#needing napoleon

[usergreenpixel]

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 15: NEEDING NAPOLEON (2020)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Neighbors! Welcome back to Malmaison Media Salon! At last we’re here and today is a bit of a special review. Why special?

Let me explain:

1. Firstly, it’s one of those cases where I stumble upon a media piece via recommendation from another community member. This time it was @suburbanbeatnik , who interviewed the author of the book and there was a contest where the first 3 users to comment would get a free ebook copy via email.

I was the first to comment because I was given the link and because I was really excited about what sounded like a promising story, considering my soft spot for the adventure genre, time travel and alternative history. So yeah, I became one of the lucky three users.

Unfortunately, the book is only available in English and has to be purchased through websites like Amazon, so those who don’t speak English too well might be out of luck for now.

2. Secondly, it’s one of the few anglophone (British, to boot!) media pieces that DO NOT paint Napoleon as a villain! How cool is that?! For newcomers, stumbling upon a gem like that is about as likely as seeing a UFO, so you can bet your asses that I HAD to check out the book!

3. Thirdly, I already mentioned that I’m a sucker for adventure, time travel, historical fiction and alternative history so that really boosted my excitement… as well as my worries. I prayed that the book would turn out to be good. Luckily, it did! More on that later though.

Anyway, before we proceed, this review is dedicated to @suburbanbeatnik and @garethwilliamsauthor . Not only is the latter, well, the author, but he also graciously gave me permission to write said review and I’m thankful for this.

Okay, with formalities out of the way, let’s begin!

2. The Summary

The novel tells the story of one Richard Davey, an ordinary schoolteacher who admires Napoleon and lives a very boring, lonely life.

However, during a fateful holiday in Paris, he gets a chance to leave his old life behind, meet his hero and maybe even change the course of history.

To me, the idea sounds very interesting, so let’s move onto the deeper analysis and see if the execution matches the potential.

3. The Story

Although the beginning of the story did confuse me a bit because we jump straight into action, I. Fucking. Love. This. Book. I was extremely hooked when reading and felt like I was back in my childhood, reading my favorite swashbuckling stories. The excitement is REAL.

The pacing is excellent, most loose ends get tied up in the end, the ending is satisfying yet also realistic and we don’t have the protagonist getting everything he wanted, which is awesome!

I did have a problem with the flashbacks though, mainly because they kept popping up and breaking the storyline immersion, but that’s just me.

Also, there’s a good mix of gritty artlessness (in a good way because it doesn’t gloss over war), a swashbuckling adventure, romance and down time (we can’t have action ALL the time).

The romantic subplot is very well-written and realistic, even though my asexual self still didn’t care much because I don’t normally like romance. Spoiler, it’s one of the few times where the protagonist doesn’t get the love interest in the end, for a lot of reasons.

So yeah, only minor complaints here and there.

(Oh, and tiny bonus for the Frev community: Frev isn’t demonized either!!! Yay!!!)

(P. S. Also there were a lot of moments that cracked me up, like the pun with HMS Bellerophon being called Billy Ruffian.)

4. The Characters

Richard Davey is by far one of the most relatable characters ever, since I can relate to his loneliness (me during the worse days of depression) and love for History (I’m a Frev and Napoleonic nerd). He’s flawed, reacts realistically and in his own way to situations and has a great character arc, from a man just going with the motions of life to a hero who can and does make a difference in history, just not in the way he first planned.

Emile Béraud, a soldier Richard befriends in the past, is an absolute sweetheart. Loyal to a fault, friendly and just as lonely as Richard, he takes part in the adventures and is a very compelling character.

Aunt Patricia, Richard’s only living relative, might be a minor character who doesn’t personally appear, but her presence is felt throughout the story and Richard constantly imagines what she would have to say in his position and how she would judge him.

Madame Odillet, the owner of an antique shop who helps Richard get back in time, is a mysterious woman with a troubled past, who definitely knows more than she first lets on. I like the book parallels between her and witches, even though she’s just a regular human.

