Anne acts as a queen long before Katherine is removed. Her family even goes so far as to assault and murder their opponents without fear of punishment, indicating just how far Henry is willing to let Anne have her way.
Margaret and Henry
The relationship between Margaret and Henry has two aspects. One is political, regarding their respective royal positions, and the other is legal, regarding their respective and evolving positions on divorce.
Politically, Henry expects Margaret to act as an extension of the English Court rather than an independent Queen of Scotland. In fact, we learn that much of the Scottish court and nobility is in the pay of either the English or French courts. Her decisions to marry Archibald, then her attempts to remove herself from his control, are constantly viewed by Henry as an embarrassment. We, as the reader, know she is navigating Scottish politics, but Henry does not see that. He instead tries to influence and intimidate her into passive acceptance of her situation.
Legally, Henry does not support her attempts to divorce until he himself becomes interested in divorcing Katherine. He spends much of the book telling her to be a devout wife, but then suddenly shifts his tone. He not only promotes divorce but attempts to convince James V to follow his lead and separate from the Catholic Church, citing not only the power but the wealth one can obtain from raiding the churches. James rejects the notion, but the cynical nature of Henry’s decision is clearly obvious.
Conclusion
I liked this book. I liked learning about Scotland of the time. And I liked how the author managed to give us the same events that we’ve already seen but through new lenses that change how those events were interpreted. Easy to see how the same action can be great for one individual (Margaret’s divorce from Archibald), and terrible for another (Katherine’s divorce from Henry). I look forward to continuing in the series.
August becomes September, and summer becomes spring, and authors look at their coffee shop boards and see pumpkin spice. Such is the nature of things.
Writing
Book 3 is just shy of 90,000 words. I am currently working on the middle section, that connects the beginning and end. I am plotting out what needs to happen and working on a map of the area. Once I have it written then I can shift to ironing the story together and getting the rough draft done.
I am working on the Tales of the Templar short story book. I am just finishing up the second story and I’m well into the third. The goal is four to six.
I’m still picking on the Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels when I feel the need to write instead of plot. I worked out the mythology of the fantasy novel and the science of the sci-fi, so now I can get to the writing.
Movies and TV
In August I watched a number of new shows and films. I finally finished off Sherlock, the BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. I saw the first episode back when it came out and it so upset me I did not finish the season until now. The last two episodes were not as bad as I’d feared; I might even go as far as to say they revived my interest in the show.
In terms of movies I watched Bullet Train, the Brad Pitt action/comedy film in the theater. I like it and thought it was a fun film. Worth going to the local cinema to see.
At home I streamed The Batman, the latest Batman film with Robert Patterson. As odd as Patterson is when he’s playing Bruce Wayne, I liked how this entry was a proper detective story. I even like how Batman and Gordon make mistakes in their investigation. Their fallibility added to the story.
Finally, I saw Prey, the latest Predator movie set in the early 18th century and featuring American Indian tribes fighting the sci-fi hunter. Holy crap did that movie rock. I was thrilled the whole time. I’d like to see them do more Predator through the ages movies.
Books
Only got through two books this month, which is kind of disappointing, but they were both longer books.
Three Sisters, Three Queens is the next Philippa Gregory book, following Margaret Tudor, older sister of King Henry VIII and Queen of Scotland. I really liked this book, and I’m working on the book report right now.
The other book I read is Ways and Means, a look at the economics of the American Civil War. Mostly the book followed Salmon Chase as he built up the Federal government’s finances to pay for the ever more expensive civil war. The author also spent time talking about the Confederate banking system and the European responses. These are all things I knew little about, for all my education on the war, and for all the importance economics and finance has on a government’s ability to persecute a war.
Games
Stalled out on Starship Troopers: Terran Command. I hit a mission I haven’t been able to get past yet, but I’m still working on it.
