Audiobook Review: The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
Posted on July 3, 2013 1 Comment
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
This is the story of a young boy who discards his old life to become a not-so heartless assassin (aka wetboy), apprenticed to a heartless master assassin who eventually reveals that he was once like the young boy and more, but then love happened etc, mysterious past, etc., and finally, the inevitable fate of master and apprentice. Surrounding these two are several characters for the young boy to befriend, ensuring that he always fails the assassins’ number one rule of not caring about anyone. And finally, political machinations, a prophecy and foreign invasion to round out the background plot. Oh and some suddenly magic, but more on that later.
I wanted to like this book, based on the praise it has received, but as you may be able to tell by my tone, I was not unimpressed by the predictability and struggled to get through it over all. I listened to this as an audiobook book and although I wasn’t overly impressed with the narrator, I don’t fault him for being unable to make this book better through narration.
I assume I was meant to like the main character, Azoth, but I found his whining and hesitation tedious and I never did appreciate his motivation to apprentice to Master Durzo Blint in the first place. His downtrodden life was basic plotting and the boy lacked conviction. I also failed to understand why the leader of the group he belonged to found Azoth to be so special and talented that he wished to use him as an example of power. Basically, Azoth was set up by others to be more than the author ever let me see of him, before his transformation, or during. And after his transformation into a deadly assassin, he became so cliche, magically able to kill off a whole contingent of skilled soldiers all by himself to sort of save the day. At one point, Azoth “dies” – I’d warn you of spoilers here, but I did say this was a highly predictable book – and I found myself hoping that Weeks would surprise me and get rid of the annoying kid and just let me have more of Durzo. The mater wetboy was a very intriguing character and definitely the highlight of the book, especially when we get to learn little pieces of his past.
Somewhere along the way, magic shows up. A glowing sword choosing a master. Magi. Healers. A fireball or two. Immortality. Special “Talents.” It’s presence was enough for me to raise an eyebrow because the magic seemed to pop up from no where from time to time and serve no real purpose other than being magic, until the end when everyone was flinging it around like confetti.
Save for Master Blint, this book simply didn’t work for me.
Book Review: Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey
Posted on July 2, 2013 6 Comments
Abaddon’s Gate byJames S.A. Corey
Ever since I read Leviathan Wakes, I’ve become a fan and follower of the team behind the pseudonym James S.A. Corey — authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The Expanse series is the most fun I’ve had with a space opera in a long time, and from what I heard there may be more novels and short stories to come set in this universe. I sure hope so, and there’s also apparently a couple Star Wars novel projects by them in the works, which makes me fantastically excited.
Anyway, coming back to my thoughts on Abaddon’s Gate, this book is the third installment of Expanse, so as a caveat there may be mild spoilers in this review for the first two books in the series. The story continues with the adventures (and misadventures) of the crew of the Rocinante; things are never boring for Jim Holden and his team.
The mysterious proto-molecule that had been uncovered and released into the solar system has somehow created a massive ring structure just outside the orbit of Uranus. It appears to be a gate leading to a dark void on the other side, and the Rocinante finds itself joining a vast flotilla of science and military ships venturing out to study it. However, Holden’s involvement is no accident. Unseen forces and players have been pulling the strings behind the scenes to get him and his crew right where they’re supposed to be.
Admittedly, I thought Abaddon’s Gate was quite slow to start, but so far I’m finding that to be the pattern for all the books in this series. I likened the pacing of the first couple of books to a ride on a really tall roller coaster, where you spend a lot of time doing a slow climb to the apex before the excitement and thrills can truly begin in earnest. Using this metaphor, I would say that this book was about 75% chugging up the lift hill — the first three-quarters of it did not wow me at all, and at times even annoyed or frustrated me, but I recognized it all as the necessary story and character build-up.
The remainder of the book, however, was all good stuff — the roller coaster’s loops, dips, corkscrews, etc. so to speak. I could not put it down. I think I stayed up late and burned through the rest of the novel in an hour and a half at this point, when reading everything that came before probably took me three days. The last 25% was just so damn good, it warranted a rating bump by one whole star from me because of it.
