Tallis Steelyard x 2

Two new Jim Webster publications is a cause for smiles. They always entertain.

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Book description

More of the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. Not only have we got Gentlemen behaving badly, we see Port Naain by starlight and meet ladies of wit and discernment. There are Philosophical societies, amateur dramatics, the modern woman, revenge, and the advantages of a good education. All human life is here, or at least such of it as Tallis will admit to.

My review 

Another great set of stories as told by jobbing poet Tallis Steelyard. Fights abound and artists and poets are not the least amongst the fighters. I love these stories and sometimes think if someone were to drop me anywhere in Port Naain I could find my way, well, not home, but at least to Tallis and Shena’s barge. Jim Webster always gives us humour, wit and a wisdom he wears lightly. People like him should be running the country.

And another!

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Book description

We continue to explore the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. In this invaluable publication Tallis Steelyard discusses the ways in which a writer can bring their work to the attention of the masses and more importantly, sell the book to them. As well as this, we have the importance of getting home under your own steam, music and decorum, brass knuckles for a lady, and of course, a few simple spices. 
Surely this is the one essential book that every aspiring novelist should both purchase and study

My review -

Another set of stories from Poet Tallis Steelyard. Amongst other short tales, he advises on selling your written word. The world, even the invented world of Tallis and friends, has much to say on this. As we know, people you’ve never heard of will offer you a book on how to sell your novel and get rich. Jim Webster has once again sorted the gold from the dross and presented it as stories. There’s a lot of truth in them!

About the author

Jim Webster is probably fifty something, his tastes in music are eclectic, and his dress sense is rarely discussed in polite society. In spite of this he has a wife and three daughters.
He has managed to make a living from a mixture of agriculture, consultancy, and freelance writing. Previously he has restricted himself to writing about agricultural and rural issues but including enough Ancient Military history to maintain his own sanity. But seemingly he has felt it necessary to branch out into writing SF and fantasy novels. 
He lives in South Cumbria.

~~~

Just a thought

Some say life is the thing, but I prefer reading ― Ruth Rendell

Jim Webster

This is fantasy that holds a mirror up to our own word, and isn't very different. If you love character-driven stories, they're all here.

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Book description

More of the wit, wisdom and jumbled musings of Tallis Steelyard. Discover the damage done by the Bucolic poets, wonder at the commode of Falan Birling, and read the tales better not told. We have squid wrestling, lady writers, and occasions when it probably wasn't Tallis's fault. He even asks the great question, who are the innocent anyway?

My review - 

The book begins with the perils of being a painter’s apprentice. Someone has to rearrange the sitters’ hair, add the artful blossoms and dust away the crumbs from their snacks.

Several young men are sent to liberate valuable artefacts that are later sold for the upkeep of an asylum for the poor. Should things be black and white, right and wrong, or is it all about nuances, checks and balances?

We touch on fire-fighting, lady writers, solstice celebrations and more. Port Naain. All human life is there, and it’s documented with humour and acute observation.

About the author

Jim Webster is probably fifty something, his tastes in music are eclectic, and his dress sense is rarely discussed in polite society. In spite of this he has a wife and three daughters.
He has managed to make a living from a mixture of agriculture, consultancy, and freelance writing. Previously he has restricted himself to writing about agricultural and rural issues but including enough Ancient Military history to maintain his own sanity. But seemingly he has felt it necessary to branch out into writing SF and fantasy novels. 
He lives in South Cumbria.

~~~

Just a thought 

The love of books is among the choicest gifts of the gods.
― Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Jim Webster

Two reviews of recently read Port Naain stories. I feel totally at home there!

First, Swimming for Profit and Pleasure

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Book description

Benor learns a new trade, joins the second hand book trade, attempts to rescue a friend and awakens a terror from the deep. Meddling in the affairs of mages is unwise, even if they have been assumed to be dead for centuries.


My review - 

Benor Dorfinngil learns new skills in this story. He sets out to help a friend and he definitely gets into deep water. I always enjoy these little tales which sometimes take a surprising turn. If you’ve not read any before I think you could just dive straight in. So to speak.

And now - The Plight of the Lady Gingerlily

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Book description 

No good deed goes unpunished. To help make ends meet, Benor takes on a few small jobs, to find a lost husband, to vet potential suitors for two young ladies, and to find a tenant for an empty house. He began to feel that things were getting out of hand when somebody attempted to drown him.

My review -

Benor tackles various mysteries in this collection of stories. From a lady who wants to search for her missing husband (who doesn’t want to be found!) to vetting suitors for young ladies, he is ever helpful to the fairer sex. He also takes on sleeping in a haunted house. And, as they say, much more. Those of us who loves these tales of life in Port Naain feel we are putting on comfy slippers and a cardy to relax in the presence of favourite people. I loved it!

About the author

Jim Webster is probably fifty something, his tastes in music are eclectic, and his dress sense is rarely discussed in polite society. In spite of this he has a wife and three daughters.
He has managed to make a living from a mixture of agriculture, consultancy, and freelance writing. Previously he has restricted himself to writing about agricultural and rural issues but including enough Ancient Military history to maintain his own sanity. But seemingly he has felt it necessary to branch out into writing SF and fantasy novels. 

