New on the Library Shelves 02 11 14

AKA Showcase Sunday

A new segment here, participating in the Showcase Sunday meme over at Books, Biscuits & Tea.

Some good books this week: From Netgalley I think The Leopards of Normandy looks like it could be a nice historical series, while in the books that I purchased I'm excited to get a look at The World of Ice and Fire.

For review:
The Murder of Adam and Eve by William Dietrich (science fiction, Netgalley)
Empire by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard (science fiction, Netgalley)
The Leopards of Normandy: Devil by David Churchill (historical, Netgalley)
The Last Word by Hanif Kureishi (fiction, Netgalley)
The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer (fiction, Netgalley)
The Jefferson Rule by David Sehat (non-fiction, Netgalley)
More Awesome than Money by Jim Dwyer (non-fiction, Netgalley)

Bought:

The Lodger by Louisa Treger (historical)

Ebola by David Quammen (non-fiction)

Bathing the Lion by Jonathan Carroll (fantasy)

Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans (military fantasy)

Us by David Nicholls (literary)

The World of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin (fantasy)

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore (non-fiction)

 

What books have you received or purchased this week?

Le Roi de Fer (The Iron King) by Maurice Druon

Amazon
Goodreads

When Philip the Fair, King of France, sentences the Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay to be burned at the stake, he thinks he is removing an obstacle from his path. When the Grand Master curses him, though, Philip discovers that he may have placed his entire dynasty on a dark and dangerous path to destruction. While he continues to rule the realm with an iron hand, his family begins to fall apart: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous, his cousins fight and conspire to gain power. As a web of scandal and murder weave around him, though, it is the Templar curse that may signal his ruin…

I had heard about Les Rois Maudits a few years ago when French television released a mini-series adaptation. It wasn’t until I saw this review on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist that I discovered the link between the series of novels and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I decided to go and dig out the novels in French and found a good Kindle version. Starting on the first volume, I quickly found myself dragged into the story of Philip the Fair and his family. Full of the same vast cast of characters as Martin’s fantasy epic, Le Roi de Fer (or The Iron King) begins the tale of the downfall of the Capetian line, rulers of France since the 10th century. Weaving together adultery, intrigue, conspiracy and a dark curse, Maurice Druon sets up his series with aplomb, painting a picture of a different time with great skill. The characters are fantastic creatures, full of honour and malice and dark desires, and the Starks, the Lannisters and the Targaryens are their worthy successors. It is a well paced book that truly brings history to life. Definitely worth checking out!

I gave Le Roi de Fer 4 stars.