It’s been a while since my last blog. Probably the most often used phrase in blogging, at least by us amateur types who generally have a million things to prioritise above writing about a few of the things we love, but don’t spend anywhere near as much time as we’d ideally want actually doing the things we enjoy.
I get quite excited about this time of year. The school holidays are almost over, and my daily routine is about to kick off once again. I feel quite blessed that I mostly enjoy my general day to day, and whilst it might feature less waterparks, laughter and enjoyment than holidays do I quite like the feeling of progressing projects a bit more predictably than is possible with a house full of people with no commitments beyond getting out of bed if only to make it possible to return to bed.
The last few months have not all been spent drifting between sangria and the sun. Much of it has been spent trying to figure out, of all the projects I have on at anyone time, what I can actually complete during the last part of this year. I now think I have something approaching a handle on that, which means not only might I start to manage a bit more of a regular flow of blogs, but I’m also hoping to get moving with the next instalment of the Rose of Amzharr, particularly after it managed to find it’s way to number 24 in Amazon’s fairy tale chart of best sellers the other day.
What I’m hoping to do is put most of my energy into the sequel, with a bit of painting and gaming as and when. That means there’s unlikely to be any major painting projects for a while, but I’m more than okay with that having recently jumped into Silver Bayonet. I’ll do a separate review of the game soon, suffice to say that I’m really enjoying it and see it very much as Frostgrave’s older brother (the one that graduated uni with a useful qualification and has the sort of steady job that his parents are proud of, not the smelly one that doesn’t leave his room before midday and whose only achievement is a highly questionable, albeit completely legal, internet search history).
Holiday time has meant a bit of reading has also been possible, and I’ve managed to add to my reading list. Whilst my book of the year is still the absolutely fabulous The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty, a couple of other enjoyable reads are on the bedside table.
A Practical Guide to Conquering the World, by K.J.Parker, raised more than the odd smile as I leafed through its pages. A very enjoyable read that really digs into, and pokes fun at, the intriguing interactions between religion and governments, and the power of prophets. It’s the sort of fantasy book I love, that takes an idea and plays with it without breaking it.
My second book is The Ascent of the Goblin King by Rob Burman. This is a book written within the Kings of War (a tabletop wargame) universe. It is the tale of an ambitious goblin and his attempts to scramble up the rickety ladder of goblin society. It’s a debut novel and Rob does a great job with his little band of rambunctious, yet diminutive, anti-heroes. I’m halfway through so far, and really enjoying it. Returning to my post-holiday routine will cut down on the reading time, but I’ll definitely get this one finished.
So that’s it for now. Have a great week everyone, and maybe, just maybe, there’ll be another blog next week.
The Wizard's Bookshelf 