Skin - Ilka Tampke

It's been a while since I read some historical fiction so when the good folks at Hebban offered me a review copy of Ilka Tampke's début novel Skin I jumped at the opportunity. The slightly different Dutch language version of this review can be found here. Other than that she is from Australia I don't know anything about the author and since it is a début I had no idea what to expect. Skin turns out to be a novel set right before the Claudian invasion of Britain, including some very peculiar speculations  on Celtic society in the first century AD. It's probably a book that is going to divide readers.

Ailia is dropped at the doorstep of the Queen's kitchen. She is raised by the cook and as a person of unknown parentage, or skinless person, she is one of the lowest ranked members of her tribe and considered unfit to learn just about anything to improve her position. Ailia wants to learn though, and as she grows up, it becomes apparent that she has a talent for the spiritual teachings of her people. The nation is desperately searching for guidance under the threat of a Roman invasion but do they dare put their fate in the hand of a skinless woman?

Skin is centered on the Druidic culture that existed in Britain before the Roman invasion. Since the Celts didn't write any of it down, at least not in those days, we actually know very little of their teachings. There are Roman sources of course but they are not considered too reliable. Roman historians had the tendency to portray Rome's enemies as more barbaric than they really were. When it comes to the customs of the Celts at that time, a lot of stuff has been written that the archaeological records doesn't support. It gives a historical novelist quite a bit of space to work with and Tampke uses that space extensively in the novel. Sometimes a bit too extensively. One of the major plot twists hangs on a dubious depiction of human sacrifice, a custom that may well have been a figment of a Roman historian's imagination.

That isn't to say the author hasn't done her homework. Most of the story is set in Cad (modern day Cadbury Castle in Sommerset), one of the large hillforts in the south of England. Tampke hints at the events and social developments (the move away from hillforts to towns in particular) that are apparent in the archaeological and historical record. She admits to slightly adapting the timeline to better suit the story but the main sequence of events is historical.She also borrows a bit from early Welsh and Irish written sources. For readers familiar with this bit of history, the  story is clearly recognizable but there is also something very alien about it.

The central concept of the novel is skin. Skin determines all sorts of things in a person's life. Which animal their totem is, whom they can marry, whom they consider kin. It creates bonds beyond blood relationships but is also the source of taboos. Without a skin, a person's place in society is undetermined and it limits them in all sorts of ways. It will come as no surprise to the reader that Ailia is desperate to find out what her skin is. It is one of her motivations throughout the novel.

I've read a number of novels in this timeframe as well as some non-fiction and I haven't come across this concept before. It wasn't until I came across a clear reference to the songlines, an Australian Aboriginal concept, that the penny dropped for me.

‘What is it we stare upon?’ he asked.
I looked at him. Did he trick me? ‘It is Central Durotriga…?’
‘But what do you see in it?’ He bit into his fish.
I frowned. ‘Fields, rivers, many stones…’
‘When you train you will see it in a different way’ The sun turned his eyes to amber. ‘You will see the stories.’

Chapter 19 - Trees

Besides their view on the landscape, it would seem Tampke also let herself be inspired by an Aboriginal kinship system. I know very little about the details of how it works in Aboriginal society but Tampke doesn't seem to have transplanted one on one to her story. It's nevertheless a strange combination. I must admit I had a bit of trouble reconciling elements from two such vastly different cultures. To an extent even, that it derailed the story for me.

Another thing that bothered me in the novel was the language Tampke employs. You'd expect a few Celtic words or concepts to be added to the text to add a bit of authenticity. Tampke doesn't really do that in her novel but, especially in the dialogue, she uses old fashioned English. It makes the dialogue feel forced.

'Why do you cease?' asked Tara. 'Are you troubled?'
'No.' I shook my head. ' I am thinking of a knave I have met near here'
'A knave?' She sounded surprised.
'Yes - of some height with dark hair.' I looked at her. ' Have you seen him? Do you know of whom I speak?'
Her strong brow furrowed. 'No,' she said. ' He has not come here. And it would not be well for him if he did. This is a woman's place. Men are not permitted here. men will not survive.'

