Favorite Books

An ever-growing, ever-changing list of my favorite books (novels, short-story collections, plays, etc) excluding graphic novels and non-fictional books (even though there are plenty of both that I think are great).

*= Book read in its original language.

(last updated: 16/03/2026)

Prose

Abigel (Magda Szabo) 

Absolon, Absolon! (William Faulkner)

The Abyss* (Marguerite Yourcenar)

Address Unknown* (Katherine Kressman Taylor)

Against the Day* (Thomas Pynchon)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass* (Lewis Carroll/Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)

Ambergris* (Jeff VanderMeer)

Anna Karenina (Lev Tolstoy)

The Angelic Avengers (Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen)

Augustus* (John Williams) 

Austerlitz (W.G. Sebald)

Baltasar & Blimunda (José Saramago)

Baudolino (Umberto Eco)

Barabbas (Pär Lagerkvist)

The Baron in the Trees (Italo Calvino)

Berlin Alexanderplatz (Alfred Döblin)

Beware of Pity (Stefan Zweig)

The Bethrothed (Alessandro Manzoni)

Blood Meridian* (Cormac McCarthy)

The Book of Disquiet (Fernando Pessoa)

The Book of the Long Sun* (Gene Wolfe)

The Book of the New Sun* (Gene Wolfe)

Brideshead Revisited* (Evelyn Waugh)

The Bridge on the Drina (Ivo Andric)

The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

Buddenbrooks (Thomas Mann)

The Buru Quartet (Praomedya Ananta Toer)

By Night Under the Stone Bridge (Leo Perutz)

The Captain's Daughter (Alexander Pushkin)

The Castle (Franz Kafka)

Carmilla* (Joseph Sheridan Lefanu)

A Canticle for Leibowitz* (Walter M. Miller Jr.)

The Case of Comrade Tulayev (Victor Serge)

The Charterhouse of Parma* (Stendhal/Henri Beyle)

The Christmas Oratorio* (Göran Tunström)

The Comedians* (Graham Greene)

The Confessions of Felix Krull (Thomas Mann)

Conversations in the Cathedral (Mario Vargas Llosa)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexander Dumas)

Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

Daniel Deronda (George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans)

Darkness at Noon (Arthur Koestler)

Daughter of Fortune (Isabel Allende)

Death of a Beekeeper* (Lars Gustavsson)

The Death of Artemio Cruz (Carlos Fuentes)

The Death of Virgil (Hermann Broch)

Demons (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

The Deptford Trilogy (Robertson Davies)

Diary of a Country Priest* (Georges Bernanos)

Doctor Faustus (Thomas Mann)

Doctor Glass*  (Hjalmar Söderberg)

Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes)

Dream of the Red Chamber (Cao Xueqin)

The Dwarf* (Pär Lagerkvist)

Earthly Powers* (Anthony Burgess)

Earthsea books* (Ursula LeGuin)

East of Eden* (John Steinbeck)

Emma* (Jane Austen)

The Emperor of Portugal* (Selma Lagerlöf)

The Erl-King* (Michel Tournier)

Everything Flows (Vassily Grossman)

Fathers and Sons (Ivan Turgenev)

The Feast of the Goat (Mario Vargas Llosa)

The Fifth Queen* (Ford Maddox Ford)

Flashman at the Charge* (George MacDonald Fraser)

A Fringe of Leaves* (Patrick White)

The Galton Case* (Ross MacDonald)

The Golem (Gustav Meyrink)

Gormenghast* (Mervyn Peake)

Great Expectations* (Charles Dickens)

The Great Gatsby* (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Grendel* (John Gardner)

A Harlot High and Low* (Honoré de Balzac)

A High Wind in Jamaica* (Richard Hughes) 

Herscht 07769 (Laszlo Krasznahorkai) 

The House of the Spirits (Isabel Allende)

Hunger (Knut Hamsun) 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (Victor Hugo)

Hyperion* (Dan Simmons)

I, Claudius* (Robert Graves)

I Served the King of England (Boumil Hrabal)

Iceland's Bell (Halldor Laxness)

The Idiot (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller (Italo Calvino)

Independent People (Halldor Laxness)

Invisible Cities (Italo Calvino)

Jacques the Fatalist* (Denis Diderot)

The Jerusalem Quartet* (Edward Whittemore)

Journey by Moonlight (Antal Szerb)

Kidnapped* (Robert Louis Stevenson)

Kim* (Rudyard Kipling)

A King Alone* (Jean Giono= 

The King Must Die* (Mary Renault)

Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset)

The Last Unicorn* (Peter S. Beagle)

