So we all know the story about the rebellious princess who runs away from home because no one *~understands her~*. She's a special snowflake, and once she's out of the restrictions of royal life, she blossoms like the rare exotic flower she is, and finds true love with scenes bordering of stuff from a Harlequin novel, blah blah blah. The Princetta by Anne-Laure Bondoux takes the idea of a runaway princess and plays it out a bit more naturalistically. Our heroine, Malva, is the princetta of Galnicia, which seems to be sort of based on Spain. The whole world of the story is a skewed version of our own, but with enough alterations to make it its own place. Anyway, Malva is not content to live the life her parents have planned for her. And, to be fair, her dad's kind of a jerk, mocking her writings and making her burn them. I mean, jeez. And so Malva and her handmaiden Philomena escape with the help of Malva's tutor, the Archont. Free to explore the world, Malva makes her goal Elgolia, a mythical land she hears about in a sailor's tale. But her quest is hindered by the vastness of the world and the enemies it holds, as well as by the rescue mission mounted by her parents which includes among its members the young sailor Orpheus, who provides the second viewpoint of the story.
So I really like that while Malva is a rebellious princess, she's also not stupid and is mostly not so stubborn that she ends up shooting herself in the foot. Realistic consequences ensue from Malva's decision to run away. She's not perfect, and she suffers, and she learns from what she endures. The whole sequence in the Archipelago was well-done, and while Malva and Orpheus are the main characters, the supporting characters on the Fabula were all sufficiently developed that their struggles and sacrifices were moving. The ending, too, was original and executed well. I honestly didn't expect it, but it worked for the type of story which this is.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Flora Segunda
Flora Fyrdraaca lives in a magical house with a magical butler, but both house and butler have seen better days. Though the Fyrdraaca family is one of the big names in the city of Califa, you wouldn't know it to see Flora trying to manage the household and her mentally damaged father on her own while her mother, the Commanding General of the Army, is off on business. Then one day, shortly before her fourteenth birthday, Flora stumbles upon the house's banished butler in a lonely library that Flora has never seen before. The butler, a magical spirit named Valefor who used to be in charge of making sure the Fyrdraaca family lived in luxury, is now a pale shadow of his former self. But, he tells Flora, with her help he can be restored, and she'll be relieved of the burden of keeping up the house without magic. Tired of running herself ragged and tempted by a small taste of the Valefor's magical powers (including delicious foods he can whip up), Flora agrees, bringing her best friend Udo along for the ride. Of course, nothing goes quite the way Flora plans, and so there are all sorts of zany magickal hijinks and whatnot.
Okay, so. What makes this book so great? Well, first off, it's stunningly original and detailed in its worldbuilding. Sure there's hints of inspiration from real world cultures, but there's no way you could say, "Oh, it's like Victorian England but with magic," or anything so simple as that. Indeed, the dominant real-world inspiration seems to be Spanish, such as the Catorcena, the celebration of the fourteenth birthday, when a child becomes an adult. The fashions are another thing entirely, with everyone, men and women, wearing skirts or kilts for the most part. That's a simple but quick indicator that this isn't Western Europe as we know it. And the world-building and glimpses of history we see all fit together tightly. And I particularly like the detail given to the adventures of Nini Mo and her rangers.
Ah, this is why I shouldn't be lazy about writing these reviews, all the things I want to say become less fresh in my mind. But let's see. Well, the plot makes sense, moves quickly, and packs in a lot of action. The system of magic is clever and mysterious, but never seems to break its own rules. What I really loved was the depth given to all the characters. Flora's parents, in particular, have multiple facets and parts of their histories that aren't explored but which still affect their behavior and the story. That is, the first book doesn't give it all away. Flora is a fine protagonist. She's flawed but personable, doesn't always succeed, gets called out when she deserves it, and is an active heroine. Valefor and Udo both are good supporting characters and act as foils for Flora and each other. Well. Anyway, there's a second book in the series, and I have ordered it from the library, so we shall see how Flora's story continues to unfold since, like, all the best series, there is still plenty more to learn about our heroine and her world, more than could be covered in one book.
Okay, so. What makes this book so great? Well, first off, it's stunningly original and detailed in its worldbuilding. Sure there's hints of inspiration from real world cultures, but there's no way you could say, "Oh, it's like Victorian England but with magic," or anything so simple as that. Indeed, the dominant real-world inspiration seems to be Spanish, such as the Catorcena, the celebration of the fourteenth birthday, when a child becomes an adult. The fashions are another thing entirely, with everyone, men and women, wearing skirts or kilts for the most part. That's a simple but quick indicator that this isn't Western Europe as we know it. And the world-building and glimpses of history we see all fit together tightly. And I particularly like the detail given to the adventures of Nini Mo and her rangers.
