The Usual’s Reviews > Mistress of Mistresses > Status Update

"... the voices of larks and the brilliant white and black of martins skimming, and white butterflies: drifts of horses and sheep and cattle, littler and littler in the distance, peopling the richer pastures on the right where buttercups turn the green to gold: all in a brooding loveliness, as if it could hurt nothing, and as if it scarce dared breathe for fear of waking something that sleeps and..."

"... the sun, dilutes that splendour and tames it to its own gentleness: here and there a slice of blue where the water in the creeks between wide mud-banks mirrors the sky: mirrors also boats, which, corn-yellow, white, chocolate-brown, show (and their masts) clear against the sky in those reflections but less clear, against land, in nature: so, and all the air filled, as with delicate thoughts, with..."

Look at this!
"Lessingham felt the peace of her mind enfold him like the peace of great flats of tidal bird-haunted marsh-land in a June morning looked on with the sun behind the looker: no shadows: the sky grey of the dove's breast, toning to soft blues with faint clouds blurred and indefinite: the landscape all greens and warm greys, as if it held within it a twilight which, under the growing splendour of..."

Again, 'tis Greek!
A language that I do not speak!

Are those not the tactics of Cannae?

This is a good deal harder to read than The Worm; it's really quite densely woven with a lot more dialogue: plotting, politics and shiny things instead of great deeds, noble stupidity and shiny things.
He still likes his fancy gems, though.