The Left Hand of Darkness* (Ursula K. Le Guin)

The Leopard (Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa)

Life and Fate* (Vassily Grossman)

Lord Jim* (Joseph Conrad)

Lost Illusions* (Honoré de Balzac)

The Makioka Sisters (Junichiro Tanizaki)

The Man Who Laughs* (Victor Hugo)

The Man Who Was Thursday* (Gilbert Keith Chesterton)

The Manuscript Found in Saragossa (Jan Potocki)

The Master and Margarita (Michail Bulgakov)

The Melancholy of Resistance (Laszló Krasznahorkai)

Memories of Hadrian (Marguerite Yourcenar)

Middlemarch* (George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans)

Milkman* (Anna Burns)

The Ministry of Fear* (Graham Greene)

The Miracles of Antichrist* (Selma Lagerlöf) 

Les Miserables* (Victor Hugo)

The Moonstone* (Wilkie Collins)

Mrs. Dalloway* (Virginia Woolf)

Music and Silence* (Rose Tremain)

My Name is Red (Orhan Pamuk)

Mysteries (Knut Hamsun) 

The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)

The Napoleon of Notting Hill* (Gilbert Keith Chesterton)

Narciss and Goldmund (Herman Hesse)

Night Flight* (Antoine Saint-Exupéry)

Ninety-Three* (Victor Hugo)

No Name* (Wilkie Collins)

Nostromo (Joseph Conrad)

The Notebook (Agota Kristof)

Oblomov (Ivan Goncharov)

Old Goriot* (Honoré de Balzac)

Orlando* (Virginia Woolf)

A Passage to India (E.M. Forster)

Peace* (Gene Wolfe)

Pedro Paramo* (Juan Rulfo)

Pereira Maintains (Antonio Tabbuchi)

Petersburg (Andrei Bély)

The Power and the Glory* (Graham Greene)

The Prague Cemetery (Umberto Eco)

Pride and Prejudice* (Jane Austen)

The Queen's Tiara* (Carl Jonas Love Almqvist)

The Quiet American* (Graham Greene)

The Quincunx* (Charles Palliser)

Quo Vadis (Henryk Sienkiewicz)

A Pale View of Hills (Kazuo Ishiguro) 

The Raj Quartet* (Paul Scott)

The Remains of the Day* (Kazuo Ishiguro)

Requiem (Antonio Tabucchi)

Resurrection (Lev Tolstoy)

Restoration* (Rose Tremain)

Riddley Walker* (Russell Hoban)

Romola* (George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans) 

Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures (Walter Moers)

The Saga of Gösta Berling* (Selma Lagerlöf)

Salka Valka (Halldor Laxness)

The Samurai (Shunsaku Endo)

Satantango (Laszló Krasznahorkai)

A Scanner Darkly (Philip K. Dick)

Scaramouche* (Rafael Sabatini)

The Serious Game* (Hjalmar Söderberg)

Silence (Shunsaku Endo)

The Silence of the Sea* (Vercors/Jean Bruller)

The Sleepwalkers (Hermann Broch)

The Sound and the Fury (William Faulkner)

The Spectre of Alexander Wolf (Gaito Gazdanov)

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (John Le Carré/David Cornwell)

Steppenwolf (Herman Hesse) 

Sword of Honour* (Evelyn Waugh) 

The Tartar Steppe (Buzzati Dino)

Tigana* (Guy Gavriel Kay)

The Third Policeman* (Flann O'Brien)

Thomas Cromwell books* (Hilary Mantel)

Three Men in a Boat* (Jerome K. Jerome)

The Three Wise Men (Michel Tournier)

The Tin Drum (Günter Grass) 

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (John Le Carré/David Cornwell)

The Transylvanian Trilogy (Miklós Banffy)

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)

True Grit* (Charles Portis)

Ubik* (Philip K. Dick)

Uncle Vanya (Anton Chekhov)

The Unconsoled* (Kazuo Ishiguro)

Under the Sun of Satan* (Georges Bernanos)

Vertigo (W.G. Sebald)

Villette* (Charlotte Brontë)

Voss* (Patrick White)

Waiting for the Barbarians* (John Maxwell Coetzee)

Watership Down* (Richard Adams)

The Waves* (Virginia Woolf)

The Way We Live Now* (Anthony Trollope)

The Wild Ass's Skin* (Honoré de Balzac)

The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis (José Saramago)

Zeno's Conscience (Italo Svevo) 

 

 Short-Story Collections

 The Aleph (Jorge Luis Borges)

 Fictions (Jorge Luis Borges)