Almost done with a console game, Farcry: Primal, set in Germany in about 5,000 BC. I found this game an interesting take on the normal Farcry build. The gameplay was about the same, but without the array of guns to collect and customize, you were much more reliant on melee weapons and special grenades. Pretty cool., though I’m looking forward to getting back to normal.
My Homecoming game continues into the final chapter. Monday night works into Hot Springs Island. And my charisma character is still doing a good job in the Thursday Night Known World Campaign. So, RPG wise, I’m doing really well.
What’s Next
I’ve got a Books and Beer Event on September 18th at Inbound BrewCo; I will be hosting, but I’ll still have a table and everything. Looking to get some tables going for events the rest of this year and into next, but don’t have anything signed up yet.
Have a seller’s profile on Fiverr. Now I’m building some gigs (services people can purchase from me). Working on graphics and will have those up shortly.
July was a very busy month in some ways, and not so busy in others.
Writing
Book 3 is now over 80,000 words, which is only 5,000 more than a month ago, but is includes a 10,000 word re-write of the first two acts to account for a correction of geography. I’ve got the first and last acts written. Now I need to connect them with the middle acts and complete the rough draft.
I’m working on my fantasy novel again, having worked out the bulk of the problems with the mythology and pantheons. I’m in a similar position with the science fiction novel of having the background worked out. But since most of my writing time is dedicated to Book 3, I’m just picking at them when I have some extra time.
Movies / TV
I finished off Ms Marvel. I enjoyed it. Not only the story of the character, but the new background and culture of Kamila Kahn. I’m excited to see where she goes in the future.
I also got to see the Thor: Love and Thunder movie, which was great. Not as fun as Ragnarok, but it was a good movie. I still don’t see where Phase IV is going. Maybe it’s more of a palette cleanser between sagas? I think I heard something to that effect, but I haven’t read into it yet.
I watched through the fourth season of Stranger Things. Holy crap did that crank up the tension. I’m glad I started watching it on a Sunday morning and not at night. As it was, I was nervous the entire season. I will say this: that show does a good job of bringing different storylines together at the end.
Books
Guess I didn’t read a whole lot this month. Other than finishing Red Storm Rising, I read a book called Justice in an Age of Metal and Men, a cyberpunk western story. It was a fascinating world, though I had a hard time getting into the story.
Games
Been playing through Matrix Game’s Starship Troopers Terran Command. It’s a Real-Time Tactical game, commanding squads of troopers across battlefields while fighting the arachnids, complete with the generic cliches of the movie series. It’s pretty fun, and I’m almost done with it.
In RPGs, my Homecoming game is continuing into the last chapter. My Monday Night Game continues into Hot Springs Island (my character is still alive!) and my Thursday game is entering the next phase, a chapter of urban politics where my character plays a role of a foreign investor. Not my usual role.
What’s next
I’m running a Books and Beer Pop-Up Bookstore in September that I’ll be prepping for. I’m close to posting some job stuff on Fiverr. Other than that, it’s writing and revising and working being mor author-like.
The King’s Curse, set between November of 1499 and
May of 1541, is about the Tudors and their heirs. The book follows Margaret
Pole, senior member of the defeated Plantagenet line during the reins of Tudor
Henry VII and Henry VIII, as she tries to navigate the increasingly chaotic
times of the later king’s reign. She is not a main character in the histories,
but her position as mother to important actors in the court of Henry VIII gives
the reader a larger view of the events that led to the English Reformation.
As with other books in the series, the title refers to the
main character: Margaret Pole, as the senior or at least closest living
Plantagenet heir, is a constant reminder to the Tudor king that there are
others with a claim to the throne. Yet the title takes on so much more during
this book. At various times, I read the King’s Curse to mean:
The sweating sickness, a reoccurring plague attributed
to the Tudors, that often sweeps across the land
Any king’s need to have a male heir to continue
to line
Henry VIII’s inability to conceive a child, or
for those children to survive.
