Once Upon a Time Challenge Wrap Up

“Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong.” - Terry Pratchett


The Myth, the Folklore, the Fairytale, and the Fantasy. Carl V. from Stainless Steel Droppings asserts that these four elements are the very foundation of storytelling. In honor of those four elements and of the story itself, Carl V. challenged readers around the world to a simple task: to take on a quest of their choosing which would include a reading journey through one or more of the basic elements mentioned above. I selected Quest Two, which was to read read at least one book from each of the four genres of story-Mythology, Folklore, Fairytale, and Fantasy.

My selections included:

Fairytale - The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Fantasy - A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
Folklore - Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
Mythology - American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I had difficultly getting my mind around the difference between mythology and folklore, and so my chosen book for the folkore category is a weak fit, although I could probably reason my way into making it fall into both folklore and mythology, however much of a stretch it might be.

Although I am not new to fantasy or the variety of types of stories this genre offers, the Once Upon a Time Challenge was a reminder of just how diverse it can be. Fantasy fiction can be set in an entirely different world or right here in our own backyards. The characters can be as human as you and me or as different as an elf or dwarf. Events can take place in the past, present and even the future. For a look at what other participants read, visit the Once Upon a Time Challenge blog.

Three of the authors I read for this challenge are new to me: Ursula LeGuin, Robert Holdstock, and Neil Gaiman. I will be reading more by them in the future. Of the three, I was most impressed by Neil Gaiman's American Gods, although that did not come as a surprise considering the praise he has received from so many fellow fantasy readers.

I enjoyed spending time reading one of Mercedes Lackey's novels as it had been far too long since I cracked open the last one. Her story, The Fire Rose, based on a favorite fairytale of mine, was perhaps my favorite of the four.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Carl V. for hosting this great challenge.

And they all lived happily ever after . . .

The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey

The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Baen Fantasy, 1995
Fantasy; 433 pgs
Completed: 06/09/2007
Rating: (Very Good)

First Sentence: Golden as sunlight, white-hot, the Salamander danced and twisted sinuously above the plate sculpted of Mexican obsidian, ebony glass born in the heart of the volcano and shaped into a form created exactly to receive the magic of a creature who bathed in the fires of the volcano with delight.

Reason for Reading: This is my final selection for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. I added this title to my TBR collection in October of 2004, along with a few others of this author’s books. I am a big fan of her Valdemar series and was curious to discover what other treasures she had written.

Comments: I had almost forgotten how entertaining a novel by Mercedes Lackey could be. In The Fire Rose, the author takes a favorite fairytale of mine, “Beauty and the Beast,” and adds her own flavor and spices to it.

Rosalind Hawkins, a medieval scholar, has just lost her father and learned that he was in great debt. She’s soon to be out on the streets with hardly anything to call her own. When the offer to become a governess to the two children of a wealthy railroad baron comes, it seems too good to be true. However, after careful consideration she decides to leave the city of Chicago where she grew up for the western city of San Francisco. Upon her arrival, she quickly learns that she has been deceived. There are no children to tutor, no wife to the baron and only one servant in the mansion where she now resides. She is asked to read manuscripts and texts to her employer, Jason Cameron, through a speaking tube, whose hope is that she will lead him to uncover the key that can unlock him from his prison. Rose is not the kind of woman to be kept in the dark for long. She soon puts two and two together and discovers her employer’s deep dark secret just as Jason’s enemies turn their attention to Rose.

San Francisco in the early 1900’s is the perfect backdrop for the novel. Women have their place in society but are making definite movement towards beginning their struggle for equality. Rose is a woman who has never been content in the traditional role, wanting to get a doctorate and stand on her own two feet. She wears glasses, thinks herself rather plain and is a bookworm. The perfect heroine.

Amidst the magic and glamour of wealth, there is a darker side to the novel. Mercedes Lackey takes readers into the cribs and opium dens of San Francisco’s Chinatown, the whorehouses, and slave trade of women.

The Fire Rose is a worthwhile read in more ways than one. Its touch upon history and the more fantastical elements make it an engaging novel that is difficult to put down. It is always risky to take a favorite traditional story and make it your own, however, Mercedes Lackey succeeded marvelously.

Favorite Part: It always warms my heart to read a book in which at least one of the main characters is a booklover, and so I found a kindred spirit in Rose Hawkins right from the start. I like strong female characters and Rose certainly was that—as well as intelligent. My favorite character, however, is probably Jason Cameron’s personal Salamander. Although he wasn’t much of a character in presence, his loyalty, intelligence and manner drew me to him. Of the humans, Master Pao was one of my favorites and I wish I we could have gotten more into his history. Alas, this wasn’t his story.