Ah, this is why I shouldn't be lazy about writing these reviews, all the things I want to say become less fresh in my mind. But let's see. Well, the plot makes sense, moves quickly, and packs in a lot of action. The system of magic is clever and mysterious, but never seems to break its own rules. What I really loved was the depth given to all the characters. Flora's parents, in particular, have multiple facets and parts of their histories that aren't explored but which still affect their behavior and the story. That is, the first book doesn't give it all away. Flora is a fine protagonist. She's flawed but personable, doesn't always succeed, gets called out when she deserves it, and is an active heroine. Valefor and Udo both are good supporting characters and act as foils for Flora and each other. Well. Anyway, there's a second book in the series, and I have ordered it from the library, so we shall see how Flora's story continues to unfold since, like, all the best series, there is still plenty more to learn about our heroine and her world, more than could be covered in one book.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Grimm Legacy
So, The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman is one of those books that totally looks like it's going to be hokey and I'm going to read it, cringe, and put it away. To my extreme delight, this book was a Kiki Strike - a surprisingly enjoyable story that I never expected. So, the basic premise of this book is that Elizabeth Rew, a normal girl who's an outcast at her new school, gets a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, which is a library for things. Only, along with the mundane materials, there is a whole vault of magical items from the Grimm fairy tales. So, Elizabeth gets the job, but things aren't all candy and bunnies: magical items have been disappearing from the collection, and other library pages are under suspicion. There's also some well-executed teen romance drama which adds another layer to the shifting loyalties of the characters.
The whole thing works primarily because Elizabeth is a realistic, likable viewpoint character. She's got a good narrative voice, descriptive, but not in a way that makes you wonder why a high school girl is talking like that. She is also, and I love her character so much for this, not a complete idiot. I mean, she's a teenage girl who doesn't let her hormones drive her every action, who doesn't trust people who are blatantly untrustworthy, and who actually trusts authority figures. Glory be! From her point of view, we get to see the Repository and all of the various interesting magical items in the Grimm collection. The author, Ms. Shulman, makes good use of common and obscure fairy tales from which to pull items that feature in the story. The secondary characters were all nicely developed. Every time I thought I'd predicted what one of them was up to, whether they were a traitor or not, things would get more complex. Even the romance wasn't particularly formulaic, and the whole book had a sense of humor about it, not overtly so, but enough to keep the story light. I think the plot was the weakest part of the book, not that it was at all bad. It just felt that the story was more in the characters and their relationships with each other (and not just limited to the romantic relationships). I also got very slightly lost towards the end of the book when they confronted the bad guys. Not enough that it wasn't fun, but more where I was like, "I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever, it's cool, I'll go along with this." A nice thing about this book was that, while there's room for a sequel, it never felt like this story was just a set-up for something else. The Grimm Legacy easily holds its own as a standalone story.
The whole thing works primarily because Elizabeth is a realistic, likable viewpoint character. She's got a good narrative voice, descriptive, but not in a way that makes you wonder why a high school girl is talking like that. She is also, and I love her character so much for this, not a complete idiot. I mean, she's a teenage girl who doesn't let her hormones drive her every action, who doesn't trust people who are blatantly untrustworthy, and who actually trusts authority figures. Glory be! From her point of view, we get to see the Repository and all of the various interesting magical items in the Grimm collection. The author, Ms. Shulman, makes good use of common and obscure fairy tales from which to pull items that feature in the story. The secondary characters were all nicely developed. Every time I thought I'd predicted what one of them was up to, whether they were a traitor or not, things would get more complex. Even the romance wasn't particularly formulaic, and the whole book had a sense of humor about it, not overtly so, but enough to keep the story light. I think the plot was the weakest part of the book, not that it was at all bad. It just felt that the story was more in the characters and their relationships with each other (and not just limited to the romantic relationships). I also got very slightly lost towards the end of the book when they confronted the bad guys. Not enough that it wasn't fun, but more where I was like, "I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever, it's cool, I'll go along with this." A nice thing about this book was that, while there's room for a sequel, it never felt like this story was just a set-up for something else. The Grimm Legacy easily holds its own as a standalone story.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Perchance to Dream
We start with a correction to the Twilight Zone entry. Richard Matheson did not write a novel called Perchance to Dream; his novel is called What Dreams May Come. I suppose the similar names (both phrases being from Hamlet's famous soliloquy), along with the fact that today's book does share a name with Charles Beaumont's short story, caused the mix-up.
