By Force Alone

Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table. A rough recounting of a famous tale tilted on its ear! Can‘t wait for book 2. 🍿❤️🍿❤️🍿❤️🍿 It‘s dark in here so the remaining boxes will need to wait. Sorry for the constant stream of books while I listen to books 😁🤗

28 likes

Twainy

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

pick

🎧📚 This was such a different spin on the Arthurian legend that I think I liked it. It‘s familiar characters acting … badly?

Warning: There‘s A LOT of swearing. Everyone‘s pooping, peeing, farting, sexing, killing.

When the Green Knight shows up I started looking for the giant bald naked ladies (see movie).

This is the knights of the round table as thugs & arms dealers.

Fun book.

I can‘t wait to see what happens in this new world.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

19 likes

vivastory

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

1) Arthurian 💯 Sword in the Stone was one of my favorite movies when I was growing up! The tagged book is a brutal & imaginative take on Arthurian legend.
2) No preference.
3) American Gods. Norse Mythology. I've heard great things about Witch's Heart
#sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

BookmarkTavern I‘m always looking for Arthurian retellings. I‘ll have to look this title up! Thanks for sharing! 3y

39 likes1 comment

vivastory

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

pick

I started Tidhar's latest a couple of weeks ago & was immensely enjoying his gritty version of Arthurian legend. As I mentioned in a previous post I found Adrian Tchaikovsky's quote, “a Peaky Blinders of the Round Table“ to be completely spot-on. Until roughly the halfway mark where we meet Guinevere & the book veered into unexpected fantastical territory. I was just simply not prepared at the time. I set it down, until I picked it up last 👇

vivastory night & read it in one exhilarated sitting. By Force Alone is a genre-bending deconstruction of the myth of the colonizer & of the beneficial monarchy. Tidhar portrays the Knights of the Round Table as mercenaries. They're criminal opportunists & violent thugs, referring to them as “made men.“ There are elements of historical fiction with a heaping tablespoon of fantasy & some genuine horror sprinkled over the top for some added flavor. 3y

vivastory Several easter eggs from pop culture (Monty Python, LotR, Jurassic Park etc) are cleverly littered throughout making for an even better reading experience. Although it took a couple of weeks to read, I loved By Force Alone. This is one of the more unusual books I've read this year.
I have seen some reviews compare this to Tarantino & honestly BFA is stranger than anything Tarantino ever made. The Peaky Blinders comparison really only works

3y

vivastory for about the first 100-125 pages before it veers off & becomes very much it's own wild breed, much like the Questing Beast it speaks about. Link to one of my most anticipated movies of the year. This might be the first one I see in theaters since the pandemic. A24's Green Knight feat Dev Patel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoJc2tH3WBw (edited) 3y

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MsMelissa I‘ve been curious about this book, but I don‘t know if I can handle the knights as mercenaries and criminal opportunists. When it comes to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table I prefer wholly happy fantasy tales (unless it‘s more like a Monty Python Curse of the Holy Grail tale 😂). 3y

MsMelissa You might like this one (I loved it), which is about a very different Robin Hood than people expect

Nottingham

vivastory @MsMelissa Thanks for the rec, will definitely check it out! I admit that I love Arthurian legend, especially Merlin who plays a significant role in this. It's definitely not a very flattering portrayal of the Round Table, more grimdark than sword in the stone 3y

69 likes6 comments

vivastory

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

I started this morning & am now 130 pages in. I'm really digging this grim retelling of King Arthur. Adrian Tchaikovsky called it a Peaky Blinders of the Round Table. Definitely spot on.

DGRachel I loved it! 3y

vivastory @DGRachel I hope to finish by tomorrow. I just finished when they meet The Green Knight. 😬😂 3y

MsMelissa Oh, interesting. I might have to check this out. 3y

batsy That's an intriguing description! 3y

readordierachel Ooh, sounds good 3y

79 likes4 stack adds5 comments

DGRachel

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

pick

As children, we‘re often taught a glossy, shiny version of history, only to learn in later life that the truth is dark, dirty, shameful, and anything but glorious. This is the Arthurian Legend as it should be, as “reality”. There were some things that annoyed me like excessive swearing, and if I had to read the phrase “by force alone” one more time, I was going to scream. But the more I think about it, the more I like this version of the legend.

