Everything Is Better With Dragons

Pen & Sword TBR Pile Review: Sex & Sexuality in Medieval England, by Kathryn Warner

Format: 171 pages, Hardcover

Published: August 30, 2022 by Pen & Sword History

ISBN: 9781399098328 (ISBN10: 1399098322)

Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England allows the reader a peek beneath the bedsheets of our medieval ancestors, in an informative and fascinating look at sex and sexuality in England from 1250 to 1450. It examines the prevailing attitudes towards male and female sexual behaviour, and the ways in which these attitudes were often determined by those in positions of power and authority. It also explores our ancestors’ ingenious, surprising, bizarre and often entertaining solutions to the challenges associated with maintaining a healthy sex life. This book will look at marriage, pre-marital sex, adultery and fornication, pregnancy and fertility, illegitimacy, prostitution, consent, same-sex relationships, gender roles and much more, to shed new light on the private lives of our medieval predecessors.

My Review

Meh. Felt like more of a gazetteer of examples rather than an exploration of “marriage, pre-marital sex, adultery and fornication, pregnancy and fertility, illegitimacy, prostitution, consent, same-sex relationships, gender roles”.

The author covers sex and sexuality across the whole medieval period. This is a thousand years. Most of the examples are from the latter half of the period, as that’s what survives, and the author draws on academic work by modern researchers. While there are some interesting snippets of information, you can probably learn more from the ‘Betwixt the Sheets’ podcast.

I have books on similar subjects from Pen & Sword, that are either really well organised and explore the subject in detail, or they are more of the gazetteer type with a bit of discussion around lists of people who did things or got arrested for things. It’s repetitive and unhelpful. This is what really frustrates me about Pen & Sword books, they’re either really quite amateur or really professional, with very little in between.

TBR Pile Review: Natives – Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, by Akala

Format: 342 pages, Paperback
Published: March 21, 2019 by Two Roads
ISBN: 9781473661233 (ISBN10: 1473661234)

From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers – race and class have shaped Akala’s life and outlook. In this unique book he takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical and political factors that have left us where we are today.

Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Natives speaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised empire.

Natives is the searing modern polemic and Sunday Times bestseller from the BAFTA and MOBO award-winning musician and political commentator, Akala.

TBR Pile Review: Into The Drowning Deep, by Mira Grant

Published: Nov 16 2017
Pages: 496
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 9780356508108

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR MIRA GRANT RETURNS WITH A RAZOR-SHARP TALE OF THE HORRORS THAT LIE BENEATH . . .

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary, bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend.

It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a tragedy; others have called it a hoax.

Now, a new crew has been assembled to investigate. And they’ll discover that whatever is down there is definitely no joke . . .

Promo Post – FATE: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic by Various

If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the turn of Fate?

Tales of Variety. Tales of History, Mystery and Magic – some comprising just one of these popular fiction genres, others, a mild mixture of all three. Perhaps you prefer historical fiction rather than a story about magic or fantasy? Maybe you enjoy exploring new themes or prefer sticking to the familiar? Historical fiction can often inform, imparting knowledge of the past, of its events and its people. Stories of mystery exercise the ‘little grey cells’ as Poirot would say, while fantasy and magic create new worlds and awed wonder.

Whatever result, this is where anthologies come into their own, and where short stories are often appreciated as enjoyable, entertaining, quick or easy reads shown through the eyes of a variety of extraordinary characters and situations. In this instance: an Anglo-Saxon woman facing the consequence of conquest, the pursuit of alchemy, the concern of a mother for her daughter, the shifting of time, the necessity of hidden identity, souls who will linger as ghosts, a warning from the supernatural, the necessity for (justifiable?) revenge. All mingled with the rekindling of romance through a mutual quest, and the preparations for a Cotswold village celebration. (Along with a good tip if illicitly snaffling cakes.)

The binding theme? Destiny… Kismet… FATE!

The authors included are Annie Whitehead, Jean Gill, Marian L Thorpe, Helen Hollick, Alison Morton, Elizabeth St.John, R. Marsden, Anna Belfrage, J. P Reedman, Debbie Young.