Well! Without further ado, let us move on to the book of the entry, Lisa Mantchev's Perchance to Dream. A sequel to Eyes Like Stars, this novel wraps up the story begun in the first book. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is off on a quest to rescue her pirate lover Nate from the clutches of Sedna the sea goddess with her fairy allies and the spirit Ariel. Other characters include an enigmatic thief and Bertie's father, as well as a troupe of traveling players. The sea goddess herself even makes an appearance. Well, look, I have to be honest. As much as I did enjoy this book, it was not as good as the first. Eyes Like Stars. If you'll allow me to get theatrical here, I think it was the way the first book kept close to the Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action. The action was compressed to within just a few days, it all took place within a few locales in the theatre, and there was really only one main plot. (It doesn't completely keep with the unities, but that is totally understandable as a book is not a play, and, anyway, the unities are kind of boring. But you can't go wrong with keeping things simple at times!) Perchance to Dream throws Bertie and her company into the wilder world outside the theatre, but while I eventually got into the groove of what was going on, the way the magic of words was introduced and used kept confusing me, and I just kind of went along with the flow instead of really absorbing what was going on. Waschbar and the Scrimshander were both important characters, but they were really abruptly introduced. I just felt that the novel's breakneck pace and piles of new information made it a bit of muddle. Diana Wynne Jones can pull that sort of thing off, but she's a rare writer. However, for all that I'm complaining, I still genuinely liked this book. I'll also give Ms. Mantchev props for handling the romance. It could have so easily turned into something like Twilight, except for Bertie's more sensible outlook. And I have to admit that I actually gained sympathy for Ariel, whom I was not particularly fond of in the first book. Really, all of the characters shone by the end of this book, even the Scrimshander, who took even longer to win me over than Ariel did. Wikipedia tells me there will be a third book. With luck, it will slow down the pacing and focus more on the characters in a single theatrical setting, what made the first book so great.
Well! Without further ado, let us move on to the book of the entry, Lisa Mantchev's Perchance to Dream. A sequel to Eyes Like Stars, this novel wraps up the story begun in the first book. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is off on a quest to rescue her pirate lover Nate from the clutches of Sedna the sea goddess with her fairy allies and the spirit Ariel. Other characters include an enigmatic thief and Bertie's father, as well as a troupe of traveling players. The sea goddess herself even makes an appearance. Well, look, I have to be honest. As much as I did enjoy this book, it was not as good as the first. Eyes Like Stars. If you'll allow me to get theatrical here, I think it was the way the first book kept close to the Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action. The action was compressed to within just a few days, it all took place within a few locales in the theatre, and there was really only one main plot. (It doesn't completely keep with the unities, but that is totally understandable as a book is not a play, and, anyway, the unities are kind of boring. But you can't go wrong with keeping things simple at times!) Perchance to Dream throws Bertie and her company into the wilder world outside the theatre, but while I eventually got into the groove of what was going on, the way the magic of words was introduced and used kept confusing me, and I just kind of went along with the flow instead of really absorbing what was going on. Waschbar and the Scrimshander were both important characters, but they were really abruptly introduced. I just felt that the novel's breakneck pace and piles of new information made it a bit of muddle. Diana Wynne Jones can pull that sort of thing off, but she's a rare writer. However, for all that I'm complaining, I still genuinely liked this book. I'll also give Ms. Mantchev props for handling the romance. It could have so easily turned into something like Twilight, except for Bertie's more sensible outlook. And I have to admit that I actually gained sympathy for Ariel, whom I was not particularly fond of in the first book. Really, all of the characters shone by the end of this book, even the Scrimshander, who took even longer to win me over than Ariel did. Wikipedia tells me there will be a third book. With luck, it will slow down the pacing and focus more on the characters in a single theatrical setting, what made the first book so great.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Prince of Mist
The Prince of Mist could be called The Shadow of the Wind lite, except that would be doing a disservice to both books. The Prince of Mist could perhaps be said to be a precursor, an introduction to Zafon's masterwork, except that also seems to belittle the shorter but no less enthralling earlier book. The Prince of Mist is one of those children's books that is not a children's book, because it can be enjoyed by anyone, and associating it only with children would be doing it a disservice, though heaven knows that child readers are no idiots. I suppose I could best compare The Prince of Mist to The Westing Game in this regard. Child characters and a writing style a child could comprehend, but a very intricate plot and unexpectedly dark plot material. Haunted statues, a devilish man with dark magic, a sunken ship that went down with dozens of forsaken souls on board, a house built by a rich man whose family was soon after struck by tragedy, all of this is trademark Zafon, and everything comes together in a tight plot that will tug at your heart and make you glad to have a light on while you read. This is an excellent tragedy, and it's all the better for having characters you as the reader will identify and sympathize with. Max is a well-executed normal boy protagonist, Alicia is neither too haughty nor too sensual to be unlikable, and Roland is just shy of being too cocky, and so you don't end up hating him. I mean, when I started reading, I was sure I could peg the character types, but it was pleasant to find that instead of just being types, the three main characters were actually individual personalities. But still, first novel or not, I should not have expected less from Zafon.
Well, this was more reflection than review. Ah, get used to it, I guess? Okay, okay, here's a bit about the actual plot. With World War II looming, Max and his family move from the city to a seaside town. The town is sleepy, but the house Max's family moves into is wreathed in a tragic past. Max's new friend Roland tells him and his sister Alicia about the Fleischmann family who lived there until their son Jacob died. Meanwhile, Max discovers a garden full of freakin' creepy statues including one of a scary clown. I mean, jeez, Zafon, dead children aren't enough for you, you have to freaking have clowns in this book? Master of horror, indeed. Tragedy circles ever closer around Max, Alicia, and Roland, and connected to it all is a mysterious character called the Prince of Mist.