Henry’s descent into tyranny and/or madness
Of the books in the series so far, this was one of the
roughest to read. Unlike the Wars of the Roses, I know something of the Tudor
years and Henry VIII. Knowing what is coming and watching the characters
antagonizing over trying to stop it, and knowing how it will end, is intense.
Not going to lie; there were a few times I stopped reading early on the bus
ride because I needed a break.
Family Fortunes
Margaret Pole, the niece of two York kings, is aware of her
family’s dangerous position. The story starts with the execution of her brother,
Edward of Warwick. She is married to a minor supporter of the Tudors (as one of
Margaret Beaufort’s efforts to humiliate a York princess). And Henry VII is
well known for his network of spies and his vindictive and crippling penalties
for real or imagined slights.
Pole’s husband commands the castle where Henry’s eldest son
and his new wife, Arthur and Katherine of Aragon, are to spend their time after
their wedding. This time is short lived, as a sickness passed through the
castle, taking Arthur and leaving Katherine a widow. Margaret becomes a conspirator
with the princess to claim the marriage was not consummated and that she is
free to marry the other son, Henry. This puts her in conflict with Margaret
Beaufort, who seeks to discredit the princess and force her out.
Pole’s is cast from the court, her children’s opportunities
cut short. This is further exasperated by the death of her husband and the
Tudor abrogation of their responsibilities to their family. Beaufort once again
demands Pole’s support against Katherine of Aragon. When Pole refuses, Beaufort
continues to apply pressure, forcing the family disperse to monasteries to
survive. Pole’s fortunes seem dark.
The New King
Pole’s fortunes change with the death of Henry VII and the
elevation of his son. Margaret Beaufort’s power is broken, and Katherine of
Aragon becomes queen. Pole and her family are pulled from the monasteries
they’d taken refuge in, their lands are returned, and their fortunes reversed. Beaufort
dies a short while later (Pole’s interpretation is that she refuses to see a
court where she is replaced by younger and more beautiful women making merry
where she would counsel humility.) Things are looking up.
This is where Pole’s position and the focus of the story
becomes clear. Pole is a friend of the queen and a figure of some importance to
the young king, which gives her some prominence. Her sons become important
nobles in the king’s court and one a scholar of some note in the Catholic
church. As such, either through her own
experiences or through correspondence, she is well placed to see the events
leading up to the English Reformation.
The Divine Need for Princes
Henry has the firm belief in the divine right of Tudor rule.
Pole, chosen to be the governess of the Tudor children, gets to see this belief
tested as Katherine suffers miscarriages and weak children. Only one of six pregnancies
delivers a healthy child, and that’s a princess (the future Queen Mary). Despite
having a strong grandmother (see, I complimented Margaret Beaufort!) Henry is
obsessed with a male heir. He sires an illegitimate son with another woman and
recognizes him as a potential heir, but he’s frustrated that Katherine
continues to fail to give him a legitimate prince.
Is the marriage cursed because Katherine lied about her
consummating her marriage to Arthur? Is there a curse against the Tudor line
for murdering the Princes in the Tower? Henry beings to search for a way to set
Katherine aside, an act that the women of the story find abhorrent. To
acknowledge that a husband can set aside a wife at will would be to ‘overthrow
the safety of every woman in England.’
Henry persists, and one of Pole’s son (the Catholic scholar)
is involved in researching how this might come about. But just as Pole is
convinced that the Catholic church can bring Henry to heel, so is Henry
convinced that he is right. He brazenly says so to Mary in the presence of
Pole.
‘And I am doing God’s will. God speaks directly to kings, you know, So anyone who speaks against me is speaking against the will of God Himself. They all say that – the men of the new learning. They all write it. It is indisputable. I am obeying the will of God and your mother, mistakenly, is following her own ambition.’
Conspiracy
Pole is stuck in a tough position. Her family is dependent on Henry for their fortune; yet even that does not protect all of them. Royal agents remove her chaplains and reduce their monastery to nothing; one goes as far as to threaten to take back some of their lands for little to no reason other than she’s shown support for the Queen over the King. Her scholastic son sends a report that does not support the king’s position and is effectively exiled.