What better place to learn more about the author and her books than her website? Do stop by!

Miscellaneous: This week we celebrated Anjin's birthday, but because it landed on workday, we decided to extend it through the weekend. After a brief excursion to the mall, we had a birthday lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. This was only my second time ever going there. Let me just say the White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle cheesecake is to die for. Very yummy.

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
ORB, 1984
Fantasy; 332 pgs.

Started: 04/29/2007
Completed: 05/04/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: Edward - You must come back to the Lodge.

Reason for Reading: This author came recommended to me by a Finnish friend. I decided the Once Upon a Time Challenge would be the perfect time to pull it off my shelf and give it a read. This is also one of my picks for the Reading Through the Decades Challenge.

From the Publisher: The mystery of Ryhope Wood, Britain's last fragment of primeval forest, consumed George Huxley's entire long life. Now, after his death, his sons have taken up his work. But what they discover is numinous and perilous beyond all expectation.

For the Wood, larger inside than out, is a labyrinth full of myths come to life, "mythagos" that can change you forever. A labyrinth where love and beauty haunt your dreams and may drive you insane.

Comments: This novel was not quite what I expected. I thought it would be more along the lines of traditional fantasy. Set in the early 1940’s in Britain, the novel has a very realistic feel to it. Steven is a war veteran who had settled in France after his release; the novel begins with his returning home after the death of his father, only to find his brother, Christian, is not quite who he once was. The woods near their life long home are not what they appear and their father’s life long obsession at what lay inside quickly lays claim to the two brothers.

I was reminded of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods to some extent. In the one novel, the belief in the gods—or lack their of—playing a large part in how they materialized and came to America, whereas in Mythago Wood, the mythagos were very much a creation of man’s belief, shaping and creating the very real life forms. Both very different and yet, somehow, very similar in their evolution.

Admittingly, I felt a bit lost in the beginning of the book as Steven begins to unravel the mysteries that fascinated his father and later his brother so much. I soon became comfortable with it, recognizing that I was on the same learning curve as the narrator and main character, Steven.

Mythago Wood held a certain intensity within each page, an underlying suspense that never let up. Robert Holdstock is an author whose work I hope to read more of in the future.

Favorite Part: Although I enjoyed the entire book, I most enjoyed my time spent in the woods in search of Christian, Steven’s brother and Guiwenneth. So much of the story was revealed during that time in the novel and the people Steven and his friend met along the way were fascinating.

Sorthalan intrigued me. There was mystery and magic about him like no other character, and I would have loved to explore more of his character. Guiwenneth’s origin story was also one that enchanted me. She was an interesting character—innocent and tough rolled into one.

Note about the Author: Visit the author's website.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Harper Torch, 2001
Fantasy; 592 pgs

Started: 04/15/2007
Completed: 04/21/2007
Rating: (Very Good)

First Sentence: Shadow had done three years in prison.

Reason for Reading: I picked up a copy of this book at a bookstore closeout in January of 2006. Although I have heard that American Gods is not necessarily the best new-to-Gaiman novel to read, I could not help myself. I'm sure my husband's encouragement to read it played a part as well. This is my 2nd selection for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

From the Publisher: Shadow dreamed of nothing but leaving prison and starting a new life. But the day before his release, his wife and best friend are killed in an accident. On the plane home to the funeral, he meets Mr. Wednesday—a beguiling stranger who seems to know everything about him. A trickster and rogue, Mr. Wednesday offers Shadow a job as his bodyguard. With nowhere left to go, Shadow accepts, and soon learns that his role in Mr. Wednesday's schemes will be far more dangerous and dark than he could have ever imagined. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life a war is being fought—and the prize is the very soul of America.

Comments: There are good books that I am glad to see come to an end, the story winding down, the characters going as far as they can go in the story being told by the author. Then there are books where the characters get under my skin and even though I am anxious to see the story end so that I know what happens next, once it does reach that point, I wish it could go on just a little bit longer. I am not quite ready to say goodbye to the friends I had made during my journey through the pages. And so it was with Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

The novel also has inspired my curiosity to find out more about the different mythology and religious aspects of the novel. Neil Gaiman brought a myriad of different cultural beliefs together for his story, and I found the tale of how the gods and mythical characters came to America fascinating. The various characters came with their quirks at times seemed over the top, however, that fit well with the story and made it even more appealing. There was mystery surrounding each one of the characters, and I found their histories quite intriguing. There are a few I would not have minded spending more time with, among them Ibis and Jacquel. My only regret with the novel is that I was not allowed to know more about a few of the more mysterious characters, although I imagine the author wanted to stick to the main story and not spend too much time running off on tangents just to please me. Imagine how long the book would have to be then!

