Well, there it is. The wrap-up of the first arc of the Stormlight Archives. 1330 pages worth. Many questions are answered. Much is left unanswered. I Well, there it is. The wrap-up of the first arc of the Stormlight Archives. 1330 pages worth. Many questions are answered. Much is left unanswered. I can't say that I am delighted with how some of the characters are left at the end of this book, but I suppose many of them make sense. Throughout the first five books, many characters are pursuing their own hero's journey. Not all of them are able to conclude their journeys in this volume. Leave them wanting Book 6, I guess.
There is so much complexity in this series - many characters, many kingdoms, many good guys and just as many bad guys. It's tough to keep them straight, especially when it has been so many years since we last hung out with the characters and plot lines in Book 4. Still, the story is mostly compelling, and we care about most of the characters, and the pages tend to fly by.
Not a perfect book by any means, and not a perfect windup, but still more than entertaining....more
Ahhh. This book is an example of one of my favorite guilty pleasures on my reading list: alternate histories of well-known events with Mike Resnick's Ahhh. This book is an example of one of my favorite guilty pleasures on my reading list: alternate histories of well-known events with Mike Resnick's brand of humor mixed in. Heck, this one even manages to mix magic with steampunk inventions.
Resnick takes us back to Tombstone Arizona in the 1880s. He captures the legend of the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at (or near) the O.K. Corral. The legend of these famous characters and events - not necessarily the actual facts. After all, Thomas Edison and Ned Buntline had no influence on the actual events with clever inventions. Heck, in our history, they were nowhere near Arizona. But the U.S. government, whose borders in this alternate world stop at the Mississippi River due to powerful Native American magic, has asked Edison to travel to the West to find a way for science to triumph over magic.
The characters are not as deeply drawn as in other tellings of this tale, but they're deep enough for Resnick's purposes here. Just sit back and enjoy this amusing, yet far-fetched tale of the Old West....more
I found myself a little confused in this first installment in a new series by Martha Wells. There were so many different factions and powers and allegI found myself a little confused in this first installment in a new series by Martha Wells. There were so many different factions and powers and allegiances that I couldn't always keep up. I got the gist of it and was satisfied for the most part, but it seemed to me that there were questions left unanswered. Either I just missed something, or perhaps they will be answered in the next installment. We'll see.
The book begins in the middle of the action with the titular Witch King waking up from a trap he had been caught in. He manages to find and revive an old ally and they set off to find out who trapped them and why. Amid this, we get flashbacks to an earlier time that helps explain much of what has led to the current world, but it is still confusing. It also seems that some of the magic systems are not completely consistent from section to section. I have enjoyed Wells' other works, so I'll give the second book in this series a chance....more
Grab a copy of this book and revel in the adventures of Sir Collum, knight of the Round Table. Don't worry that you never heard of Sir Collum, even thGrab a copy of this book and revel in the adventures of Sir Collum, knight of the Round Table. Don't worry that you never heard of Sir Collum, even though you are well versed in the legends of King Arthur. He is the creation of Lev Grossman in this retelling of the Arthur legend. Collum has the misfortune of arriving at Camelot shortly after the great battle between Arthur and Mordred that killed both leaders and shattered the Round Table. If you've ever wondered what happened next, Grossman offers an intriguing possibility as Collum and a few B-List survivors of the table seek to avert total disaster for Britain. And they find themselves fighting a rather surprising villain. Through flashbacks, we are given insight into the survivors' backstories as well as a refresher on some events of the glory days of Camelot - often with Grossman's own spin. As a fan of the Arthur legend since my introduction to T H White's The Once and Future King, I give this rendition my hearty approval....more
Le Guin has added a work to what is now a flood of retellings of ancient myths and legends from a female perspective. In this case, Lavinia, the wife Le Guin has added a work to what is now a flood of retellings of ancient myths and legends from a female perspective. In this case, Lavinia, the wife of Aeneas tells her story. It is quite an accomplishment for Le Guin because the character of Lavinia barely appeared in the Aeneid by Virgil and had no spoken lines. A challenge, yes, but also an opportunity to build her own character based on few clues - and it is an opportunity that Le Guin neither wastes nor abuses. Through Lavinia's eyes and her religious visions, we see the establishment of what will become the city of Rome as well as a hint of Rome's future.
