David Woodger
I finished book 2 of this trilogy at the beginning of last June and on the strength of that book, this final book was moved up in my TBR list. And, wow, it was a very cool finish to a very cool fantasy trilogy. First of all, if you're not familiar with it, it's not set in a faux medieval world. It's set in a world of major cities, building, increasing technology, and some left over bits of magical occurrences from some not quite dead gods. This book begins with the deadly operative Sigrud beginning on a mission of revenge. There are some scenes in this book that are so cool, it makes you wish you could see it transformed into a movie. Some seriously exciting stuff.
This is the first book in a 10-volume series (eight of which are currently published). It's an epic fantasy spanning a world and with a myriad different characters. There are several maps, lists of dramatis personae, and glossaries to help you navigate this intricate world. It would be daunting to someone new to the fantasy genre, and on someone less so to a fan (like me).
Until relatively recently, I resisted getting involved in multi-volume fantasy series – at least those that expand beyond a trilogy. But that all changed when I started George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series (4 published, 3 to come). Got hooked there. I also got hooked on Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series (I've read 2 of 6 so far). Erikson has been compared to Martin because both are not afraid to kill off main characters (both good, evil, and somewhere in between). But these three, Erikson, Martin, and Butcher all have very different writing styles. Erikson's style is less straight-forward than the others. With Martin and Butcher, following the plot and the character's motivations doesn't tax your brain. But there is so much going on in Erikson's world. It's a little much at first but then a third of the way through this book, it begins to get clearer. And his use of sorcery in the story is heavy, detailed, and fascinating.
It's a strange place – maybe not as strange as China Mieville's Bas-Lag, but wonderfully strange all the same. And the characters are wildly diverse as well. But they could use some more fleshing out. Of the two dozen or so that I followed through this tale, I was only getting a clear picture of four or five of them. But I found the whole thing to wickedly engrossing. I love some of the weirdness he puts into this tale, like, for instance, a sorcerer who ends up having his soul transferred into a marionette. Think Chucky with wizardly powers. In this series the Malazan empire is hellbent on world domination but that is neither easy nor assured. Who knows how long it will take me to get through this series, but I'm looking forward to doing so.
One thing I gotta add is that Jeez Laweez, but these Malazan covers (US versions) are cheesy-looking! I mean, look at this one, is that guy sporting a mullet?! Sheesh. And, Book 3 looks like it may have the worst cover. I'd be embarrassed if I cared enough.
A wacky fantasy adventure in which adventurers are revered like rock stars and speak in a contemporary fashion. Golden Gabe's daughter rose is trapped in a city under siege and seeks Clay Cooper's help in getting their band of adventurers back together in order to embark on a suicidally perilous journey through the dangerous forest known as the Heartwyld and thence to Castia, a city under siege by a horde of beasties. Or, I should say, Horde with a capital H. And it's entertaining and so easy to read and moves along at a decent clip... But, all the contemporary talk and slang keeps yanking me out of the world as it were. And this world contains such an unfathomable plethora of strange beasts and monsters, that it strains credulity. Those two things kept bothering me. Yet I persevered and finished the story. Kinda fun and all but no real surprises.
Having found myself with nothing at hand to read to the kids some weeks ago, the missus suggested this one which she had available on her tablet. It's an old story, 100 years old actually, and I'd never read it so I plunged in. The story is a bit dry and a little dreary but the kids were into it. On the plus side, it got more interesting as it progressed and the kids enjoyed the characters of Mary, Martha, Dickon, and Colin. The story brought forth a number of questions and discussions with the kids. That was fun. But as I got near the end, I was eager to just finish it. The kids gave it good marks. I found the business with Dickon's facility with animals to be fanciful to say the least. Our next book will be a more modern tale.
It's been six years since I read one of Jonathan Carroll's wacky stories. This one is every bit as wacky as the other two I've read. There's a man, Ben, who supposed to have died from an accident but he didn't. His ghost is sent down to take over but finds she has nothing to do since Ben is still alive. Ben's ex-girlfriend, German, is sharing custody of their dog, Pilot. The ghost falls in love with German. Ben wants to get back together with German. But then things start getting wackier... talking dogs, the Angel of Death, revisiting scenes from memories, ghosts becoming visible, and so forth. Reading this phantasmagoria you may get a little confused by what exactly is going on, but it's best just to go with it. It'll all (sorta) make sense (using its own logic) in the end. It's hard to classify this author's work so I'm not going to bother. It's just different and often thought-provoking.
I was some 200 plus pages through some other trashy fantasy epic when the boredom factor hit my threshold. And I was in the mood for some other different fantasy story, something light, and this looked like fun.... A story about a puny, blue-skinned goblin named Jig with bad eyesight who finds himself pressed into service as a guide underneath the mountain where he lives. His captors are a vain prince, his half-mad wizard brother, a surly dwarf, and a thieving elf girl. And it's got a sense of humor. Jig and his pet fire-spider, Smudge, endure some dungeon-delving escapades with wit and style. (It was mentioned that one character would lose a battle of wits with his shadow.) I enjoyed this tale. Someday, I'll get around to Jig's next adventure, Goblin Hero.