One other comment I’d like to make pertains to the characters. The stories in these books are told through the points-of-view of multiple characters, each chapter focusing on the perspective of one person and alternative or cycling through the players. The names of these key players have changed up throughout the course of the series, with the exception of Holden, whose POV has remained a constant perspective in all three books. In spite of this, however, I can’t say that his character has ever truly grown on me; instead, my interest has always been bolstered by my enjoyment for the other POVs. For example, in Leviathan Wakes, it was Miller. He wasn’t in the next book, Caliban’s War, but there I had Chrisjen Avasarala, my favorite potty-mouthed UN politician.
In Abaddon’s Gate, however, I didn’t develop that kind of liking or connection for any one on the new players. Melba/Clarissa? Her character and story was kind of whacky, and felt a little forced and rushed. Bull? His POV was slightly better, but only because his character really stepped up during the book’s climax and final showdown. And Anna? I could not stand her self-righteous moralizing and idealistic naivete at all. Of course, all the characters are the way they are because they have their own roles to play; I understood that, but the lack of a good character for me to really get excited for was still mildly disappointing.
I want to end this review on a positive note, though, and the good news is that for anyone who has been following this series, Abaddon’s Gate as a sequel is definitely worth picking up. It continues the mysterious plot of the protomolecule and answers some questions while posing more others. The ending to this leaves so much potential. Whatever happens, I really hope we won’t have long to wait to find out.
Mogsy: Favorite Quote From A Favorite Book
Posted on July 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
“It’s a truism in policing that witnesses and statements are fine but nothing beats empirical physical evidence. Actually it isn’t a truism because most policemen think the word empirical is something to do with Darth Vader, but it damn well should be.”
July Book Club Read: The Drowning Girl
Posted on July 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
With the winners of the 2012 Nebula Award announced last month, members of the LeVar’s Rainbow Book Club selected The Drowning Girl by Caitlín R. Kiernan from the list of nominees.
India Morgan Phelps – Imp to her friends – is schizophrenic. Struggling with her perceptions of reality, Imp must uncover the truth about her encounters with creatures out of myth – or from something far, far stranger…
Cover Lover: The Dire Earth Cycle
Posted on July 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
I’m currently reading and loving The Darwin Elevator and Mogsy is already planning for book two this summer. This is a trilogy that began as a NaNoWriMo project and has now ended up on various summer reading hot lists! To add to our excitement, author Jason M. Hough announced on his website earlier last month that Simon Vance is going to be narrating the audiobooks! As you can tell, we’re pretty excited about this series. Here are the UK (my favourite) and US covers for the books that should definitely be on your to-read list for 2013.
Book Review: Firebrand by Gillian Philip
Posted on July 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
It’s been a while since I’ve come across such a difficult book to write about. Part of the issue involves the subject matter, themes, and ideas in Firebrand which all seem at variance with each other. This in turn gives me mixed feelings about the novel, because I struggle to even pin it down.
For example, at once it has the features of a historical fiction and yet also major elements of fantasy, specifically those pertaining to Celtic mythology. A big chunk of the book takes place in the Middle Ages, at the height of moral panic and mass hysteria over the devil and fear of witches. Unbeknownst to the humans, however, another world exists beyond the Veil, home to a race of beautiful immortals called the Sithe.
One of these beings is sixteen-year-old Seth, sent away from home by his insane mother Lilith who is adviser to the even more insane Sithe queen Kate. Seth grew up under the care of his father as a result, and became close to his older half-brother Conal. So when Conal is exiled to the other side of the Veil after a tiff with Kate, Seth follows voluntarily. The siblings are then forced to live amongst the mortals, attempting to hide their differences and Sithe powers in an atmosphere of danger, paranoia and superstition.
