Nomad Scry
A quite enjoyable read, though I never felt any doubt that Dresden would prevail. Odd, considering he has another dozen-ish books to star in. =)
Have you ever read any of the annotated Sherlock Holmes? This runs in the same vein. ;) I described AL:VH to a friend as less entertaining and more (deeply) interesting. I now want to know more about the real story of Lincoln. I want to dig into the spots where fact and Grahame-Smith's creations meld together. Is there a real Henry? Did Will really get accosted by a stranger? Gah! I don't have time for the obsession that I could have over this subject.
I'm glad that people I trust recommended sticking with this one. I like how little things from the first book, the one I didn't like, kept turning up as significant points in the later books. And I like/dislike the Middle-Earth/Black Cauldron sort of magical dilemma that Tavi faces, because it brings a wonderful feeling of loss and meaning.
I really liked how the ending addressed the issues with the manner that Tavi solved his issues. Very cool, Butcher.
Tavi keeps making a name for himself by being stubborn and quick witted. That's a winning combination in my book. I can see the outline of the epic arc he is headed on finally, and I approve. Even the cursor is finally starting to ACT, rather than stand around mindlessly while her allies get chopped and diced. I appreciate the explanation of why Tavi is so different (though I don't know if I believe that expanation.)
I really like the humor mixing with the steadily growing darkness. It reminds me of the way LotR progresses from silly antics in the shire to the sheer numbing terror in the black spider's cave. But to wrap that up with a time travelling gimmick too? Brilliant!
In the movies, this was the one that I did not like. Something about it just struck me as contrived. Thankfully, I liked the book a lot better, even though it seems that, in the end, Harry only won through because he was a “good” person. I hope that as he grows up, he'll start winning his battles by brain, rather than by aura.
Despite the “huh - what?” of Malfoy's choice in surrogates and how just about everything about the house elf still puzzles me and how it sucked to have my favorite character sidelined for most of the story and how Harry really didn't initiate anything... well. Despite that, I think the telling was more enjoyable than in book one.
I loved the way I finally caught on to some of the things Collins was doing besides the mirroring of Peta & Gale. Snow & Prim and Kat & Buttercup. I just wish there had been a little more in the way of confirmation after the assassination. The bottom line, though, is that I really want to see what Collins does next.
This is the book that made me realize that, while I still really enjoy urban fantasy, I'm really just sick of paranormal romance. Which is to say that I'm tired of the difference between a story, and a story that concentrates on cock.
Everything about this Guild Hunters world was really neat, and a enjoyable remix of angels and of vampires. All of which was derailed by (seemingly) everyone wandering around with their overwhelming sexual desires controlling them. I'm not even talking about the one guy who has the magic ability to smell intoxicating. THAT at least has an in-world explanation. It's the girl who is a rebel, a powerful tracker, rule breaker, who gets moist down there at the terrifyingly inhuman angel who could and probably will kill her for being useful. It's how that same angel somehow finds the pathetically weak tracker just as capable of derailing his ancient mind. Ridiculous.
Is it somehow supposed to be romantic to be uncontrollably driven towards someone you don't even like? I don't get it, but it seems to be a repeated meme in PR. Which is why I need to stop being an idiot and stop reading books in this genre,
I won't have any real complaints... I did enjoy the story but it didn't really resonate with me the way I wish it had.
I'd guessed one of the two big reveals, because, of course it just had to be that. The “hacking” wasn't much different than magic, but the author did a really good job of giving depth to her characters.
I'm not sure why I don't particular feel like extolling this book, when there is nothing wrong and much that is right.
I thought the reason this “story” makes no sense was due to a bad translation but after looking at other reviews, that just seems to be the incoherent nonsensical meaningless story that HCA was telling. That's really disappointing.
https://www.tor.com/2016/06/23/fairy-tale-subversion-hans-christian-andersens-the-snow-queen/
While I wish there were a few more shades of grey in Weeks' arsenal of women, I found Kylar's continuing evolution to be a whole lot of sheer fun.
Strange and mundane, swirled together but never quite mixed. I'm almost disappointed that the strange elements weren't just a little more magical... but then the city (and the city) wouldn't be just so unique.
I want another story with Borlu but I feel like following him any further would only serve to spoil the wonder.
Old school epic fantasy with the boy from the farm who is the only one who doesn't know that he is to save the world.
Why are we still writing stories where the fifth grade boy shows his adoration by kicking the girl?
Seriously.
If it weren't for that trope, this would be a very good YA.
Emotionally satisfying. I have enjoyed the ways the world is almost a trope that Taylor subverts each time.
At the end, I have a few quibbles. First off, the fourth book is missing and largely jammed in here in ways that stuck out. The whole Eliza angle should have been introduced around the same time Razgut showed up in earlier books. Why present the idea that the Stellians are blood drinkers and then never address it again? Lastly, ending with Karou instead of with newer successes felt less impactful - something more like Melanie Rawn did with the Dragon Prince series.
Usually, when I hear how amazing a book is, I find myself disappointed (at best.) Instead, I found myself strangely affected by the father/son relationship. I was even happy with the ending, even though it did seem a bit magically coincidental. It isn't a long book, so I'd recommend it to pretty much any reader, regardless of genre.
