Em
I'm an admittedly very casual fan of Critical Role. I followed Vox Machina semi-regularly in high school and I've listened to smatterings of the subsequent campaigns in podcast form. So while I'm not as intensely into it as some, I'd say I have a good idea of what to expect going into the brand's forays.
It's...fine. It's serviceable. It's not bad, just not very interesting. The writing is bland, though the voices of Vex and Vax are well captured. Critical Role caught lightning in a bottle with the main cast's chemistry and enthusiasm which is not captured here at all. The story is played totally straight, resulting in a novel that's generic fantasy, severely lacking in both cheek and charm. Both aspects I think are, well, critical.
There's also some incredibly odd structural choices that I would find less egregious if the actual content was more compelling. Additionally, integrating flashbacks is an incredibly difficult thing to do in a satisfying way. Each flashback should feel as though it is adding context to the present day story, be it for character's actions or behaviours, context in the historical sense or even just some good old parallels and symbolism. Here, they seemed random and irrelevant to the main action though for reasons I can't put my finger on they did engage me significantly more than the main plot (which itself is spread thin).
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Robbie Daymond with Laura Bailey and Liam O'Brien returning as Vex and Vax which certainly improved my enjoyment. If I wasn't listening to the audio I doubt I would have finished this book. Robbie is a fantastic narrator. If you're a Critical Role fan wanting to read this book, I highly recommend listening to the audio version.
I definitely sound very (haha) critical but I'll reiterate: I thought it was fine. Painfully average. It just didn't feel like Critical Role to me.
A really interesting, informative and well written book. Good for anyone like me who, admittedly, doesn't know much!
What a marvellous series! Much better than I remember. While Stormlight isn't far my favourite of Sanderson's works, it's definitely so much fun to see just how far he's developed from where he started. While Mistborn isn't perhaps as polished as Stormlight, it has a very similar charm.
The magic system is great and is by far the most unique aspect Mistborn has going for it, working much more like a science. The characters are good (my favourite by far is Kelsier), the world is a fun twist on an old trope: what would have happened if the ring hadn't been destroyed, if Harry hadn't killed Voldemort, if the chosen one failed?
Sanderson uses this story to ask a lot of questions of what exactly it means to have faith in all contexts. Faith in a person, in an idea, in a religion, how important is belief and trust? He's not subtle about it, which might irritate some, but for me that just worked to put these questions right at the forefront, so they go hand in hand right alongside the more fantastical elements as part of a natural discussion.
It's also super accessible. I was rereading this with the intention of recommending it to a friend who wants to give epic fantasy a whirl. Now I now for sure I definitely will!
This is my fourth? Or fifth? Time reading this book and although when coming up to it on rereads it's always “that one without Perrin” (he's my favourite) I always forget how much fun this is once the ball gets rolling. I just really wish Asmodean had more to do!
(10/11/22) Though this book has no new content, it's wonderful to finally have a collection that puts the bulk of writing on the Second Age in one place.
The Fall of Númenor contains writing previously found in snatches in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, The Nature of Middle-earth, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien and multiple volumes of The History of Middle-earth. Thus, before today, if you wanted to read about the Second Age, you had to do your best Gandalf-in-Minas-Tirith impression and look like a crazy scholar surrounded by mountains and mountains of papers.
This book tells the story of the Second Age from beginning to end, with a focus on the events of Númenor (which makes sense; the most complete narratives of the second age are Aldarion and Erendis, found in Unfinished Tales, and Akallabêth, found in The Silmarillion) and puts everything into chronological order in the way recounted in the Tale of Years in the appendices of LOTR. Sibley also uses drafts of unfinished writings to fill out events, most notably in the (notoriously contradictory) stories of Celeborn and Galadriel, of which there are multiple versions. It features Celebrimbor and the forging of the rings of power, the establishment of Gondor and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men and the coming of the Third Age.
Discussion of the stories by Sibley, and how he chose to arrange them is also featured so it is obvious where things have been altered or arranged to be more cohesive. It is not unlike Unfinished Tales in presentation of the text itself, although the book as a whole is laid out in a way more reminiscent of the chronological semi-interconnected structure of The Silmarillion.
Illustrations by Alan Lee are also always welcome. It's a beautiful book, and as someone who has always been especially drawn to the Second Age it's one I'm thrilled to have on my shelf.