Anyway! If you haven't read anything by Zafon, either this book or The Shadow of the Wind is good to start with. And you should start with one of them. Right now. Because Zafon is amazing.
Well, this was more reflection than review. Ah, get used to it, I guess? Okay, okay, here's a bit about the actual plot. With World War II looming, Max and his family move from the city to a seaside town. The town is sleepy, but the house Max's family moves into is wreathed in a tragic past. Max's new friend Roland tells him and his sister Alicia about the Fleischmann family who lived there until their son Jacob died. Meanwhile, Max discovers a garden full of freakin' creepy statues including one of a scary clown. I mean, jeez, Zafon, dead children aren't enough for you, you have to freaking have clowns in this book? Master of horror, indeed. Tragedy circles ever closer around Max, Alicia, and Roland, and connected to it all is a mysterious character called the Prince of Mist.
Anyway! If you haven't read anything by Zafon, either this book or The Shadow of the Wind is good to start with. And you should start with one of them. Right now. Because Zafon is amazing.
Monday, May 26, 2008
The BFG
Title: The BFG
Author: Roald Dahl
What it's about: In the middle of the night, Sophie is captured by a giant. But she's not going to be eaten, because she's been taken by the Big Friendly Giant, the only giant who doesn't eat people. Sophie and the BFG both decide that something needs to be done to prevent the other nine giants from eating any more people, and they concoct a plan to stop them.
What I thought: Dahl really works some magic here. This book is extremely imaginative. From the discussion of the taste of human beans to the different dreams the BFG has collected, brilliant ideas just burst from this book. The queer way of speaking that all the giants have, along with the wondrous descriptions of things like what dreams are and the BFG's sense of hearing, also add a lovely sense of mystery to the book. Add to all that fun characters and a simple but enjoyable plot, and you have a great read.
Overall: With books like this one, it's not hard to see why Roald Dahl is such a classic children's author.
Author: Roald Dahl
What it's about: In the middle of the night, Sophie is captured by a giant. But she's not going to be eaten, because she's been taken by the Big Friendly Giant, the only giant who doesn't eat people. Sophie and the BFG both decide that something needs to be done to prevent the other nine giants from eating any more people, and they concoct a plan to stop them.
What I thought: Dahl really works some magic here. This book is extremely imaginative. From the discussion of the taste of human beans to the different dreams the BFG has collected, brilliant ideas just burst from this book. The queer way of speaking that all the giants have, along with the wondrous descriptions of things like what dreams are and the BFG's sense of hearing, also add a lovely sense of mystery to the book. Add to all that fun characters and a simple but enjoyable plot, and you have a great read.
Overall: With books like this one, it's not hard to see why Roald Dahl is such a classic children's author.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Once Upon A Marigold
Title: Once Upon A Marigold
Author: Jean Ferris
What it's about: Christian runs away from home and is raised by a troll as his foster father for eleven years. He eventually starts a long-distance friendship with the princess in the castle across the river by sending messages with trained pigeons. Eventually, Chris realizes it's time to strike out on his own, so he goes to the castle for a job and ends up way over his head in trouble and all sorts of stuff like that.
What I thought: If there were to ever be a movie version of this story, I think it would be like a combination of the movie Stardust and the television series Pushing Daisies. Very whimsical feel to it. This is a hopeful, optimistic book. It's slightly cheesy, but not enough so that it really detracts. I mean, pragmatic ol' me sometimes was like, okay, guys, seriously, let's cut the power of love stuff here. This isn't an anime or bad fan fiction. But still, for a story that's so much about love and friendship and good guys coming out on top, this is really well-executed. There's very much a theme of coming of age to this book, too. I think the main thing I could say is that there's never really any suspense. Bad stuff happens, but the tone of the book just makes you feel like everything will be all right in the end, so you don't need to really worry.
Overall: A good, uplifting read. Give it a shot, I say.
Author: Jean Ferris
What it's about: Christian runs away from home and is raised by a troll as his foster father for eleven years. He eventually starts a long-distance friendship with the princess in the castle across the river by sending messages with trained pigeons. Eventually, Chris realizes it's time to strike out on his own, so he goes to the castle for a job and ends up way over his head in trouble and all sorts of stuff like that.
What I thought: If there were to ever be a movie version of this story, I think it would be like a combination of the movie Stardust and the television series Pushing Daisies. Very whimsical feel to it. This is a hopeful, optimistic book. It's slightly cheesy, but not enough so that it really detracts. I mean, pragmatic ol' me sometimes was like, okay, guys, seriously, let's cut the power of love stuff here. This isn't an anime or bad fan fiction. But still, for a story that's so much about love and friendship and good guys coming out on top, this is really well-executed. There's very much a theme of coming of age to this book, too. I think the main thing I could say is that there's never really any suspense. Bad stuff happens, but the tone of the book just makes you feel like everything will be all right in the end, so you don't need to really worry.
