A fairly fantastic second novel that does away with the occasionally awkward tone of the first book in the series. I liked this one.
Having said that, A fairly fantastic second novel that does away with the occasionally awkward tone of the first book in the series. I liked this one.
Having said that, I'm going through a stage where my brain is a bit too flighty for audiobooks, so this is a review that is most fairly left for a second read-through.
I will say that the stakes keep building, and the ensemble cast is really gelling. A few years have passed since the events of the first book, and that added character age seems to have taken this out of the New Adult zone. Also, it allowed Bennett to deal with the romance in a really respectable way.
I know a few things weren't awesome, but I'm not positive that they can't be attributed to my own distraction. I am definitely invested, so hopefully I'll track these down in a physical format, and rewrite this review someday with my better brain in attendance....more
Me, 30 years later: So. Wow. This Glen Cook fella, hey guys?
Both simple in the grandest scheme and densely layered in its details, The Tower of Fear iMe, 30 years later: So. Wow. This Glen Cook fella, hey guys?
Both simple in the grandest scheme and densely layered in its details, The Tower of Fear is accomplished and compelling.
For fans of political fantasy, the scenario is straightforward: an occupied city is approaching a crisis point as factions vie to achieve their own aims.
Although most standout for masterly writing, the story itself also kept me hooked. The Tower of Fear is a standalone book, and Cook weaves a lot of complexity into its (relatively) few pages. This is praise, yes, but also a warning of sorts. There's a handful of factions, and so. many. names and though I think Cook handled it deftly, it can get a bit much.
I've finally acquired the first of the Black Company books, and having read this as a placeholder I am really excited to jump in....more
Maybe be wary of spoilers. It's hard to capture the essence of this short without at least putting some labels on it, and that may be revealing a bit Maybe be wary of spoilers. It's hard to capture the essence of this short without at least putting some labels on it, and that may be revealing a bit too much for some readers.
Who doesn't love the mysterious shop trope?
This is a disturbing comeuppance tale of big proportions, and it is highly entertaining. George writes us an outright detestable main character – not pathetic, not pitiable, not sadsack – just an unquestionably horrid man. Anticipating him getting what's coming to him is a genuine treat.
Looking for new sadistic entertainments for his equally asshat friends, Kress wanders into a mysterious shop and finds a curious colony of insects to replace his piranhas. Karma is a bitch in delightful ways, and things go terribly sideways for him, because he's a prat.
This is creepy and fun. A novella that would be a great introduction for those interested in trying out Martin's short fiction, it's got some fun worldbuilding, great character names, and good story movement. Though I am sad to report that I have yet to stumble across Jala Wo's shop in any of his other works. Missed opportunity, George....more
In The Half-Made World Felix Gilman comes at the familiar with a wealth of imagination that turns expectations sideways. This book feels wonderfully fIn The Half-Made World Felix Gilman comes at the familiar with a wealth of imagination that turns expectations sideways. This book feels wonderfully fresh and innovative.
It's a tricky business trying to describe the strange meshing of genre and tropes going on here. A high stakes quest fantasy set in a magically half-made wild west. Kind of (and just kind of) like dropping competing bands of jaded murderous hobbitses on the dusty trails, with Mordor existing as a purgatory of land that has not yet been fully created. There's barbed wire tangles that blow like tumbleweeds, horses, demon-powered machinery, and weapons that control their bearers.
It is bananapants bizarre, and highly entertaining.
Essentially, the two factions warring for control over the 'wild west' are searching for one old man, whose fractured mind may hold the key to definitively ending the war.
The buildup of the first third is slow moving, but with purpose. The setting, the politics and the characters are crafted and plumped up carefully. Not all of the details end up fully relevant, but they give solid form and footing to the a world imbued with wild creativity.
It's all very grand and uses so many recognizable touchstones without being defined by any of them. The characterization is mostly superb, though our reader stand-in, Liv, ends up – despite her careful crafting – getting pulled along through the story with fairly ineffective agency.