The King With the Golden Mask* (Marcel Schwob) 

The Periodic Table (Primo Levi)

 Seven Gothic Tales (Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen)

The Sword of Welleran* (Lord Dunsany)

Trafalgar (Angelica Gorodischer)

 

Verse

The Aeneid (Virgil) 

Aniara* (Harry Martinsson)

 The Divine Comedy (Dante Alighieri)

 The End of Satan* (Victor Hugo)

Eugene Onegin (Alexander Pushkin)

 Gaspard de la Nuit* (Aloysius Bertrand)

The Illiad (Homer)

The Kalevala (Elias Lönnrot, ed)

 Metamorphoses (Ovid)

The Odyssey (Homer)

Orlando Furioso (Ariosto)

Paradise Lost  (John Milton)

The Ring and the Book* (Robert Browning)

  

Plays

 Andromaque* (Jean Racine)

Berenice* (Jean Racine)

Blood Wedding (Federico Garcia Lorca)

Boris Godunov (Alexander Pushkin)

The Cherry Orchard (Anton Chekhov)

Cyrano de Bergerac* (Edmond Rostand)

Death and the King's Horseman* (Wole Soyinka) 

Faust (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Hamlet* (William Shakespeare)

Hedda Gabler (Henrik Ibsen)

Henry IV* (William Shakespeare)

The House of Bernarda Alba (Federico Garcia Lorca)

Julius Caesar* (William Shakespeare)

King Lear* (William Shakespeare)

Macbeth* (William Shakespeare)

A Man For All Seasons* (Robert Bolt)

The Master Builder (Henrik Ibsen)

The Misanthrope* (Moliére/Jean-Bapiste Poquelin)

A Month in the Country (Ivan Turgenev)

Murder in the Cathedral* (T.S. Eliot)

Othello* (William Shakespeare)

The Oresteia (Aeschylus)

 Peer Gynt (Henrik Ibsen)

Phedre (Jean Racine)

Prometheus Bound (Aeschylus)

The Satin Slipper* (Paul Claudel)

The Seagull (Anton Chekhov)

The Supper* (Jean-Claude Brisville)

The Theban Plays (Sophocles)

Three Sisters (Anton Chekhov)

The Trojan Women (Euripides)

The Wild Duck (Henrik Ibsen)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 78

 From the Desk of the Editor:

A daring rescue operation was performed yesterday, as a squad of our capital's finest, under the command of Corporal Dorn (38), liberated General Jeraddin (47), from the cellar in which he was held prisoner. 

Most of the credit for this rescue must go  to a certain Salsky (29), a former soldier, recently returned from Guanaca. According to Salsky, he was in the vicinity when he noticed two men wearing the uniform of our city-watch step out from a carriage. He noticed immediately that the two were carrying a third person between them. A person which the sharp-eyed water-rat immediately recognized as none other than Jeraddin himself.

"I was suspicious, of course" Salsky told the Vinolian Gazette, "so I rushed to get help and, well, the rest you know."

When asked whether or not he expects a reward, the  young Frigonian merely replied that he had only done his duty as a citizen.

Such modesty does a body credit and we have no doubt that General Jeraddin will want to personally thank his rescuer, when the opportunity presents itself.

We must report, however, that the General sustained some injuries at the hands of his abductors and is currently recuperating at home, under the care of his housemaid.

Regarding the culprits, they have been taken into custody and have been identified as the Captain and crew of the ship the Maelstrom, which was damaged in a fire recently. Is there connection between this event and their abduction of one of our nation's most prominent citizens? Hopefully, all will be revealed during the upcoming trial...

In his cell, Cerewan stopped reading the paper one of the guards had slipped under his door. He was not too concerned by the trial. After all, he was not the only one who had profited from his business-venture. Soon, he would be summoned to the interrogation room and when that happened, he would talk. Oh, yes, he'd give them every name of his associates and silent partners, in exchange for as lenient a sentence as possible. 

In a way, I suppose I am fortunate that the other ledger was destroyed in the fire. If not, I wouldn't have anything to bargain with.

With this thought, the tiger stretched himself out on his bunk and drifted off to sleep, unconcerned about the fate of his crew and untroubled by any pangs of conscience. 

He woke somewhat later, by the sound of a key turning into the lock. With a yawn, Cerewan sat up, just as the cell-door swung open and his jailer appeared in the doorway. To Cerewan's surprise, however, the rhino did not motion for him to get up, but instead stepped into the cell and shut the door behind him. 

Growing suspicious, Cerewan unsheathed his claws...