The book felt a little uneven to me, especially after Aeneas and his Trojan survivors establish themselves, but it was still very much an entertaining read....more
Matt Ruff has done a great job of blending the kind of Gothic Horror written by HP Lovecraft in the 1920s with the all too real fear and horror of an Matt Ruff has done a great job of blending the kind of Gothic Horror written by HP Lovecraft in the 1920s with the all too real fear and horror of an African American family living in the 1950s. In a series of connected stories, a Chicago family finds itself pitted against an occult group determined to use them for its own purposes. But they are a resourceful family and things don't go quite as planned. ...more
I have always enjoyed reading folk tales of many different cultures. This book is a bit of a hybrid. It was written in the 17th century, based in partI have always enjoyed reading folk tales of many different cultures. This book is a bit of a hybrid. It was written in the 17th century, based in part on the life of a Buddhist monk of the 7th century, and in part on even earlier folk tales of a monkey god, other gods and demons in Chinese folk tales. Then it goes through the blender of a British translator in the early 1940s. To say that his translations might be a little suspect would be an understatement. Still, even with the abrasiveness of the main character - simply called Monkey - it is an entertaining tale....more
Kuang imagines a world in which silver carries magical abilities to enhance technology, and the British empire seeks to lock up the world's sources ofKuang imagines a world in which silver carries magical abilities to enhance technology, and the British empire seeks to lock up the world's sources of silver. It is a clever means that she develops for words inscribed in the silver to provide it with its magical power. She also overlays historical events like the Opium War in 19th-century China on the fictional elements of her story, and it all works very well. I probably would have given this 5 stars but for a couple of plot holes that perhaps bothered me more than they should have.
The book follows a group of linguistics students, three from out in the empire, as they learn the mechanism of this word-based magic. The three also learn the impact of colonialism on their homelands and join a group determined to change the colonial system....more
One of my guilty pleasures is light fantasy laced with humor. This fits in that category. The main characters are dedicated to eliminating invading enOne of my guilty pleasures is light fantasy laced with humor. This fits in that category. The main characters are dedicated to eliminating invading entities from other dimensions - known in Hereward's universe as gods, or as Hereward and Fitz see it, as false gods. This is a collection of short stories telling of the adventures of this knight and his lifetime companion as they go about their business.
The stories are entertaining, but the treatment of women is probably their weakest point. Hereward's thoughts of them sounds more like a chauvinist attitude from the 1960s, not today.
I've been wanting to check out Garth Nix for some time now. I will definitely give his other creations a chance....more
This book probably deserves a higher score than three stars because it achieves what it set out to do. It is a fun adventure novel featuring a 20th-ceThis book probably deserves a higher score than three stars because it achieves what it set out to do. It is a fun adventure novel featuring a 20th-century American thrust by means we don't understand into a very different world - a world of swords, sorcery and gods who take active part in the goings on of mortals. It isn't art. It isn't deep (although it does touch on the moral issues surrounding slavery). But it's just a nice getaway, and we all need that from time to time. It is the first book in a trilogy (remember when fantasy authors stopped at just three books?) and I'll probably check out the other two when I need a break....more
I've read and appreciated Coates' non-fiction. This work of fiction is every bit as engrossing. Set in Virginia before the Civil War, we follow a younI've read and appreciated Coates' non-fiction. This work of fiction is every bit as engrossing. Set in Virginia before the Civil War, we follow a young man named Hiram whose father is his owner and whose mother had been sold off to a new life "out Natchez way." The Virginia fields have been depleted by centuries of tobacco farming and the money in farming - and hence slaves - is moving west to the cotton fields of Alabama, Mississippi and beyond.
Coates introduces a mystical, fantasy-based element in the book that allows Hiram to first survive drowning, and eventually enhance his abilities as a conductor on the underground railroad. The characters are wonderful and "feel" real. I obviously cannot know how realistic their thoughts are, but their images are convincing and could readily identify with them....more
This book had its moments and I enjoyed its conclusion, odd as it was. So0me of the characters were also a joy to observe. unfortunately, not so much This book had its moments and I enjoyed its conclusion, odd as it was. So0me of the characters were also a joy to observe. unfortunately, not so much for the main characters. It was an enjoyable distraction, but I can't say much more than that....more
Rushdie retells an Indian myth of the empire of Bisnaga - Victory City. A nine-year-old girl is touched by a goddess after witnessing the self-immolatRushdie retells an Indian myth of the empire of Bisnaga - Victory City. A nine-year-old girl is touched by a goddess after witnessing the self-immolation of her mother and other women of her village. She is given the gift - or curse - of long life, as well as some magical powers. Among them is the power to grow a city from seeds and imbue members of this new community with memories as if the town has been there forever. Pampa guides the city as it grows into a powerful yet enlightened empire, although one that continues to be ruled by kings rather than by this demi-goddess, even as she ages and gains more wisdom.