This was surprisingly standout for me. I'd recommend it for speculative readers who are a bit played out by the most modern trends and are looking for something unique in feel. I've got Gilman, and the second book in the series, high on my watch list....more
This was dark and darling. Pure diversion for an uproariously heroic escape.
I love to laugh, but I admit in real life I've been called a comedy snob. This was dark and darling. Pure diversion for an uproariously heroic escape.
I love to laugh, but I admit in real life I've been called a comedy snob. See, when it comes to guffaws, I prefer to experience a story told with humour rather than a story that exists as a platform for humour, if that makes sense? I've got this resultant trepidation when a book opens with witty quips every other line – a worry that it'll just be too much; that the humour will be so shoehorned in that there will be no room for an actual story.
Blacktongue has witty quips every other line...and more. It doesn't let up for the whole entire book. And yet the tone is almost perfect.
Somehow, amid all the wit, Buehlman takes the time.
Conjuring nostalgia of my cherished 90's-era Fantasy, this is a sprawling quest adventure with a dark-washed tint. The worldbuilding is dense and extensive, not just physically but with a strong sampling of cultures, politics, customs and religions.
Our main character, Kinch, avoids the stereotypes of the perpetually sarcastic by actually also being friendly and able to make connections. He has true strengths and a wry sense of observation. And although we don't get quite the same depth of character development for the rest of the cast, they each feel present in their own right
It might be fair to say that the questing went on just a bit too long, like Buehlman's characters suddenly took a detour on him for just one more quick stop. I was ready for the final scenes a bit sooner than they actually happened.
There were some neat twists, though. A bit of understated magic, a solid setup to continue the series with, and a whole lot of chuckles...
This was fun. I'm a fan, and I'd like some more....more
I tend to associate “beach read” with suspense/thriller novels, and I feel as though I need an equivalent term for the Urban Fantasy genre. I'm takingI tend to associate “beach read” with suspense/thriller novels, and I feel as though I need an equivalent term for the Urban Fantasy genre. I'm taking suggestions! For me they are those books that are exciting and gripping but ultimately ubiquitous. Not bad at all, just utterly forgettable.
With all that preamble, the good news about Strange Practice is that a few things elevated it just out of that category of entertainment for me:
-Greta Helsing is a doctor to the undead. This is a variation of the (fun but) common UF/detective riff that adds a fresh new flavour that I quite liked. I would gladly read a whole series of short novels just about the job itself, even without a dark sinister over-plot.
-Even though this book has a dark sinister over-plot, it seemed to me that Shaw made some effort, within the action, to show me who her characters are when they are at home. I could have done with more of it, but I felt like she worked it in fairly skillfully.
-Greta has potential, I think, but she has not hit her stride yet. Luckily and surprisingly, Strange Practice has an ensemble cast. The shifting points of view add interest and allow for an expanded view of Shaw's worldbuilding...
-...which I thought was pretty great. Digging deeper than your standard vampires, there is a ton of potential with all the creatures and the society that keeps them secret. And even with the vampires the author has created different 'types', which I thought was a nice touch.
Without doubt there are things that didn't impress me. Most frustrating were some unconvincing connecting threads in the story's big mystery. Nothing was polished quite as nicely as it could have been, and as I peruse other reviews I am identifying with much of the criticism.
After a bit of time away from it however, it is the fun stuff that stands out in my memory. That and a few surprising stylistic choices make me want to see how this trilogy plays out.
(still, this is a 'rounded up' rating. It's not quite a solid four stars on its own.)...more
The standout strength of this short is not really the plot itself. It's a creepy little tale, sure, but not overly innovative. What is remarkable is hThe standout strength of this short is not really the plot itself. It's a creepy little tale, sure, but not overly innovative. What is remarkable is how concisely Martin captures the frustration and guilt that comes with the relationship described between Ted and Melody. It amps up the tension, and brings some real-life discomfort to the speculative horror. Overall, it is really effective, and a show of skill.