This is the third book in this series (which currently numbers seven books, I think). I've been reading these aloud to Luke (age 9). This time apprentice Tom Ward and his master, the Spook, head to his winter house up in Anglezarke. This house has some decidedly creepy lodgers. We didn't get through this story as fast as the previous two and Luke has requested a break to read something else (possibly: Gregor the Overlander). Still enjoying the series but felt #3 was not quite up to snuff.
This is one of the books Luke got for Christmas and which he wanted as a read-aloud book. This was a very well-written story, told in deceptively simple language. The atmosphere is very creepy and spooky. There are cool wood-cut illustrations at each chapter heading. Young Tom Ward is the protagonist, a seventh son of a seventh son, he's a natural to be apprenticed to the local Spook. The Spook is the one to go to when dealing with boggarts, witches, ghosts, and the like. This story was right on the cusp of maybe-a-little-too-creepy-for-an-8-year-old but my 8-year-old kept begging me to read more anyway. Though, on one or two occasions, had to be certain our hero wasn't going to die (he comes close). Both Luke and I really enjoyed this tale. We've already started book number 2 in the series for the next read-aloud book.
Started this series of five books on a recommendation from my boss (who reads bucket loads of fantasy). This one is very exciting and does a lot with a cool premise. In this world there is a nation of Alerans who, somewhere around puberty, acquire the ability to command one of the six types of furies (or elementals). The six types are of wood, earth, air, fire, water, and metal. The different types of furies come with varied abilities and weaknesses. Someone commanding an air fury could command a wind strong enough and focused enough to enable them to fly for instance. There are a number of excellent characters both good and bad to follow in the Calderon valley of Alera. There's 15-year-old Tavi, who bristles at the fact that he has yet to command a fury of his own but his cleverness makes up for it. And Amara, an agent of the First Lord, Gaius Sextus. Amara commands a wind fury and gets embroiled in the intrigue surrounding Lord Gaius and a group of mercenaries and another Lord plotting to overthrow his rule. And then there are the savage Marat people: strong, proud, fury-less people who are split into various clans that don't all get along. There's a lot going on in this story and the action scenes are exciting and inventive. I'm looking forward to picking up the second book in the series (but first, I'll be making some detours).
I liked some of the stories okay. Skimmed through a few. Didn't think the payoff was all that.
This entry in the Codex Alera find Tavi at the age of 19 and sent to the western province of Ceres to join the First Aleran Legion under the assumed name of Rufus Scipio. Ceres is just north of Kalare and Tavi ends up in the thick of trouble as Lord Kalare is goaded into trying to take the throne from Gaius. Things take a little while to get interesting in this book but around halfway in it gets very good. Tavi's got his hands full dealing with an overwhelming army of Canim (huge dog-like warriors) and Amara and company are tasked with a risky rescue mission. As before, the last ten pages have some eye-opening revelations.
This is a physically large graphic novel, and it's only Book 1! But it's pretty amazing. The art is all done with pens and as if on a series of lined notebooks. The results are just fantastic. But of course what really makes this graphic novel work is the story. The characters and story are great. It just sucks you in and I read it in about five or six sessions. I couldn't really read this one in bed because it's just so large and heavy. The main character is a girl named Karen Reyes in late 60s Chicago. She's obsessed with monster magazines and many covers are in the pages here. And when an upstairs neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances, Karen investigates. Really looking forward to Book 2.
In book five of the six book series, Tavi travels to Canea, Gaius Sextus sends Bernard and Amara on a dangerous mission deep in vord territory, and Isana is up north on an impossible peace mission. Once this book gets going it's tough to put down. There's a surprising finish but at the same time this book lays a lot of groundwork for the big finish. I'm reading book six right now. Love this series.
Over a period of six nights, I read these tales aloud to my six-year-old son, Luke, and three-year-old daughter, Kajsa. Last night after finishing the book I asked Luke if he enjoyed the stories. “I loved it,” said Luke. (Meanwhile, Kajsa got far too squirmy to pay much attention after the first 10 minutes of any story). Luke ate it up though. The first of these three tales was published back in 1948! They concern the adventures of a young boy named Elmer Elevator and a baby dragon that he rescues in the first tale. Cute, light-weight stuff with a few illustrations sprinkled throughout. The end papers of the book are two different maps of the story's environs. Luke wants to make his own maps now.
I was looking around for a book to read aloud that would appeal to both my kids (age 8 and 5). This one is about a young, lonely boy names James who befriends a beetle who lives in his NYC apartment named Marvin. Together they get involved in an art heist. The story is a tad dry and slow-moving and without much conflict. All in all I felt the story to be unremarkable. But both my kids kept wanting me to read more when I was ready to say good night. So that's good.
This fifth outing of the necromancer Johannes Cabal, along with his brother Horst, a vampire, is much of what I've come to expect from the series: wit, demons, murder, excitement, and fun. I love the dry wit that's littered throughout the text. And in this go-round, the plot got off to a slow-ish start, but it wasn't long before it really kicked into gear and I was grinning and quickly turning pages until the very end. I think I need to read more by this author.