Chapter 14 - Ceremony

Why use 'knave', a word with a Germanic origin, instead of lad or boy? Why refrain from using contractions? Remember that this is a girl with no education whatsoever. Would she speak in such a formal style? It strikes me as a very unnatural dialogue.

The fusion culture created for this novel and use of language are personal quibbles of mine. If they don't happen to be your quibbles the book might still still hook you. It is a very fast paced story with a likeable main character. Ailia is a curious girl, stubbornly working towards her goal of obtaining training in the spiritual teachings of her people. I thought there was a bit of a contradiction in her character in that she is trying very hard to save a way of life that essentially dooms her to being a second rate member of the tribe. She does defend it with a fire that makes what history teach us will happen even more tragic.

To let the tragedy that is about to envelop her people even closer, the author presents Ailia with two interesting men in her life. They have radically different views on the future however. Her love life runs parallel to the military conflict that is brewing. At the end of the story, Ailia makes her choice but it is clear that the battle for control of the island is not done yet. Tampke leaves herself more than enough space for a sequel. My advance copy doesn't mention if there will be one but it seems likely to me.

Skin is not quite what I am looking for in a historical novel.For me. it was a decent read but I do feel Tampke sacrifices a bit too much historical accuracy to the needs of her story. I sometimes wondered if, with the fusion culture Tampke uses, it wouldn't have worked better in a completely fictional setting. The story leans on the supernatural for a large extent. The step into fantasy seems a minor one. Still, if that sort of thing doesn't bother you Skin can be a very entertaining read. All things considered, it is a début with room for improvement.

Book Details
Title: Skin
Author: Ilka Tampke
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 356
Year: 2015
Language: English
Format: Galley paperback, uncorrected proof
ISBN: 978-1-473-61642-4
First published: 2015

Lagoon - Nnedi Okorafor

For some reason, in just about every alien invasion movie I've seen, the aliens land somewhere in the US if they don't outright park their ship on the White House lawn. Why they would pick that particular spot on the globe, which covers only a small percentage of the earth's surface and doesn't look particularly special from orbit is beyond me. The makers of the movie District 9 must have wondered about that too because they decided to have their spaceship appear above Johannesburg, South Africa. Okorafor mentions that this movie was what triggered her to write Lagoon, so I decided to watch t. It's a curious movie and I can see why it pissed of just about the entire nation of Nigeria. For a movie which main theme is xenophobia, the portrayal of Nigerians in District 9 is downright offensive. The story must have gotten away from Okorafor's initial inspiration though. The movie and the book have very little to do with each other.

On Bar Beach in Lagos, Nigeria, three complete strangers meet and witness something huge striking the ocean a few miles of the coast. It is the start of a series of strange events that will turn their lives upside down and reshape the history of the city, the nation and the world as a whole. Aliens have landed and they bring change. Before that, our three heroes must save the city from tearing itself apart. Accompanied by an alien ambassador they head out into chaos.

Given my introduction you might expect a more positive picture of Nigerians to emerge than the criminal cannibals in District 9. And in a way that is the case. Lagos is described as vibrant and diverse. That being said, she is not blind to the problems the city faces either. Poverty, prostitution, homophobia, corruption,  internet fraud and religious intolerance all show up prominently in the novel. Riots soon break out after the cause of the strange phenomena that wash over the city becomes known. They are opportunistic and extremely violent. In the midst of all this chaos however, sacrifice, compassion and remorse show up time and again. It is a far cry from the dehumanized criminals in District 9.