The old Plantagenet forces come into play, not to necessarily overthrow Henry but to try to get him to see reason or to accept the situation he sees himself in. Many letters Pole reads or writes end with ‘Burn this’. Opportunities to oppose the king come and go; some are missed, some are avoided, some are taken but fail to bring the desired outcome.
The king’s divine faith in himself leads to the English
Reformation, though to Pole it looks more like madness. Henry sets aside
Katherine and begins running through wives. Anne Boleyn is executed. Jane
Seymour dies. Henry separates England from the church and no heir comes. Mary
is forced to acknowledge that she is illegitimate, and Pole must accept that in
order see her at all.
Henry’s tyranny is widespread. Monasteries are dissolved and
their wealth taken. Those who irritate the king find themselves in the Tower. Executions,
even of those who were once his great supporters, becomes commonplace. (Which
does allow for one moment of karma, when a man who arrogantly harasses Pole
several times in the book falls victim to the machinery he built.)
Remember above when I mentioned how this book got hard to
read? A lot of that came from this part of the novel. As a historian I can
appreciate how the Reformation fits into the grand story of Europe and
Christianity, but man did it suck for a lot of individual people and families.
Conclusion
Margaret Pole’s position in the series is less central than the other stories so far. But that gives the reader a much broader view of the events of Henry VIII’s decisions that begin the English Reformation. The information provided to Pole via her friends and family members gives her and by extension us a story that is more about a changing society and not about one king – or one family’s – quest for power.
The book was rough to read at some points, and I’m worried
how the next few books will go as we continue into the queens and chaos of
Henry VIII. Reformations being what they are, I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to
be cutting my bus readings early. And we’re not even halfway through the
series.
Wow. Don’t know how I missed the June update, but here we are. Guess I was just too carried away writing and revising one project or another.
Writing
Book Three is at 75,000 words, and about halfway done if not more. There’s a lot of work ahead, of course; at least two aspects of what I’ve written don’t work and will have to be redone. I’m close to having a second Tales of the Templars story completed also.
My fantasy novel is on hold while I revisit the mythology of the world. It was not holding up to what I needed, so I’ve been revising it. The good news is I’ve worked out a new system that works. Next, I’m ironing out some names and histories to give me the background I need.
My science fiction novel is ready for heavy revisions. But before I do that, I’m taking a moment to answer some important questions that I need to have answers to. I need to shore up some points, ensure some characters remain consistent, and one or two don’t disappear suddenly and without explanation. You know, the little things.
Movies and TV
Saw the new Dr Strange movie. I thought it was pretty good though not quite what I was expecting given what the trailers had be believing. Still not sure what the MCU Phase 4 is leading to. I’ve heard some theories, but without a unifying factor like Thanos and the Infinity Stones it just seems like a lot of threads in the wind.
Watched through Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. Overall, I liked it. It skirted the issue of telling a story without conflicting A New Hope too much (though this appears open to debate). It answered a few questions that lingered, Mostly, I was glad they didn’t botch it.
I saw the first few episodes of Strange New Worlds (the Star Trek show) and am incredibly impressed with what I saw. I’m excited for episodic-based trek. Caught the first episode of Ms Marvel, but haven’t seen anything since. Looking to catch back into that starting this weekend.
Books
Since I last updated, I’ve read a lot, though most of it was re-reading. I re-read Book 2 of the Honor Harrington prequel series, A Call to Arms. The main character is an officer now and continues his adventures in space.
I followed this up by re-reading the entirety of the Harry Potter series., all seven books.
Read the next Philippa Gregory book, The King’s Curse, about Margaret Pole. Pole lives through Henry VIII and the English Reformation. Book report due soon. Stay tuned.
Quick aside for a book on job interview techniques a friend of mine from college wrote. Now I’m re-reading and almost done with Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising. This was the first Clancy book and first Techno-Thriller book I read back in middle-school.
