Often times, I'm a little hesitant when I pick up older Fantasy. I haven't read an abundance of older Fantasy books, but I havActual Rating: 4.5 Stars
Often times, I'm a little hesitant when I pick up older Fantasy. I haven't read an abundance of older Fantasy books, but I have discovered from the few I have read that I'm not always a fan of the "Classic" feel. It can be tropey & predictable & even campy, but it really just depends so I never like to let my hesitations keep me from giving things a try!
Even after a 3 star beginning to the Farseer Trilogy,I'm really glad I continued on with the series.
Yes, the pace is still slow. But I found myself 100% invested in what was happening in each & every scene.
Yes, Fitz is still a poster boy for suffering. But the foundation provided by the first installment created an attachment to Fitz's well-being that makes his suffering meaningful for character growth.
Yes, the setting is still largely at Buckkeep. But the political situation & Regal's continual scheming have developed into a formidable creature with many facets to address & thus, Buckkeep castle is an appropriate center point of the conflict.
The character development for both minor & major characters is off the charts in this installment. Lady Patience, Burrich, Molly, Chade, Kettricken, Verity, and The Fool experience some wonderful growth that expands on the social condition of Fitz's life.
Seeing him forge his relationships while balancing his promises of loyalty, the attacks of the Red Ship Raiders, the Forging of Six Duchies folk, and figuring out how his Wit and Skill will best serve the Realm was quite a treat.
I also want to mention that the addition of a character named Nighteyes is a huge plus & provides some extraordinary complexity to Fitz in ways I can't explain without spoiling parts of the book!
Whereas before I didn't feel myself fully connecting to the story, this time around I was totally engaged & on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. Each scene felt immediately important to the overarching conflict or to developing a critical piece of characterization. This with the addition of a couple new characters makes for a narrative that feels complete & satisfying.
I've said it before, but I must say again just how excellent Hobb's writing is. Dialogue, description, action, you name it, she can write it masterfully. It flows like honey without being superfluous & I can say without a doubt it's one of my all time favorite writing styles among the many authors I've read.
And this may sound strange, but this book in particular has some of the most beautifully & tastefully written scenes of intimacy that I have ever read in my entire life. If all such scenes were written with this degree of skill I'd probably never find them intrusive (as I often do).
I knocked off half a star because I feel like by this point in the story I should be more familiar with the magic systems of The Skill and The Wit. There's plenty of experience with both forms of mental magic through Fitz, but I feel like they remain ill-defined as far as magic systems go. It doesn't feel detrimental to the story largely because of the First Person POV, we experience the magic in the same way Fitz does (without much of a clue). But I still wish I understood the fundamentals a bit better than I do after spending so much time in this world.
Altogether a splendid upgrade from the first novel. My investment in the characters & story has grown exponentially & I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this story pans out!...more
I read this book mostly in preparation for the 2017 film adaption, but I've always been curious about Agatha Christie. She's been recommended to me muI read this book mostly in preparation for the 2017 film adaption, but I've always been curious about Agatha Christie. She's been recommended to me multiple different times over the course of my life, but I never felt the time was quite right to pick up one of her novels until now.
The premise is very straightforward; master detective Hercule Poirot happens to be aboard the Orient Express rail car when one of the passengers is killed in the night. He is then set to the task of solving the crime while the train is excavated from a surprise snow drift.
Because this is such a short mystery novel, I believe it's best to go in with as little outside knowledge as possible. In fact, there's only one thing I really want to focus on in this review and that is this. I did not guess the murderer.
That is probably the biggest compliment a reviewer can pay to a mystery novel. I didn't even know what the hell was going on for most of this novel if I'm being perfectly honest.
Now, call me an idiot if you feel so inclined, but I personally thought the mystery was very well written. Especially given that we discover clues in time with Hercule Poirot & are limited to knowing only what he knows. The conclusion of this novel took it to a place I never would've conceptualized & it was such a fun ride getting there.
As for the rest, I recommend you pick this up and discover it for yourself. A very approachable murder mystery novel with a classic feel & unique twist!...more
Jack has a history of aligning herself with rebel causes. She is pirate in the sense that she reverse engineers drugs and distributes them to the publJack has a history of aligning herself with rebel causes. She is pirate in the sense that she reverse engineers drugs and distributes them to the public for reasonable prices. When a stimulant begins to manifest deadly addiction, Jack sets out to try and bring down the manufacturer responsible for overlooking the side effects.
Having distributed a knockoff version of this drug, Jack finds an agent/bot duo, Eliasz & Paladin, hot on her trail.
So really, I must say the only area in which this book met my expectations is the writing style. I think the straightforward prose worked well alongside the scientific subject matter & provided a good contrast between the expectations of the society (slavery) and the desires of the main characters (autonomy.)
But unfortunately, this positive stands alone in a sea of negatives.
First up is the characterization. I can't tell you with honesty that I connected with any of these characters.
I wanted desperately to like Jack, but I think the "Robin Hood" label from the synopsis is a bit of a reach. Yes, she wants to give to the poor but not necessarily at the risk of taking from the rich. This label set up an expectation in my mind that the character did not meet. Her personality is mostly flat & uninteresting & there's too much of a focus on who she's sleeping with at any given point in the story.
Eliasz & Paladin are characterized almost entirely through their interactions with each other. We get the sense that Eliasz is a tough, does-what-needs-done type & Paladin in an innocent, curious bot. Paladin is probably the most interesting character in this book, but I am incredibly disappointed over how the situation between these two characters developed, and so I'll save those details for the spoilery section of my review.
Next is the world building. Or mostly lack thereof. From what I understand, there is a system of indentured servitude amongst humans & bots. Pharmaceutical companies have a strong presence in the everyday lives of citizens. But what else???
I can't tell you much about this world otherwise. How did it come to be? What's the political structure? How do cities function? There's some talk of holographic info screens only the user can see & watches with internet panels but nothing incredibly distinct from the technology you'd expect to see in a "futuristic world."