Nigeria is a nation with many ethnic groups. The three largest, Yoruba, Haussa and Igbo, make up about sixty percent of the population, with countless others making up the rest. Throughout the novel we find the characters constantly aware of the ethnic and cultural divisions and the linguistic complications that can cause. As happened in many places in Africa, the lingua franca of the nation is that of the former colonial power: English. For everyday use, it has evolved into a pidgin language with many influences from various African languages. Okorafor uses this pidgin English extensively in the novel and provides a list of key terms in the back of the book. It took me a bit to get into it. As a second language speaker of English I always have a bit of trouble with English that deviates too much from the school-taught standards. It does give the reader the feeling it has been written by someone who knows Nigeria. I assume Okorafor had to hold back in a few places to keep the novel from becoming incomprehensible for those who are not familiar with the country but it is the kind of detail I appreciate in a book. There is an audiobook version of this novel, someone probably had a lot of fun putting that together.

Their is more than a bit of religious tension in the book as well. Nigeria is divided in roughly equal parts Christian and Muslin communities and violence between them has flared up periodically. Okorafor works that into the novel at various point but perhaps more interestingly, she also reaches back to the traditional  beliefs of the Yoruba and Igbo peoples. Several mythological figures show up in the story and in those parts it is most obvious that the novel is written for a western audience. Explanations about who these figures are are worked into the text. Especially later on in the novel, these occurrences are used as a herald of change. A departure from the oil addicted, corrupt economy by reaching back to the roots of the land, bringing to the surface a Nigeria that cannot be erased by the evils of colonialism, religious strife and environmental degradation. It is a change that needs a catalyst though, barring alien invasions, it is not easy to see what other development could provide it.

Okorafor uses quite a large and varied cast in this relatively short novel. There is liberated marine biologist Adaora and her fundamentalists Christian husband Chris, the compassionate soldier Agu and the famous Ghanaian rapper Anthony, the corrupt priest Father Oke and the unnamed Nigerian president (probably based on Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was president of Nigeria from 2007 till 2010) and of course the alien ambassador Ayodele. They all play important parts in the chaotic and dramatic events in the novel. I grew particularly fond on Adaora and Anthony, which in my opinion are the most rounded characters of the lot. That is, if you want to see the people are the main characters. One could very easily argue that this is one of those novels where the setting is the real main character. Lagos after all, is the one that undergoes the most profound change in the novel.

Lagoon is an alien invasion novel like you probably never read before. It's wildly different setting and its clear break with the conventions of this particular subgenre make it one of the most interesting science fiction novels I've read in a long while. There are so many interesting aspects to this novel that I get the feeling I can't possibly do this book justice in a thousand word review. It is another novel in a movement to make science fiction more international and multicultural, one of those books that even a decade ago, would have had a hard time finding an audience. I thought reading it was an amazing experience. It's one of those 2014 books that ought to be in this years awards ballots. I can't recommend it enough. Go read it.

Book Details
Title: Lagoon
Author: Nnedi Okorafo
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 301
Year: 2014
Language: English
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-444-76276-1
First published: 2014

The Shelters of Stone - Jean M. Auel

I have done reviews of the first four books and the final book  in Auel Earth's Children series. The Shelters of Stone is the fifth in the series and not having reviewed if feels like a loose end. Since I was ahead of schedule and waiting for another recently ordered batch of books to arrive I decided to do something about it. I've read this book once before, shortly after it was released in 2002. From what I remember I wasn't that impressed with it and I suspect Auel disappointed quite a few readers with this book. It appeared 12 years after The Plains of Passage and does little other than repeating all that has gone before. While I didn't think it was as dreadful as The Land of Painted Caves, it's most certainly not the highlight of my reading year.

After a year long trek across Europe, Alya and Jondalar finally arrive at the home of his people, where the plan to mate and settle. Ayla is apprehensive about meeting his people. She worries they may not accept her and wonders if it was a mistake to leave the Mamutoi who have adopted her. She quickly finds her place among the Zelandonii though. Her unusual background ant talents gain her the attention of Zelandonii, the people's spiritual leader who intends to induct her in the mysteries of the great mother. Ayla doesn't only make friends however. The speed with which she gains the attention of the high status members of the Zelandonii gains her her share of enemies as well.