The book opens with a scene that tells the reader right away that the two of them have already failed. Caught up in a witch-hunt, Conal has been captured and is headed for the stake to be burned. I have to say it felt strange to have the climax of the novel presented to you in its first several pages, but it’s also quite effective. Seth is left with not many choices, and you are left wondering what he might do and how the brothers got into this mess in the first place. The rest of the book tells that story.
It’s entirely possible this is what made Firebrand feel so disjointed for me. At the same time, I also feel like there’s not enough context given throughout the novel, certain sections giving me that strange sense I’m missing out on huge chunks of the story even though I know I’m not. It feels like there’s an expectation for me to know everything that’s happening around these characters, and even though Seth is the narrator, I often have trouble following his train of thought as he moves from action to action. It’s like we’re not always there with him in his head, perceiving or understanding things the same way he does.
Also, despite the ages of the main characters and the particular themes in this novel, I would hesitate to really categorize this book as Young Adult. This is just another one of those aforementioned contradictions I spoke of, because despite the nature of the marketing material and blurbs I see covering the dust jacket of my hardcover, it just doesn’t read like YA. I can’t really put my finger on why, as I wouldn’t say it’s inappropriate for the young adult audience either. I suspect the immortality of the Sithe characters may have something to do with it, as I see a stark difference between them and typical YA protagonists when it comes to their attitudes, way of life, and beliefs.
Whatever it is, somehow I just don’t feel Firebrand fits the mold. For better or worse, I also think that about many other aspects of this novel. It was certainly a bit different, and the positive thing is I didn’t dislike it — in fact, I enjoyed reading this, but I don’t think I can say I really loved it either. I think if its story and themes were more cogent, my thoughts and opinions on this book might have ended up less ambiguous.
Audiobook Review: Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner
Posted on June 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
We return to the adventures of Goldie and Toadspit in this final installment of the series, which picks up right where we left them in City of Lies. The children return to Jewel after their harrowing escape from the kidnappers in Spoke to find that their enemy the Fugleman has taken over the city with his Blessed Guardians and an army of mercenaries.
It’s showdown time now, and the Keepers will have to devise a plan to protect the Museum of Dunt and the people of Jewel. The Fugleman, however, has brought in a giant cannon, and is bent on taking over the city and destroying everything Goldie holds dear. To make things worse, Goldie had not escaped from Spoke entirely unscathed; after the effects of “The Big Lie”, she holds in her head the personality and thoughts of a long-dead warrior princess. Day by day, Princess Frisia’s presence grows stronger, threatening to take over Goldie’s life.
And so, my journey with the Keepers Trilogy draws to a close, and with it, probably my last opportunity to enjoy Claudia Black’s wonderful narrating work for a while. Looks like she’s got a handful of other audiobooks under her belt, but I also hope she’ll do more in the future; with her voice and talent, I think she would be perfect for urban fantasy.
As for the book itself, it hurts me a little to say this, but I wasn’t as happy with it as I’d expected. It wasn’t that the story was bad or that it didn’t provide us with a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I just find myself viewing this book with an almost frustrating ambivalence, because I even now I’m trying to think of something–anything, good or bad, it doesn’t matter–to say about this book and I’m struggling.
It almost makes no sense for me to feel this way; after all, the story was great — the heroes overcome their trials and tribulations, honor prevails, everyone comes together in the end to save the city, and the bad guy is defeated while the good triumph, all that good stuff. It’s a children’s series after all, you know you’ll get a happy ending and nothing’s gonna come out of left field at you.
And maybe that’s what it is. Not that I have an issue with books for youngsters having happy endings, but the fact I pretty much knew everything was going to work out in the end. Which is perfectly fine; like I said, it’s how things should be, but I personally prefer more a little more uncertainty in my plot lines which is likely the main reason why I don’t usually pick up books targeted for middle-grade.
But on the whole, these have been really great books. I probably enjoyed them even more because I listened to them all on audio, but I certainly don’t regret my time with this trilogy one bit.