This is a mystery. It features the most helpless and stupid protagonist I've ever come across. Lo Blacklock suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. Also, she's a bit of a drunk. She works for a travel magazine. When her boss becomes too ill, Lo gets a break and joins a little over a dozen others for the maiden voyage of a smallish luxury cruiseship that has ten guest cabins. Then something sinister happens, Lo is stirred from her drunken stupor, eventually tells people what she thinks. They don't believe her. She sucks at her job too. She doesn't really have much going for her. I stuck around to see how the central mystery wraps up. I had guessed right a little past the halfway mark. I might've muttered “Just die already” to the main character at one point. No luck.
This novella recently got a bit of press and it sounded intriguing so I checked it out. It's a brief story about a family arriving at a large chateau in France. It's written in spare language but manages to set an enveloping gothic mood. The various characters in this extended family have some serious issues that they are dealing with. The central character, a woman, arrives with a broken arm and covered in yellowing bruises. Her sister-in-law arrives with her stillborn baby cradled in her arms. The whole effect is creepy and bizarre in a good way. It's a dark, poetic story. I'd be interested to see what this author does next.
Pretty sure I saw this one mentioned in the NYT Book Review and I snapped it up. Then, not even remembering the details of the review and not bothering to read the jacket copy (it's in hardcover), I set to reading this tale. It's a wild, outlandish, modern odyssey of a story with our hero Ben deciding to take a walk since he has some hours to kill before a business meeting. He's checked into some bucolic hotel and walks out the back towards the woods. When he stumbles across what seems to be the aftermath of a murder by people who don't seem quite human, he makes a run for it and becomes epically lost. Things get stranger from there. The story is propulsive, horrific, fun and just a cool excursion. I read the book (it's short) in just under 5 days – which is quick for me. Good ending too.
Hey. So anyway, after I read the book, I then read the jacket flap and was glad I'd waited. It was a helluva lot more fun going into this story completely in the dark from the get-go. I hate when the copy gives too much away. But that's me.
This is the fourth “What Every American Should Know About...” book I've read and just as fascinating as the others. Published in 2008, this book is filled with facts, history, and the current state of affairs of the countries which comprise the Middle East. Although it's not the sexiest title in the world, it's a book that I read like a page-turning thriller. I kept putting down the fiction titles I've been reading and reading this instead. Before this book, I only had vague notions of what what was going on in this part of the world, and little idea of how it got that way. But after reading this, I've got a much better understanding of the area, it's diverse people, and how they got there. One thing that stands out is how you just can't paint these Middle Eastern countries as simply good and bad, black or white. They all have their good and bad points. And the USA is included in that assessment since the USA has had a big hand in shaping Middle Eastern affairs and it's not always been a helping hand. Nobody comes away cleanly from this book. Not the USA, the British, the French, or the many characters in the Middle East. It's a messy world and this book helped me put it in context. This is just fascinating stuff.
I was casting about for a new series of books that I thought Luke (age 9) might enjoy and among several that I had him eyeball in a bookstore, this was one that he allowed might look interesting. So I started reading this aloud to him early this month. It was “okay” to begin with but he immediately enjoyed the humorous bits with young Gregor's sister, Boots. Gregor is a young boy who lives in New York City. He and his 2-year-old sister Boots fall down a shaft that they find via their laundry room and end up in the Underland. The Underland is home to humans, giant talking cockroaches, bats, spiders, and evil rats. As we got further into the story, Luke became more and more engaged with the story. Somewhere past the halfway point, when I was done with my reading aloud for the night, Luke wanted to read some on his own until lights out. I'd come back 30 or 40 minutes later to find he'd read 40 or 50 pages and I needed to catch up before the next night's reading. So the book progressed faster and faster. Luke loved it. I got the second of the this five-book series out of the library to keep him occupied. Luke wanted to start reading it immediately. He read 56 pages the first night.
This second book in the trilogy was just as much fun as the first and also a Hugo winner. Really enjoy the interconnected skills (indistinguishable from magic) that many of the characters have. The world is fascinating. And the alien semi-human characters are delightfully odd and intriguing. I also enjoy how the author does not spell everything out for the reader. You can piece together things on your own. It adds to the fun. Moving on directly to the third book in the trilogy.
For a little while I was listening to some GetBooked podcasts from BookRiot. They seemed to keep recommending this one. They had also recommended The Rook which I read last January and which was excellent. But this one was not as strong. The story concerned a disparate crew of a space tug whose job was to create worm-hole tunnels through space. The crew was a mix of humans and few other sentient species along with an AI. Easy to read, but my main problem with it was the meandering, non-propulsive plot. Not exactly a page-turner, more a sci-fi piece concerning some interpersonal (and interspecies) relationships aboard a spaceship. It was interesting enough to finish, but I confess to some skimming in the final quarter.
Upped to 3 stars because my teenage son liked it better than I did.