Now for the plot. Do you ever read a book & feel as though its ending is a foregone conclusion? That's how I felt reading this book. It takes forever for the plot to develop. Usually I'm a fan of a slow build, but none of the sections prior to the climax served much of purpose or held my interest & thus ended up feeling like slow trudge through thick mud.
On top of this, there is entirely too much emphasis on romantic engagements between characters & it took me pretty far out of the story.
***Below this point I'm going to discuss a development between Eliasz & Paladin that DID NOT sit well with me at all. It will contain spoilers, but I think at the very least it deserves to be pointed out since this book is being hailed as LGBT+ friendly.***
So for most of this book, there is sexual tension between Paladin & Eliasz. Paladin can read Eliasz's physical reactions & notices things like his heart rate speeding up whenever they're together, or him developing a boner occasionally. Paladin begins wondering if sex with Eliasz is a thing that can happen, and decides to research the topic in his down time.
Eventually a conversation pops up between the two where Paladin is testing the boundaries of Eliasz's interest, and brings up the topic of military bots receiving sex education. He may have mentioned it in a m/m context, I can't remember. Eliasz responds by saying something like "I don't know anything about that, I'm not a faggot."
So Paladin, having never heard the term "faggot" before, decides to research it & try to discover why there's such a discrepancy between Eliasz's physical reactions vs. what he says. Paladin also discovers that the human brain he has been implanted with once belonged to a female soldier.
Upon revealing this information, Eliasz asks Paladin if he should start using female pronouns instead of male pronouns. Paladin, realizing that he probably won't be able to sleep with Eliasz if he keeps a male persona, says yes & begins using she/her pronouns.
A couple scenes later, Paladin & Eliasz are sleeping together. Because Paladin's a female now, and Eliasz doesn't have to worry about being a "faggot." During sex, Eliasz is expressing sentiments like "I knew I wanted you. I must've known subconsciously that you were really a female."
For the sake of not ruining any more of the plot, Paladin & Eliasz live happily ever after.
Now, this entire set up leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
There's no real addressing Eliasz suppressing his sexuality or his homophobic use of the word "faggot." We find out that a childhood bully called him a "faggot" once, and can assume he's perhaps a bit sensitive about being considered gay, but there is no moment where adult Eliasz realizes that being gay or bisexual is not a negative thing.
There's also no meaningful discussion about Paladin's gender identity. There's a lot of emphasis on how pronouns mean nothing to bots, and are entirely used to make humans feel more comfortable. So Paladin's switching from male to female pronoun use doesn't effectively create a transgender robot character, because Paladin expresses multiple times how he could care less about gender identity as a whole.
Paladin changes his gender identity entirely to assuage Eliasz's fears about being gay & the fact that that path is presented as their only path to happiness together sort of throws up warning flags in my head. The narrative tries to spin it as the first real moment of agency Paladin experiences, but it doesn't change the fact that the motivating thought behind the decision is "As a male I can't sleep with Eliasz, as a female I can, so I guess I'll be a female for his sake."
Like???
I'm not sure what exactly the takeaway is from this plot point. If the book wanted to tackle the idea of a transgender or nonbinary robot, I think it missed the mark entirely. It doesn't help that Eliasz comes off as an asshole & is never corrected or made to acknowledge that he has homophobic tendencies. For all intents & purposes, Eliasz & Paladin run off into the sunset together & that's the end & we're supposed to be happy about it I guess?
Perhaps if the event of their forming a couple had not been spun in such a sympathetic light, I would be less uncomfortable. Because no, I do not sympathize with Eliasz, & it's difficult to see the conclusion of the best character in the story be what I'd consider an abusive relationship disguised as a "happily ever after."
Now, important thing. I'm not telling you to boycott this book. Go read it & see for yourself how it makes you feel.
I actually would love to hear more opinions about this particular point of the story. I've talked with a couple people who agree with me that it doesn't make much sense, but my opinion is just that: an opinion.
Even outside of this major issue, I didn't enjoy this book much. The synopsis sounds amazing, but the story does not deliver. Much of the time I felt as though I were reading a Young Adult Science Fiction novel, and I couldn't connect with it in the way I hoped I would.
Thank you Kaylin for reading this with me (at least for 38% of the time, haha!)...more
Soul Siphon is a short story that leads into T.L. Branson's debut YA Fantasy series, Soul Stones, which is set to release its Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Soul Siphon is a short story that leads into T.L. Branson's debut YA Fantasy series, Soul Stones, which is set to release its first installment in 2018.
It follows King Drygo of Sunbury, grieving over the recent loss of his wife, as he responds to a vicious attack by the neighboring province of Havan.
If there's anything I am a sucker for, it's a cool magic system. From this story, I gather it will focus on soul manipulation which certainly grabs my attention. I'd be curious to see how this system branches out & develops in the full novel.
The writing style is succinct & well constructed, especially the scenes detailing the magic system in action. I had no trouble at all picturing what was being described.
My critique for this short story is that I could've used just a little bit more information about the world & characterization to really pique my interest. I wanted a better sense of who Drygo is, of how he relates to his subjects, of why the events of this story were unfolding in the first place.
I imagine these questions I have will be addressed in the full novel, but where short stories are concerned there is only a short amount of space to capture the reader's attention. I prefer just a touch more depth for a story like this to function as it's meant to.
That said, this is definitely a promising introduction to the series!
***I received an ARC copy of this short story from the author in exchange for an honest review. Special thank you to T.L. Branson for this opportunity!***
Young Mattie Ross, fourteen & with the fires of revenge in her eyes, sets off across the perilous native lands of Arkansas witActual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Young Mattie Ross, fourteen & with the fires of revenge in her eyes, sets off across the perilous native lands of Arkansas with a drunkard Marshal & a Texas bounty hunter to lay justice at the feet of her father's killer.
If this premise sounds badass, it's because it absolutely is.
The best part of this novel is our narrator, Mattie Ross. She's fearless & armed with an intimidating knowledge of Bible scripture. Her story is spoken without the self-interest or manipulation you may expect from an adult with a reputation to maintain.