Also an interesting one to discuss, though it can be quite personally resonant for some readers, I think. ...more
Gawd I effing hated this book, right up until the moment I realized I kind of loved it.
I didn't even want to read it (so.much.hype., and I'm cool liGawd I effing hated this book, right up until the moment I realized I kind of loved it.
I didn't even want to read it (so.much.hype., and I'm cool like that) but TOR was offering it up for free so there it was sitting on my ereader...and here we are.
Impossible even to describe both its irksomeness and its strong appeal, Gideon... earns a spot as one of those books that is just its own unique experience. That's all I've got.
“Soraya lived in the shadows of Golvahar so that her family would not live in hers.”
While I do have positive things to say about this 'girl in the t “Soraya lived in the shadows of Golvahar so that her family would not live in hers.”
While I do have positive things to say about this 'girl in the tower' fairy-tale remix, my own experience with Girl, Serpent, Thorn wasn't favourable.
There is a neat fusion of folklore influence in the story, and I particularly loved the Persian atmosphere and Iranian culture that contributed. I found myself wishing that we could spend more time with the setting and less time with the characters.
I myself couldn't really get behind everything required to set up Soraya's situation. She's been cursed from babyhood to be poisonous to the touch. And man, that sure sucks. Absolutely...but, she is also kept a secret and locked away for reasons which – the lovely melancholy of my featured quote up top aside – I could easily pick apart. At about the halfway point of the story we learn a truth that ultimately becomes Soraya's base of emotional crisis and conflict, and it felt so contrived that it actually made me angry. Unfortunately, this cast a shadow over everything else in the book for me.
I did like that the story tried to confound expectation. The foreshadowing and tension was pretty solid, so I could always tell when something was setting up to happen. I could even tell that it was going to twist away from easy predictions, but I was almost always surprised by how it did so. That's appreciable.
I guess overall there was just too much angst for reasons I couldn't buy into, so this wasn't awesome for me. My notes say that the rest of my book club liked it better than I did, so take my opinion with a grain of salt....more
An obviously early attempt by George, written in his high school days when he was fanboying hard over comiSo... this was adorable and bad. Adhorrible?
An obviously early attempt by George, written in his high school days when he was fanboying hard over comic books. I could practically feel improbably-overpowered testosterone oozing from my ereader, but I feel like this was a very self-aware inclusion in Martin's Dreamsong collection.
It sounds like this tale of 'Dr. Weird' actually made it to comicbook format, and I bet it read better that way.
In any case, this shouldn't be read as a standalone offering, but as an initial mile-marker on GRRM's road to awesome. Seen that way we can identify some early potential and exuberance, and then go on to patronizingly gush about how far he's come.
But for heaven's sake don't read this if you don't already love him. Because woof. It's cheesy bad....more
'He was mourning the fact that there was nothing much to mourn at all, he decided.'
Smart humour and odd atmosphere are the big draws here and they del'He was mourning the fact that there was nothing much to mourn at all, he decided.'
Smart humour and odd atmosphere are the big draws here and they delighted me. As I progressed, though, and certainly as I finished, I couldn't really see the point of it all.
I'll admit my buddy-reader actively disliked this book and maybe some of his disdain actually landed on me. I like the fairy tale feel, and it really is very clever. It turns out that the story-line is just as absurd as its presentation, however, and I began tiring of it early on.
I can recognize solid writing, though, and could feel the fun that DeWitt was having. I take this as an example of his diversity in stylistic approaches, and can applaud it without ever wanting to read it again.
Also, a lot if us are using 'fairy tale' in our reviews. Don't read this with your kids, folks. Just...really. Don't....more
The notes I took while reading The Rage of Dragons remind me that there are elements of it that I appreciated. I'm glad for that, because this angry vThe notes I took while reading The Rage of Dragons remind me that there are elements of it that I appreciated. I'm glad for that, because this angry vengeance tale hasn't fared well in my memory.