The text is a little uneven at times and sometimes drags a bit, but Rushdie's language and storytelling always wins out in the end. As he concludes, perhaps partly in reference to the knife attack he suffered not long before this book was released, "Words are the only victors."...more
In these days of 10- and 15-volume-plus fantasy and science fiction series, this two-book series was refreshing. Part fantasy and part multi-dimensionIn these days of 10- and 15-volume-plus fantasy and science fiction series, this two-book series was refreshing. Part fantasy and part multi-dimensional science fiction, Jemisin tells a New York story that literally brings New York to life in the form of avatars of each of the boroughs fighting to save the city from an extra-dimensional threat. Each of the avatars displays traits typical of their town which makes it extra fun. Add in the foe twisting a far-right politician to assist in the takedown of New York and ultimately our whole world, and the stakes don't get any higher. I also appreciated meeting the avatars of other cities who had to be convinced of the seriousness of the threat to the entire world. A bit stereotypical, I suppose, but London, Paris and others brought additional life to the story....more
This is another tough one to rate. In terms of holding my interest and telling a page-turning story, it gets 4 stars, even though it takes a bit of tiThis is another tough one to rate. In terms of holding my interest and telling a page-turning story, it gets 4 stars, even though it takes a bit of time to set the stage. It drops to 3 stars when I consider the voice of the narrator - a 17-year-old high school kid who sometimes sounds like he should, but all too often slips into adult mode. Also, his references are rarely those of a 21st-century teenager. They go back to King's (and my) younger days. King tries to paper that over with references to movies watched with his father on Turner Classic Movies (a LOT of references to TCM) or other experiences with his father.
Fun things about the book? The many references to fantasy, horror and fairy tales of the past. See how many stories you notice. Some are subtle, most are not, but they're still fun. The Brothers Grimm. Hans Christian Andersen. L. Frank Baum. J R R Tolkien. H P Lovecraft. Ray Bradbury. They are all here with many more....more
T H White's "The Once and Future King" has been a favorite of mine since my teen years. It is one of the few books that I reread occasionally (I mean,T H White's "The Once and Future King" has been a favorite of mine since my teen years. It is one of the few books that I reread occasionally (I mean, who has time to reread a book when they keep publishing so many new ones). So imagine my surprise when I recently discovered that there was a fifth, concluding book to this tale of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and of course, Merlyn. How did I not know this? It was even published not long after I first fell in love with White's original book.
Written, along with the first four books, while Hitler's darkness hung over Europe, it was not published until 1977 for some reason. It picks up right where the final book of the original four ended - King Arthur sits disconsolately, alone in his tent, on the eve of battle with his son Mordred. Mordred and his army are more than a match as stand-ins for Hitler and his Nazi troops.
This book builds on the earlier anti-war theme of the original - Might does not make Right, but it can defend Right. Merlyn slip into his old pupil's tent and takes him, as he did in the first book, "The Sword in the Stone," to learn from several animals a few final lessons. I'll warn you here that there are some repeated episodes from the earlier book. White apparently wrote them originally for this book, but then decided to drop them in the earlier book - and then to use them as originally planned here. That's okay. I won't begrudge him that. Reading them here brought back some wonderful memories.
As you know if you've read the original, Merlyn lives backwards, so he has already lived through the 19th and 20th centuries. That means he can quote modern philosophers on their thoughts iof war without being totally anachronistic. Well, not totally anyway.
If like me, you read the first four books and somehow missed this one, do yourself a favor and complete the series....more
Written in 1891 by a future Nobel Prize winner in Literature, this book held my interest well enough yet still left me a bit let down. Less of a novelWritten in 1891 by a future Nobel Prize winner in Literature, this book held my interest well enough yet still left me a bit let down. Less of a novel that a collection of linked short stories, we live through a year in the life of defrocked preacher Gosta Berling and his cronies, nearby villagers and other characters in this farming region of Sweden. Until the very end, it is hard to like Gosta, especially for his treatment of women. And sometimes the actions by various characters seem to have absolutely no rhyme or reason behind them. Lagerlof is a fine writer and some of her stories are enjoyable, but the complete book just didn't work for me....more
Part Two of Roanhorse's fantasy set in a land based on Southwest and Mesoamerican peoples and myths was almost as rewarding as the first book in the sPart Two of Roanhorse's fantasy set in a land based on Southwest and Mesoamerican peoples and myths was almost as rewarding as the first book in the series. The first book ended with such dramatic events that it was hard to top. In this volume we learn more about the characters we met, their backgrounds and motivations, and next steps in dealing with the traumas and disruptions of the first book. We also learn of a deeper conspiracy that led to those events. Therre are divisions in more than one of the clans as well as an outside enemy that will need to be dealt with. I suspect that this book has set us up for a really wild third volume....more
Gosh, I like Brandon Sanderson's writing. No disrespect to Robert Jordan, but I really enjoyed Sanderson's completion of Jordan's Wheel of Time seriesGosh, I like Brandon Sanderson's writing. No disrespect to Robert Jordan, but I really enjoyed Sanderson's completion of Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I was also swept up by Sanderson's own Mistborn series and now the Stormlight Archive. Which brings us to this little gem - a very quick and thoroughly enjoyable read set in the time between the third and fourth main novels in the series. We get to know some of the minor characters from those bigger books and enjoy a classic hero's journey for more than one of those characters. The plot also includes a big turn of events that is certain to play a role in the future survival of this world. So if you are enjoying this series, don't skip this short entry. ...more
Loading...