Overall: A good, uplifting read. Give it a shot, I say.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Wizard Heir
Title: The Wizard Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Seph McCauley is a wizard, and he's been having trouble controlling his powers. His guardians put him in a private school called the Havens, a place that's supposed to be good at reforming troubled boys. However, Seph learns that the headmaster is in fact looking for young wizards like Seph who can be bound to him for power. What follows next is a struggle against the headmaster and a larger conspiracy that ties in with the events of The Warrior Heir.
What I thought: The same general praise that went for The Warrior Heir can work for this book. Seph's a different sort of protagonist than Jack, and I didn't perhaps like him as much, but that's not to say that he's uninteresting or that his story doesn't hold one's interest. An interesting thing with this book was seeing Jack and the other characters from the first book in a more peripheral role. Gives a view of how other people would view them and fleshes out their characters more. In general, this book seemed to be a lot about building up for conflict in the third book that's coming out this summer. Still, it was good.
Overall: If you liked The Warrior Heir, then you'll like this book.
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Seph McCauley is a wizard, and he's been having trouble controlling his powers. His guardians put him in a private school called the Havens, a place that's supposed to be good at reforming troubled boys. However, Seph learns that the headmaster is in fact looking for young wizards like Seph who can be bound to him for power. What follows next is a struggle against the headmaster and a larger conspiracy that ties in with the events of The Warrior Heir.
What I thought: The same general praise that went for The Warrior Heir can work for this book. Seph's a different sort of protagonist than Jack, and I didn't perhaps like him as much, but that's not to say that he's uninteresting or that his story doesn't hold one's interest. An interesting thing with this book was seeing Jack and the other characters from the first book in a more peripheral role. Gives a view of how other people would view them and fleshes out their characters more. In general, this book seemed to be a lot about building up for conflict in the third book that's coming out this summer. Still, it was good.
Overall: If you liked The Warrior Heir, then you'll like this book.
The Warrior Heir
Title: The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Jack Swift thinks he's a normal high school student living in Trinity, Ohio. One day, he forgets to take his heart medicine and accidentally blows a rival across the soccer field. It comes out that Jack is actually one of the Weir, a member of the five hidden magic guilds. Jack is a warrior, though he was born a wizard, and in the present day, warriors are very valuable. So begins Jack's training and the struggle to stay alive amidst the machinations of the two controlling houses of wizards.
What I thought: Well, first off, Jack's a pretty likable protagonist. His reaction to the strange situations he finds himself in is what any normal person's would be: scared, angry, but with a touch of "okay, this is kinda cool." The supporting characters are all very well-written, with nicely defined personalities, and they all serve purposes in the book. The whole magic system is laid out well, and you're not likely to get confused too much while reading it. Doesn't read too much like an info-dump, either; there are a couple points where you could think that, but for the most part, the necessary background info is integrated nicely into the text. This wasn't my first time reading this book, but I seem to remember puzzling out the twist at the end before it occurred. However, it's not blatantly obvious, so if you do figure it out, you won't feel let down about it.
Overall: This is fun and entertaining urban fantasy with a good mix of sword and sorcery stuff. The narrative is fresh and fun, making this a relatively quick and enjoyable read.
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
What it's about: Jack Swift thinks he's a normal high school student living in Trinity, Ohio. One day, he forgets to take his heart medicine and accidentally blows a rival across the soccer field. It comes out that Jack is actually one of the Weir, a member of the five hidden magic guilds. Jack is a warrior, though he was born a wizard, and in the present day, warriors are very valuable. So begins Jack's training and the struggle to stay alive amidst the machinations of the two controlling houses of wizards.
What I thought: Well, first off, Jack's a pretty likable protagonist. His reaction to the strange situations he finds himself in is what any normal person's would be: scared, angry, but with a touch of "okay, this is kinda cool." The supporting characters are all very well-written, with nicely defined personalities, and they all serve purposes in the book. The whole magic system is laid out well, and you're not likely to get confused too much while reading it. Doesn't read too much like an info-dump, either; there are a couple points where you could think that, but for the most part, the necessary background info is integrated nicely into the text. This wasn't my first time reading this book, but I seem to remember puzzling out the twist at the end before it occurred. However, it's not blatantly obvious, so if you do figure it out, you won't feel let down about it.
Overall: This is fun and entertaining urban fantasy with a good mix of sword and sorcery stuff. The narrative is fresh and fun, making this a relatively quick and enjoyable read.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sword of the Rightful King
Here we go, a nice quick update. =D 'Course, for the next few days there won't be anything since I have a retreat, but with any luck, I'll have several books to post about when I get back. Last year's retreat saw me polishing off about three Terry Pratchett books or something ridiculous. Anyway, here we go with Sword of the Rightful King. I picked it up 'cause I wanted something similar in spirit and quality to The High King's Tomb, and this old favorite didn't disappoint.