Jondalar's people occupy what is today a part of France, more specifically the Dordogne. The region is well known for its prehistoric sites and from the way Auel descibes in, it must have been very densely populated by the standards of the time. I've visited the region when I was a child, I think it was the summer of 1984 but I might be a year off. One of the places we visited was Lascaux, famous for its cave paintings. Back then the original paintings were already closed to the public to prevent them from further deteriorating but we did see the replicas in Lascaux II. I also remember seeing some of the overhanging cliffs that serve as a shelter for the Zelandonii. As usual Auel's research has been meticulous, even if she is stuck with some of her earlier choices regarding Neanderthals in particular, that by the time his novel was published were already outdated. I probably would look at the landscape with different eyes if I would visit this region again. Not everybody is enamored with Auel's tendency to describe landscapes in detail but she does have an eye for it.

One of the things that seriously annoyed me in this series as a whole is how much human development and technological advances come together in Ayla and Jondalar. The list of their inventions and discoveries is much too long to be plausible and I suspect that Auel took some liberties with the archaeological record is some cases. Fortunately Auel manages to limit herself to just one in this novel. She has Ayla discover the Lascaux caves. The paintings that have been found there are several thousand years younger than the time Ayla's story is set in, so I didn't really see the need for it. I guess we should be grateful she didn't paint them herself.

Most of the book is not about prehistoric life though, it is about status. Like among the Mamutoi, status is important among the Zelandonii. Jondalar is a high status male, son of a leader, attractive, talented and well connected. For Ayla to be suitable mate, she should match him. High status almost comes naturally to Ayla. She is, after all, practically perfect in every way. The challenges to her position mostly come from people who are jealous of her. Either low status man or women who desire something she has. They never really pose a serious challenge in this novel, as much as I disliked The Mammoth Hunters, at least Auel managed to create tension within the Lion Camp generated by her presence.

With so many people meeting Ayla for the first time, every significant event in her life up to that point is rehashed in this novel. Some events several times. Auel seems to think that because she took twelve years to write this novel, the reader will have forgotten all about Ayla. Take out the repetition and the superfluous introduction rituals and there is enough plot left to fill a novella. With so much emphasis on Ayla's position in Zelandonii society the focus of the novel also shifts away a bit from topics such as ice age ecology and techniques of survival in the paleolithic. While a lot of people feel the detailed descriptions of everyday life are tiresome, they are much more the strength of this series than dialogues or the petty drama Auel puts into her story.

Auel achieves very little in this book. You could say the only thing she does manage in this 750 page doorstopper is convince Ayla she belongs among the spiritual elite of the Zelandonii and that puts her in a position to force the loss of innocence (or in less cryptic terms the realization that sex and reproduction are linked) described in The Land of the Painted Caves on these unfortunate hunter-gatherers. Ayla brings change, she is like a storm waiting the break loose but it doesn't happen in this book. In fact, Auel would need many more pages to get to that point. With a little better plotting it might have been worth reading but as it is The Shelters of Stone is mostly filler. Not many people would be willing to plow though that many pages of ineffective writing. The only thing that saves this book for being the worst in the series is that Auel manages to outdo herself in in the final volume. It's very sad to see that a series that started with such a special novel as The Clan of the Cave Bear sinks to these depths in the final volumes.

Book Details
Title: The Shelters of Stone
Author: Jean M. Auel
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 769
Year: 2002
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-340-82195-7
First published: 2001

The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel

The Land of Painted Caves is the sixth and final volume in Auel's Earth Children series. It has taken her more than three decades to complete the series, the previous part, The Shelters of Stone, appeared in 2002. Auel has sold millions of books in the past thirty years, this is definitely one of the big releases of 2011. The publisher even pushed back the publication date so that is could be released in a bunch of different languages at the same date. Although her first novel, The Clan of the Cave Bear is highly regarded, the rest of the series is not as well thought of. And with reason, Ayla's story is taken far beyond what could be considered realistic, with human technological and social development making huge jumps whenever she is around. I must admit, I mostly read this book because I wanted to finish the series. My expectations were not all that high. Despite that, Auel still managed to disappoint me.