Tau is essentially a self-made 'chosen one', whose sulky, surly selfishness has dire consequences early on. He proceeds, because of these consequences, to remain sulky, surly, and selfish...but also Angry! This continues to go poorly for him, and terrible things keep happening as a direct result of his asshat shenanigans, which makes him MORE sulky, surly, selfish, Angry!, and really good at killing things.
I certainly see that I'm in the minority with my opinions, and my notes tell me that I was engaged by the kick-ass prologue. It was an interesting choice, in this day and age, to have the theoretical good guys be a conquering, colonizing peoples. As the book progressed I was intrigued by the magic system and the structure of the society. There was certainly a fun excess of training and battle.
What sticks, unfortunately, in my recollection are the criticisms that surround those good things.
-I would gladly have traded ten percent or more of the action for some additional cultural practices, flavour, history, atmosphere and characterization.
-The female presence was dismal, and the one significant feminine character existed only as a plot progressor for Tau.
-The secondary characters – everyone not Tau – had a ton of potential, but they got shafted. I appreciated that Winters tried to show most of their development in action sequences, but that was quick and fast and had little impact.
-Tau. Tau is terrible. I started off appreciating the nuance of his personality – kind of resentful, rash and self-focused. I do understand that this plot was about him being consumed by the consequences of those flaws. That is a neat approach, but with zero positive character growth, and in fact a complete surrender to the negative traits, Tau becomes impossible to empathize with. It makes his sulky surly selfish Anger! annoying, and it makes everything he does feel entirely unintelligent.
I don't foresee myself continuing with this series, though I wish Winters much success. Clearly the general consensus is that this is a great book, and I hope other readers continue to have a better time with it than I did....more
A melancholic, middling entry for my wee threeple George club...
This was multifaceted and well written with lots to recommend it. Ultimately not one oA melancholic, middling entry for my wee threeple George club...
This was multifaceted and well written with lots to recommend it. Ultimately not one of my favourites, though.
There is great use of the short-story format here - Martin gives just enough detail about lore, character and setting to make you want more but still come away feeling like the snapshot he's handed you is complete.
Very little happens, though, and something in the presentation borders on boring. Maybe it is the romance of it all? Laren Dor himself merges in and out of the Creep Zone, even though it is easy to see the sadness of his situation. As Martin originally intended, this would have been a satisfying entry in a collection of shorts surrounding Sharra, the girl walking through worlds searching for her lover. This is the only one that got written, though, and I feel like that takes some of its cleverness away.
probably spoilers throughout, and also this turned out really long. Sorry
I appreciated a lot of the ideas at the core of this book, but I just di probably spoilers throughout, and also this turned out really long. Sorry
I appreciated a lot of the ideas at the core of this book, but I just didn't buy any of it in the execution.
TBC is a revenge tale, ultimately. A brilliant young girl witnesses the colonization and culturally destructive assimilation of her little island nation and vows for a life-long dismantling of the conquering empire via government infiltration. Cool. This sounds neat, yeah?
But, look...Baru is a cold cold fish. After a promising chapter or two of childhood we are distanced from her as a character almost entirely. What we do get is mostly by assurance of telling without much demonstration, so by the time we get to the actually-emotionally-engaging end crisis, it's just hard (for me) to buy into any of what she's been doing, or that it was such a devastating struggle for her.
I understand the theory behind the remove – because Baru is, like, sooooo smart. So so smart, guys. She's really intelligent. Everybody says so. Some people even call her Savant. They call her Savant a lot, in fact. They call her Savant even more than they catch scurvy, which is...crazy. So anyway, Baru is going to topple the regime with mind bullets while making them think she is their most devoted servant, which means that she has to plan and scheme and pretend, which is why, I presume, we are given a more clinical feel of the choices she makes and the reactions she has. This makes sense, both from a character point of view – because she has to be cold and unattached to do horrible things to achieve her goal – and also narratively. Writing from this remove allows Dickinson to stay mysterious about her actual strategies, which makes the shock-punch of the ending much more effective.