Favorite Part: There was so much to like about the novel. Among my favorite characters is the obvious one, Shadow, who had a good heart. He was gentle in his own way and yet stood up for what he believed. He was loyal, sometimes to a fault. As stated before, I was quite enamored with Ibis and Jacquel and would not have minded spending more time with them. Bast and Whiskey Jack were among my favorites as well, and I wish I had been able to learn more about them.

Check out Neil Gaiman's website. He has his very own blog that is well worth reading if you are a fan of the author's work.
Miscellaneous: Tickets will be available tomorrow for the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Yippee! Anjin and I have gone the last two years and have enjoyed ourselves each time. This year, unlike the previous years, we will only be attending one day of the festival instead of both. I don't think either of us are feeling up to driving into the city two days in a row, fighting the traffic and the crowds.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Bantam Spectra, 1968
Fantasy; 198 pgs

Started: 04/01/2007
Completed: 04/07/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards.

Where Book Came From: My husband’s collection of books.

Reason for Reading: I selected this little book to read for the Once Upon a Time Challenge as well as the Reading Through the Decades Challenge.

Comments: A Wizard of Earthsea is a story of a boy who comes into great power, desires more and is a fool to his pride. As a result, he tampers with magic he does not fully understand and unleashes a terrible darkness with unknown powers. The wizard Ged must undo what he created somehow in order to save himself and the world he knows.

In the first book of Ursula K. Le Guin’s series, magic is not something to be trifled with lightly. There is a balance, an equilibrium that must be maintained in order to avoid chaos or evil to come into the world. Ged is a flawed character from the start, his pride and anger his ultimate downfalls. I liked the simplicity of the story. It is not a novel that delves deeply into character development, but is more about the plot and Ged’s journey from boy to man. A Wizard of Earthsea was a nice break from my more serious reading of late, and I definitely plan to read further into the series.

Favorite Part: My favorite part of the book is when Ged is traveling towards the Court of Terrenon up through his flight from there. The pull of the stone and the behavior of the occupants of the keep, including Ged’s, made for good reading.

I also enjoyed the short time spent with the old dragon and hope that I see more of him or his kind in future books.

Check out the author's website.

Miscellaneous: Anjin and I drove into Redlands today to visit one of his favorite comic books stores. We stopped for lunch at Claim Jumper on our way home. Anjin was quick to say no when asked if we wanted dessert despite that being one of the highlights of eating at a restaurant like that. It was probably for the best. Ho hum. Still, I can't get that chocolate cream cheese pie out of my mind though.

Once Upon a Time 2007 Challenge

I most likely will not be online for the next several months in hopes of staying on top of all these reading challenges I seem to have gotten myself involved in (who am I kidding?). As much as I should avoid joining in another one at all costs (after all, I do have a full-time job to attend to and a husband and animals that want to share my attention on occasion), I seem to have gotten myself tangled in the web of a spell--this one cast by Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings. What is the expression about the eyes being bigger than the appetite?

Once Upon a Time…all the great ones begin that way, don’t they? At least in our recollection? Hearkening back to childhood, those four words represent the foundation upon which story is built. In that same way, these four types of story, Mythology, Folklore, Fairytale, and Fantasy, form the very foundation of storytelling itself. It is from the roots of these genres that our latest challenge grows.

Carl offers four quests to participants (there is the option to participate in more than one if desired):

Quest One: Read at least 5 books from any of the 4 genres.
Quest Two: Read at least one book from each of the four genres of story-Mythology, Folklore, Fairytale, and Fantasy.
Quest Three: Read at least one book from each of the four genres of story, and finish up the challenge with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Quest Four: Read at least one book from the four genres.

For further details about the challenge, please visit Stainless Steel Droppings.

After careful consideration and discussion with Anjin over what books fit into which categories, I decided to take on Quest Two.

Fairytale - The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey [read 06/09/2007]

Fantasy - A Wizard of the Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin [read 04/07/2007]

Folklore - Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock [read 05/04/2007]

Mythology - American Gods by Neil Gaiman [read 04/21/2007]

Let the adventure begin!