Mattie is unashamed to admit that retribution is her vice, and your opinion on the matter is of no consequence one way or the other.
The clever but unadorned language used to spin this tale really set the tone for a harsh Western winter in the 1870's. I was particularly fond of the way Portis wrote the interactions between characters; there's an effortless authenticity here that feels true to the time period even now 50 years after it was published.
So, why only a 3.5 stars?
Honestly, it comes entirely down to personal preference here. I don't know for sure whether or not I am a fan of the Western genre, as I don't have a lot of experience with it.
When I think Western stereotypes, I think of the following:
✘ Dusty but suave male lead who has an easy time of getting women to sleep with him.
✘ Horses.
✘ A scene in a bar (with optional bar fight.)
✘ HORSES!
✘ A scene in a jail.
✘ Neighhhhhhhh
✘ Showdown/duel style finale.
This isn't a narrative I can get excited about.
However, when I first watched Tarantino's Django Unchained, I was struck with an instalove strong enough to rival even the shittiest of Young Adult novels.
Here was the type of Western I didn't know I needed in my life.
Ever since, I've had a tough time not comparing my Western endeavors across all mediums to that film. As far as this book is concerned, it actually measures up quite well. I love the characters & I think it definitely delivers the quality story promised in the premise.
It just didn't WOW me. I enjoyed it, but I won't be choosing this book to accompany me on a deserted island.
I'm glad to have finally read True Grit, as I think it's very much worth reading, and I'm even more glad that now I can watch both the 1969 and 2010 adaptions with a clear conscience!
Ever since I was a young girl, I've been obsessed with the musical performance of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby. I have never seen Disney's adaption Ever since I was a young girl, I've been obsessed with the musical performance of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby. I have never seen Disney's adaption because neither my mother nor my friends could convince me that any other version in existence was worth watching.
As I've grown up (boooooo) I've really enjoyed the movie Hook, & didn't mind the concept behind the mini-series Neverland. However, nothing has ever stuck with me the way the musical did, and so I figured it was about time I read the book.
While I read this, I had the distinct feeling that I just wasn't as into it as I expected myself to be. When I expressed this unfortunate feeling to my cousin, she had this to say:
"You've been drowned with the same content over and over until the original feels like a bad clone of itself."
Honestly, I think she hit the nail on the head. It's the same exact feeling I had while reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass & The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. So many iterations of these stories have over saturated the media, and now I'm left feeling very underwhelmed in the present day where I may have felt how special & magical & wonderful this was had been alive during the time it which it was published.
So really, I don't know if it's this book's fault that I didn't love it. I didn't hate it, but I don't see myself ever choosing to read it again. The whole time I was transposing scenes from the play over my imagination instead of focusing on the book itself.
Also, I want to mention how much I don't care for the end of this novel? It's such an antagonistic conclusion about adulthood (I guess the whole story is too but whatever.) & I'm just saying if my child pulled that whole "Yea mother, you can't go to Neverland! You can't fly anymore, you're an icky grown up!" shit, she better damn well expect them bars on the windows.
I appreciate this work for all the originality & subsequent works it has influenced into creation, but I can't say you're missing out on much if you've never read the book.
"You are a Rune Guard. Your father trained you, your mother came before you. The blood of champions flows through you."
So this was a really fun book.
S"You are a Rune Guard. Your father trained you, your mother came before you. The blood of champions flows through you."
So this was a really fun book.
Sandell Wall's debut High Fantasy novel is made up of two perspectives. Remus is a young blacksmith taken with the idea of living a life of importance, constantly pushing the boundaries of his own potential. Aventine is a new soldier in the Emperor's elite fighting force, the Rune Guard, and eager to live up to her mother's legacy.
I enjoyed both perspectives & felt both are incredibly well balanced with how much screen time they receive. Especially as the parallel between the two characters becomes clearer & their stories progress. The main characters had some engaging scenes that strongly characterized their personalities & make it clear how much they are striving be more that what they are.
"You cannot trap the ocean in a barrel."
I do wish that each had experienced a bit more growth over the course of the book. Remus in particular experiences a mini quest that feels random before he eventually finds the track that leads him on his primary journey. But neither character majorly evolves from who they are on page 1.
The magic system in this world has me quite intrigued. When powered, runestones lend certain abilities to items that have had the proper runes carved into them. The runes present a unique element to the story & I loved seeing their different powers put into action.
I also quite fancied Wall's writing style. His words had a nice flow & provided some really excellent imagery.
"Intricate foil work on the parchment shimmered like rivulets of colored mercury, reflecting the light of the rune in Axid's hand."
However, when it comes to dialogue I felt there could be some more differentiation between how each character speaks. Often I found the conversations between characters a bit too cheesy & unrealistic.
The most detrimental detail came in the form of being able to read the main characters' thoughts. It was distracting in the midst of such lovely writing to read an italicized line of thought instead of having those sentiments integrated into a normal sentence or two.
The major threat that sets events in motion is a bit too vaguely explained in this first installment for my liking. I don't feel entirely satisfied with how much I know about the different races the populate this world, the politics of the empire, or the side characters now that I've finished. But this is a small criticism, I really want to know more.
In many ways, this novel could really benefit from being longer. I felt as though most of the situations presented were about 3/4 of the way through their development, and I would've liked to spend just a little more time getting my bearings with these characters & in this world.
Overall, this debut is quite an achievement. I am definitely interested in seeing where things go from here! As my reading of this novel is part of the SPFBO contest, I will not be giving it a rating.
Well friends, my expectations for this book were sky high & 2 stars is actually being generous. Considering it took I know, I know. 2 stars? 2 stars!?
Well friends, my expectations for this book were sky high & 2 stars is actually being generous. Considering it took me a whole month of slogging through 10 pages at a time of this 176 page book, I think 2 stars is being very generous indeed.
McGuire largely missed the mark with her third installment of the Wayward Children series. In fact, the only part of this I thoroughly enjoyed was her writing style. She is whimsical & straightforward in the same breath, and it really serves the offbeat tone of this series well.