Games
I got stuck on a mission of Warmachine: Tactics that’s frustrated me. Try as I might, I cannot get into that game. I suppose I should just accept that there are games I will not be able to get into easily. They won’t hold my attention, or I won’t find them interesting. You pay your money, and you take your chances.
I had a coupon and picked up a copy of the new Starship Troopers came from Slytherine/Matrix games. It’s pretty fun for a Realtime Tactical game. Simple, captured the feel of the movies (though obviously not the books). Maybe I’ll focus on that one for a bit.
RPG-wise, my gaming groups have finished two Delta Green one-shots, neither of which were creature features. That was a nice change of pace, getting away from ‘what sort of monster is it this week!?’. Got involved, and we lost some characters in some interesting ways.
My Homecoming campaign is entering the final chapter. I’ve got a lot of ideas, but I am nervous. Can I pull off a final boss battle? Will the story hold? I’m going to keep taking it one session at a time. It’s worked so far.
Another group is revisiting Hot Springs Island, a published book I’ve visited before. The island is designed to be replayed so it won’t be the same island I’ve visited before. It is a brutal and lethal island. Should be fun.
What’s Next
I’ve got a Books and Beer Pop-Up Bookstore set up for September, so expect more on that coming up soon. I’m aiming to add another convention before the end of the year. And I’m hoping to have a profile up on Fiverr for some writing and editing support. Other than that, it’s just writing, writing, and revising.
Book 6 in Philippa Gregory’s series is The Constant
Princess, about Katherine of Aragorn, first wife of King Henry VIII, and
takes place between Autumn of 1501 and Autumn of 1513 (barring a prologue and
epilogue set years before and after each). Born Catalina, daughter of Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain, Katherine is told from her birth that she is to be queen
of England. The time and effort it takes for that to come about gives us the
title of the book.
The Story
The journey is not easy. Katherine comes to England to marry
King Henry VII’s eldest prince, Arthur, heir and beloved son. The marriage is
rocky to start, with neither spouse enjoying the other, but an illness forces
them to revisit their relationship and they fall in love. For several months,
they spend each night with each other, sharing grandiose visions of what they
shall do with England once they are monarchs. Those visions are cut short by
Arthur’s death in 1502, after only five months of marriage.
On his deathbed, Arthur asks Katherine to promise to claim
they did not consummate their marriage, allowing her to marry his younger
brother Henry and rise to the throne for their grand designs. The marriage is
promised early, but then Katherine spends years in exile, not allowed to be
part of the English court, unable to go home. It takes the death of Henry VII
to finally bring about the marriage and her installment as queen.
The Next Generation
With this book, the series has moved past the last of the
Wars of the Roses queens and into the next generation of characters. Not only
do we see the death of Henry VII, the last monarch of those wars, but we get to
see the end of Margaret of Beaufort, the Red Queen.
Margaret Beaufort, as portrayed in this book series, struck
so many of my character peeves that I looked forward to every slap in the face
or minor setback she received from the characters since halfway through Red
Queen. The mentality that any action she does, no matter how heinous, is
okay because she’s God’s chosen, is so insulting and juvenile. I enjoyed the snubs that Elizabeth of York
gave in The White Princess, and I enjoyed watching Margaret’s decline
and death in The Constant Princess. The decision Katherine makes to cut
Margaret funeral plans to a more modest size is just the sort of deserved
insult that Margaret would find infuriating, and as a reader I find completely
deserving.
As the next generation of English nobles rise, we see that
they’re going to be different from the generations we read through the Wars of
the Roses with. These leaders are men who have not faced the constant warfare
of the Wars, whose position is largely secured. As a result, they are arrogant
and rude. Henry is a boy in a man’s position, enjoying life, while Katherine
rules the country in his name. He views war as an adventure to advance his
position; she views it as a way to advance their country and Christendom.
