Turikish Romance In Vichy France

Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in World War War II half of the story taking place in Turkey and the other Half in Southern France. The Nazis have taken over Europe and are about to step down into lower France. The Vichy French are helping the Nazis round up Jews. For Seva and her husband Rafo this is rather problematic. Rafonis a Turkish Jewish man who married a Muslim And Turkish woman. Both left Turkey and their families behind for France as their marriage was taboo. But France is becoming more and more dangerous.

In Turkey both the Allies and the Nazis are pressuring Turkey to enter the war and take action. Sabiha who is Sevanas sister is married to a diplomat. Long hour and pressure have taken. A toll on their marriage. Sabiha has no one to talk to accept Tarik who gets sent to France and a therapist.

In France Tarik meets Muhlis who introduces him to Fateed. Together they formulate a plan to to rescue the Turkish Jews as things get more and more precarious. Finally they get on train to Istanbul but will they make it there.

While not a true story there was considerable research that went into it. Mainly it is culled from the interviews of Turkish diplomats who helped save Jews. More should be written on this subject.

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The Good Folk of the British Aiisles

Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies - 500 AD to the Present by Simon Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great Britain comprising of England, Ireland and Scotland is a geographical area that is known for it’s faery population. The book covers lots of ground. All the faery denizens of each area on the British isles are covered based on their geographic location.

The first chapter talks about Faery queens those gorgeous dames that can seduce a man based on what they find appealing. Sometimes they give gifts to. Humans that they find worthy. Pucks can be troublesome and helpful depending on their mood. Dobs help people around the house. Does can never be seen by humans lest they stop helping around the house and curse people.

In Ireland they are called the Sidhe. The sidhe were the mystical people a who lived in Ireland until the Milesians came and conquered the land. Now they live in Faery Wrath’s or undergound. It is not good to disturb a Faery rathe or a dwelling where they live. Some believe that they have a vast underground kingdom under the ground .

In Scotland since the land is more harsh the faeries themselves tend to be a bit harsher. There are lots of areas in Scotland that are named after faeries. The faeries are divided into the seelie court and the unseelie court. The seelie court is good to humans while the unseelie court is rather harsh towards humans. Some thought that some of the dead went on to become faeries.

In Cormwalll the faeries can be rather unfriendly and dangerous to humans. The knockers are faeries who inhabit mines and warn miners of danger and sometimes lead them to healthy vein. The faeries have different names not based on species but rather based on where they live and what their function.

All areas of the British aisles are covered. When the inhabitants of the isles came to America they pretty much left their faery folk. Behind as they were attached to the land. In North America there’re were other faery species about. One is the Puckwudgie. A small two foot man with a beard who makes people feel unfcomfortable by staring at them.
Some of the Irish brough faery lore over and they morphed sometimes.

Faeries by and large are not friendly to humans. Often times they are triscksters and sometime they bring punishment and death to those who upset them Treat them with respect

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Norse Mythology with a Twist

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


MAgnus Chase has been living on his own on the street for the last two years. Protected by Blitzen and Haerthstone he manages to get by. Most of the world thinks he is dead. After all his apartment was besieged by feral attackers, his mother killed and his apartment burned down. On the dawn of his 16th birthday he finds that he is marked for death. Someone wants to kill him. His relatives are looking for him but everyone has an angle.

Magnus’s family has an interest in things Viking and Norse. Magnus has a destiny that is tied to the sword of summer. This sword is meant to free Fenris the wolf from his bounds. This will signal Ragnarok the final amalgamation of the world. He has nine days to stop this all from happening.

In the process of his quest he manages to get killed by Surt king of the fire giants and since he dies in combat he goes to Valhalla. Once there he faces opposition and the task of escaping Valhalla so he can prevent Ragnarok. Helped by his two friends and Sam who is a Valkyrie and a daughter to Loki Magnus goes on a quest . Their adventures take them to Freya, Thor, the Midguard serpent and Loki. There are more books to this series so you can well imagine if they completed their quest or not.

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