*****

The Trial took place the next day and in light of the evidence provided, it was concluded with haste. Each sailor who had served on the Maelstrom were sentenced to fifteen years at the galleys, plus five years imprisonment, should they live long enough. 

Among the accused, there was one who was absent from the trial: On the same morning, Captain Cerewan had been found dead in his cell. The Prison's doctor was quickly summoned and, having examined the body, ruled that the deceased had died of an apoplexy. 

A week later, Argath's ship sailed into the harbor. That evening, a banquet was held at the palace, to celebrate the Queen's return and to welcome the new Royal Consort.  Jeraddin, was there: He could not exactly refuse to be present, considering his position and besides, it would give him a chance to see his wife again. As soon as court-etiquette permitted, the lynx went off in search for her.

He found her in the palace-garden, sitting on a bench and staring up at the moon. Stealthily he crept up behind her and whispered "Guess who?" Softly in her ear.

She turned around, his name passing over her lips and the two of them embraced.  

"So, how was the journey home" Jeraddin asked, sitting down next to Nasari.

"Terrible" the black cat sighed. "I'm glad to be back home. What about you? Has anything happened while I've been away?"

"You can say that again", her husband replied. "Let's see, where I should begin?"

And so, Jeraddin told Nasari about everything that had transpired during her absence. Starting with Albert's death, the news of which made Nasari wet her husband's shoulder with her tears. 

"How awful" Nasari gasped, once she head learned of Jeraddin's treatment at the hands of Cerewan. "Are you sure you are fine?" She asked, concernedly.

"Don't worry" Jeraddin smiled, "I am fully recovered."

"And the Captain's death? Do you really think it was a natural one, as they claim?"

Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, Cerewan had become a liability to too many people. No doubt one of them decided to get rid off him."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad he's dead. Good riddance!"

"I agree, although I would have preferred it if he had been punished by the law, rather than by one of his peers."

"I don't care, let the villains of this world devour each other."

"Speaking of which, you should have seen the Queen during the banquet."

"Well, she is eating for two now. Or three."

"To be honest, I can't picture her as a mother."

"Me neither." Nasari paused and when she spoke again, there was bitterness in her voice. "I hope she dies in childbirth. I hope that kid kills her."

"What if she has a miscarriage?" 

The Word had come out of Jeraddin's mouth, aided by too much wine. He immediately regretted its utterance.

Nasari gave him a look.

"I hope not. Its a terrible thing, to loose a child" she said. "I wouldn't wish it on any woman, not even Argath."

"You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

Nasari's nodding was meant to convey both her agreement with what Jeraddin had just said and to show that she accepted his apology.

"Let us talk about something else" she said. "Now that Albert's gone, who's looking after your home? Or do you do it yourself?"

"No, I have a housekeeper. Her name is Flora."

"Is she a diligent worker?"

"She's yet to give me cause to complain."

"And is she fair to look at?"

"I suppose. Yes, yes she is. Though not as much as you."

Nasari gave Jeraddin a playful nudge.

"Flatterer. Tell me, if its not too discrete a question, have you...?"

"I have not shared my bed with her, if that's what you ask."

"Why not? If you're worried about how I would react, than don't be. I don't mind and even if I did, it would be awfully hypocritical of me to begrudge you a lover."

"It's not that, I'm her employer and I wouldn't want to take advantage of my position."

"Somehow, I doubt that most people would let that stop them, were they in your position."

Before he could answer, Jeraddin's mouth opened wide in a deep yawn.

"Feeling tired?" Nasari asked.

"Actually, yes. Too much food and drink, I suppose. Or maybe age is gradually starting to take out its toll."

"Why not lie down for a spell?"

Jeraddin thought that this sounded like a good idea. He laid himself down on the bench, resting his head in his wife's lap, where he fell asleep to the touch of Nasari caressing the fur on his head and the sound of her voice, singing softly.

A very brief rant concerning anthro characters in fiction

 Lately,I've been watching YouTuber Totally Not Mark's videos on Hunter x Hunter, one of my favorite manga/anime in the battle-shounen genre. So far, I've been enjoying the videos and have found myself in agreement with TNM about a lot of things and I will definitely continue watching them. However, as I watched his second video on the Greed Island arc, something happened that made me pause the video and type out this brief post.

In that video TNM brings up the 2016 animated movie Sing and cites one of the reason for it being a bad film is due to the fact that there's no reason for its anthropomorphic characters not to simply be humans. I've seen this criticism leveled against the movie before (by I Hate Everything) and I've always disagreed with it. Now, this is not me defending Sing. I have not seen Sing, nor have I any desire to do so, I just don't think that this is a valid criticism of any movie, or any work of fiction that features an anthropomorphic cast. Never once in his Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge comics does Carl Barks justify that his characters are talking waterfowl (or pigs or dog-people) and yet, these are some of the greatest American comics ever made.  Is it neat when a piece of media takes into consideration what a world populated exclusively by anthros would look like, á la Disney's Zootopia? Sure. Is it a necessity or requirement? Absolutely not.