He lives in South Cumbria.

~~~

Just a thought - A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading ― William Styron

Jim Webster

Mr Webster is a spinner of yarns and I can soak these up like a sponge! Two novellas here, A Measured Response and A Licence to Print Money.

A Measured Response

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My  review -

Benor the cartographer is offered a job away from home with unusually generous pay. It all has to be done on the quiet, too. Something’s up. Benor has a murder to solve. I thought he had, but there’s more to come. This story is a murder mystery and a comedy of manners, set in a world of fantasy. If you like a genre mashup, this is brilliant. The characters and their relationships and banter would make it worth reading even if it didn’t have a plot – but it does. Another winner for me.

And now to the second -

A Licence to Print Money

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My review -

Someone has tried to cheat Benor and his young ‘apprentice’ Mutt. They set out, with a little help, to redress the balance. Another in this series of Port Naain novellas that had me smiling. They are not belly-laugh stories but full of wry, clever and thoughtful humour. Often, it’s the way he tells them. I’m always up for more of these stories.

Jim Webster

More tales from Jim's imaginary Land of the Three Seas. These are light amusing and invariably wise.

Tallis Steelyard. The Festival and other stories

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My review -

Another selection of tales from Port Naain, as told by jobbing poet Tallis Steelyard. Read about the underpinnings of dancing matrons, the secret beneath the undergarments of a gentlewoman of the town, the resurrection of a dead mercenary, and much more. This is a gentle comedy of manners in a world so different from our own. The author writes affectionately of his world and his characters, and I share that affection. Lovely stuff.

Jim Webster

Another lovely collection of short stories from Port Naain. 

Tallis Steelyard. The Monster of Bell-Wether Gardens and other stories

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My review -

If you wonder what comprises the life of a jobbing poet in the town of Port Naain, this little collection of stories will give you some idea. Tallis has a finger in many a pie, arranging soirees for ladies, helping to write and distribute literary journals (and their rivals!). He assists in redistributing the town’s abundance of food and arranges for a man to experience a haunting when he’s accepted the challenge to stay overnight in a disused tower. And that’s just some of it!

Reading these stories of Jim Webster’s is like putting on your slippers and picking up a cuppa. Comfortable, and they make you smile.

Jim Webster

Tallis Steelyard, jobbing poet, again relates stories of his early life. Some wonderful observational humour here.

Tallis Steelyard, a harsh winter

Amazon.com link

My review -

This is a collection of stories about Tallis which go to show that it’s not all drinking afternoon tea or partaking of soirees for a jobbing poet. We discover some of his early life, some of the society feuds he became entangle with, and the story of how he met his wife and acquired the boat on which they live. Great little tales!

Jim Webster

A book of short stories by a 'minor' character.

Tallis Steelyard - shower me with gold and other stories

Amazon.com

My review -

This is a great collection of quirky little tales which are a spin-off from a series featuring Benor Dorffingil. Tallis is his friend, landlord, drinking companion and a jobbing poet. There are some lovely phrases used in here, as you would expect from a wordsmith like Tallis, who presents us with his pragmatic take on life. It’s an example of what happens when a minor character takes the reins and gallops off on his own. A great little book.

Jim Webster

Another story from Benor's youth.

A Bad Penny

Amazon.com

My review -

This is another of the short stories from Port Naain, a place in which I can thoroughly believe. Someone's threatening, even killing, people and leaving a coin as an earnest of their intention. Benor foils one of the threats and becomes drawn in.

Lovely characterisation and a real sense of place make these stories favourites with me.

Jim Webster

Another episode from Port Naain.

Tomb-yard Follies

Amazon.com

My review -

Reading these Port Naain stories is like revisiting old friends. I'm very fond of the character Benor, the cartographer, who has been engaged to map a tomb-yard, measure the mausoleums and note down the inscriptions. He's assisted by young Mutt who now demands higher pay as he's an apprentice. While at the tomb-yard, they overhear evidence pointing to who is responsible for the death of young girls from a local large estate. As the title implies – things turn a tad spooky.

As always, the humour's wry, the characters are believable and there are more stories promised.

Jim Webster

Here's the second in the Port Naain Intelligencer series. It's another cracking short story.

A Much Arranged Marriage

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My review -

Tallis and Benor are asked to help when a young woman, engaged to a rich young man, appears to be the subject of blackmail by a man claiming to be her husband. They dig deeper and find a whole web of deceit.

I love these stories. They are adventurous, funny and have a classic feel to them. Jim Webster writes real women, too. Sheena, the wife of Tallis, is a favourite of mine, intelligent, resourceful and wise. I also have a soft spot for Mutt, the orphan, old for his years, who has attached himself to the group to the benefit of all. Another great tale from the Port Naain Intelligencer.

Jim Webster

This is a whodunit sent in a fantasy land. There's nothing magical except Benor's powers of observation!

Flotsam or Jetsam

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My review - 

