If you’re fond of my jewellery, you may very well like these books! Fair warning, they are all Fantasy but you won’t find any elves, dragons or damsels in distress, that’s not really my cup of tea. Think more murder, mayhem, mystery, magic and mirth.
As a librarian my partner is actually far more qualified to make book recommendations. I’m more of an amateur book fancier but I thought I’d share a few that have affected me personally in some way and you’ll almost certainly see some of their imagery in my work. These are the kind of books which you would miss meals to finish reading. I won’t give a full synopsis of each story as a professional has already written those far more competently than me, I’ll just let you know what I loved about them in the hope it helps you discover a hidden gem.
The Barbed Coil by J. V. Jones
I had to start with the Barbed Coil as this is the only book I’ve ever read where I got the eerie feeling it was written just for me. I recognise that sounds extraordinarily egotistical but hear me out. Somehow J. V. Jones manages to encapsulate the magical experience of designing highly intricate patterns within a thrilling Fantasy adventure. It’s like Lord of the Rings meets the Book of Kells. She makes the creation of illuminated manuscripts feel like climbing a cliff without a rope. There’s even a sinister knotted, thorned gold ring which features heavily throughout the tale. This author just gets me! And if you’re wondering what it’s like to get lost in a design without actually drawing something, reading this book is as close as you can get. There’s also a highly compelling narrative involving monks, armies, sorcery and a lot of blood. So you know, something for everyone.
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
For some reason I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for assassin books but this particular trilogy definitely tops the list. The designer in me loves the way Brent Weeks paints weapons as objects of art and accurately depicts the protagonist’s difficult journey to acquiring the skills necessary to master their art. In this case of course that’s chaos and death, but the creativity employed to achieve those ends is really quite inspiring. It’s always nice to learn about people who truly excel at their craft and fictional characters are no exception. Like a particularly satisfying whodunnit, I constantly find myself thinking ‘oh that’s clever’ when reading these books.
And let’s not forget the imbued jewellery which compels people to do different things as well as self sealing earrings. Where can I get my hands on some of those?! Throw war, Gods, a little unconventional romance and non stop action into the bargain and these page turners will keep you entertained for days!
https://www.brentweeks.com/series/night-angel/
https://twitter.com/BrentWeeks
The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick
Unsurprisingly this one features some exceptional fictional designs and imagery also (I’m just noticing a pattern here). The costumes, accessories (the eponymous mask of mirrors included) and architecture really come alive in such a way that turning the book into a movie would require no interpretation at all. It made me seriously consider getting into costume jewellery design.
The book gives life to the parallel world of dreams and nightmares, a concept which holds specific appeal to me as someone with particularly vivid dreams. I get the distinct impression the authors can relate to the idea of sometimes not being able to tell the difference between dream and reality.
But generally it ticked all the boxes for me by seamlessly weaving together murder, mystery, politics, adventure, horror, history, romance, sorcery, intrigue and even fashion design (have I missed any genres?). It’s the kind of all encompassing book you give to a teenager who isn’t sure what they’re into yet but you desperately want them to get into reading. I made the mistake of judging this book by it’s cover and assumed it might be directed at teenage girls. Fortunately a more useful part of my brain overrode my initial prejudice because I hate to think of missing out on this thrilling story.
https://www.macarrick.com/writing-type/novels/
https://www.instagram.com/alychelms/
Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell
This one actually has a character who is a jeweller so we’re off to a good start!
I first read this book as a teenager and it was a real rollercoaster of emotions! In hindsight I should have twigged then when reading about Riamfada the jeweller and thinking ‘that sounds marvellous! Can I do that?’ that I would follow that path. But it wasn’t until I was 18 that I realised you could actually legitimately make jewellery for a living. Thanks to this book for planting the seed. Now that I think about it, it also kindled my nascent interest in Mythology and history so I guess I owe this one more than I realised!
Like all of David Gemmell’s work, not one word is wasted, not one sentence carries extraneous information. If like me you struggle with novels that move at a sedate pace, rest assured this tormented tale of fate will not leave you sleepy. In fact, if you’re just a fan of history, myth, fancy weapons and a jolly good fight generally, you might as well read his entire back catalogue. There’s also some humour to balance out the brutality. Enjoy!
The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett
A guy covered in magical tattoos who fights demons! Do I even need to go on? Well I will because the concept for this one grabbed me instantly but I’m rather fond of tattoos so maybe you need more. So, in this world you can delicately paint or carve intricate symbols which draw in magic to repel or fight demons in different ways? You got me, Tell me more! Cover yourself in these wards from head to toe so you’re perpetually protected, seems logical, why has no one else thought of it? Well I won’t go on and ruin the whole story but it’s essentially a real day and night, light and dark kind of saga, a trope which has stood the test of time for good reason.
It also tackles more modern concepts of prejudice, xenophobia and sexism which have a tendency to get brushed under the rug of a lot of Fantasy literature under the guise of ‘it’s not a real world so don’t worry about it’.
https://www.petervbrett.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pvbrett/