Oh, and by the way? The Fact that I myself have a story in which none of the cast is human without really 'justifying' it has nothing to do with me writing this. 

Well, OK, maybe a little...

Chapter 77

 Slowly, Jeraddin came to. 

Raising his head, the lynx took in his surroundings. He was tied to a chair in a room, whose only other piece of furniture was a table on which a series of implements of sinister purpose had been neatly arranged. Jeraddin also noticed that his clothes were lying in a pile on the stone-floor. 

Well, he thought. That explains the draft I felt.

He struggled with his bonds for a bit. To no avail. Whoever had tied these knots knew what they were doing. 

Someone was coming! Jeraddin decided to pretend that he was still unconscious. 

A door opened and closed, two voices hovered above Jeraddin's head.

"What do you mean it's not here?" Demanded the first voice.

"I searched his clothes, Cap'n" said the other voice and this one, Jeraddin recognized. "Went through is coat and everything, he doesn't have it on him."

He thought back to this morning when the two watchmen had showed up on his doorsteps. Both of them had looked like authentic members of the city-watch and so, he had excused himself and had headed for his chamber. As he did, one of the guards had called out after him:

"General, don't forget to bring whatever evidence you have with you"

Jeraddin had intended to do just that. He had finished getting dressed and had just been about to pick up the black ledger and stuff it in his coat, when the words of the watchmen had made him stop.

Instead of taking it with him, he had stashed the ledger in his nightstand. On top of it, he had left a note, hastily jotted down, for Flora to find, when she would enter the room to clean it.

Jeraddin's suspicions were stirring in their sleep and they had been wide awake when the lynx had realized that the extremely official-looking black carriage he and his escort were travelling in, were not heading in the direction of the court-house at all.

Jeraddin had reached for the handle to the carriage-door. Before he had been able to pull it down and throw himself out of the carriage, cold-steel had touched his throat. It had been followed by a cloth, drenched in some kind of chemical, being pressed against his nose and mouth and, after a moment's hopeless struggle, everything had turned dark...

"Pity" the first voice growled. "Wake him up."

The Other voice grabbed hold of Jeraddin's head-fur, tilted his head back and tapped him on the cheeks. Jeraddin opened his eyes. Standing before him was Cerewan and the blue cat, his head covered in a bandage.

"Greetings, General" said Cerewan, wearing a smile of  hollow joviality. "I am Captain Cerewan and..."

"I know who you are, Captain" Jeraddin said, cutting the tiger off. "And frankly, I don't care for this sort of treatment."

"Is that so? Well, General, I do not care for having my crew assaulted and my ship set ablaze.

Fortunately, we were able to put out the fire. However, it's going to take months of repairs to make the Maelstrom sea-worthy again. Repairs that you are going to pay for,  General."

"Is that all? Very well, untie me and let's all go to the bank."

Cerewan shook his head and emitted a low chuckle.

"Not so fast, General. Before we do that, there is another matter that needs to be settled."

"Oh? What is that?"

The Smile did not vanish from Cerewan's face, but it did shrink considerably. Next to it, the tiger's scar reddened.

"Don't be coy with me, General, there were two ledgers in my cabin. Where are they now?"

"Oh, you mean those ledgers? They were destroyed in the fire."

"He's lyin' Cap'n" said the blue cat. "I saw him leavin' the ship with one of 'em when I was treadin' water."

"You hear that, General? Now, I'll ask nicely one more time: Where's the remaining ledger?"

"I've stuffed it where the sun don't shine" Jeraddin growled. "Why don't you come get it, you sweet-water pirate?"

With a sigh, Cerewan gave the lynx a look similar to that a parent might give an obstinate child and went over to the table. He stood there for a moment, contemplating which tool to pick. When he turned around, there was a rope in his paws. A rope which had a heavy knot in one end.

"I could tell you that this will hurt me more than you, General" Cerewan said, "but we both know that's a lie."

He began to swing the rope, faster and faster. Jeraddin watched as the knot became a blur and steeled himself for the inevitable.

*****

Jeraddin was fairly certain his shoulders, both of them, were dislocated. If not? Well, They hurt like hell at any rate. As did his chest for that matter. 