Napoleon starts out as an insufferable punchable prick, but later on his portrayal becomes nuanced. He loves and misses his son, has a soft spot for kids, has a temper and at times alternates between acceptance of his fate and resolve to fight back. He’s not in a good place mentally nor physically, but he’s portrayed as someone flawed yet far from being a bad person.

Jerome is an arrogant hedonistic ass. Full stop. But he’s a minor character so I can understand why he’s not as nuanced, even if I wish there was a bit more complexity.

Gourgaud is an impulsive and arrogant bastard who is loyal to his emperor yet entitled due to having saved said emperor twice.

Bertrand and Fanny are extremely sweet.

Las Cases… I found him unpleasant and arrogant.

Murat and Caroline are mentioned and, LUCKILY, not depicted as traitors.

Ney in his cameo is his usual post-Russia reckless self (he possibly had PTSD, I believe).

Overall, the cast is memorable and I did enjoy the portrayals for the most part.

5. The Setting

The descriptions really sell the setting here, in my opinion. I particularly enjoyed the scenes at Malmaison where Napoleon essentially is Richard’s tour guide.

Always nice to see that the author really did their research and has a way with language to make immersion that much easier to achieve.

6. The Writing

Once again, the descriptions. Short, sweet, to the point.

The language is mostly easily understandable, but there are French words sprinkled in that (fortunately) can be more or less understood in context. I wish there were footnotes with translations though. Oh, and some words were unfamiliar to me as a foreigner so please keep that in mind too.

7. The Conclusion

If you can, please give the book a go. Remarkable adventures, nuanced characters and believable settings that are reminiscent of swashbuckling novels are definitely worth your money, in my humble opinion.

Of course, no work is perfect but I throughly enjoyed this one despite some flaws and I look forward to reading the sequel. It’s not every day we get an anglophone pro-Naps media piece, after all.

On that note, let us conclude today’s soirée. Please stay tuned for updates on future reviews, my dearest Neighbors.

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

[captainknell]

BOOK REPORT

I had wanted to read this book eventually but it got immediately bumped up on the list when someone pointed out that it had basically the same plot as my WIP. I dropped everything and started reading to make sure it wasn't too similar. The book was just getting good and explaining things when the free pages on the internet ran out so I had to wait for the physical copy to come in the mail. I am pleased to say that besides the basic plot, it is not like my book. And now I'd like to read the next two in the series.

Anyways, the report!

The book is about a history teacher named Richard Davey that has a very boring life. He is a fan of Napoleon and finds out that time travel is real and possible through a mysterious shop keeper so he goes back to Waterloo to try and change history and give his life more meaning.

It was an interesting story and I never knew what was going to happen next. It starts right when he goes back in time but explains how he got there by use of flashbacks. I actually loved how this worked. Usually when there's a back and forth or either time or characters, I find myself having a clear favorite and wishing the other one would hurry up so I can get back to the good part. In this book, both were the good parts! I was just as happy to be back in time as I was to be getting the explanation of how he got there and vice versa.

Unfortunately, the tense of the story was driving me crazy. If I wasn't already interested in the topic, I probably would've ditched it by the end of the first page. Here's an example of what I'm talking about that doesn't contain any important information:

He returns to the carriage and rummages in his bag. He extracts his penknife and the dried sausage wrapped in his handkerchief. Standing at the open end of the cart, he spreads the square of linen as a tablecloth and carefully cuts several slices. He throws the small hunk of meat attached to the string to the back of the barn. At least he will know where the rodents are for a while. The sausage's pink flesh is mottled with white fat and shreds of garlic. The skin is covered in fine white mould with the texture of paper. He teases it free and adds it to his offering among the fallen timbers.

He chews each slice slowly, savouring the taste as the rich meat replenishes his energy. When finished, he takes a gulp from his round, wooden water canister. British army issue is pale blue but his is plain inside a hessian jacket. It would not help his cause to fall into French hands in possession of British army kit. He replaces the cork stopper and repacks his haversack.

My other big problem with the book, is that Richard is being described as being middle aged, balding, and kinda pudgy yet every young attractive girl in the book is flirting with him/throwing themselves at him. The other characters are good though!

Bonus (?) we get to see Napoleon in a dress

[homkamiro]

Feelings on EngieSpy? I would love to see how you think they would interact!