RamsFan1963 I'm looking forward to reading this. 4y

DGRachel @RamsFan1963 I hope you enjoy it. I found it difficult to put down despite the couple of things that annoyed me. 😆 4y

MsMelissa I read the first of a Helen Hollick trilogy that was in a similar vain. I decided I much prefer the glossier version of the King Arthur story 😂 (Strangely, I prefer more realistic stories about the Robin Hood legend)

Kingmaking: Book One of the Pendragon@s Banner Trilogy

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DGRachel @Book_Fiend_Melissa Don‘t get me wrong, nothing will ever top Mary Stewart‘s version in my mind, but I did like this shady version. Do you have Robin Hood retelling recommendations? I‘m all for twisted legends.

The Crystal Cave: Book One of the Arthurian Saga

MsMelissa I really enjoyed Stephen Lawhead‘s Robin Hood trilogy that starts with

Hood

MsMelissa While I‘ve only read the first book (I enjoyed it and have always intended to go back to the series), Angus Donald has a really popular series

Outlaw

MsMelissa And this was one of my favourite books last year, the sequel is released this month

Nottingham

DGRachel @Book_Fiend_Melissa Thanks! I read Hood back in 2011, but it was pre-Goodreads and all I remember is not loving it so I didn‘t get the next book. Nottingham is on my radar, but I hadn‘t heard of Outlaw. Both sounds really good! 4y

63 likes1 stack add8 comments

DGRachel

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

“But there is no honor and no pride in war. Just death and dying men shitting themselves, and entrails” 😳

54 likes

GrilledCheeseSamurai

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

I went to a bookstore today! 🥰

I haven't been to a bookstore since early March! 😭

Actually...i haven't been to any store besides the grocery store & my comic shop since March. But whatevs.

Anyways...this. I got this as a reward for braving the mall (I desperately needed to buy new sneakers). I've wanted this gangster Arthurian retelling ever since I've heard about it. Sounds bonkers good. My fingies are 🤞that it lives up to the hype.

GrilledCheeseSamurai Also...it being my first time in a mall since the pandemic...fuck my life! How hard is it to follow an arrow...never mind putting on a mask! Wtf is wrong with people! 🤬 4y

MsMelissa Ha ha to your comment! I‘ve been to the mall a few times (didn‘t want to go the first time, but I‘ve accepted that this is just going to be how things are for awhile so I just mask up and avoid people) and it amazes me the way some people wear their masks. It‘s like, you know it‘s supposed to cover your nose, right? (edited) 4y

MsMelissa Do you live in a place with mandatory masks indoors? I do, and it is so weird to see everyone masked up 😷, but nobody is complaining so that‘s good. 4y

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GrilledCheeseSamurai @Book_Fiend_Melissa I'm in Canada (Manitoba specifically). Some places are mandatory masks but those are exceptions and not the normal. Most places are not...yet.🙄 4y

MsMelissa I‘m in Ottawa. We‘ve been under mandatory mask orders since July (or maybe June? I can‘t remember). I feel a lot better about going to indoor places knowing everyone else has to wear a mask, although I don‘t go out all that often and I avoid anywhere likely to have tons of people. I‘ll also likely be working from home well into 2021. 4y

GrilledCheeseSamurai @Book_Fiend_Melissa I really wish Manitoba would up its game with mandatory masks everywhere. 😷 4y

51 likes2 stack adds6 comments

DGRachel

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

My boss gave me a gift card yesterday, so I took myself to B&N and then off to Park Road Books to pick up two books I ordered Tuesday. It was so stressful and I‘m so done with people that I made this trip worthy of being the last outing for several months. I bought more in my anxiety to never have to go out again than I had planned to, but these were all on my wishlist, so I‘m not too sorry. Many #blamelitsy picks. 😍

squirrelbrain Sounds perfectly reasonable to me in this crazy world - less trips out, more books on each trip! 4y