Knowing what I do about what’s coming next for England, I
can see how it’s going to come about.
A Spanish View
Katherine’s Spanish origins come
into play significantly during the story, not just in differences in leadership
and ideology, but as a way of critiquing English (and in some ways Catholic)
life of the period. Spain of Katherine’s time was a battleground for Christian
versus Muslim rulers, so Katherine is much aware of Islamic learning – mathematics, medicine, science – and artwork. All of which, particularly the
learning, is missing from English culture.
‘There is not a University in England that studies
medicine,’ Katherine said bitterly. ‘There is not one that teaches languages.
There is not one that teaches astronomy, or mathematics, geometry, geography, cosmography
or even the study of animals, or plants. The universities of England are about
as much use as a monetary full of monks coloring in the margins of sacred
texts.’
The comments come into play as
Katherine experiences worry over not conceiving a child, and finds no one able
to provide even a mote of support. The problem is not confined to England;
Katherine mentions how her mother would destroy Moorish universities and evict Islamic
scholars under the direction of the Pope. Her spiritual desire to follow papal
orders wars with her human desire to understand what, if anything, is wrong
with her. The one learned doctor she meets – covertly – is an Islamic doctor
who happened to be travelling through London. Even there, the arrogance and conceit
of Katherine towards him is embarrassing to read.
As a history major, knowing what I
do about the coming dominance of Europe over the rest of the world, it’s hard
to understand this sort of reasoning. Willful ignorance makes no sense to me,
yet here’s an entire civilization that revels in it. I shake my head at the
wonder of it all.
Third vs. First
This book has a new style for the series, that jumps between
First and Third person.
The majority of the book is done Third Person, and jumps to
other characters who aren’t Katherine more often than previous books did. This
allows the reader to experience the story that’s happening beyond Katherine’s
eyes, almost a necessity since Katherine spends so much of the book in virtual
exile.
The sections done in First Person follow Katherine’s inner
monologue, or describe events that are best seen from her perspective. Some of
these are instances where she’s remembering home in Spain and what she misses
about it. Others are moments dealing with extreme emotions and worries she
can’t let the court see.
The changes can happen multiple times per chapter, giving us
the events that Katherine is dealing with, and her internal monologue as she
thinks and responds. It’s not the first time I’ve seen this particular mechanism
used, but I’ve never tried it myself. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.
Conclusion
The Constant Princess is a book that leads itself to
a lot of ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ questions aimed at the characters
and the world they live in. I’d rate it pretty good; it’s not great, but the
critique of English life from a foreign view point and the death of Margaret
Beaufort both raise my appreciation for the book. We’re not yet halfway through
the series as a whole, and the book stands as a transition from the Wars of the
Roses to the Tudor era. I expect to see
a lot more of Katherine of Aragorn over the next few books.
Apologies. On the first of last month I was at work prepping
the office to move that weekend and completely spaced sending an update. It was
a long and grueling weekend but we got the office moved and set up. The new
place is fantastic and, to my delight, has a coffee shop nearby I can go write
at before heading into work. So I’m getting more writing done, which is always
fun. So prepare for two-month update.
Writing
Book 3 is well over 50,000 words and closing on 60. I’m
largely writing from the two ends to the middle, plugging away at scenes and
fitting them in together. The rewrite is going to involve a lot of polishing.
A number of short stories are underway, including a number
of Tales of the Templars. The possiblity of a short story collection in my
fantasy world, or something of a sci-fi collection, is also appealing to me,
since I’m being on my big book writing projects. Hey, it’s words on the page.
Movies/Tv
Haven’t watched too much new stuff the last few months. I did watch through the Last Kingdom, the Netflix show based off my favorite book series, and did a post about it. That was worth watching, and re-watching.
Reading
I started the two-moth period reading through a series of six
short stories set in the Battletech universe (science fiction, large robot
combat). These short stories dealt with the espionage and special operations
the various factions therein did to obtain the plans to build their own
battlemechs. They were a good intro to the world (which I know very little
about compared to other scifi IPs), but not a lot of exciting mech combat.
