Reading in June 2009

[suciul]

Liked the comment as well, but for entirely different reason. It is a warning for me to stay away from the series. I don't enjoy deaths of likable protagonists.

Especially gratuitous, let's make it the grittiest ones...

Regarding body count there are books where all the main characters die at the end, others where the world and all its inhabitants is destroyed (including all the characters of course) so I would not be quick to cliam that highest number

As mentioned originally I felt that Fall of Thanes a huge, huge let down though not particularly because of the body count, but because the way the characters evolved...

 

[Ickle Lulu]

I've just moved onto 'Assassin's Quest' (Robin Hobb)

 

[NickeeCoco]

I just read/viewed The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess with writing done by Neil Gaimen, Jane Yolen, Charles de Lint and many others. There's a lovely introduction by Terri Windling. This book is just what the title suggests: a book of ballads. It's wonderfully illustrated by Charles Vess while the writers take the words of traditional English and Scottish ballads and set them to his illustrations (or really, probably the other way around). Thomas the Rhymer makes an appearance as well as the well-known Scottish ballad, Tam-lin. There's thirteen ballads in all. This book is absoloutely fantastic and will be on my coffee table for friends to peruse for a long while.

 

[ObtusePunubiris]

Like PW and Seak, I just finished Legend by Gemmell. While not without flaws, it is certainly worthy of the praise it receives.

Oddly, this is a book I tried to read several years ago, without success. As I began this attempt, I tried to recall why I didn't finish it before, but couldn't. After reading it, I can't imagine what would have made me put it down previously.

I am a fan of big, fat fantasy, but this books is proof that a story doesn't have to be either of those things to be great.

Next up, Jhereg by Brust. I've actually read this before, but it was so long ago that I don't remember a thing about it. So this will be a rare re-read for me, as I begin a planned reading of the entire collection of Vlad Taltos books.

 

[AuntiePam]

Just started A Voice for Princess by John Moressy (sp?). It's engaging and funny and I'm hoping it's a series because I'll want more. Very wry and witty. I love it.

 

[Winter]

I just finished The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

In many ways The Angel's Game was an improvement over The Shadow of the Wind. While I loved The Shadow of the Wind--indeed, the book is near the top of my list of favorite novels--, I will admit that it had its problems. Not the least amongst them is the large section towards the end that basically answers every question you have in one swoop, not that the mystery was all that hard to solve in the first place. The Angel's Game did better at this or maybe it didn't. Perhaps it is just me, perhaps I did not read closely enough or I am just daft, but after reading The Angel's Game, I not exactly sure what was going on. Don't get me wrong, I have my thoughts on the matter, but it ends in a way that makes you (or rather, me) not entirely sure of anything. Overall, I believe I prefer The Shadow of the Wind, maybe because it was the first I read. The Angel's Game benefits from, I feel, a better main character, better writing, and a very interesting premise, but I would have liked the ending to be a bit tighter (or just a bit more explanation).

The Angel's Game was a very good book that likely blows The Shadow of the Wind out of the water, but nostalgia does wonderful things and until I reread the both of them, I don't think I will be able to accurately decide. Or I could just love them both equally... meh.

 

[BrightStar]

Just finished reading book two of Deborah Chester's The Sword, The Ring and the Chalice series. There's not too much I can say about this series-book two was somewhat unimpressive and read like a pretty typical fantasy adventure. Getting through the second book was a struggle, and I'm not terribly enthusiastic about reading book three-though at this point, I figure I might as well finish up the series and get it read.

Now I'm done with that, I'm moving on to The Laurentine Spy which I'm hoping to be pretty pleased by, since I did enjoy the author's previous book.

 

[Loerwyn]

I "accidentally" picked Redwall off my shelf.
Something about warrior mice is just awesome

 

[Amaunette]

Don't think I can coherently explain it, and without spoilers. The only thing I can say it that The Blade Itself starts with a chapter 1 - End, and The Last Argument of Kings ends with the last chapter - Beginning.
It explains a lot. In the beginning the main characters were in shi*t, and in the end they wandered into the same sh%t.
Nothing really has changed. Protagonists didn't really developed, changed, improved. The whole trilogy's goal was to hammer home a point:
'Our minds never change!'
'You never change'
'Nothing has changed. I still need vengeance.'
'A man can change,' whispered Logen...yet he stood alone...