Otherwise, this book is a bit of a disaster for me.
It begins with the introduction of a new main character, Cora. The thing I know about Cora is that she is very fixated on how other people think of her as fat. Now, I don't want to be misunderstood here, so please pause with the pitchforks at least until I finish my point.
This series has thus far used a very small amount page space to tackle some very prominent & important issues with grace & clarity. Obesity & the abuse that can be experienced because of it absolutely fall under that umbrella of importance. However, Cora's allusions & inner monologue about being only seen as "the fat girl" came up so often that I began to feel beaten over the head with the message.
Most of us know what it's like to get stuck in a mental loop about our imperfections, and so in that singular way Cora is relatable. But as a main character being introduced two books after the group has been established, it felt as though this was the only reason I was given to really care about Cora.
Her personality is sort of flat, and I found her quips & interactions with other characters borderline annoying. She's nowhere near as compelling as the characters we've been introduced to in the previous books, so the overall lack of connection was a bit of a let down.
By the end of the book there's not any real unique & hard hitting conclusion about Cora overcoming how others view her in favor of realizing her personal worth, which is what I was expecting after all the page space that was dedicated to acknowledging the problem.
Again, I want to emphasize that my issue is not with the topic itself, but more with how it was presented in context of this particular character.
To continue on the subject of characters, the familiar faces from the past two books may as well have not even shown up for this adventure. Kade's southern charm & happy go lucky sense of justice are reduced to a lackluster minimum, Christopher's clever sarcasm is all but gone, and Sumi's abundant & nonsensical energy is completely absent.
For a series with such consistently strong & diverse characters, this is the last thing I expected to be disappointed in.
Now we come to the plot. I just... did not care about it at all? I won't tell you that the plots from the first two books are most distinctive stories I've ever read, because they aren't. But I was captivated by them, and I was engaged with the other aspects of the series enough that the combination is what made it special.
Unfortunately the plot of Beneath the Sugar Sky felt like a tangled & directionless mess for much of the time. It's worth noting that much of the story centralizes around adhering to a world that employs "Nonsense" rules, and so to a degree it makes sense that nothing makes sense. However, I spent a lot of time thinking "Is this ever going to go somewhere interesting?
Needless to say, it didn't. I'm distressed over posting a negative review for this book, because I really really really really wanted it to be amazing. But it isn't. It just isn't.
The nature of this series is to tell smaller stories that are mostly encompassed within each book. The characters overlap & books should be read in order, but the stories aren't necessarily told sequentially. Because of this, I will likely read the next book & pray that it's on par with Every Heart a Doorway and Down Among the Sticks and Bones.
As for this one... truly the best part about it is the gorgeous cover. *shrugs*...more
If you're a fan of political intrigue & fierce female characters, this is a book for you!
Baru Cormorant is an idealistic & intelligent woman, compelleIf you're a fan of political intrigue & fierce female characters, this is a book for you!
Baru Cormorant is an idealistic & intelligent woman, compelled from a young age to dominate the intricate games of power between reigning territories & save her precious island home & the unique culture that raised her.
It can be quite difficult to find such a lovely balance of politics, characterization, plot twists, and imagination, but I think Seth Dickinson's debut is a beautiful blend of all of the above.
I have every intention of reading this again before The Monster Baru Cormorant releases in 2018 because there is just that much to take in. The book is rich with political workings playing out left, right, and center.
I would really recommend taking your time with this one so you have the proper opportunity to absorb all the details, get a solid idea of who is who, and really stay present for the journey.
Often when I read, I don't focus too much on guessing what will happen (maybe because I'm wrong a lot), but some books are meant to keep your mind reeling with the possibilities.
This is one of those books.
The depth of intelligence it takes to craft stories like this always blows me away. Dickinson's writing is a perfect fit, being both refreshing in its descriptive style & respectful of the nature of the story.
I must caution Fantasy readers, this book is not heavily characterized by its use of magic or fantastical elements. Its main focus is Baru's development & the complex political relationships that exist between regions of power.
I loved the set up of this plot, as I feel it falls into a less explored corner within the Fantasy genre. However, I wanted to mention it in my review because I believe having the wrong expectation could affect some readers' ability to appreciate the book for what it is.
Definitely enjoyed this read & cannot wait to see what more is in store from Dickinson after how absolutely disastrous that ending was for my heart.
The Outsiders is a simple story; it's a glimpse into the lives of a gang of boys who all occupy the poorer side of their smallActual Rating: 3.5 Stars
The Outsiders is a simple story; it's a glimpse into the lives of a gang of boys who all occupy the poorer side of their small town, and are otherwise known as greasers. They are in constant feud with the "socialite" rich kids, or soc's for short.
The very first thing I want to mention about The Outsiders is that S.E. Hinton was only a 16-year-old high school student when she authored it. She was inspired to write about teenagers in a way that represented them accurately because she felt as though there weren't many books doing that. Knowing this particular fact really impressed me, because I would be proud to have published something like this in my 30's or 40's, let alone at 16.
This novel's strongest quality is the perspective of its main character, Ponyboy Curtis. He is 14, the baby of the group, and it becomes clear almost immediately that he struggles to fit into the rigid expectations of his caste. Ponyboy is steadfastly loyal to his gang, shows up for his side in a rumble, and claims the title "greaser" with an air of pride. However, he goes against the grain by being academically oriented & malleable in his attitude toward life.
The honesty in his narrative voice gives us an adulterated look at how he wavers back & forth between praising & condemning the division of social classes. For him, the allegiance of the greasers is far superior, even akin to brotherhood, while the order of the soc's is based on selfishness & dominance. But Pony is not ignorant to the trouble that comes with being poor in his town, and multiple times he expresses grief over inevitability of his friends' futures.
Hinton uses this short tale to make some powerful statements about importance of family, the potency of friendship, and the haste with which all of that can be taken away from you. The poisonous habit of branding individuals by their social standing, the struggle against the taboo of leaving a small town in search of personal betterment. These concepts are handled with an insightful intelligence for a writer so young.