He glared at his captors: Cerewan had lowered the rope and was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I guess old age is catching up with me", the tiger shook his head in mock disbelief. "Let's take a quick break, shall we? In the meantime, General, there's something else I'd like to ask you..."

The Captain of the Maelstrom went up to Jeraddin and put a paw on his left shoulder. The Lynx groaned.

"How did you find out about me?" As he posed the question, Cerewan dug his claws in deeper.

"Arghh! A slave I met in Guanaca, one of your former 'customers'. She was the one who told me."

"Oh? What was her name?"

"Sorry, can't remember."

"And yet her words were enough for you to try to bring me to justice? A stranger? Unless..." Cerewan paused and looked closely at Jeraddin's face.

"Ah, yes" he chuckled. "I can see it now, the resemblance."

Cerewan released his grip and stepped back.

"Here" he said, handing the rope to the cat. "You take over, my arm's still tired."

"Right, Cap'n."

"Now then, General, I'm going to ask you again and if you refuse to answer, you shall be struck again. This time, however, the knot will strike in a more...sensitive spot. If you get my drift."

"I understand." Jeraddin sighed resignedly. "I'll talk, but before I do, would you answer one of my questions, Captain?"

"Very well, General, ask your question."

"What time is it?"

Cerewan's surprise only lasted for a moment. Then, he took out a pocket-watch and consulted it.

"About half past noon" he replied, slamming the lid to the watch shut and putting it back in his pocket. "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to tell us where the ledger is?"

"By now, I suspect its in the paws of the authorities" Jeraddin replied calmly.

Cerewan could feel the color drain from his face. 

"You...you're bluffing" he muttered, but one look at the smug smile on his captive's face told him that this was merely wishful thinking on his part.

"By now every member of the city-watch must be out looking for you, Cerewan" Jeraddin said. "Why they could be here at any moment."

"Perhaps we should leave, Cap'n?" The Cat suggested, his voice trembling slightly.

"Calm yourself, sailor!" Cerewan snapped. "No-one knows where we are. By the time the watch finds this place, we'll be long gone." He turned back to Jeraddin. "You thought you were clever, didn't you, General? Alas, all you've done now is sign your own death-warrant."

With those words, he drew a saber from his belt and made some cutting motions with it in the air. Jeraddin watched him, without flinching.

Is this how my life ends? He wondered. I had a feeling that I wouldn't die in my bed, but I must admit that this is not the way I pictured it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the unpleasant sensation of Cerewan's breath hitting him in the face.

"When next I meet Risha" the tiger whispered in the lynx's ear, "I'll tell her that her father died, screaming."

He stepped back and raised the saber over his head. 

There was a knock on the door. Cerewan dropped his weapon, the blue cat almost jumped out of his skin. Both of them, as well as Jeraddin, stared at the door.

"Well, Captain?" Jeraddin asked. "Aren't you going to answer?"

It was then that a voice could be heard on the other side and Jeraddin's heart sank again, for he recognized it.

"Captain, it's us! Open up!"

The Blue cat was closest to the door. He looked at Cerewan who gave him a nod. The Door opened and the false watchmen appeared on the doorstep. However, before they could enter, they were pushed aside; by a group of real watchmen who swarmed into the room.

A Whisper In My Ear. A Voice So Strong and Clear...

I don't think its a stretch to claim that, out of all the comics that takes place in medieval times and/or deals with the Arthurian legends, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, is the most well-known. Though it was never a staple of my childhood, in the same way as Tintin by Hergé, or the various Disney comics, by creators such as Carl Barks and Don Rosa, I remember enjoying the volumes of Prince Valiant I read translated into Swedish, when I was a boy. 

Unlike the source material, The Legend of Prince Valiant was not a part of my childhood. I don't think it ever aired on Swedish television. If it did, it was not on any of the channels that were available to me, at the time. 

As such, I remained completely ignorant of this show's existence, until fairly recently, when a review written by one of my mutuals on SensCritique, awoke my interest in it. Having watched the show in its entirety, I've decided to share my thoughts on it. Here goes:

The Legend of Prince Valiant begins similarly to the comic (as far as I can remember), with the Kingdom of Thule being conquered by an evil warlord and the King, the Queen and their son, Valiant being forced to flee and seek refuge in a marsh. 

One evening, the young Valiant has a dream in which a voice speaks to him, summoning him to a place called Camelot. Valiant has never heard of such a place before, but he's convinced that it exists and so, against his father's wishes, he sets out on a journey to find Camelot. He is joined by Arn, a young peasant and Rowan, the daughter of a blacksmith. Both of whom have had the same dream. After many adventures, the trio arrives at Camelot and the court of King Arthur, where they begin their long road towards knighthood and for Valiant to reclaim his father's kingdom.