Feel free to also check out my reviews for other titles in this series:
Book 1: Museum of Thieves
Book 2: City of Lies
Book Review: The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey
Posted on June 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Curse of the Wendigo byRick Yancey
I loved Rick Yancy’s The Monstrumologist so much (my review here) that I quickly picked up this one, the second book of the series. Now that I’ve finished it, I’d probably hesitate to say that it was as strong as its predecessor, but nevertheless I wasn’t disappointed. This sequel had all the horror elements in it that made the first book great; its only fault was that I found it just slightly less suspenseful.
The Monstrumologist first introduced us to the series’ young narrator Will Henry and his work assisting the eccentric Dr. Warthrop in the grisly business of the study of monsters. We’re thrown back into the late 1800s as Will documents in his journal their trek through the heart of the brutal Canadian wilderness, in order find traces of a missing friend who is believed to have been taken by a creature known as the Wendigo. Warthrop, however, does not believe the Wendigo actually exists, but takes the mission anyway as a favor to the woman who was his former fiancee, and to her husband who happens to be the missing victim.
Anyone who’s ever gone to summer camp and sat around a campfire telling scary stories at night should know about the Wendigo, a demonic creature appearing in the legends of the Algonquin peoples of the northern United States and Canada. Once again, I found it really neat the way Rick Yancey was able to work a well-known myth into the story, along with the documented yet controversial condition called Wendigo Psychosis, whose symptoms include an intense craving for human flesh.
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| Image from matthewstarbuck.com |
I also loved, loved, LOVED the character development. Strange as he is, I find myself a big fan of Dr. Pellinore Warthrop’s character, just from what I got reading The Monstrumologist. This book carries that on further, going a little deeper into his past history and personality. He’s such a complex and subtle figure, with so many layers to his personality that go unsaid, yet they come through so clearly in Rick Yancey’s writing and storytelling. Will Henry’s relationship with the doctor is a veritable quagmire of volatile emotion and dynamics, and to me it’s an incredible achievement on the author’s part in the “Show, don’t tell” department.
Anyway, the same caveats I provided for the first book also apply for this one; some of the scenes in here are absolutely not appropriate for the faint of heart or younger readers, despite its YA designation. Older teens will probably find it okay, but keep in mind it’s still pretty gross stuff. It’s true that I didn’t find this book as suspenseful as the first one, mostly because I felt it had a slower start, but its overall story and the atmosphere are no less unsettling. Like I said, I eat this kinda creepy stuff up, so I’m definitely looking forward to starting the third book in this series.
Cover Lover: Dag and Fawn
Posted on June 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
Welcome to Cover Lover, a feature on this blog dedicated to book covers! For a long time, I’d wanted a place where I can share some of my favorite covers, or talk about any that might have caught my eye. So when I came across this idea on fellow gamer/book lover Angelya’s site The Oaken Bookcase, I jumped at the opportunity to adopt it as well. The “meme” was originally created by another friend of mine, Jaedia, on her book blog Once Upon A Time, so be sure to check out both their sites and take a look at some of the covers they have featured.
Opinions of Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Sharing Knife series has always been a bit mixed. “Hey, what’s this romance doing in my fantasy?” is a comment I see a lot when I read reviews of Beguilement and Legacy, and I suppose that’s fair enough (though in my opinion, the books are still much more romance-fantasy than fantasy-romance — there’s a difference!)
What I mean is, the romance factor is definitely strong with these novels but at the same time, they don’t read like typical Romances. Like in all fantasy books by Bujold, she really makes the world and its magic come to life, but what I loved most about this series are the characters. Bujold made the hero Dag Redwing a sweet, caring and protective male lead without turning him into an overbearing and possessive asshole. Fawn Bluefield is much younger than he is, but she holds her own and takes care of him in turn. They treat each other with respect, and their love is straightforward and honest — no games, no manipulation, no silly misunderstandings a lot of romance plots throw in for the sake of stirring up relationship drama.
The first two books are really meant to be read together; they are two parts of one whole, just like the lovers Fawn and Dag. They’re two people from two very different worlds, and yet they fit perfectly together. And that’s why I love these original book cover images, because I think they reflect this so well.
The BiblioSanctum 