TrishB I have been out a couple of times this week for lunchtime meals. The restaurants have been fine, the outside world not so much. Understand totally! 4y

DGRachel @TrishB There was a man and his son at B&N wandering around without masks because they‘d gone to the cafe and were browsing while finishing their drinks🙄, and then I had some man at Park Road who not only refused to stay 6 feet from me while I was checking out, he stood between me and the door. I‘m 1000% done with people. 4y

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MicheleinPhilly I went out to run an errand yesterday. I was standing at a corner waiting for the light to change along with 2 other people. (We were not with each other and were all keeping our distance.) A man in a car drove up and yelled, “Youse are all by yourselves! Why are you wearing masks???” One of the people yelled at him, “It‘s called education! Don‘t be a zombie!” The light changed and he got stuck in the intersection where he than proceeded 👇🏼 4y

MicheleinPhilly To call us douchebags and assholes and idiots and helpfully recommended that we all go *#%# ourselves.” 🙄 4y

DGRachel @MicheleinPhilly Ugh. I‘m sorry you experienced that! Ignorant jerks like that are exhausting. 4y

TrishB @DGRachel @MicheleinPhilly awful ☹️ 4y

MicheleinPhilly I literally just laughed at him and continued on my way. You can‘t fix stupid. 4y

AlaMich @MicheleinPhilly Yeah, the Current Occupant proves that!! 4y

Julsmarshall I find it strange and upsetting to go out too, seems perfectly reasonable to buy extra books do you are stocked up! 4y

vivastory Some great books here. Can't wait to read the tagged title. Loved

The Violent Century: A Novel

vivastory & I agree. People are lame. 4y

DGRachel @vivastory Oh, two of these books are all your fault, including the tagged book. 🤣🤣 4y

vivastory Is the other one the Tremblay? 😂 4y

DGRachel @vivastory Yes! The narcoleptic detective book you mentioned is currently out of print, but being reprinted next January, so that will have to wait. 4y

65 likes15 comments

DGRachel

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

Just saw this on Facebook. Out 8/11. Why am I just now hearing about this? Twisted Arthurian legend retelling? Yes, please.

vivastory I loved Tidhar's

The Violent Century: A Novel

DGRachel @vivastory I can‘t remember if it was you or @TobeyTheScavengerMonk that made me grab the audio of that one. I kind of wish I‘d read it in print because I had trouble following some of the story and I hated the ending, but there were brilliant moments, so I can‘t wait to see what Tidhar does with King Arthur! 4y

TobeyTheScavengerMonk I am 100% here for this! 4y

50 likes2 stack adds3 comments

night_shift

By Force Alone | Lavie Tidhar

1. High fantasy. Just reminds me of all that stuff I read as a kid (that I'm afraid to reread and hate).

2. I've been trying not to binge, but boy have I been eating a LOT of sweets (and coffee).

3. These stacks are my more immediate TBRs (not including the tagged book and first comment, Erich I just got yesterday).

@eggs #wondrouswednesday (late, sorry!)

night_shift Other new book to immediate TBR: https://litsy.com/p/RVA5czh6endW 4y

night_shift Tagged: @swynn @Lesanne @rakeshpm @Rbressette @katy4peas (thanks for the follow!) 4y

Lesanne Your bookshelf looks a lot nicer than mine! 4y

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Eggs Nice Shelfie!! Thanks for playing and there is no “late” in playing 😊 I always love reading responses whenever❣️🤗 4y

katy4peas Looks like some good reads! Thanks for the tag, but I've already played. I enjoyed reading your answers though! 😁 4y

night_shift @Lesanne Haha.. my husband wouldn't say so 😉 @eggs great! Thanks for still hosting! @katy4peas haha.. this is what I get for waiting a day to post. Oh well! 🙃 4y

katy4peas @unidragonfrag I re-tagged 3 people on something last week! No worries! 😁 4y

48 likes7 comments

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