Visually, The Legend of Prince Valiant looks fine.Sometimes, the characters go off-model, but the backgrounds are lush and detailed and the show features some fairly impressive battle-scenes. The Soundtrack is superb (with the show's opening theme; Where the Truth Lies deserving special mention, being suitably grandiose) as is the voice-acting. Valiant himself is voiced by Robby Benson, known as the voice of Prince Alexander from King's Quest VI to fans of graphic adventure games and as Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast to everyone else who's heard of him. Fittingly enough, when Aleta, the woman who becomes Valiant's love-interest makes her appearance in the show, she's voiced by Paige O'Hara aka. Belle from the above mentioned movie.

Writing is likewise of high quality: Characters are by and large, well-rounded and interesting. My favorite character (if I had to choose) would probably be Duncan. He starts out as a minor recurring villain and ends up having arguably the best character arc in the entire series. 

During its two seasons, The Legend of Prince Valiant tackles some heavy topics, such as; alcoholism, child-abuse, racism and even gun...sorry, crossbow-safety. It does this without coming across as preachy or condescending. 

Though it seems to have fallen into obscurity, The Legend of Prince Valiant is one of the best western cartoons of the 90's. Easily comparable to the likes of Batman: TAS and Gargoyles. Highly recommended.

No Likable Characters

 Picture this, dear Reader: You are on a review-site (Goodreads, IMDB. Whatever, it doesn't matter) and while you are there, you decide to check out the reviews of something you watched/read/played recently and, in some of the less enthusiastic reviews, you find the above statement or a variation thereof. 

This statement has always bothered me, because I seldom feel that its valid as criticism. Note that I said seldom, not never, there are definitely times when the creator(s) of a work intended a character to be liked by the audience and failed at making them so.That said, if a character isn't likable, nine times out of ten, its because they were not meant to be. 

And yet, a lot of people seem to treat is as such, considering likability to be tantamount when talking about characters in a work of fiction.

Why is that? Personally, I think its because people tend to equate 'likable' with 'interesting'. Now, to be fair, the two tend to go hand in hand, even for me. I know that, if I find a character to be likable, its a fair assumption  that I find them interesting as well. 

However, just because two things are connected does not mean they are synonymous. And so, I shall explain (or at least attempt) how the two of them differ, in my opinion. 

Basically, to me, a character being likable means that I like that character, as a person. They have my sympathy and I would not mind socializing with them in real-life.

None of the above need apply to a character that I simply find engaging in the role given to them by the narrative. Some of my favorite characters in fiction are horrible people, even outright monsters. However, they are compelling monsters and ultimately, that's what counts: The Worst crime a fictional character can be guilty of is not mass-murder, enslavement or any other real-life atrocity. No, its to be boring.

Chapter 76

 On the ship carrying Risha and Merees, the Captain had just finished showing the two women and Kyros the route of the ship's voyage.

"And there you have it" he said. "Barring any incidents and if the Gods smile on us, we should reach our destination in four months."

Merees leaned forward, taking a closer look at the map spread out over the table the four of them had gathered around.

Not that I would presume to tell you how to do your job, Captain" she began."However, I can't help but notice that this is a huge detour. Surely, you would save time if you were to anchor here and then have a caravan take your cargo the rest of the way?"

"Aye" the Captain replied, with a touch of bitterness in his voice. "That's how we used to do it. Unfortunately, that option is no longer available to us."

"Why is that?"

"That is Guancan territory and recently, Guanaca came under Vinolian control. Unfortunately, the country whose flag this ship sails under and Vinoli are not on good terms."

Seeing expression of shock and bafflement that his words had caused to appear on Merees' face, the Captain hastened to explain the circumstances around her homeland's take-over of Guanaca, as far as he knew it.

Merees listened to the Captain, her brow furrowed with vexation. 

"How did the Vinolian army managed to take Guanaca?" She asked, once he had finished filling her in. "I thought that the desert-kingdom was supposed to be impenetrable?" The Answer to her question came to her almost as soon as she had asked it. "Of course! They must have inside-help."

The Captain nodded.

"Rumor has it that it was someone close to the late King Bashar, who betrayed the city to the Vinolians."

"Is that so? Well, whoever that person was I'm sure they had their reasons."

"Aye, everyone does. Though whatever reasons they might have had does not alter the fact that our journey will be longer and certainly more arduous than it has ever been."

"True, not to mention its because of that person that Guanaca is now in the hands of A..."