(23/04/22) Yes, still a page turner. A few more niggles this time around but not enough to lower the rating. Moreso this time it struck me how good this book would be for beginners to fantasy; it manages to be sweeping and present a realised world without being an 800 page brick (800 page bricks remaining, of course, my favourite kind of fantasy book). Onward to book two!
(22/02/21) A great start to what is (hopefully!) going to be a great series. Feels like a breath of fresh air in the genre and truly original, with world building inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. The opening chapter was certainly memorable, propulsive and shocking and had me gripped from the start. Characters are fun, pacing is solid, lots of questions left in the (somewhat rushed) ending feels a tad annoying but the knowledge this was first in a trilogy let me let that slide.
(Re-read 13/04/21) Still just as beautiful, forever a favourite of mine. Would recommend to absolutely anyone.
(Reread 11/05/23) My favourite of the current gotg novels. Duyvis does a great job with each character's distinct voice and it is solid fast paced fun with some sweet moments.
(25/02/23) I am usually not a fan of YA fantasy (or YA in general) but this duology is the cream of the crop. Such pure fast-paced fun with a colourful cast of characters. Magic and intrigue and heists! This is a great palette cleanser in between denser fantasy books.
As I get older (I was fifteen/sixteen when the first book released and am twenty-four during this particular reread) I'm agreeing more and more with the TV show's decision to age everyone up by about ten years because there's absolutely not a chance these characters are sixteen. The classic game of thrones problem and solution.
We Are Not Free follows fourteen Japanese-American teenagers from 1942 - 1945 when they're forcibly incarcerated in internment camps.
Fourteen POVs is a lot to pull off, and I'm not sure this book did. I completely understand why this was warranted: the internment of so many thousands upon thousands of people shattered the lives of so many, the effects of which reverberate to this day. Fourteen is a feeble number compared to the reality. Yet I felt as though I never truly got to know any of the characters, and seeing them again through different POVs felt very distanced.
However, it's an incredibly important period of history, and one which I've not seen Young Adult fiction tackle before. 3.5/5.
David Hone's books are so interesting and accessible (The Future of Dinosaurs, released this year, is great). This one, focusing solely on Tyrannosaurs, is also very good. I always find it particularly interesting to learn about the Tyrannosaurs that were in the UK. It's hard to imagine.
If you have an interest in dinosaurs the podcast he co-hosts, ‘Terrible Lizards' is also super accessible and fun!
A fossil tour of the UK! Covering just about everything: sea life, plants, bugs, animals, humans, marine reptiles, pterosaurs and, of course, dinosaurs. Places surprising (Formby!?) and not so surprising (the aptly named Jurassic Coast). Beginner friendly and educational.
R. F. Kuang has built something really interesting here. I was unsure at first; while I was enjoying myself, I couldn't help but feel as though I'd seen it all before somewhat. A young woman, Fang Runin but Rin for short, goes to a school, is the best of the students despite her poor background, and has special powers. There are eccentric teachers and good friends and bullies. It was done well, but very familiar, which of course there's nothing wrong with. But I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something.
Then the second half came along. Holy hell. It was like reading a totally different book. I've seen complaints that the tonal shift is jarring, but is that not the point? It's suddenly a warzone. It's just as much a shock to us as it is to Rin, and Kuang doesn't hold back. In these sections she draws heavily from the Second Sino-Japanese War, including fictional depictions of the Rape of Nanjing and the Battle of Shanghai. However, even as someone with only a passing familiarity with these events, it sometimes felt a little clumsy as if I was suddenly reading a history book, although never wasn't enough to pull me out of the story or cheapen any of the impact.
It's even more impressive on the realisation that Kuang was only 19 when she wrote it! Hopefully she has a long career ahead of her because this was a great debut.
The most interesting book about Tolkien I've read in a long, long time. Covering both Tolkien's exploration of Chaucer in his academic career as well as the apparent influence of Chaucer on Tolkien's own writings, it's incredibly in depth and compelling. While some arguments are quite a stretch, overall it is convincing and well articulated.
It is worth knowing that the book assumes the reader has prior knowledge of Chaucer alongside The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion as well as parts of The History of Middle-earth.