Oh I LOVE engiespy, especially in cross faction. I love them being passionate to each other in every way: in a battle and in love. Honestly, love them in every scenario, with them being either really flirty and cocky during the battle or tragically loving each from the distance and showing off their slowburn 200k words swag

Biggest fan of Spy mocking and taunting and teasing and seducing Engineer in every way possible. My comfort food if you would say

[galakteon]

quick sketches + quick messy coloring (apologies if theres language errors i’m half asleep💀)

bonus

[eggl-rd]

erectin a um. uhhhhh

[wolfram-but-art]

mercenaries the typa person to say "is anyone gonna fall in love with that?" and then not wait for an answer

reblogs > likes btw \(^_^)/

zoom-ins under cut :3

the polka dot brush texture was made by ggutinho on DeviantArt btw!!

[heytheredeann]

[andorianimpostor]

"You can now indulge yourself in your nefarious flair for the dramatic."

—Illya Kuryakin, The See Paris and Die Affair (1x22)

[noxious-fennec]

Some lmanburs for your enjoyment (click for the quality tumblr messed up)

Bonus doodle, he fell asleep at his desk

[thestuffedalligator]

“Sherlock Holmes is King Arthur.” Is that anything. Arthur returns in England’s greatest hour of need, and that’s why we keep getting modern retellings of Sherlock Holmes because he keeps coming back when shit starts looking dire, only for the past dozen or so incarnations he’s been choosing to be a private detective instead of a king

(“Because what the hell can a king do to help people these days?” he asks in 1979 to his Watson [in older days, distant days, he would have said “His Lancelot.”] “Better to be here on the ground floor, actually putting in the effort”)

[sunsolii]

Happy Birthday to the king and queen of Naples

[usergreenpixel]

Dear Neighbors… I just had a panic attack. I’m so sorry but this derails the review schedule… again. Dammit.

(Please don’t worry, I’m feeling better now. I got anxious about something completely unrelated to reviews)

Once again, I’m sorry about this. The review will be out by Saturday and I already have a draft of it… if you still want to see it even after so many delays… @tairin @amypihcs @aminoscribbles @josefavomjaaga @maggiec70 @dartharaiz @blackwidowmarshal123 @pobodleru @count-lero @michel-feuilly @captainknell @microcosme11 @elisabeth515 @klara-1838 @sollannaart @au-pas-camarades , @joachimnapoleon , @kaxen , I’m truly sorry that I broke my promise… but I will correct it. Luckily I’m calming down already.

(Tiny spoiler, I really enjoyed the book! Thank you for writing it, @garethwilliamsauthor ! And thank you to @suburbanbeatnik for introducing me to this story.)

[tectco]

GUESS WHAT! I fucking made fanart, sock my beloved :3

[medicalunprofessional]

mmm

[lavendersewingcircle]

Angélique Brûlon, the first woman to receive the Légion d'honneur

Brûlon and served from 1792 to 1799 in the defence of Corsica. She initially fought disguised as a man along with her husband, but was eventually discovered to be a woman. Despite this, she had shown such valour in battle that she was allowed to remain in service. She survived her husband and was proficient with sword and dagger in hand-to-hand combat. According to her comrades; "she fought with us with the courage of a heroine... with the zeal and courage of a true republican". Napoleon III decorated her as a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour in 1851, aged 79. She was the first woman to receive that honor. The first request on her behalf, filed by Marshal Sérurier in 1804, had not been granted.

[cadmusfly]

it is alleged napoleon on saint helena said jean-de-dieu soult should have been shot for his plundering

maybe he should also have been framed and and hanged on a wall.

high resolution stills under the cut.

babby's second animation

ended up keeping dithering on because the nondithered version had better colours but also did not play nicely with my shading fuck it

thanks to @impetuous-impulse for suggesting the pun on coupable (guilty) and coup (cut)!

happy birthday soult! im going to continue drawing and writing weirder shit of fictionalised you

oh yeah the french says "Je sais ce dont ils me jugent coupable." which the machine assures me means "I know what they find me guilty of" but possibly in a stilted/formal manner, welcoming suggestions/corrections though!