Amanda Hemingway – “The Sword of Straw”

 

Also published under the title of ‘The Traitor’s Sword’. If you like Philip Pullman you should enjoy Amanda Hemingway.

This is the second part of the Sangreal Trilogy, a follow up to “The Greenstone Grail”. Once more our hero, Nathan Ward, and his family and friends are caught up with dream adventures that take him into parallel universes. This time we have a fairy tale princess to add to the mix. I can’t wait to read The Poisoned Crown (2006).
AMANDA HEMINGWAY, born 1955 says she has “already lived through one lifetime – during which she traveled the world and supported herself through a variety of professions, including that of actress, barmaid, garage hand, laboratory assistant, journalist, and model. Her new life is devoted to writing.” And how well she is doing it!

Some Quotes -

...And now he had met a princess. Well, a princess should be a nice girl, Annie thought, rather doubtfully. She reviewed the track record of various princesses, in fact and fiction, and was not particularly reassured. Still every boy met a princess, sooner or later. It was inevitable.

And then, quoting someone, Nathan didn’t know who: The moment of the yew tree and the moment of the rose are of an equal duration. Now, looking at the princess Nathanm understood. This is a rose-moment, he thought... And he knew he must live the moment – live it with every cell in his body – before it slipped away.

“In the story – her manner carefully detached – “the hero marries the princess. It’s customary.”

“Advice is the one gift you can give people that they never actually want. Should I give any, I always keep the receipt, so they can send it back when it doesn’t fit.”