With an introduction by Cathie Dunn and endword by Helen Hollick

Genre: Anthology: short stories of history, mystery and magic

Publication Date: 16th June 2025

Pre-Order Link: https://mybook.to/FateAnthology

TBR Pile Review: The Judas Blossom, by Stephen Aryan

Release Date
2023-07-11
Formats: Ebook, Paperback
EBook ISBN
11th July 2023 | 9781915202529 | epub & mobi | £4.99/$6.99/$7.99
Paperback ISBN
11th July 2023 | 9781915202192 | Paperback

Book I of The Nightingale and the Falcon

1260, Persia:

Due to the efforts of the great Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire covers a vast portion of the known world. In the shadow of his grandfather, Hulagu Khan, ruler of the Ilkhanate, is determined to create a single empire that covers the entire world. His method? Violence.

His youngest son, Temujin Khan, struggles to find his place in his father’s bloody rule. After another failure, Temujin is given one last chance to prove himself to Hulagu, who is sure there is a great warrior buried deep inside. But there’s something else rippling under the surface… something far more powerful and dangerous than they could ever imagine…

Reduced to the position of one of Hulagu’s many wives, the famed Blue Princess Kokochin is the last of her tribe. Alone and forgotten in a foreign land, Kokochin is unwilling to spend her days seeking out trivial pursuits. Seeking purpose, she finds herself wandering down a path that grants her more power than a wife of the Khan may be allowed.

Kaivon, the Persian rebel who despises the Mongols for the massacre of his people, thirsts for revenge. However, he knows alone he cannot destroy the empire. When given the opportunity to train under the tutelage of Hulagu, Kaivon must put aside his feelings and risk his life for a chance to destroy the empire that aims to conquer the world.

Family and war collide in this thrilling and bloody reimagining of the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Persia.

Stephen Aryan is the author of The Coward and The Warrior (the Quest for Heroes Duology), as well as the Age of Darkness and Age of Dread trilogies. His first novel, Battlemage, was a finalist for the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best debut fantasy novel. It also won the inaugural Hellfest Inferno Award in France. He has previously written a comic book column and reviews for Tor.com. In addition, he has self-published and kickstarted his own comics.

You can find out more about Stephen and his books on his website: Stephen-Aryan.com

Review: Named, by Camilla Balshaw

Bedford Square Publishers
05 June 2025
£18.99
978-1-8350-1071-6
Hardback

The book
Our names are a shadow we carry around with us. They are part of who we are. Our names are a marker of our self-identity and our sense of self. Our names have the power to shock. They have the power to heal, and they have the power to trigger conversations around race, class, social mobility and belonging. But what is a name? What do our names tell us about ourselves? And why do they matter?

Named is a fascinating exploration of names, global naming conventions and identity politics woven into a moving, personal narrative about the finding of family and self. At the intersection of memoir and social and cultural history it is a truly fascinating book about the seemingly ordinary and every day.

The author’s own narrative about her estrangement from her Nigerian father, the grapples with her Jamaican mother and her journey towards identity is woven through the chapters making it an engaging and intimate investigation of what makes us who we are.

Review: The Spirit of the Rainforest, by Dr Rosa Vasquez Espinoza

Before you step into the jungle, there are a few things you need to know…
Join scientist Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza as she uncovers one of the most unexplored regions on the planet.

Dr Rosa is no stranger to the Amazon. Growing up with the rainforest as her back garden, she learnt the lessons of the rainforest from her grandmother, a native healer in natural medicine. She went on to pursue a classical education in science, gaining a PhD in the US, but has always been pulled
back to the heart of the Amazon.

As a leading biologist in her field, Rosa continues to explore the region through a unique blend of scientific inquiry and ancient insight.

In this debut, you’ll learn about Dr Rosa’s journeys in the Amazon: her treacherous encounters with a boiling river, her conservation work with stingless bees, her experience of taking ayahuasca as a natural psychedelic – and all the amazing biodiversity of the rainforest.

At the heart of Rosa’s expedition is her passion to combine science with the indigenous knowledge of the Amazon. She shares her experience of learning from the indigenous communities that she visits, and shows what they have to teach us – stretching beyond the realm scientific knowledge. Here Rosa learns the most important lessons in how to reconnect to
the natural world – and, in turn, will teach us to do the same.

In this book, Rosa celebrates the richness of Amazonian culture, the wonders of biodiversity, and the enduring spiritual connections between humanity and the natural world.