I expected what most fantasy trilogies offer: victory and resolution. Abercrombie's trilogy offered the same, but not in the way I was expecting.

Thanks for answering my question. I'm going to put my own response in spoiler tags, just in case, but it's written as generally as possible:

Spoiler

I had wondered what so many people objected to in the ending of the series and I'm glad I can at least sympathize. On my own part, I kind of liked the fact that the ending wasn't all roses and parades. I don't always like unhappy endings, but I thought this one was well done. And I wanted to point out that the beginning and the end of the series weren't exactly the same - in structure, it was more like a spiral than a circle, which in my opinion is at least a more realistic view of history than a straight line.

 

[PeterWilliam]

I've reached the mid-point of James Enge's Blood of Ambrose. I'm not sure whether or not I've poisoned the well, so to speak, but I recently read Aidan Moher's review of it on his blog. I can see precisely what the critics talk about concerning this being an obvious first novel by a short-story writer. On the other hand, I see some potential and am eager to see Enge explore those possibilities. I will probably read any follow up work he has for this novel just see what evolution takes place with the author.

Next up is The Strain. I've not ready any 'horror,' as far as I know. Perhaps I've been buzz-baited and, if that's the case, I'll tip my hat to the marketers, but you know how curiosity, that great feline slayer is.

 

[suciul]

I finished two more excellent books that I will talk about in two posts:

Purple and Black by KJ Parker (novella, Subterranean July 30, full FBC rv week July 27-31)
For now my mini-review; note that the full hc will have a special graphical design with purple and black pages; I had a regular arc but I think i will buy the hc too.

"Great novella set in dispatches between two scholars. One is the accidental heir to an Empire who becomes Emperor on the deaths in fratricidal war of the rest of his family and the other his best friend whom he dispatches as military governor in the one troubled province on the Northern ice-cold border where an unknown enemy attacks.

From his university days there was a circle of friends around Nico (the Emperor) and Phormio (the governor) with the brilliant Gorgias the only one dead in the civil wars. Nico appoints the other three friends to important posts in the capital reserving the hardest task for his best friend.

If you read all the rest of KJ Parker novels (I did 8 out 10 so far and found all superb)you will recognize the themes and get an inkling of what is going on faster though the novella will still keep you in suspense for a while.

Even so it's brilliant, almost perfect (maybe 30 extra pages were needed) and a great introduction to her work too"

 

[suciul]

The second book i finished though I need to re-read once also (read P&B 3 times since I got it Saturday but that is like 80-90 pages effective, while this is 520+) is Wildfire by S. Micklem (tbp July 7, full rv FBC July 6-10 wk)

I read Firethorn about a week ago and I loved it a lot but it was a voice novel, a romantic fantasy in an army camp, with dirt, fluids and the like, some action but very voice dependent; you loved Firethorn (the heroine) narration, you loved the book...
The moment I finished Firethorn which I bought based on Robert's rec, I immediately wanted to read Wildfire so I asked for an arc and the Scribner publicists were very nice and sent me a copy next day.

Wildifre follows upon the events of Firethorn starting where the other ends but it takes the series to a different level; the world and the magic get expanded a lot, while the heroine narration remains the same superb one from book 1.

Without too many spoilers for Firethorn, the heroine follows her noble born lover to war not accepting his (small) estate donation and going meekly there to wait for him, gets struck by lightning (wildfire) on the ship, gets touched by various gods though she starts speaking in somewhat garbled language, riddle-like at least for a while and then well many things happen...

Just a great, great novel, and the ending made me want to read book 3 asap, hopefully in less than the 3-4 years between these two; no cliffhangers and a clear stopping point, but I want more
Twists, turns, still the same down to earth language and descriptions, but much, much more...

This one is for now my number 2 fantasy of the year just after Naamah, though I may co-rank them both at 1 if it re-reads as well as I think

 

[NickeeCoco]

The second book i finished though I need to re-read once also (read P&B 3 times since I got it Saturday but that is like 80-90 pages effective, while this is 520+) is Wildfire by S. Micklem (tbp July 7, full rv FBC July 6-10 wk)

I read Firethorn about a week ago and I loved it a lot but it was a voice novel, a romantic fantasy in an army camp, with dirt, fluids and the like, some action but very voice dependent; you loved Firethorn (the heroine) narration, you loved the book...