Title: Sword of the Rightful King
Author: Jane Yolen
What it's about: This is the story of the sword in the stone, but with plenty of twists. In order to unite all the people of Britain under Arthur's rule, Merlinnus conceives of a sword in a stone as a way of proving that Arthur is destined to be king. Arthur's kingship is opposed by Morgause, the North Witch, who wants the throne for one of her sons.
What I thought: You can tell a lot of research went into this book. Nods are made to the various Arthurian legends, and the historical stuff seems pretty accurate as far as I can tell. Certainly lent the book a good sense of atmosphere. We've got a nice bunch of viewpoint characters, too, and they're all interesting, distinctive, and developed. The plot is nicely developed and weaved together, with the ending being very satisfactory.
Overall: This is just solid, entertaining storytelling right here.
When I get back, we'll have at least The Warrior Heir up for review, if not more. Possibly either its sequel, The Wizard Heir, or one of the Suzumiya Haruhi light novels, 'cause I'm on a Haruhi kick at the moment.
Title: Sword of the Rightful King
Author: Jane Yolen
What it's about: This is the story of the sword in the stone, but with plenty of twists. In order to unite all the people of Britain under Arthur's rule, Merlinnus conceives of a sword in a stone as a way of proving that Arthur is destined to be king. Arthur's kingship is opposed by Morgause, the North Witch, who wants the throne for one of her sons.
What I thought: You can tell a lot of research went into this book. Nods are made to the various Arthurian legends, and the historical stuff seems pretty accurate as far as I can tell. Certainly lent the book a good sense of atmosphere. We've got a nice bunch of viewpoint characters, too, and they're all interesting, distinctive, and developed. The plot is nicely developed and weaved together, with the ending being very satisfactory.
Overall: This is just solid, entertaining storytelling right here.
When I get back, we'll have at least The Warrior Heir up for review, if not more. Possibly either its sequel, The Wizard Heir, or one of the Suzumiya Haruhi light novels, 'cause I'm on a Haruhi kick at the moment.
The High King's Tomb
All right, folks, before we get to the actual review portion of the evening, I just want to warn for major spoilers here. Sorry, but I'm not going to be able to keep this entry anywhere near spoiler-free. The High King's Tomb is the third book in a series, and it's a series I love and want to gush about. So if you don't like spoilers, just go pick up Green Rider by Kristen Britain, which is the first book, and read that instead.
Okay, seriously, just go read the series. I mean it. Don't spoil yourself by reading this entry!
Title: The High King's Tomb
Author: Kristen Britain
What it's about: So Karigan G'ladheon is a Green Rider, a member of the Sacoridia's messenger corps. She's the sort of person who always winds up in troublesome situations, such as when she first encountered a dying Rider and vowed to take his message to the king, not knowing that this would lead to her narrowly escaping death several times, thwarting a coup, thwarting a disembodied evil, and plenty of other heroic things. When this book takes off, Karigan is a veteran Rider, and she's off on a message errand with trainee Rider Fergal in tow. They are looking for a book that will help them combat a mysterious group known as the Second Empire that wants to take over Sacoridia. Meanwhile, preparations for King Zachary's marriage are underway, but agents of the Second Empire have other ideas for the king's bride-to-be, Lady Estora. Plenty of things happen, concluding in a climactic encounter in, appropriately enough, the high king's tomb.
What I thought: Awright, so I haven't reviewed the first two books here yet, but I will eventually, but right now I'm gonna blather on about the third book and the series as a whole, pretty much. So first of all, the world of this story, especially the country of Sacoridia and its culture, is very well developed. The history of the provinces, from the Long War to the Clan Wars to the current era is sketched out and then filled in with more and more details as the books go on. I really like how magic is developed, and how Britain's not afraid to get dark with her story, such as the way the D'Yer Wall was created. The Riders' abilities are neat, and Karigan's ability is developed over the books, so what could be a pretty unbelievable turn of events in the third book is actually pretty easy to swallow. Similarly, Britain introduces concepts briefly in earlier books and then returns to them later, like, of course, the D'Yer Wall, the tombs of the kings and heroes, and the white space. Another thing that interested me was the technology level of Sacoridia, which has developed, among other things, the printing press, as well as the detail that goes into the fleshing out the culture. Coffeehouses in an arts district in Sacor City, the hot springs of Selium, Intrigue, and more all give the series a really detailed and real feel. Similarly, the characters are also well-developed. Even the bad guys are empathetic. Take Lord Mirwell in the first book. He was totally plotting the overthrowing of King Zachary and was shown as being a pretty ruthless fellow, but at the same time you could see where he was coming from, even if you didn't agree with him, and he was pretty admirable for his dedication to his clan, his tenacity, and his sheer cunning in all his plotting. Same goes for Grandmother, Mornhavon, and Hadriax. You could really get in their heads and understand where they were coming from. And of course, the good guys are developed even better. Laren, Estora, Zachary, Alton, the other viewpoint characters, and, of course, Karigan are all interesting and well-developed. And you really have to like Karigan. What really makes me like this series, besides all the other awesome things, is that Karigan has a sense of humor. Before this series, I'd equated high fantasy with dry, serious business epic quests. The stakes are still high in these books, but Karigan has a sense of humor and perspective, and that makes her all the more human and relatable. She's really a pretty fun protagonist. Spunky, but not to the extent of being stupid. Capable, with plenty of ability for saving the day, but not invincible. Take, for example, the scene in this book where Immerez is about to chop off her hand. I think that really hit home that Karigan's not invincible. She's combated all sorts of spirits and major evils, but here she's at the mercy of the captain and needs Amberhill's assistance to get out of the bind. And I think it's really neat that her romance with Zachary hasn't gone very easily and looks like it might not happen. Well, personally, I like the idea of Karigan and Alton better, but either way, Britain's really developing things to be difficult yet real. And Zachary and Estora is an interesting dynamic, too. Oh, and the whole thing with Karigan and Fergal on the message errand was good, too. There were a lot of places in the book where we were subtly shown that Karigan, for all her good traits, isn't perfect. Her impatience with Fergal and her reaction to learning about her father's trips to the brothel are two such examples. Seriously, you gotta love fantasy that shows so much depth and development.