Then came the next book in Philippa Gregory’s series, the Constant
Princess, about Katherine of Aragorn, first wife of King Henry VIII. Expect
a book review soon.
Finished up a non-fiction book I was reading as research for
Book 3. Small Unit Action in Vietnam: Summer 1966 is a collection of
reports from squad, platoon and company skirmished and battles in Vietnam. It
gave me some good ideas for the fights of book three, though the tech level of
the Renaissance Army series is not at the Vietnam levels. Still, a lot of good
bits in there.
Ten Tales of a Dark Tomorrow is a collection of science and speculative fiction stories from Keven A Kuhn, a fellow author of the Twin Cities who I befriended doing the Books and Beers events around town. Kevin’s first book, Do You Realize? left me in tears, and this one was just as striking. True, they were some dark tales, but damn if they weren’t good.
To top off the list of books for the two months are three
Warhammer 40K books. One from the Horus Heresy, Slave to Darkness, which
was okay. I’ve read it, don’t need to do that again. Devastation of Baal,
about the Tyranid invasion of the Blood Angel homeworld, was a fantastic book
that felt like a true 40K novel, with heroic characters, alien mindsets, and
jackasses I get to see die. The ending is a big deus ex, but against something
like the Tyranids it kind of has to be. Finally there’s Gunheads, which
pits Imperial Guards against orks. Lots of tank combat, which is fun, and
against orks, which is even more fun.
Games
Have not been playing too many story games lately. Working through Warmachine: Tactics, still, but it doesn’t really hold my interest too well. Most of what I’ve played recently has been Surviving Mars and Surviving the Aftermath, two Paradox games about building communities (either on Mars or post-apocalyptic Earth). Both fun, maybe too addictive.
What’s Next
Keep reading and keep writing. I’m gaining traction on Book 3, slowly knocking scenes out and completing acts. If I’m not working on that, I’m working on some other short stories. Now that I’ve got a morning writing routine again, I’m excited to get into some thousand word mornings.
This month I decided to give The Last Kingdom another chance.
The Last Kingdom is a TV
series by the BBC and Netflix, based off the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell.
The Saxon Stories follow the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a warlord born to
the Saxons but raised by the Danes. Forced into exile in Saxon Wessex, Uhtred
fights against the Danes and helps build the modern England.
The Saxon Stories is one of my
favorite book series, so when I first heard they were doing a show about it I
was excited. It came out, I sat down, watched it, and was very disappointed.
I had two large complaints. One, the story had become more about how Uhtred to show the Saxons how to fight the Danes. In the books, they’ve already managed several victories before Uhtred joins them. Second, they kept cutting my favorite scenes! The first season covers the first two books, Last Kingdom and Pale Horseman (Pale Horseman is one of my favorite books), and I had a mental list of what I was looking forward to. Of the seven scenes on that list, they did one.
I didn’t pay much attention to
the next seasons coming out, but friends who watch the show tell me it gets
better. I’d always thought about returning to give it another shot, so I prepared
myself, sat down and re-started.
Initial Re-Reaction to the
First Season
I must admit; on the second
viewing, the first complaint fell largely flat. Sure, story they were telling
was shallow compared to the books, but that’s largely a function of medium. Movies
and TV can’t reach the same depth as a book can.
As I was considering the impact
of the medium switch on the story, I also realized that the viewpoint had
shifted. The books are almost universally First Person, from Uhtred’s POV as he
recounts his story in his old age. He recounts events beyond his knowledge as
they were told to him later, which makes sense in a book but in a TV show,
having Uhtred tell you what happened would be boring. So the show is Third
Person, and we now watch those scenes happening. The switch changes the nature
of a lot of the characters and gives the show a different feel.
Still bugged they cut my favorite
scenes. Le sigh.