We pick up Ayla's story shortly after the end of The Shelter's of Stone. She has been accepted into the Zelandonii, the people of her mate Jondalar, and has made such an impression that she is one of the high status members of her new Cave. With status come expectations and obligations. The spiritual leader of the Cave sees in her a successor that could one day be the most prominent among all the Caves who consider themselves Zelandonii. Training to become a Zelandoni is demanding though, Ayla finds it hard to combine her training with spending enough time with Jolandar and their daughter Jonayla. She needs to find a new balance between her family live and the spiritual needs of the Cave.

This book has so many problems I don't even know where to begin. It struggles with the legacy of the five previous parts for one. Ayla has developed into a prehistoric Mary Sue and this is not easily set aside. Nor does Auel try, in the first chapter we get a nice description of Ayla's superhuman senses and that is just the beginning. Just about all of Ayla's major achievements are repeated in the book and Auel adds a few more. The suspicion that having sex is in fact related to having babies is still niggling in the back of Ayla's mind. When this fact is revealed to the Zelandonii, she sets a chain of social changes in motion that will lead to monogamy and marriage. I've always had a bit of trouble accepting that prehistoric man didn't make the link between sex and procreation. It seems terribly unlikely to me but Auel needs it to support her model of Zelandonii society. Having the entire plot of the book devoted to this issue wasn't likely to make me enjoy this book. I guess given the developments in previous books it was inescapable though. Interestingly enough, the question whether or not this change is an improvement, doesn't receive a lot of attention in the book.

A second major problem with The Land of Painted Caves is the fact that is has such a thin plot that it doesn't justify the large number of pages Auel needs to tell the story. This book is so well padded that I could believe it would be able to survive in an Ice Age climate. There are countless repetitions of events in previous books, all neatly summarized, inserted into the story. I think the author could have had a little more faith in her readers, most of them will have read the previous books. The repetitions don't stop there unfortunately. Surprise at Ayla's animal companions is included in every description of a new group of people she encounters. Ayla's accent is commented on over and over again. The Mother Song, the Zelandonii story of creation, is repeated half a dozen times, in part or entirely. There are countless lengthy introduction rituals, something Auel herself seems to get tired of, later on in the book most of them are mercifully abbreviated.

Another thing repeated over and over are descriptions of cave paintings. Ayla visits just about every major archaeological site in the region and Auel lavishly describes the images found in those caves. Auel probably put in too many but I must admit, that despite the fact that some of it was superfluous and slowed the plot of the first part of the novel to a crawl, I liked this aspect of the book. I've been in the part of what is now France once and saw some of the sites Auel describes back then. The paintings are an impressive sight. As usual, Auel has done a lot of research on this topic and it shows in the writing. Her knowledge of the period is very impressive and even if it does not always make for a good story, I deeply respect the time and effort Auel put in researching these books.

Another criticism that is usually directed at books 2-5 in this series is the copious amount of explicitly described sex. Personally it never bothered me but together with the general Mary Sue characteristics of Ayla, it does make some parts of these books read like a romance novel. People who objected to it, will be glad to hear the sex is mostly gone from this book. Despite the focus on procreation, Ayla has other things on her mind. I guess young children were a good contraceptive in the Pleistocene as well.

For the die-hard fans of this series, The Land of Painted Caves will probably be an acceptable offering. For me, the books shows so many flaws and has such a meagre plot that I had some serious trouble pushing though the last part of the book. If you are desperate to find out how Ayla's story ends, you might want to read it. For the less obsessed readers, I suggest you skip this one. Despite the impressive amount of research that is the foundation of the series, The Land of Painted Caves is one of the weakest books I have read this year. I suspect this book is going to disappoint a lot of readers.

Book Details
Title: The Land of the Painted Caves
Author: Jean M. Auel
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 661
Year: 2011
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-340-82425-2
First published: 2011