Overall: Please. For your own good and enjoyment, get your hands on Green Rider, First Rider's Call, and The High King's Tomb.
Okay, seriously, just go read the series. I mean it. Don't spoil yourself by reading this entry!
Title: The High King's Tomb
Author: Kristen Britain
What it's about: So Karigan G'ladheon is a Green Rider, a member of the Sacoridia's messenger corps. She's the sort of person who always winds up in troublesome situations, such as when she first encountered a dying Rider and vowed to take his message to the king, not knowing that this would lead to her narrowly escaping death several times, thwarting a coup, thwarting a disembodied evil, and plenty of other heroic things. When this book takes off, Karigan is a veteran Rider, and she's off on a message errand with trainee Rider Fergal in tow. They are looking for a book that will help them combat a mysterious group known as the Second Empire that wants to take over Sacoridia. Meanwhile, preparations for King Zachary's marriage are underway, but agents of the Second Empire have other ideas for the king's bride-to-be, Lady Estora. Plenty of things happen, concluding in a climactic encounter in, appropriately enough, the high king's tomb.
What I thought: Awright, so I haven't reviewed the first two books here yet, but I will eventually, but right now I'm gonna blather on about the third book and the series as a whole, pretty much. So first of all, the world of this story, especially the country of Sacoridia and its culture, is very well developed. The history of the provinces, from the Long War to the Clan Wars to the current era is sketched out and then filled in with more and more details as the books go on. I really like how magic is developed, and how Britain's not afraid to get dark with her story, such as the way the D'Yer Wall was created. The Riders' abilities are neat, and Karigan's ability is developed over the books, so what could be a pretty unbelievable turn of events in the third book is actually pretty easy to swallow. Similarly, Britain introduces concepts briefly in earlier books and then returns to them later, like, of course, the D'Yer Wall, the tombs of the kings and heroes, and the white space. Another thing that interested me was the technology level of Sacoridia, which has developed, among other things, the printing press, as well as the detail that goes into the fleshing out the culture. Coffeehouses in an arts district in Sacor City, the hot springs of Selium, Intrigue, and more all give the series a really detailed and real feel. Similarly, the characters are also well-developed. Even the bad guys are empathetic. Take Lord Mirwell in the first book. He was totally plotting the overthrowing of King Zachary and was shown as being a pretty ruthless fellow, but at the same time you could see where he was coming from, even if you didn't agree with him, and he was pretty admirable for his dedication to his clan, his tenacity, and his sheer cunning in all his plotting. Same goes for Grandmother, Mornhavon, and Hadriax. You could really get in their heads and understand where they were coming from. And of course, the good guys are developed even better. Laren, Estora, Zachary, Alton, the other viewpoint characters, and, of course, Karigan are all interesting and well-developed. And you really have to like Karigan. What really makes me like this series, besides all the other awesome things, is that Karigan has a sense of humor. Before this series, I'd equated high fantasy with dry, serious business epic quests. The stakes are still high in these books, but Karigan has a sense of humor and perspective, and that makes her all the more human and relatable. She's really a pretty fun protagonist. Spunky, but not to the extent of being stupid. Capable, with plenty of ability for saving the day, but not invincible. Take, for example, the scene in this book where Immerez is about to chop off her hand. I think that really hit home that Karigan's not invincible. She's combated all sorts of spirits and major evils, but here she's at the mercy of the captain and needs Amberhill's assistance to get out of the bind. And I think it's really neat that her romance with Zachary hasn't gone very easily and looks like it might not happen. Well, personally, I like the idea of Karigan and Alton better, but either way, Britain's really developing things to be difficult yet real. And Zachary and Estora is an interesting dynamic, too. Oh, and the whole thing with Karigan and Fergal on the message errand was good, too. There were a lot of places in the book where we were subtly shown that Karigan, for all her good traits, isn't perfect. Her impatience with Fergal and her reaction to learning about her father's trips to the brothel are two such examples. Seriously, you gotta love fantasy that shows so much depth and development.
