What a Life of Luxury to Be an Ape-Man (original) (raw)

The Return of Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs – This sequel wraps up some of the hanging plot threads in the first book, but also takes the story in some different directions. While the first one was about a guy living in the jungle and being raised by apes, this brings in a lost city that practices human sacrifice, as well as Russian spies. Tarzan spends some time in Paris, but finds it much wilder than his old jungle home. He ends up back where he started, but on the way he also becomes chief of a tribe of African warriors and saves Jane Porter from crazed cultists. He and Jane get married after his cousin William Clayton dies, and he also inherits the title of Lord Greystoke. It’s weird how Tarzan seems to be kind of racist. He doesn’t care for humans at all, but has even less respect for Black people, despite fighting alongside them in this tale.

Treasures of the Twelve, by Cindy Lin – The follow-up to The Twelve continues the story of the Heirs of the Twelve, who have powers based on the Chinese zodiac. They’re trying to find the Twelve Treasures, which all have magical powers, before their enemies under the leadership of the Dragonlord can. There’s a good amount of creativity involved with the powers. There’s a belt that can turn into a bridge or a boat, a fan that creates windstorms (similar to the one in The Royal Book of Oz), a magic mirror that can find things, a cloak that protects from fire, a comb that makes trees, and a ring that can produce smoke and dust. The characters also visit a country of butterfly spirits.

The Blue Star, by Fletcher Pratt – I believe I only knew Pratt from his co-writing the Compleat Enchanter stories with L. Sprague de Camp. This book takes place in a world where witchcraft is a valid science, but has been outlawed by the empire. Witches possess gems known as blue stars, which give their lovers the power to read minds. It’s a promising premise, but the book itself didn’t really grab me.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, by Susanna Clarke – This book collects eight short stories set in the same world as Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, many of them involving fairies. They’re presented as all written by different authors, compiled and edited by a professor. Strange himself appears in the first story, and encounters a trio of women who can work magic, a rarity in this setting. The final story, “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner” is about a poor man who calls on the help of the saints to defeat the legendary Raven King. The second, “On Lickerish Hill,” is a variation on the Rumplestiltskin story, written in an archaic fashion. Its narrator has a tendency to confuse fairies with Pharisees. “The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse” takes place in the town of Wall from Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, so whether that means it’s also set in this world or the town exists in different universes, I couldn’t say. In addition to Wellington, another historical figure, Mary, Queen of Scots, meddles with magic in another tale. “Mr Simonelli, or the Fairy Widower” is written in the form of diary entries by Simonelli, a rector who finds himself in competition with a powerful fairy called John Hollyshoes, who turns out to be his cousin. “Tom Brightwind, or How the Fairy Bridge Was Built at Thoresby” is about the friendship between a fairy and a Jewish doctor, and has some good dialogue between the two of them. Not all of the stories were all that memorable, but they’re enjoyable reads, and I liked Clarke’s portrayal of fairies as amoral magical tricksters in the traditional sense.