Benor is a cartographer and he's come to Port Naain to produce a handbook. He makes a home with Tallis, a professional poet and his wife Shena. She's a mud-jobber or as we might say, a beachcomber. Some of her combings include bodies. Everything has a price and families will pay for the privilege of burying their dead and, if possible, finding who caused it. Benor is a natural. He's a nosy person and, with the aid of the wonderful Mutt, a ten year-old wise beyond his years, he sorts out the villains from the corpses. This first short story from The Port Naain Intelligencer bodes well for the rest of the series. A really great Whodunit.

Jim Webster (et al)

This slim, poetic volume takes the characters from the author's fantasy stories and allows them to come alive! 

Lambent Dreams

Amazon.com

My review - 

This short book really amused me. If you’re familiar with the stories of Benor the Cartographer from the author’s Land of the Three Seas then you will have some idea of what to expect. Tallis Steelyard is a poet. He makes his living that way. Lambent Dreams is a collection of some of his works and his friend Benor comments on them to give some historical or geographical insight. Then there is the commentary from fellow poet and critic Lancet Foredeck. These remind me of the notes you get on wines from some of the ‘experts’ and I chuckled along with them. Perhaps funniest of all was the fact that, somehow, the footnotes inserted by one of the typesetters were left in by accident; a much more refreshing view is revealed!

This won’t take you long to read but I guarantee you’ll smile a lot while you do. A little gem!

Jim Webster

This prequel will give a flavour of Jim's work to anyone who's been hesitating because  the price his publishers set.  It's the early years of Benor the Cartographer who will probably end up as one of your favourite characters.  He's one of mine!

The Cartographer's Apprentice

Amazon.com The Cartographer's Apprentice

My review

This book of short stories acts as a prequel to the tales of the Land of the Three Seas. If you’re a fan of Jim Webster’s work, as I am, you’ll be delighted to read some of the earlier exploits of Benor, a character it’s very easy to become fond of. The other books contain more fantasy in the sense that there is magic and there are strange beasts, more so than you will find here. This gives the flavour though. Speaking of flavours, there’s always a good deal of food involved in these stories!

The longer books are, by ebook standards, pricy, so there may well be people who have held off reading them. Wait no longer! Read this one and dip your toes into the gentle humour and wonderful way with words that characterise this series. Jim Webster manages to write his stories as though they were ancient Greek myth. It’s a wonderful gift!

Jim Webster

Another book from the Land of the Three Seas - and this one's a belter!

Learning a Hard Trade

Amazon .com  Learning a Hard Trade

My review -

In this very engaging story we follow Trulor in his education and coming of age in the Land of the Three Seas. His father owned an apparently magical belt decorated with seven plaques, which was broken up and distributed to several people. He decides to try to reunite these parts and have the belt renovated. Jim Webster writes some excellent fight scenes, action packed but believable. He also writes with a whimsical humour which I very much enjoy.

I have read all the stories of this series and this is by far my favourite. I felt the characters were so well drawn and I really cared about their fate. Fantasy readers - form a queue for the next book - but I'll be first!

Jim Webster

This is a third book set in Jim's Land of the Three Seas.  It doesn't simply follow on though.  It fills in some of the history and add to the reality and three-dimensional feel of the setting.

The Flames of the City

Amazon .com  The Flames of the City

My review - 

This is Jim Webster’s third book and though it doesn’t carry on from the previous two it is set in the same fantasy world. We follow a young man named Freelor as he takes on a job to cover a winter time when he’s unable to get home, where he is due to marry. There are other sub-plots in this story and if you have read his earlier books, you will recognise the name of the city which falls and is destroyed by fire. One of the subplots concerns a shaman’s amulet worn by Freelor, which grows hot in the presence of the evil god Hkada whose followers are able to summon him. There are exciting battles and some serious temple raiding resulting in a possession by the god Hkada. 

The story is a quest tale with Freelor leaving his usual haunts to undertake a journey to a temple where his friend, the academic Tolshin, hopes to find information about Hkada. It’s a fantasy classic and I particularly like some of Jim Webster’s phrases, for example, the merchant’s expression, “I keep my grandmother freshly washed and presentable, against the possibility of impulse buyers.” And the exchange between the soldier and his superior, “Just got my boots off for the first time for three days.” “Exotic pleasures of the flesh are reserved for officers. Get your boots fastened and get over here!" 

A really good read!

Jim Webster

Dead Man Riding East

Jim has created a wonderful fantasy world.  This is the second book in this series.  My review for the first can be seen on Amazon.

Dead Man Riding East

Amazon.com  Dead Man Riding East

My review -

n this new adventure in the `Swords' series, we again follow Benor and watch and feel as though we take part in his hectic life. He both pursues and is pursued when he `liberates' a prince's concubine (and keeps her!) and the prince, naturally, doesn't want to let the matter rest. As well as being an excellent fighter, one of his companions on the journey is a master of the haute couture trade and manages to combine these two rather successfully.

Jim Webster has created a credible fantasy world here, populated by its own races, both rivals and allies, and with an intriguing group of wild creatures which you can almost taste when they are described as food species! There is a good deal of action in this book but also some softer, `Ahhh!' moments which I won't describe for fear of spoiling the story. Needless to say, he has once again used his own writing style to give us some wonderfully memorable phrases. I like his style and his gentle humour.