{"id":22465,"date":"2023-10-09T10:08:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T14:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=22465"},"modified":"2024-01-29T20:09:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T01:09:44","slug":"four-walls-and-a-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22465","title":{"rendered":"Four Walls and a Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four Walls and a Heart<\/em><\/a> (2023) Celia Lake<\/a> (Charms of Albion)<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/a>Set in the hidden magical part of England in 1884<\/p>\n

Magni has served in the Guard for several years, and is told he is about to have changes in his job–including a promotion.<\/p>\n

Gil left the Guard to join the army, against the wishes of his parents and went to Sudan to fight in the Mahdist War. Now he is back after being seriously wounded and still struggling to recover.<\/p>\n

I liked Gil, and appreciated his struggles with his recovery. I like Magni and how he kept visiting Gil, despite the Gil’s grumpiness and personal walls.<\/p>\n

Aside from that? <\/p>\n

First, I figured out what has bothered me about all her books–they feel like they were dictated rather than written, and never edited for clarity of reading. <\/p>\n

That got them into an agreeable discussion about the theory of the thing. Gil carried most of it, and Magni leaned back to watch. Oh, he contributed a comment here or there, some bit of his training. There had been that case last year – quite public now – where noises, the way they echoed, had played into it. It got extensive coverage in the Trellech Moon. The crux of it had been all about what the witnesses heard, versus what they thought they\u2019d heard, and the tricks that sound played. In that case, the issue had been a matter of reflections around some of the sound charms on various of the clubs on Club Row, many of whom had particular protections and considerations. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Second, there were huge gaps in the story. <\/p>\n

\u201cWell. It\u2019s not as if you have options, do you.\u201d Gil took a breath, carefully, but his father went on, his voice clipped and prim. \u201cI\u2019ll make arrangements for a room for you. The ground floor, what used to be the maid\u2019s room. You\u2019ll behave yourself. No outside interests.\u201d Of any kind, apparently. Gil knew perfectly well that whatever his parents offered wouldn\u2019t allow for friends, even platonic ones, but that suggested even books were not permitted. \u201cWe shan\u2019t be able to take you places, of course. We\u2019ve all got our own obligations. And you\u2019ll keep the oath you made about Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n

He could scarcely break that one, not without his magic rising up and doing him in. Gil swallowed hard against something in his throat. \u201cThank you, sir, but no.\u201d He got the words out smoothly enough, before everything clenched up on him. Pain from his leg, for one, but his hands were tight in the sheet, he could feel his back arch. Blast, it was going to show on his face. It must already have done so. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That’s all we get about that. How does “that suggested even books were not permitted” even come from any of that? Why isn’t he allowed to speak to his brother? And why did Gil leave the guard to join the army? None of this makes much sense.<\/p>\n

Third, there is Grant. Gil and Magni feel they have to hide their relationship from almost everyone, but we are never told why Grant is accepting of this. And Grant is willing to act as their help? Why? And why were Grant and Gil sent back to Albion from the Sudan? These things happen, and there is no understanding of why?<\/p>\n

So it was a frustrating story, and rather than make me want to learn more, I want instead of avoid being even more confused.<\/p>\n

Rating: 5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four Walls and a Heart (2023) Celia Lake (Charms of Albion) Set in the hidden magical part of England in 1884 Magni has served in the Guard for several years, and is told he is about to have changes in his job–including a promotion. Gil left the Guard to join the army, against the wishes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[30,292,2,33,207,196,742,148,26,56],"tags":[582,530,617,544,557],"class_list":["post-22465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-british","category-ebook","category-fantasy","category-historical","category-mental-health-rep","category-novella","category-physical-health","category-queer","category-romance","category-sexual-content","tag-celia-lake","tag-disability","tag-injury","tag-mm","tag-victorian"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-5Ql","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19856,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/19856","url_meta":{"origin":22465,"position":0},"title":"Wards of the Roses","author":"Michelle","date":"March 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Wards of the Roses (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in Wales & England in 1920 I still want these books to be edited. But the story and world building keep pulling me in. Kate Davies doesn't want a return to war, but she would like the more interesting assignments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wards of the Roses","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Wards-of-the-Roses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Wards-of-the-Roses.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Wards-of-the-Roses.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18852,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/18852","url_meta":{"origin":22465,"position":1},"title":"Outcrossing","author":"Michelle","date":"December 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Outcrossing (2018) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in alternate England in 1922. Rufus returned from The Great War unscathed, to a village that doesn't understand why he returned when their sons and brothers and fathers didn't. (T)hey found him even more suspicious and - just wrong, one of the wives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate History"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate History","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/fantasy\/alternate-history"},"img":{"alt_text":"Outcrossing","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Outcrossing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19871,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/19871","url_meta":{"origin":22465,"position":2},"title":"In the Cards","author":"Michelle","date":"March 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In the Cards (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England and Sicily in 1925 Yes, I still (badly) wants these books edited, but I am still reading. Explaining how they really were, that was more complicated. They\u2019d made agreements, he and Galen, about when they\u2019d share certain things, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"In the Cards","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/In-the-Cards.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19401,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/19401","url_meta":{"origin":22465,"position":3},"title":"Goblin Fruit","author":"Michelle","date":"December 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Goblin Fruit (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England in 1924 Lizzie has taken a job for the ministry, hoping it will allow her and her sister to survive--especially since her work during the war hadn't helped her to get any other jobs. 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You seem to have most of it covered.\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate History"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate History","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/fantasy\/alternate-history"},"img":{"alt_text":"Magicians Hoard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Magicians-Hoard.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Magicians-Hoard.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Magicians-Hoard.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Magicians-Hoard.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11083,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11083","url_meta":{"origin":22465,"position":5},"title":"Unfit to Print","author":"Michelle","date":"September 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfit to Print (2018) K.J. 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