WILLIAM ALEXANDER - GOBLIN SECRETS - (THE IMPORTANCE OF MASKS IN GOBLIN SECRETS) - UK BLOG TOUR

                                      

Masks: Real & Fictional Collections

I own several masks, and I'm still trying to understand them. Masks are odd and contradictory things. They let us hide who we are and pretend to be something we're not, but they're also more than disguises, more than just lies carved into face-like shapes. Masks allow us try on new qualities and possibilities. They help us decide what we might want to become. 

The acting troupe in Goblin Secrets owns a vast collection of masks. Here's a glimpse of it:

The masks covered both the upstream and the downstream walls. Rownie saw heroes and ladies, villains and charmers, nursemaids and gentry. He saw animal masks made of fur, feathers, and scaly lizard skins bristling with teeth. Most had been carved out of wood or shaped in paster, but he also saw masks made of tin and polished copper, gleaming in the lantern light. He saw thin, translucent masks made of beetles' wings and carapaces. He saw long-nosed tricksters and ghoulish false faces. Hundreds and hundreds of masks hung from nails by lengths of string, and every one of them seemed to be watching Rownie as he watched them.
— Goblin Secrets, Act III, Scene ii

I keep my smaller collection in my office. Ara, the Mali embodiment of water, sits above a messier, papier-mâché water droplet made by a local puppet theatre company. Momo from The Last Airbender sits directly on top of a demon from Deli. I'm not sure why Momo ended up there, but he did. 

"OfficeMasks"

I also have a fox mask by Jeff Semmerling and an unfinished Ko-Omoto by the Noh master Bidou Yamaguchi. Both Jeff and Bidou were hugely helpful with my mask-making research, and both have masks named after them inside the book. A finished Noh mask can change expressions without moving; just tilting the angle turns a smile into a thoughtful frown. The leather fox mask might be my favourite, and one of my favourite bookstores made a great, big, paper version of it the last time I read there.

["WillFox" — Photographer by Teri Fullerton]

["Unfinished" & "KoOmoto" —the finished version, and the photo of it, are both by Bidou Yamaguchi]

                 

["RumpusFox" —Photograph by Laura Given]

Online I have a much larger collection. Students at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design made them for me, and each one can be printed, colored-in, and worn with string. 

["FoxTemplate"]

Treat them well when you put them on.....

Check out the book review Here

Oldman Brook - The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain - Book Review

The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain

Mr Ripley's Book Review

I'm a very big fan of the fantasy genre, so when I heard a little whisper about this book, I thought to myself . . . .  'I need to read this'. I tracked a copy down through the publisher's website and eagerly waited for it to arrive. When it eventually came, my first thoughts turned to the book cover image as it didn't immediately suggest the storyline and, to be honest, didn't really sell itself to me. Fortunately, the synopsis on the back sounded very interesting and outlined just enough for me to be intrigued. However, all in all it wasn't really the best start. 

I really liked the size of the book (about 430 pages) as it was able to give the adventure enough life and sustain the reader's interest. The first part of the story is very detailed and, as a result, quite slow going. However as an older reader, I liked that. But for those readers who might be put off or find it too slow, my advice is to keep going as you shall be rewarded on an epic scale. It has taken the author many years to write this book; influences from J.R.R Tolkien, Philip Pullman and Philip Reeve can be found within this story, and what a story it is.

The start of the plot is focused around one Wizard (Greybeard) and his quest to save Everlast. Through the story he is joined by three Dwarfs, two shape shifters and two Elves (all brothers) as well as Perrywinkle, who is a man with a talent for dishonesty. Interestingly, he is enlisted to the task of documenting events that occur along the way. One such example involves the Goblin army, who have a love for killing, and killing they do in abundance! At this point, the story writing is dark and, at times, very graphic which I really loved.

The epic battle scenes that are played out in this book have a feel of the Hobbit or the Fellowship of the Ring. They can only be described as big time, movie-screen, fantasy action which leave you feeling breathless for the eventual outcome. The host of characters will keep you engaged, but will probably leave you feeling sad at the end. My favourite character was a Goblin called Bobbucket. He may only play a minor role within this book, but he really made me laugh and will probably have a greater role in the next book - if I am reading between the lines correctly!