Hinton actually ends up exemplifying the point of her novel with her own accomplishment of penning The Outsiders so early on in her life. The older we get, the easier it is to underestimate how much young people truly know.
For me this is a book I am glad to have read, but am thankful I will never have to read again. It is very well-written, and shockingly sad in many places over only a handful of pages. I can appreciate its existence & understand the critical representation it provided for the era. But I didn't enjoy it the way I've enjoyed other classics. I don’t anticipate thinking back fondly on the experience of reading it, and I don’t have the urge to rave & recommend it to my bookish friends. ...more
So I've finally taken the leap & finished a Young Adult series by one of my favorite Adult Fantasy writers, and I must say I'm very pleased with the oSo I've finally taken the leap & finished a Young Adult series by one of my favorite Adult Fantasy writers, and I must say I'm very pleased with the outcome of that risk.
I've come to expect great things from Brandon Sanderson & once again I think he's delivered a gem of the genre.
Some things you might be wondering:
Is the series perfect? No, it isn't perfect. But it's a hell of a ride with some fun characters, an engaging, fast-paced story, and witty, realistic writing.
How does this series compare to Sanderson's Adult High Fantasy works? The premise is so different that it almost becomes difficult to compare the two. I think it would be unwise to go into this series expecting to come away with the same deep investment that may be inspired by huge series like Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive.
That's not to say this series isn't awesome in it's own right, but given the nature of Young Adult Fantasy, it's typically going to be less intricate & less sweeping. Which could be a good thing for those who struggled with the slow-paced, detailed storytelling of Sanderson's Adult works.
Sanderson's forte may be Adult Fantasy, but at the core he is a skilled writer capable of creating great stories across genres. What I'm saying is, those who loved & those who hated his Adult Fantasy books may be able to find common ground with this series!
I've seen a lot of people say they feel that Calamity was a weak ending to this series, but personally I enjoyed this one more than Firefight. I found the focus more interesting & revelations more entertaining. It felt like a return to the theme Steelheart began.
I do believe there was a bit too much happening at the end, and a couple oddities that did not receive an appropriate sense of closure. I was not incredibly impressed with the villain of this installment, and I would've liked a a bit more time for the final climax to unfold so that it felt less Deus Ex Machina.
But at the end of the day, and as a person who generally does not usually enjoy superhero vs. supervillian plots, I really liked this series a lot & would definitely recommend it....more
Firefight is a great continuation of the Reckoners trilogy.
Once again, I wanna start with the bad. This book has the same paciActual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Firefight is a great continuation of the Reckoners trilogy.
Once again, I wanna start with the bad. This book has the same pacing issues seen in Steelheart, lots of buildup for the first 80% of the book & then a rapid lightning storm of events in the last 20%. If you've read Elantris, think similarly to how that book is laid out.
With Firefight, I found myself distinctly less interested in the plot by comparison to its predecessor. The plot is still awesome, it just isn't as awesome. During certain stretches I felt myself checking out or wishing for more confrontation between the characters to arise. Perhaps a bit of middle book syndrome?
The events of the story meandered a little too much for my liking. That's not to say this book is slow, but because of how well the action-packed pace of the first book worked,I noticed where that momentum lagged a bit here.
I appreciated that some of the main characters were fleshed out a bit more, and I saw growth in David as a person. But because of the first person perspective, there's a clear lack of connection between me & most of the people surrounding David. I also desperately missed two interesting main characters from Steelheart who were barely present here.
Even with these few errors, this is a delightful book overall.
The premise is so much fun!
It gives an entertaining & nostalgic superhero vibe without being predictable or lackluster. I enjoyed the twists & turns, and I love watching David solve his way out of his predicaments.
I commend Sanderson on creating David to be extraordinary without losing his humanity. He's got his set of skills along with his flaws, and it's wonderful to watch him sort through what he likes & dislikes about himself.
Hate his metaphors all you want, I think they're super endearing!
While my interest in the immediate events of this story waver in and out, my interest in the overarching dynamic of Epics vs. Humans is consistently high. The strongest point of these novels is the world building, and after the events at the end of Firefight, my curiosity about how the conclusion will play out is definitely piqued!...more
Reincarnation Blues is the story of Milo, or rather the many stories of Milo as he reincarnates over and over and... over again in an attempt to reachReincarnation Blues is the story of Milo, or rather the many stories of Milo as he reincarnates over and over and... over again in an attempt to reach Perfection. In a variety of ways, he's fucked up every single one of the 9,995 lives he's lived thus far & now he only has 5 more tries to get it right before... well...
Also, he's in a long-term relationship with Death (who prefers to be called Suzie.)
I enjoyed this book immensely.
The concept of reincarnation has always been super interesting to me, it's almost a buzz word when I search for new books. However, there are many creative ways in which to royally screw up this concept, and so I like to go in with a healthy amount of skepticism.
I'm glad to say that in this case my skepticism was unwarranted.
Along with an intriguing premise, this novel is woven through with threads of Terry Pratchett-esque humor & absolutely bursting with creativity. I found myself giggling out loud more than a couple times.
So many unique stories are present, it's like reading a handful of novels in one. They are all individual in their plot & interesting both on their own & as part of the whole.
Poore has given life to a story that is all at once fascinating, peculiar, and hilarious.
The reason this wasn't a full five stars for me is because during the last two story arcs, I had a bit of trouble staying engaged. By comparison, I feel as though the preceding stories are much stronger than the final two.
Those stories, however, only account for a small sliver of the novel. The conclusion bounces back effortlessly, and at the end of the day I am very pleased to have read this.
I have every intention of checking out Poore's other novels after this wonderful first experience with his work! I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a hysterical & fantastical romp through time & space.
I really love this trend with some of Sanderson's short stories that deals with altered reality & simulations. I don't know where he keeps this crazy I really love this trend with some of Sanderson's short stories that deals with altered reality & simulations. I don't know where he keeps this crazy stockpile of ideas, but it's safe to say he's hogging all the genius.