Overall: Please. For your own good and enjoyment, get your hands on Green Rider, First Rider's Call, and The High King's Tomb.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Never Trust a Dead Man
Title: Never Trust a Dead Man
Author: Vivian Vande Velde
What it's about: Selwyn, a teenage farm boy, is accused of murdering another lad, Farold, who was his rival for the affections of a girl, Anora. Selwyn's innocent, but no one believes this, so he's entombed in a burial cave along with Farold's dead body as punishment. Selwyn is rescued by a witch, Elswyth, who also brings Farold back in the body of a bat so that Selwyn and Farold can try to find Farold's murderer and prove Selwyn's innocence.
What I thought: This is another solid book by a good author. Thinking about it, that's really all that comes to mind. Solid, entertaining, but it's not going to really stand out in my mind. I mean, everything about it was above average, but nothing really shone as something to make this book especially memorable. It's nothing special, but it's good.
Overall: If you're looking for a good read, go ahead and check this one out.
Author: Vivian Vande Velde
What it's about: Selwyn, a teenage farm boy, is accused of murdering another lad, Farold, who was his rival for the affections of a girl, Anora. Selwyn's innocent, but no one believes this, so he's entombed in a burial cave along with Farold's dead body as punishment. Selwyn is rescued by a witch, Elswyth, who also brings Farold back in the body of a bat so that Selwyn and Farold can try to find Farold's murderer and prove Selwyn's innocence.
What I thought: This is another solid book by a good author. Thinking about it, that's really all that comes to mind. Solid, entertaining, but it's not going to really stand out in my mind. I mean, everything about it was above average, but nothing really shone as something to make this book especially memorable. It's nothing special, but it's good.
Overall: If you're looking for a good read, go ahead and check this one out.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
WebMage
Title: WebMage
Author: Kelly McCullough
What it's about: Apparently Ravirn is some sort of magic hacker genius who's descended from the three fates. There's, like, Greek mythology and technology mixed together, along with some sort of evil conspiracy. Or something.
What I thought: ... I quit reading by chapter five. The action became too chaotic too soon, without any sort of real setup, and Ravirn, despite getting into trouble, seemed way overpowered. Confusing story + characters I can't connect with = me tossing the book aside.
Overall: Nuh-uh. You can give this a chance, but I'm not recommending it.
Well, it looks like I'm back to the drawing board for a new book to get hooked on. Oh well, with over a hundred around, I'll find something soon enough. =P
Author: Kelly McCullough
What it's about: Apparently Ravirn is some sort of magic hacker genius who's descended from the three fates. There's, like, Greek mythology and technology mixed together, along with some sort of evil conspiracy. Or something.
What I thought: ... I quit reading by chapter five. The action became too chaotic too soon, without any sort of real setup, and Ravirn, despite getting into trouble, seemed way overpowered. Confusing story + characters I can't connect with = me tossing the book aside.
Overall: Nuh-uh. You can give this a chance, but I'm not recommending it.
Well, it looks like I'm back to the drawing board for a new book to get hooked on. Oh well, with over a hundred around, I'll find something soon enough. =P
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Quidditch Through The Ages
Oy, missed a day there. Comes of it bein' the end of the school year, as well as me choosin' to read some non-fiction. I'm still working on a book about musicals, 'cause those types of books take longer to read through than novels.
Title: Quidditch Through The Ages
Author: J.K. Rowling
What it's about: It's a book all about the fictional sport of Quidditch from the Harry Potter series. Details the history of the sport, the teams, the brooms, the rules, and other things.
What I thought: This is a short read, and it's fun if you like Harry Potter. The idea of Quidditch was one of my favorite parts of the Harry Potter series (along with Luna Lovegood). This book is fun and really shows the creativity that Rowling is capable of in her world-building.
Overall: Probably just worth checking out from the library since I read it in about an hour, and while chatting and stuff, too.
And I totally meant to review a different book today, but the words for the synopsis just weren't coming, so I just kinda picked up this book and blazed through it. With any luck, I'll be able to form a good review for Drawing a Blank tomorrow. Please note the irony in that particular title, too. >_>
Title: Quidditch Through The Ages
Author: J.K. Rowling
What it's about: It's a book all about the fictional sport of Quidditch from the Harry Potter series. Details the history of the sport, the teams, the brooms, the rules, and other things.
What I thought: This is a short read, and it's fun if you like Harry Potter. The idea of Quidditch was one of my favorite parts of the Harry Potter series (along with Luna Lovegood). This book is fun and really shows the creativity that Rowling is capable of in her world-building.
Overall: Probably just worth checking out from the library since I read it in about an hour, and while chatting and stuff, too.
And I totally meant to review a different book today, but the words for the synopsis just weren't coming, so I just kinda picked up this book and blazed through it. With any luck, I'll be able to form a good review for Drawing a Blank tomorrow. Please note the irony in that particular title, too. >_>
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