As the author acknowledges in the introduction, this is somewhat modeled on the Arabian Nights.
That connection was, ultimately, the cause of my disappAs the author acknowledges in the introduction, this is somewhat modeled on the Arabian Nights.
That connection was, ultimately, the cause of my disappointment.
The book has many strengths! The author paints us a detailed portrait of a beautiful world, and provides a number of fairly complex characters. But the thousand-tales aspect means very few characters linger for long. Only one, who isn’t sympathetic despite being quite compelling, provides the framing narrative.
But even though many of the embedded mini stories are wonderful, the sum is less than one might hope. (I felt the same way about Scheherazade’s stories, for what it’s worth.) If you don’t think you’d mind that element, I suspect this would be a four-star book. Read the review of a fervent enthusiast, if you’re tempted....more
Kids adventuring into magicland. But quite well done — their personalities came through clearly, and the back-and-forth of their perspectives was gentKids adventuring into magicland. But quite well done — their personalities came through clearly, and the back-and-forth of their perspectives was gently chaotic and fun.
You could think of this as maybe kinda like Narnia without the Christian symbolism. The magic here is Arthurian, instead, so Christian-adjacent, but not in a heavy-handed way. Good book....more
I thought: oh, Norse mythology! This'll be great. But I'm sorry to say that the addition of some modern snarkiness and a grating narrative of petulancI thought: oh, Norse mythology! This'll be great. But I'm sorry to say that the addition of some modern snarkiness and a grating narrative of petulance ruined it....more
The epic scope demanded more than I think the author was able to deliver, so I'm rounding down. The narrative aSomewhere between three and four stars.
The epic scope demanded more than I think the author was able to deliver, so I'm rounding down. The narrative attempted something so grandiose, but drifted into "I'm just going to make up some stuff up" territory too often. Nothing that explicitly violated the story's parameters, but that is necessary, not sufficient.
This is a pretty elliptical "review". Perhaps I'll dive deeper once I've read the final volume in the trilogy....more
I read this a few months after it came out back in 2018, and was wowed. I didn’t review it then, because it ended with something of a cliffhanger, andI read this a few months after it came out back in 2018, and was wowed. I didn’t review it then, because it ended with something of a cliffhanger, and the sequel wasn't available. I mostly forgot about the book until a GR friend reviewed it at the beginning of 2020 and I discovered the second volume had been published, and the final book would be coming out in November.
Well, now it’s November. I decided to re-read the first, and I liked it maybe a little more the second time around.
Some major points:
▶︎ It is set in what seems to me to be a fairly realistic analog of China, pulling themes from various episodes from China’s history, most notably the Opium Wars and the Rape of Nanjing.
▶︎ The first portion is well done, but too similar to a tale that has been told too often: an orphan with a mysterious past is being raised by unloving foster parents. With uncommon pluck, the child passes a very difficult exam and is enrolled in the most elite military training school in the land, treated unfairly by many and even brutally by a few, including some of the teachers, but rises to the top ranks of the student body.
▶︎ The rest of the book was startlingly new — and very dark. Very, very dark. The horrors of war are bad, of course, but horrific atrocities were described, with worse to come. The primary here was that the magic system, involving interactions with gods, was somewhat chaotically described.
Given this was a debut effort, that’s a pretty minimal set of flaws. I’ll soon see whether the rest of the series is as excellent....more
This was 92% silly, and 7% sweet and terrifically affecting, and 1% irritating to a man growing old and bitter such that childish fantasies mean veryThis was 92% silly, and 7% sweet and terrifically affecting, and 1% irritating to a man growing old and bitter such that childish fantasies mean very little anymore....more
The book become more complex and interesting in the final stretch, although it didn't quite get over the hump to earn four stars.
My early complaint, tThe book become more complex and interesting in the final stretch, although it didn't quite get over the hump to earn four stars.
My early complaint, that the central characters had what amount to superpowers — the smartest person you know would eventually apply to three of 'em, and the toughest person on the planet to another. It's one thing to instantly appeal to reader identification because of a juvenile wish-fulfillment of being the misunderstood or maligned Chosen One, versus organically building an attachment for a character (even an unlikable one) through understanding or even exposure to their actions under difficult circumstances. Instead, towards the end, we've got a gut-punch of unfaithfulness and betrayal that would only make sense if the characters involved were adolescents, not seasoned veterans of how miscommunications can bring death. Where was the, "Wait, am I making any assumptions here?" moment? Not there, because the author is jerking the readers around by the emotions.
The whole character-with-superhero aspect never went away, but the world-building became engrossing enough to compensate....more
This is book three of a many-volume urban fantasy series set in our modern day world. It is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. The writing is fluid aThis is book three of a many-volume urban fantasy series set in our modern day world. It is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. The writing is fluid and enjoyable, but nothing deep.
Not quite as good as Butcher's series, primarily because the central character isn't actually human (not a spoiler — that he's the "last druid" is both in most blurbs and is central to the beginning drama of the first book), it is a little harder to identify with him. I think that might be why I think Ben Aaronovitch's London-based Peter Grant series is a bit nicer, since the protagonist of that one is still mostly just a human, albeit a journeyman wizard.
All three of these series are good, though....more
This is book two of a many-volume urban fantasy series set in our modern day world. It is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. The writing is fluid andThis is book two of a many-volume urban fantasy series set in our modern day world. It is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. The writing is fluid and enjoyable, but nothing deep.
Not quite as good as Butcher's series, primarily because the central character isn't actually human (not a spoiler — that he's the "last druid" is both in most blurbs and is central to the beginning drama of the first book), it is a little harder to identify with him. I think that might be why I think Ben Aaronovitch's London-based Peter Grant series is a bit nicer, since the protagonist of that one is still mostly just a human, albeit a journeyman wizard.
All three of these series are good, though....more
Good fantasy story, set in our modern day world. This is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. This ones goes less overboard than Butcher, since (as of Good fantasy story, set in our modern day world. This is a lot like Butcher's Dresden Files. This ones goes less overboard than Butcher, since (as of yet) he doesn't seem inclined to throw anything supernatural in, although he might do that in later books. That good and bad — you'll either like the lack of excess, or you lament the loss of wild exuberance.
But it's a very quick read, so you can't really go wrong.
(Late note: the supernatural is definitely brought in with later books.)...more
(Borderlands Bookstore's Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, 20 November, 2011, at 6 pm to discuss The Uncertain Places by Lis(Borderlands Bookstore's Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, 20 November, 2011, at 6 pm to discuss The Uncertain Places by Lisa Goldstein. The author is expected to attend.)...more
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