With this story and Snapshot, Sanderson shows his ability to step out of the High Fantasy genre & edge into Science Fiction. This is one of those stories that has great potential to be expanded, but it was a satisfying glimpse into an awesome concept!...more
"Am I a child? Always someone else must decide for me. But this I will decide for myself."
Reread Thoughts: Yes, I am a fool. A hack. Witless. Brainles"Am I a child? Always someone else must decide for me. But this I will decide for myself."
Reread Thoughts: Yes, I am a fool. A hack. Witless. Brainless for the words I wrote two years ago. But I did enjoy this even more the second time around! On to the next!
Also, for the record, I’m surprised to see this series shelved as “Young Adult” because it doesn’t really read that way at all.
The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully atmospheric story with a definite origin in the Slavic folktales. From the very beginning, we can feel how the story takes root in the classic fairy tale formula.
However, none of these character designs came across as overused or cliche. Instead, it created that warm sense of nostalgia that we all feel whenever we hear our favorite childhood stories. I felt as though I already had a level of intimacy with the characters before meeting them because I have met them before in their previous incarnations.
They are comfortable & familiar, but they are individual enough to stand on their own.
A similar familiarity exists within the plot structure. Prophecies & bewtiched artifacts & the promise of destruction without the intervention of the protagonist. This in combination with the Russian influence really made for a charming read.
I've seen many comparisons between this novel & Uprooted by Naomi Novik, but honestly this is the story I wanted Uprooted to be. Yes there are similarities, but where Uprooted was convoluted & full of weak characters & confusing motives, The Bear and the Nightingale is a written with clarity of purpose & its characters are enchanting & dimensional.
Arden's writing style is full of luxurious detail. From the chilly glow of a snow covered forest to the aroma of baking sweet cakes, the author's attention to detail & effortless way with words is reminiscent of Laini Taylor.
Where this book fell short for me is in its reread value; I don't see myself ever wanting to reread this in the future. That isn't always a bad thing, as there are many wonderful books I'm sure I'll never reread. However, I had the distinct thought "I can't see myself wanting to experience this story a second time," despite the positive feelings of nostalgia it brought me.
It's a great story with a lot to appreciate, especially for fans of Fantasy & Folklore. Those who enjoyed the atmosphere of Novik's Uprooted but wanted more from the story, or fancied the setting of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy I think will find a this read on their favorites list.
*coughs* I'm sorry I'm literally just at a loss for words at this moment...
Just kidding, here are some very disappointed & bitWOW.
I mean... what???
*coughs* I'm sorry I'm literally just at a loss for words at this moment...
Just kidding, here are some very disappointed & bitter words for you.
So... by some feat of horrible linguistic gymnastics, this book is actually worse than Falling Kingdoms, which I also gave a 1 star.
I see people say all the time "I would give this book negative stars if I could." Well, this is it for me folks. This is the book I would give negative stars to if I had that capability.
I honestly can't decide which aspect of this novel is the worst. Is it the horribly inconsistent characterization? Is it the juvenile writing style? Perhaps the plot that manages to be both choppy & nonexistent at the same time?
I guess I'll just ramble about all three & let you guys decide!
So it seems everyone is going to be "in love" with everyone at some point in the series. That in itself is very inconsistent within the parameters of this story.
We've got characters switching from despising other characters with every fiber of their being to being head over heels in love with them. And it's not even a sexy "enemies-to-lovers" situation. It's a complete & total blindside.
It's "Oh man... 'insert character' sure is hot... Mmm he smells like AXE White Label Body Wash for Men™ even though he hasn't had a bath for weeks... I sure did hate him before but I guess I'm in love with him now, oops."
Am I supposed to be invested in the relationships these characters are forming? This rapidly shifting web of shitty love geometry? Am I suppose to sympathize? Is this a comedy in disguise? Am I misunderstanding a joke here because if I am someone please don't hesitate to fill me in??
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On top of this we have characters constantly contradicting their own decisions about who they want to be. I'm not going to spoil this book in my review, but it'll suffice to say that the only characters who truly remain consistent are the most basic, predictably awful, wears-black-to-let-you-know-they're-evil characters.
Next we've got literally some of the worst writing I think I've ever been exposed to on a professional platform. The dialogue so, so dreadful.
As with the first book, everyone sounds exactly the same regardless of status, upbringing, age, race, etc. Characters are constantly posturing left & right, puffing up their chests & being defiant with no realistic follow-through action whatsoever.
I've formed a horrible habit of rolling my eyes or saying "Pfft, yea okay, sure buddy." anytime anyone says anything at all. I just do not believeeeeee.
It feels like Rhodes' characters desperately want to convince you & themselves that they are a certain way or believe a certain thing, but the result is a lot of head shaking & sarcastic mocking noises on my part.
You end up taking all of the dialogue with the same grain of salt you take a child's statement that they will be an astronaut when they grow up.
Is it possible that child will be an astronaut? Sure it is! But do you expect that child to understand the kind of realistic, adult trials & tribulations they're committing to to actually become an astronaut? Of course you don't.
The only difference is that my instincts are to be positive & encouraging to that small child in my example, while the only instinctual response these ridiculous characters invoke in me is to backhand them.
But perhaps the most disappointing is the fact that after 800+ pages this plot has gone basically nowhere.
Sure sure, things have happened. But almost nothing interesting has happened!
The plot is so weighed down by the unnecessary angst & contrived inner struggles of these characters. The pieces of the story that do break through the nonsense unfold at an uneven pace & ultimately are so immature that they don't end up mattering enough to improve my reading experience.
Deaths left & right! But do they matter? No, they do not.
Lots of "DUN DUN DUN" moments that most readers will see coming a mile away.
There's just nothing new here.
So far, my experience with this series has been completely uninspired & honestly I don't anticipate the next book will do much to change that fact.
So why keep reading, you may ask?
Well here's why.