I read about 3/4 of Firethorn and then I put it down. The treatment of women in this book horrified me. My stomach began to twist as I read it. I understand that not everywhere, and not everywhen is the treatment of women all rosey, but man. This was harsh. The fact that she could love a man like that. . . Even what people called her, a "sheath". Brutal. I kept on reading 'cos I wanted to see if things got better for her. I wanted her to break out of her shell. I wanted my suspicions of who she really is be right. It just got darker and darker and I couldn't take it anymore. I want to finish it. I just don't know if I can.

With the possibility of sounding pretentious here, this book put me in the same mind set that a paper I wrote for university once. It was a paper on sexual violence used as a form of humour in Latin prose. I worked on the paper for a month and it put me into a strange state of horror mixed with desensitivity along with an added dash of interest. When I finally finished the paper I was relieved and emotionally weary. That's how this book made me feel. I couldn't get past the abuse. The narration is what did it, I think. I agree with you, suicil, that the narration is done excellently. It made it real. Almost too real. I really connected to the heroine and that's what made it so disturbing. It was achingly gutwrenching.

Does is get rosier?

 

[Winter]

I finished two more excellent books that I will talk about in two posts:

Purple and Black by KJ Parker (novella, Subterranean July 30, full FBC rv week July 27-31)
For now my mini-review; note that the full hc will have a special graphical design with purple and black pages; I had a regular arc but I think i will buy the hc too.

"Great novella set in dispatches between two scholars. One is the accidental heir to an Empire who becomes Emperor on the deaths in fratricidal war of the rest of his family and the other his best friend whom he dispatches as military governor in the one troubled province on the Northern ice-cold border where an unknown enemy attacks.

From his university days there was a circle of friends around Nico (the Emperor) and Phormio (the governor) with the brilliant Gorgias the only one dead in the civil wars. Nico appoints the other three friends to important posts in the capital reserving the hardest task for his best friend.

If you read all the rest of KJ Parker novels (I did 8 out 10 so far and found all superb)you will recognize the themes and get an inkling of what is going on faster though the novella will still keep you in suspense for a while.

Even so it's brilliant, almost perfect (maybe 30 extra pages were needed) and a great introduction to her work too"

Haven't read a bit of Parker's work, but I have been looking forward to this novella. Glad to see that no prior reading is necessary and a good [mini]review of it. Not looking forward to paying that much for a novella, but oh well.

 

[Cranky Hamster]

I wish there were a cheaper edition of Purple and Black on the horizon. I haven't much liked what I've read of Parker's longer work, but the excerpts I've seen of the novella were pretty good. However, given my prior not-thrilled experiences, I'm not willing to plunk down that much money for a short work, however lavishly produced.

Meh. One to look at if ebooks get cheaper and I invest in a reader, I suppose. I'm glad to see a positive review of it, anyway.

 

[suciul]

I wish there were a cheaper edition of Purple and Black on the horizon. I haven't much liked what I've read of Parker's longer work, but the excerpts I've seen of the novella were pretty good. However, given my prior not-thrilled experiences, I'm not willing to plunk down that much money for a short work, however lavishly produced

If you have not liked her novels, it's less likely you will like this (possibly being shorter it will work better for you) because it features the same cynical, matter of fact description of important stuff, lots of details about this or that, emotional detachment...

If you buy the hc you get not only the text but the packaging (purple and black pages from what I hear) - I may buy it for that despite that I read the text

 

[kcf]

I finished Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie a few days ago. It was good and fun, but it also dragged a bit and I couldn't help but be a bit underwhelmed by a feeling of 'more of the same'.

I'm now reading Tides from the New Worlds by Tobias Buckell - a beautiful edition from Wyrm books.

 

[Rob B]

I finished Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie a few days ago. It was good and fun, but it also dragged a bit and I couldn't help but be a bit underwhelmed by a feeling of 'more of the same'.

I guess you were close to right, Ken. We had a very similar experience with this book.

 

[Apathy]

I can see precisely what the critics talk about concerning this being an obvious first novel by a short-story writer.

Well...what kind of things are those? I am honestly curious.

 

[PeterWilliam]

Well...what kind of things are those? I am honestly curious.

I was episodic in nature. Through the first half, it has the feel of three separate short stories, involving the same world and characters, being bound together into one book. There is a detectable absence of direction, aim or goal to the story. It's too bad, because it feels like there is great potential in the world, characters and deep backstory that is hinted at.