Ethan Manning

Rating 2.5
Better than Book 1, a fun fantasy adventure, will read Book 3 eventually.

Pros: Better story than TEotW (still a grab bag of fantasy tropes), the climax was more original and easier to follow, worldbuilding gets cooler, more lore from certain POVs, more balanced story and pacing.

Cons: repetitive and un-beautiful prose, simplistic characterization, tiring boy/girl obsession-romance (it's not even really romance just crushes that are cringy). The perspective of men and women in this world is weird, we're constantly reminded that men need to marry women, men need women to “settle them down”. It almost feels like you're trapped in a house with fundamentalists that constantly bring up their odd black and white views of gender norms.

I can't put my finger on it completely, because on the surface the world is matriarchal and seemingly has a refreshing anti-patriarchal complexion (given the role magic wielding men have played in the history of this world) but even still there are contradictory undertones. The descriptions dance around the “shape” of some of the women a little too much and it feels sly and deceptive for an otherwise wholesome story afraid of crossing lines, there's a sect of Aes Sedai that eschew warders and hate men (a man hating lesbian undertone if you will). There's more too to this sloppy hypothesis, I will try to update this at a later date.

4.5 stars.

A mesmerizing sequel. As always the story is deeply psychological for Covenant, but this book also included a fascinating foil for his character that puts Covenant's relationship with his...circumstances in stark relief, and adds a new war/battle dimension to the story. Covenant is not a hero, but I felt it is written in a way where you actually understand and process with him what that means for a world that cannot help but see him as a hero. He's conniving and selfish, a lesson in what not to be but also a reflection on the worst parts of human nature. The third act was amazing.

How Donaldson followed up on certain “events” from LFB was unsettling and curious.

Rating is 3.5

Overall:
The world Donaldson has created holds lots of promise. Thomas Covenant is a tortured and at times very frustrating character to read, but when he makes progress it feels very touching and real. The beginning of the book really grounds TC's character, it helps to explain why he is the way he is, this was critical to appreciating the character growth. Lord Fouls Bane is controversial to many, but for what it is I think the fantasy genre is much better with it, and all that has sprung from it, than without it.

Minor cons:
The narrative is blatantly structured like The Lord of the Rings, so make sure you read it after a long rest from Tolkien and classic high fantasy narratives. Donaldson's prose is at times rough, and the long passages without dialogue can test ones patience. In the end I still enjoyed this story and the character arc of Thomas Covenant. I'm hoping the writing improves.

Fall of Light continues a fascinating story, it mostly maintains Erickson's faster pace and clarity, builds out a world of mystery, and weaves an awesome and tragic origin to the Tiste people (as we have come to know them) that have captivated so many readers of Malazan Book of the Fallen. First off: Characters. Erickson writes characters of such variety. Staying with them as they experience life, as they struggle, as they reflect, as they cope, as they fail - its a hell of a journey. Your understanding of these people will fold in on itself by books end. It is stunning work, these characters are frighteningly real in their imperfections and their inner strengths. The story has a wandering eye at time's including events one would not expect at first, but getting to witness these legendary figures and events was a pleasure. Every aspect of the world building was a grand slam, it is a big reason I fell in love with MBotF and it has only gotten better. The books focus on political necessity, honor, duty, ambition, and love are not always on the surface, but neither are they hidden too deep. And if lessons are to be learned of these themes, they are not what one would expect, especially one unaccustomed to Erickson's critical subversions and thoughtful interrogations of our myths. Fall of Light is a tragedy, it is a descent into an inevitable doom, and the ride was captivating and engaging (in that order) the whole time. I wish to share this story with my friends, and I am eagerly awaiting the final book.

Refreshing and short, this is the most accessible Russian novel I have read. It covers changing worldviews, father son dynamics and changing relationships, and most of all the vast differences between two generations. The 1860's in Russia is a fantastic setting to explore the latter theme too, so much is being debated and challenged.

3.5
An engaging bullet of science fiction, no fat on it, reads like a police procedural. Vance's writing is an example of efficient “workmanlike” prose that is perfectly good for the story being told.

I do not know what I can say that hasn't already been said. Steinbeck captures humanity in this story, he captures the fight for a dignified life, he questions America as it is, and points all throughout to an answer hidden in all of our hearts and minds.

Some unforgettable characters in Oliver Twist, a good story that felt rushed at the end. My 2nd Dickens novel, as I read it I began picking up on how many other stories and series drew from this book. Also, Dickens writes quite affectingly about death and facing death, those moments leapt off the page, under the skin, and into the soul.

One of the most epic fantasy novels of all time. Erickson crafts a masterful story. Here was when Malazan began contending with LOTR for my favorite series ever.

A disturbing read, sometimes frustratingly meandering. My first takeaway is the sticky impression of the life of drug addicts (as Dick portrays them) it's like a traumatizing job shadow. The impenetrable monolith of authority and the State in this book is also a character in itself, and it contrasts the few individual agents we meet. The humor is understated, sometimes this means waiting to see how X pans out and then you're there, staring at a cynical cruel joke. While my experience was uneven, the ending was great and somehow satisfying without providing catharsis.

Phenomenal. Erickson's prose is probing and melancholy as ever yet with a new clarity and focus. This tale of creeping civil war, the ambitions of the forgotten, and the dreams of the young will stay with you forever.

I read this in 10th grade due to a premature interest in marijuana and a budding interest in history. I remember being quite captivated by Booth's deep reaching account of cannabis. The section on Henry J. Anslinger's psychotic anti-cannabis campaign, and the frightening account of hashish are two parts I will always remember.

This was a very good book, the intrigue is set in front of the reader like a delicious appetizer, the pace is quick and what follows is a compelling story. Meluch creates an interesting future of interstellar empires and questionable utopias, her world building was impressive given the page count. The character study that is the protagonist was intriguing and mutli-layered, there's interesting surface details, and a mysterious underside that is hinted at. It's the strongest part of the book and when it develops...buckle in.

Meluch also delves into “murky” waters of religion, fanaticism, race, and human supremacy in such a way that it would take forever to untangle all of these elements. Her conclusions were a bit opaque to me.