This is a deliciously dark and, at times, graphic fantasy novel that is a brilliantly entertaining read. It is a great debut book written in an accomplished hand to tell a tale traditionally. The end of the book delivers an epic finale which will leave the reader feeling satisfied. Although the mouth watering glimpses to the start of the sequel are tantalising - I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves adventure/fantasy and hope that this books gains more coverage over the next few months. Unfortunately, it probably won't find itself on many bookshop shelves, but it is definitely worth tracking down on the Internet. This is one of my top five books of the year, so far!

Book Synopsis

Elven boys Finn and Beezle enter a time portal just before their race is wiped out by an otherworldly warrior and his goblin army. Travelling 3,000 years into the future and arriving in snow-filled lands, the boys are saved from the cold by two shape-shifters sent by Greybeard, the wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain. 

Out of their time and depth, Finn and Beezle are enlisted to join Greybeard and his friends on a quest to save the world of Everlast from the very same otherworldly warrior. Seeing that Beezle has a talent for magic after an incident with his magical bear-headed staff, Greybeard begins to teach the little elf a few tricks. But a problem arises when Finn comes into possession of a magical weapon capable of defeating the warrior. Little does anyone know the weapon has a mind of its own and wants Beezle as its master...

Published By Matador/Troubador - 2012 (ISBN  978 1848767 621)

                                     

Philip Reeve - Goblins - Book Review

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• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books; 1 edition (5 April 2012)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1407115278
• Age: 9+

The dark, dark abandoned fortress, Clovenstone, where the adventure starts in home to seven bands of warring Goblins, each occupying a different tower and each bent on sating their own Goblin-tastic thirst for fighting, looting and eating. And fighting. And looting. Looting and fishing.

But there's one Goblin who stands out from the crowd (the crowd that's doing the fighting, looting and eating) and he's called Skarper. Skarper's the only Goblin clever and cunning enough to have found out about the old magician old magic that once made the castle the centre of the darstardly wizard Lord Lych's kingdom. An old magic which is beginning to stir and will soon sweep Goblins, fortune-seekers, trolls, giants cloud-madiens boglins, swamp monsters and tree-warriors up into thrilling magical conflict.

It is always exciting to have a new book by Philip Reeve land on your doorstep. It would be fair to say that this is not a book that you will easily miss - with an luminous green cover and matching page ends. The fantastic book cover illustration is by local boy, Dave Semple.

Venturing into Philip's mind is never straight forward; you can never guess what is coming next in the story. Instead you fall into it head first - excited and intrigued as to the journey that lay ahead. He's always highly imaginative; hooking the reader and plonking them down in a fantastical world that only the best can ever dream of.

There are so many ingredients that make this book so enjoyable to read. There is humour, which is at times, dripping with sarcasm. It's clever and witty as Philip is such a great story builder. He constructs the most amazing worlds that manifest into something out of the ordinary. As an admirer of Philip's writing, I'm always looking out for the characters. In this book you are sucked into feeling something and wanting everything to workout with a happy ending. `however, whether you get one . . . . . . .you'll just have to wait and see. 

This story is action packed and full of great ideas. I particular loved the Boglins, which are crossed between a giant frog and a Goblin and live in the Swamps. One of my favourite parts of the book was in the chapter "IN Natterdon Mire" - featuring the Boglins and their brilliant leader, Bospoldew. 

This is a captivating story incorporating rhyming songs and little bits of poetry which are sprinkled in for good measure. True to form, this is like a good old-fashioned fairytale.

What a brilliant family read - loaded with energy. This book will have you locked into the pages until it finally leaves you with a feeling of loss once it has all come to an end. Will we have more? To be quite honest, I'm really not sure but I hope so.

Other great series by Phillip include: 

Fever Crumb Series

Mortal Engines Quartet
Larklight trilogy

Here Lies Arthur and No Such Things As Dragons