Buuuuutt...
Every domino fall of events we see is a result of one of Baru's brilliant choices going wrong. And yes, that makes sense for her long game, and this could have felt masterfully strategic. Except that, emotional remove or not, we are in her head! If we were hearing her sweepingly confident and overly simplifying “it's the only way,” or “trust me. I know. I created that policy,” statements from a different POV, then she might actually seem smart? But we hear her mentally assuring herself that she is right. This undermines her apparent intelligence and the plotting of her long game. I just couldn't buy into it.
I'm rambling, so I'll try breaking the rest into point form:
-I could buy Baru as instigator for the revolution. Maybe even as a symbol, to the people who don't know her. But not as a leader.
-The whole scenario felt purposefully dumbed down to cater to the 'warfare by accountancy' schtick. Systems are complicated.
-The environmental worldbuilding and descriptions are lacking. I couldn't buy into a sense of place with any investment.
-I couldn't care about any of the characters. They all had great outlines but no actual tone or heat to them. With such a big cast they all blended together.
-Also, they were all definitely dumb. Not Savants. I couldn't get behind how easily they were all led.
-The passage of time was jarring.
-Even considering all her Savantry, things fell into place too conveniently for her end goal.
-In describing a war camp, the term “voracious tents” was used. And I mean, I laughed.
Ultimately, I found myself moving between being disinterested and annoyed. It's a shame, because I really liked so many of the aims, especially the idea of academic warfare in place of sword swinging. The social world-building was really interesting, and I appreciate that I felt weight behind Dickinson's efforts. I acknowledge that I spent a lot of reading time in 2021 in a picky frame of mind, and I buddy-read this with someone who didn't like it at all, which may have a lot to do with my reactions. I'm against the general consensus here and so I'm happy for the book's success, but I'm just not buying, well...any more of this series....more
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about thYet another George short...
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about this take on the old 'be careful what you wish for' cautionary tale is the POV it is related from. Generally we follow the poor unfortunate fresh from their encounter with the: mischievous genie, mysterious merchant, inscrutable mystic, greedy leprechauns, etc. In the Lost Lands, it is Gray Alys who knows what people desire, and she denies no request on her. It is from Alys' eyes that we see this story unfold, and that's a bold authorial choice. There are plenty of reasons to avoid using an enigma-shrouded, all-knowing figure as a main character...it's too easy to ruin the mystery, maybe; too tempting to try and reveal motivations. Or, on the flip side, it becomes frustrating for the reader to slog through the false tensions created by a 'protagonist' who knows everything but doesn't share it with the audience until it is convenient. Perhaps it is a function of the constraint of a short story, but Martin really pulls it off in In the Lost Lands.
Gray Alys is doubly tasked by the knight Jerais: the beautiful queen Melange wants the ability to shapeshift – to roam free and wild as a wolf in the nighttime – and Jerais himself wants badly for Alys to fail in giving the Queen what she most desires. As Alys refuses no one, it is this seemingly impossible undertaking that we watch unfold.
Martin, as always, manages to sneak in a great sense of place as he weaves this smart tale. And it is so very clever. I nearly came away disappointed, though, as the final bit of the wish granting was almost too offhand to catch. I originally thought that maybe it was just me, but when I sheepishly confessed my 'a-ha!' moment to my buddy-readers, it turned out that it wasn't apparent to them, either. It was this 'a-ha!'(view spoiler)[Queen Melange loves Boyce! He was the reason she wanted to shapeshift! I couldn't figure out the reason she went all weepy and crazy before she ever put the skin on, until this hit me (hide spoiler)] that elevated this short from good to great for me.
This ranks pretty highly in my estimation of Martin's short stories, and in general. Worth a read for most fantasy fans....more
Michelle F
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