Reviewed by Jamie Marriage

The latest novel in the decades-long Discworld series is a beast of a truly different species. While having many familiar characters, the story is one of seemingly random complexity and guile.

Set, of course, on a disc of a world balancing on the back of four giant elephants who ride on the back of a star turtle, Raising Steam is situated across a vast landscape with an almost equally vast cast of characters.

The invention of the steam engine has caused great intrigue and possibility across the Discworld. Heads of government and merchants alike speak of the possibilities and risk, every sentient species dreams of the chance to ride on the magnificent Iron Girder, and a sub-sect of dwarf culture is out to stop the future at the cost of a fragile peace with the rest of the world.

Raising Steam is the third of the Moist Von Lipwig sub-series. Once again tired of success, this time after completely reforming the banking system in the earlier novel Making Money, Moist is first pressured, and then drawn, into the promise of the steam engine. Lord Vetinari, benevolent tyrant of the largest city on the Disc, insists on pushing the new railway as far as it can go for diplomatic reasons. And Harry King, also known as King of the Golden River (for various reasons), is seeking to be remembered for something more than the person responsible for creating a functional sanitation industry.

What could easily be considered his most complex novel to date, Raising Steam is a tale of rapidly shifting tides. Perspective seldom remains the same for more than a few paragraphs, often encouraging back-tracking to try and discover links that only become obvious later in the story. Dialogue is rarely not funny and is often quite thought provoking; encouraging readers to consider the nature of change and sentient behaviour.

Chaotic to the extreme, but with the undertone of order so characteristic of Pratchett’s work, and with plenty of references to earlier novels throwing in for good measure, Raising Steam is engaging and unstoppable. The greatest challenge is trying to put it down once you start.

Done my hair up real big beauty queen style High heels off, I’m feeling alive ~Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey … so much written about her. So many opinions!

No one could possibly dispute though, that she has a spectacular voice. And as my blogs are about specific song videos, I’m not going to get into the whole “how dare she reinvent herself under a new name and abandon her original fans” – or some such twat! (though for the record I can’t possibly see why it would matter if she did. Just shows she’s smart and committed).

I think what really miffed some fans and critics is that she wasn’t a starving New York musican who done good but a girl from money, who used her means to help her achieve her goal.

Del Rey likes a certain kind of look to her vids and this one is no exception. Sepia toned, smoky, filtered and aged, she goes heavily for nostalgia and tragic romance. The clip is said to reflect the pain and sadness of not being able to spend your life with the person you love, and depicts suicide. It is a beautiful mood piece but like many clips, its real narrative is a little confused and takes a back seat to sultry set pieces of Del Rey and her actress friend, Jaime King.

In spite of that, viewed in isolation, the video clip is quite moving and lovely. However, if you’re familiar with Del Rey and her work, it may well be passed off (as some critics have) as being just another moody magazine spread of the singer in an array of diaphanous gowns. She does love girly and lacy! I dig her voice and her “thing”. She’s said to be going for a bad ass Nancy Sinatra look, and though I catch echoes of that, it is hard to see Del Rey as anything other than a true romantic.

Thumbs up for the sound and the look of Summertime Sadness, thumbs sideways for the clarity of the storytelling.

Here’s the clip, directed by Kyle Newman and Spencer Susser, Director of Photography: Morgan Susser, Editor: Spencer Susser, Producer: Tova Dann, Starring: Jaime King & Lana Del Rey

But even better is this vid of her version of Summer Wine by Nancy Sinatra

As many of you will know, I write across genres and age groups. But publishing a picture book has always been a secret wish. Thanks to Adrianne Fitzpatrick and Books To Treasure Publishing, that dream has finally been realised. I’m delighted to share with you the full cover of my picture book entitled, SERIOUS SAS AND MESSY MAGDA. Below that are some of the internal ullustrations. Rachel Brigden has created such fun pictures for the book!

You can buy the book online through the usual outlets; including FISHPOND, BOOK DEPOSITORY, AMAZON UK, AMAZON, and the publisher themselves. It’s a perfect gift for any young family.

click to enlarge both