Second Season
The second season of Last
Kingdom roughly covers the third and fourth books of the series (Lords
of the North and Sword Song). Again, they cut out most of the scenes
I was looking forward to. Two of them they did include, but they changed them
and removed what made the scenes stand out to me.
Beyond that, this is where the
show begins to really come into its own. By that, I mean that yes, they diverge
from the books, but they’re getting more comfortable telling their own version
of Uhtred’s story. They embrace the differences in characters, give them the
room to develop their own plots. They condense and consolidate events to
streamline the story, and even consolidate characters.
Third Season (Spoilers)
Again, one season covers two
books (The Burning Land and Death of Kings), but the series does
the two stories simultaneously instead of each book in half a season. The plot
is now different enough that it’s hard to fault them for not doing the scenes I
was looking forward to, though there is still that small disappointment. Except
when it comes to the dominating event of this season, the Death of Alfred the Great. This is probably the only
event in the story that I think the show
does better than the books.
In the books, Alfred converses
with Uhtred on his deathbed, and just before his death confers upon Uhtred a
significant amount of land in order to bind the warlord to his son and
presumptive heir, Edward. It’s a nice reward for the often snubbed and disregarded
Dane-slayer.
In the show, the third seasons contains a lot of conflict between Uhtred and Alfred. Alfred has Uhtred banished and his children seized, while Uhtred tries to return to the Danes before his oaths bring him back to the Saxons. Alfred still wants Uhtred bound to Edward, but cannot force Uhtred to do so. And with his death coming, Alfred is facing the uncertainties of a future without him.
The Specific Scenes
The scene, cut up into several
bits, is fantastic. It is Alfred the Great and Uhtred of Bebbanberg speaking as
equals. Alfred acknowledges his debt to Uhtred, apologizes for his errors and
mistakes, and salutes the man ‘without whom I would not die a king.’ Uhtred’s
part in the conversation is to minimal; this is a scene for Alfred to shine. It
ends with Uhtred receiving a pardon.
Uhtred’s time to shine comes after Alfred’s death. His political enemies moving against him, threatening him with banishment on pain of death. He forces the issue in public, asking for Edward to confirm his pardon (strengthening Edward’s claim to authority). His responses to the accusations are moving. He confirms his respect for Alfred, his commitment to the cause of Wessex. ‘He was my king!’ Uhtred yells before the Wessex court, gaining the support of many while infuriating his enemies.
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There’s an emotional response to
these scenes that the books lack. The books have Alfred’s death as a catalyst
for the chaos of succession early in Book 6, while the show has it as the
culmination of the season’s plotlines. As far as I’m concerned, they worked really well.
Season Four and Five
The latest two seasons break from
the two books per season mode, and with good reason: the books after Book 6
sent to get repetitive.
Instead, Season Four and Five each
revolve around the death of a Saxon ruler and how that death is used to further
the idea of a unified England. Uhtred is involved, of course, as his personal
relationships with the Saxons and reputation amongst the Danes comes into play.
A lot of the high points of the later books are fused together or touched upon in
their own way, but by this point it’s hard to get upset that the show isn’t
doing my favorite scenes or is using a character differently.
SPOILERS
Someone I like
One thing I’ve come to really enjoy is what the show does with Lady Aelswith, widow of Alfred the Great. In the books she kind of disappears after Alfred’s death, mentioned in passing when she’s mentioned at all. She was always an enemy of Uhtred’s, even after all he does to protect Alfred’s family and further the Wessex cause.
In the show, she remains a character, either trying to counsel Edward on his decisions as king, or protecting her grandchildren from the cut-throat politics of the kingdom. She and Uhtred are not friends, but there is a grudging respect between them.
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Conclusion
I’m glad I gave this show another shot, and that I took the time to enjoy it as it’s own story instead of holding it to the books. While it doesn’t have the depth of the books, it does have a much wider and more inclusive story to tell. One that’s worth enjoying as complimentary to the books. I look forward to the last installment when it comes out.