Merees did not finish her sentence. Risha, who had not said anything their meeting suddenly got up and, still not saying a word, left the state-room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, well" the Captain said, scratching his head. "What got into her all of a sudden?"

"A bout of sea-sickness, perhaps" Merees said. "I had better see to her. Excuse me, gentlemen."

*****

Risha was standing by the ship's railing, staring out at the horizon, when Merees joined her.

"Something the matter, hon?" The Dragon asked.

"It was me", the lynx replied, her voice hoarse. "I'm the person who allowed the Vinolian army to enter Guanaca."

I knew it, Merees thought to herself. She placed a sympathetic hand on her lover's trembling shoulder.

"I knew perfectly well that by doing so, I had essentially handed Guanaca over to Argath, but at the time, I did not care: All I could think of was that this was my chance to regain my freedom and have Bashar at my mercy, to finally make him pay for all the indignities he had made me suffer."

"I'm not judging you, Risha" Merees said. "Nor should anyone else. Everyone would have made the same choice in your situation and if not? Well,  in that case, they might as well remain slaves."

"Freedom is not a gift, it is the right of every  Vinolian citizen..." Risha said, speaking in a small voice but loud enough for Merees to hear.

"...Should anyone infringe on that right, do not ask for its return, but reclaim it", Merees finished. "My father always said that was the most important part of the Vinolian constitution."

"Something tells me that the constitution has been greatly rewritten in the past five years" Risha sighed.

"Doesn't matter. Once Argath has been overthrown, we can restore it to how it used to be."

If we win, Risha was about to say, but kept those words to herself. No point in getting bogged down by negativity, after all. No, better to assume the best while preparing for the worst.

She moved closer to Merees and the two of them stood there, close together, feeling the sea-breeze and listening to the sound of the waves splashing against a hull. 

"Do you think the Captain figured out why I left so abruptly?" Risha asked, after a few minutes silence.

"Don't worry, I made up an excuse for you.Say, something wet just hit my head."

"Me too."

Lynx and dragon both looked up and saw that sky, which had previously been blue, had suddenly turned grey. The Captain came out on deck, followed by Kyros.

"Storm's coming!" He bellowed. "All passengers, get off the deck! Now!!"

Later, Risha and Merees huddled together, while the rain-drops spattered against their cabin's porthole and the ever-higher waves played catch with their ship.

"Mer?" Risha moaned.

"Yes, hon."

"What excuse did you give to the Captain?"

"I told him you were sea-sick."

"I see. Can you pass me the chamber-pot under the bed?"

"Why? Don't tell me..."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

*****

In his chamber, Jeraddin was woken by the sun shining through the blinds and striking him in the face. With a yawn, the male lynx sat up and let out a grunt of pain. He ached all over and for a moment, Jeraddin wondered if he had slept in an uncomfortable position. Then, he saw the ledger lying on the bed beside him and the memories of last night came flooding back.

Getting out of bed, Jeraddin proceeded to his private bathroom (his house was one of those in the Vinolian capital that were equipped with indoor plumbing). Upon entering, he noticed his reflection, covered in scratches from last night's brawl, in the doors of the medicine cabinet and winced.

I can't let Flora see me like this, he thought, and opened the cabinet to see if it contained anything that could be of help. Rummaging around its contents, the General soon found a bottle with the following label:

Healing Salve

-For minor wounds and aches. Apply to the afflicted area and wait ten minutes.

Jeraddin uncorked the bottle and began to follow the instructions...

Somewhat later, Jeraddin, now dressed in a bathrobe, the scratches on his face fully faded, was having breakfast in the kitchen.

"Tough night, Sir?" Flora asked, as she poured more coffee into Jeraddin's cup.

Jeraddin swallowed his porridge and nodded.

"Indeed, but well worth it. You can take my word for that."

"May I ask if you will come in late this evening as well?"

Jeraddin thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"No, today unless something comes up, I shall stay home. Maybe catch up on my reading."

In that moment, the sound of someone knocking on the front door could be heard. Flora went out to answer and returned with two members of the city-watch. Jeraddin greeted them and asked how he might be of service?

The Two watchmen exchanged awkward looks.

"It's like this, General...." One of them began. "We need you to come with us."

"Someone's pressed charges against you" added his colleague.

"What?" Flora took a step forward, brandishing the ladle she had used to stir the porridge, menacingly. "Who dares?"

"Peace, Flora" Jeraddin said, holding up a paw. The Housekeeper lowered her arm and stepped back.

"I am at your disposal" he told the guards. "Before we go though, permit me to go upstairs and change into more suitable attire. Don't worry, I will not give you the slip."