I'm currently participating in a Fantasy League Buddy Read with these lovely folks:
Each week we guess new ships & deaths. I can only think of one other series where there are so many different ships & deaths that a league like this will make sense, and that is A Song of Ice and Fire (which I have no interest in reading at this time, oops shoot me.)
Anyway, I'm having a wonderful time participating in this league & hearing everyone's thoughts as we read & so unless the next book literally reaches into my chest & crushes my heart I'll be continuing along with this beautiful group of people for as long as I can!...more
Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in those people who condemned this book before giving it a chance.
Yes, a defining motivation for almoSo, I read it.
Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in those people who condemned this book before giving it a chance.
Yes, a defining motivation for almost everything that happens in this book is racial tension between a handful of fantasy races. No, I do not feel that the author condones racist, homophobic, ableist, etc. ideologies about races that exist in reality.
My opinion? This book was preemptively dragged through the mud for nothing.
Seriously though, since when is portraying characters with shitty belief systems the same as condoning characters with shitty belief systems?
And I must ask, have we not made it past the point where we accept that people are not all good or all bad? That it's the part of ourselves we act on that make us who we are? Wasn't this one of the fundamental lessons in the Harry Potter series?
Speaking of Harry Potter, any of you who ever found it in your heart to sympathize with Draco Malfoy but concluded this book is problematic (likely without reading it) may want to reevaluate. The Black Witch is similar to what we'd be reading if Rowling had written Harry Potter & cast Draco as the protagonist.
Not similar in plot, but similar in that we have a young person, raised with a certain set of beliefs, perpetuating those beliefs for a time, and eventually coming to question whether or not those beliefs are valid when confronted with real world experience & knowledge.
This is exactly the process the main character, Elloren Gardner, goes through.
Elloren is surrounded by people from different races who all hate each other, and for her first bit of time at University she has a lot of her biases confirmed. Everyone in this book is acting on their contempt toward everyone else, and this is the very first time she's been exposed to others outside of the Gardnarians.
Broadly speaking, does it make sense to judge actions of a few & apply them to everyone in a certain group? Of course not.
Does it make sense for Elloren, who has lived an incredibly sheltered life up to that point, to take her first impressions as an initial confirmation for the prejudices her religion has taught her? Yes, in my opinion, it does.
& I have no clue where this "she doesn't learn her lesson" idea is coming from. Elloren absolutely questions whether the religion she's grown up with is bullshit, begins breaking down deeply ingrained prejudices, and ultimately undergoes a large transformation from who she was at the start of the novel.
Is she perfectly "woke" by the end of the book? Well fuck, no, she's not. But this whole story takes place over the course of what, a year?
Let me just real talk for a moment.
When you are faced with working through the tangled mess of indoctrination you've been drowning in for the majority of your life, it's not a quick & painless process. And it certainly isn't going to come full circle in a short time; you'd be lucky to see significant progress over the course of a few years.
Especially when you're walking that path alone without the support/encouragement of people who love you & accept your evolution. It's a process that I myself have been through, and so it's literally amazing to me that Elloren's character is being so harshly criticized for what I consider to be a very realistic amount of growth.
I'm listing these three quotes because I truly don't think an author who writes a book with the intention of bolstering a racist/homophobic/ableist ideology would have the capacity to write these lines.
Quote 1:"Professor Christian is right, I think, it's time to start paying attention to what my own government is doing..."
Quote 2:"People see what they expect to see [...] through a filter of their own hatred and prejudice."
Quote 3:"I know my grandmother did a lot of terrible things [...] Since coming here I've learned that my people do a lot of really terrible things. But don't you think it's possible for someone to be different from everything you've heard about their kind..."
It's my opinion that a lot of the condemning examples I have seen are taken out of their proper context & slanted to fit a certain perspective.
But here's my thing, I'm not going to spend anymore time in this review trying to convince you that this book is not what it's been accused of being. If the premise of this book interests you at all, I encourage you to go read it and find out for yourself what is true and what is not.
This is a wonderful example of why it's so important to educate and think for yourself. Stances with a foundation in ignorance are poison.
As for my opinion on this book outside of the maelstrom of controversy it's garnered, I didn't really find much here that appealed to me.
The best aspect of The Black Witch is the style of description. Laurie Forest's words are infused with whimsy, laying out gorgeously intricate scenes that were lovely to imagine. The details of places & people really leap off the page in a way you don't often see in debuts.
But unfortunately, those beautiful words were not backed by beautiful world-building. There is a decent variety of races present (fae, lupines, demons, elves, etc.,) but most of them are incredibly derivative of what we have seen countless times before in other Fantasy novels. The world-building element of the story also suffered greatly from the choice in POV.
Elloren's story is told in first person, and I found it quite difficult to connect myself to the world because we spend a ridiculous amount of time trudging through Elloren's squabbles with basically everyone she encounters.
We come to understand some of the details behind the tension between races through Elloren's eyes, but we are largely uninvolved with the degenerating situation outside her bubble of existence. There are a handful of prologues written from different perspectives, but it didn't quite resolve the issue.
There is such an enormous focus on Elloren's petty rivalries & revolving love interests that it really destroyed my ability to relate to her. She has a couple shining moments scattered throughout the story & some of her connections to others develop in a satisfying way, but she is so heavily characterized by her relationship to typical, cliche, YA trope characters that I found it difficult to invest in her as the protagonist.
We've got the Regina George-esque mean girl who is unabashedly awful & hates the MC, the quiet, soft-spoken best friend, the male love interest who oozes testosterone & trails along behind the MC just waiting for the opportunity to corner her with a steamy kiss, and adults that don't listen or understand the MC & love jumping to conclusions. Oh & everyone is drop dead gorgeous with one exception that doesn't really follow through on being an exception by the end of the novel.
Forest's dialogue also edges a bit too close to the line of over dramatic for my tastes. I couldn't help but imagine the characters speaking the same way theater performers sometimes do, with so much exaggeration that the performance becomes more of a caricature.