A super clumsy attempt at synergising the fan-favourite ‘Annihilation: Conquest' Guardians of the Galaxy storyline with the movie lineup of characters (Gamora and Drax are forced into this novelisation). Rich's fraught relationship with his family is completely watered down here and the writing itself is stilted and awkward.
Just read the original graphic novel.
[Read 23/08/23] A very approachable collection of essays, written in collaboration. It is not stuffy, or pretentious, or difficult to read. I would even say this is a good starting point for beginners getting into Tolkien scholarship.
Incredibly immersive and well-researched with a broad scope and broad appeal. I listened to the (unabridged) audio version and it flew by; I was surprised to see the regular book was over eight hundred pages long!
This is an extremely ambitious debut novel that, for the most part, lands. It follows the life of Ailey Garfield from a preteen to a grown woman studying for her doctorate. We see her family life, school life, love life, her successes, failures, struggles and everything between. Interspersed are long sections from the perspectives of different people from different parts of Ailey's mixed heritage: black, white, indigenous, from the 1700s to Ailey's own childhood. It's an intense generational saga that showcases ripples across the family line. Jeffers is absolutely unapologetic and unwavering in her commitment to making this a black feminist novel (and rightly so!). Triumphs and tragedies past and present can all be found here. Ailey's connection to her maternal line is the showcase, and ultimately provides the catharsis, of this theme.
Due to the length of the novel, it can sometimes feel a bit repetitive. While this repetitiveness is a way in which the generational trauma is highlighted, I do think certain segments could have done with tighter editing.
Nevertheless this is a compelling read, but also one that doesn't pull punches. True horror and heartbreak in spades, but more than enough love too.
A mostly very good collection of essays shedding light on often maligned aspects of Tolkien discussion.
A truly important book for 2023. Every one of these stories could have made a book by themselves. I've not heard of the podcast this is drawn from but now I'm interested. I read this as a digital loan from the library but will be buying a hard copy.
4.5/5 stars, because while I appreciate that each speaker only had to go into whatever level of detail they felt comfortable with, I do feel a lot of the stories were condensed for page count and could have been longer.
[Read 17/11/23] Mostly very good! As with any discourse on the topic there are parts I agree with and parts I vehemently disagree with. Some essays made me look more kindly on facets I have a tendency to turn my nose up at while others made me lean towards being critical of things I previously turned a blind eye to. Nature of the beast, I suppose.
I particularly enjoyed “Into the West: Far Green Country or Shadow on the Waters” by Judy Ann Ford and Robin Anne Reid. One of the main points of contention I have with Jackson's LotR is the tonal discrepancy between those movies and the original novel. Ford and Reid managed to articulate this beautifully, drawing in large part from the portrayal of the Grey Havens scene. Whenever I reread LotR, I am always struck by the deep grief at the core of the novel, and whenever I rewatch (less commonly!) the movies how that doesn't translate. Indeed, it's fair to say they are downright optimistic. I strongly recommend this particular essay.
As always, Verlyn Flieger's work is also a highlight.
3.5/5
“The Silmarillion can be fully understood without reference to The Lord of the Rings, but the reverse is not the case. Any attempt to read, to understand, and to evaluate Tolkien's fiction and his contribution to twentieth-century thought and fiction should begin where he began— at the beginning. Only then can there be any understanding of where he is going and, even more important, of why he is going there.”
[Reread 14/01/24] “Well, I'm back.”
This is my favourite novel, and it has been for the last fifteen years. I love it deeply and there is likely nothing I can say that someone else hasn't already said more intelligently and articulately.
That being said, I would urge anyone who has finished this book and hasn't read Tolkien's poem ‘The Sea Bell' to give that a read too. It has the subtitle ‘Frodo's Dreme', which does the job of explaining exactly why you should; Frodo is so distant by the end of this book that getting this small glimpse into his headspace is so deeply sad. This novel is deeply sad!
There is a sense of grief at the core of this story that is never fully captured in any of its adaptations. But simultaneously, it's so bittersweet that I have lump in my throat and an ache in my chest by the time I turn the last page. Whole and hollow at the same time. Contradictory, maybe, but to me, it's never been a story so much about good vs evil as it is about hope and despair, intermingled.
So less a review and more of an observation I suppose. Again, read The Sea Bell. I love this book.
Obsessed with the thought of Bill Shatner sitting down to write out his silly little Kirk and Spock fanfic. Fun time