I haven't been posting much lately, but figured I'd make some brief comments on some recent reads:
Victory of Eagles - Naomi Novik: This is the book that prompted me to post, as I thought it was the best in the series so far. After every book I've read of this series I've been a bit nonplussed, but this one didn't leave me with that feeling. I think this was due to the focus staying in England (rather than the travelogue that formed books 2-4) and the changes in Laurence's character. Unfortunately, it seems the fear I had after book 2 has come to pass, and we're going to see Temeraire: Down Under as the next book. Ho Hum.
The Ninth Circle - Alex Bell: I went into this expecting The Bourne Identity with angels, and was sorely disappointed. What could have been dynamic, mysterious and action packed was instead a slow story with an uninteresting protagonist. I think the diary style really hampered this one.
Fast Ships, Black Sails - Ann & Jeff Vandermeer (ed): Entertaining, but like most anthologies mileage varies. Not near enough parrots or peg legs.
Perfume - Patrick Suskind: I liked the concept of the novel (it's about the life of a man with an extraordinary sense of smell), but struggled to maintain interest in the character through some sections, and found his motivations, especially in regards to the end, puzzling.
The Affinity Bridge - George Mann: A so-so steampunk, the protagonists were a let down for me, both uninteresting and unbelievable. This reminds me of Novik or Hunt in that despite its flaws there's probably enough to keep me reading the series.
The Last Watch - Sergei Lukyanenko: I think this will be the last in this series for me. The escalating power struggle and lesser focus on supporting characters has reduced my enjoyment of this series. The elements that I enjoyed in the first book (essentially Russian X-Men with a supernatural rather than mutant element) are sorely lacking.
Birmingham, 35 Miles: SF setting, urban fantasy (I use this term with its old rather than new meaning) but very character driven with a literature feel. It reminded me a little of Graham Joyce because of this, but not much.
The Judging Eye - Scott Bakker: I just finished this and probably need to mull over it a little longer. I enjoyed some of the questions raised in this, and felt it laid a solid platform for a strong story. I cringed when the underground sequence began, I felt that it could easily fall into a rallying point for Tolkien fanboys to scream about. The Mimara character was interesting, more for the questions about she raises about the world and Kellhus than anything about her chracterisation. Achamiam wasn't anywhere near as interesting as in the first trilogy, and I'm wondering if Sorweel will become our Cnauir subsitute.