It seemed like every situation Elloren got into was "wildly scandalous" or "wildly embarrassing" or "wildly confusing" or "wildly inappropriate." I get it, her people are conservative, but Forest may be in a competition with Maas to see how many times she can use the same word in a single book.
As with the world-building, the plot of this story also suffers from a lack of clear focus. Elloren is just existing at the University for most of the time. There's a mini plot near the end of the novel, but it doesn't do much to salvage my attention when almost nothing happens until the 80-90% mark.
Not to mention the novel ends in what I consider to be an abrupt place. It's not even a cliffhanger, it just cuts off with some weird, minor plot developments unresolved.
So it's safe to say I didn't love this novel. I knew going into it that I had no intention of softening my opinion of this book if I disliked it; I wanted to write an honest review to the very best of my ability.
My rating has nothing to do with any racist/homophobic/ableist messages & everything to do with the fact that I just didn't like the book.
I'm glad to have read this so I can finally put to rest my suspicions about the controversy surrounding it.
Thoughts Before Reading:
I have no problem with calling out a book for racist/ableist/sexist/etc. themes. If a book supports any of the above then it deserves to be rated poorly.
But I am disappointed to see that most ratings are coming from people who haven't read the book.
Deciding not to read a book that may be harmful to you is 100% valid.
Deciding to use GR's review function as a means of drawing attention to a book and warning others about its content is 100% valid.
But I can't support destroying a book's ratings when it hasn't been read by the majority reviewers or quasi-threatening/blacklisting people who express interest in forming their own opinions about content. This book may be an absolute piece of shit but I won't claim to know that for sure until I have read the damn book....more
Moroda is L.L. McNeil's self published, High Fantasy debut following a ragtag group of adventurers on a mission to change theActual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Moroda is L.L. McNeil's self published, High Fantasy debut following a ragtag group of adventurers on a mission to change the tide of a racially charged war before it consumes the lasting peace Linaria has come to know.
The standout element of this book for me is the writing style. McNeil has a lot of raw talent as a writer & I find myself incredibly engaged with how she chose to tell the story of Moroda. I especially enjoy the action & combat sequences, as I am clearly able to imagine what is happening.
Another high point of this novel is the ensemble of characters - each of the major races involved in the war are represented in the main cast & I really appreciate having the opportunity to form a relationship with them outside the context of their part in the overarching conflict.
Plus, I'm almost always a sucker for mixed bag group of people from a variety of different backgrounds coming together under the threat of necessity. I swear, it's like the magical school trope for me. Princes & peasants, thieves & businessmen, aristocracy & guards. It creates an array of interactions that make me feel warm & fuzzy inside.
ALSO. DRAGONS.
Like, do I need to say more??
The lore of the dragons in the world of Linaria has me intrigued. Dragons are considered equivalent to gods for many races on this continent, and harness powers through the dragon stones in their bodies which also serves as their life source. The dragons are a factor of complexity for the plot, presenting as morally ambiguous toward our heroes & their quest.
Despite the elements I fancied, I have to say I wanted a little bit more from this story.
There were a couple moments where I felt as though I was seeing a sketch with some missing details.
In particular, I would've loved a bit more of a focus on the world building aspect. Linaria is packed full of interesting races & magic, but I don't feel as though I thoroughly comprehend the layout of the world. Motivations are hinted at but not always explained to my satisfaction.
My other criticism for this novel is that the main characters were not evenly characterized. I got a detailed picture of Moroda because the story is mostly told with her perspective in mind, and Palom & Amarah made a solid impression on me, but I didn't feel myself connecting as much to Sapora, Anahrik, Eryn, or Morgen. Especially with Eryn, as Moroda's younger sister, she felt like an extension of Moroda instead of being her own person.
With some characters it was more "tell" than "show" & at times the dialogue didn't quite differentiate enough between characters.
Overall though, this is a great debut & I'm interested to see where the story will go from here.
McNeil isn't afraid to tell the story she wants to tell & in a sea of books with shoehorned romances & unrealistic survivals, it was refreshing to read a book like this one!
"I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed."
Going into this, I expected something similar to Hard Candy, with a really hea"I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed."
Going into this, I expected something similar to Hard Candy, with a really heavy focus on revenge. Reading the synopsis, I then thought perhaps I'd be subjected to a typical high school coming-of-age tale.
After reading, I discovered that this novel is actually a well illustrated criticism of society's dismissive attitude toward women's issues, rape & rape culture in particular.
I wasn't prepared for such an encompassing story to be present in a such a small book.
The writing is simple & straightforward, exemplifying how conversations regarding these subjects SHOULD take place. This was a smart choice on part of the author, as a more superfluous writing style wouldn't have lent the story the same kind of gravity.
Jack is a popular athlete with a brain to back up his brawn.
Peekay is the local preacher's kid struggling to rid herself of that singular, condemning label.
Alex is a murderer, and afraid that her inherent sense of justice will only lead to more bloodshed.
At the beginning, I was afraid this book would fall victim to its own characterization. The central three felt more like caricatures than actual high school kids. As the story unfolded, however, I quickly reversed my opinion.
I was taken aback by how realistic the characters became by the end of the book, each with their own tendencies, preferences, & insecurities. Their little quirks of individualism caused me to feel genuinely invested in the development of their relationships with one another.
The ideas here are dark. This is not an easy book to get through, and some of the places it takes the reader are difficult to come back from.
The Female of the Species is a book that grabs you by the face & forces you to confront your own ideas about the people you interact with. It compels you to consider the effect our relationships with others has on how we view ourselves.
Are people more than the sum of the judgments we lay at their feet?
Are they less?
Who gets to decide?
Though I enjoyed this book a lot, I am not a huge fan of the end sequence. It feels like the situation was a bit contrived, and I had my hopes pointed in a different direction than the story ended up going. But overall this small issue didn't detract much from my experience.
Mindy McGinnis has written a gem with this story. It's gritty & conscience while remaining relatable to a large audience. This isn't a book to miss out on.
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~
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