Wednesday Whine

I woke up to the second day of March with significantly more sleep than I got for the first day.  And, a stunning sunrise evolved over the course of my commute from home to Kansas City, Missouri:

Sunrise Wed 2 Mar 2011 over Kansas City, Missouri skyline
Sunrise Wed 2 Mar 2011 over Kansas City, Missouri skyline

I enjoyed my cran-raspberry white chocolate scone (baked Sunday morning) with two cups of average tea (just Lipton for easy prep)  while cleaning up log files before monitoring MOSS 2007 crawl a large content source. At least I have no meetings scheduled for today.

I’m looking forward to a short walk at lunch to take advantage of Planet Sub‘s double punch day.  This evening, I’ll take a long walk with Roxy during Wolfguard‘s practice.

Ah, the joys of tax preparation season and gathering all the necessary documentation for filing an itemized return, especially when some of your offspring don’t answer their cell phones and may never check or respond to their voice-mail messages.

And the things my husband says when I gather the appropriate information and return his call to relate said information:

“Would there happen to be a pen up here?” meaning the kitchen table.

“I have no idea.  I was a secretary for years and have no desire to be one again. I keep mine in my purse.” my reply.

“Well, I only have two places to keep a pen on me, and neither one of them pleasant.” his reply which sparked images that may scar me for the rest of my life.

While speaking to one of my offspring’s significant others, I learned all of them (my offspring and their better halves) are involved in indoor soccer leagues.  I feel so left out of the loop.  I adamantly requested photos and updates at the first opportunity.

I despair of ever catching up on my group reads.  I have at least two left over from February, bleeding over into March. I may drop everything so I can read the newly released (yesterday and in the mail to me right now via pre-order from Barnes & Nobel) The Wise Man’s Fear. The rest of my current reads pile can be found here.

And I’ve been asked to lead the discussion in two different groups, the first on Willis’ Doomsday Book and the second on Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.  As if I needed anything else to do.

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club 4405 members
Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!SciFi Czar: Brad
Fantasy Czar: Cindy

Books we’re currently reading

Gardens of the MoonGardens of the Moon
by Steven Erikson
Start date: March 1, 2011

Doomsday BookDoomsday Book
by Connie Willis
Start date: March 1, 2011 

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Fantasy Book Club 2518 members

For lovers of Fantasy, monthly book discussions
February
– The Hundred Tho…

 

Books we’re currently reading

The Hundred Thousand KingdomsThe Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
by N.K. Jemisin
Start date: March 1, 2011
 

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Book Review: Peril’s Gate by Janny Wurts

Peril's Gate (Wars of Light & Shadow #6; Arc 3 - Alliance of Light, #3)Peril’s Gate by Janny Wurts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m speechless and breathless (and have been for several weeks) after finishing this penultimate tipping-point volume in Janny Wurts’ Wars of Light and Shadow series. Even taking a break and reading a half dozen other books hasn’t allowed me to express the emotions that wracked me or the wonders assuaging them. Not since reading Janny’s To Ride Hell’s Chasm has a book’s pacing been so unrelenting and rewarding. And to think she wrote that novel after Peril’s Gate to step back from writing this series!

I highly recommend this book, but also strongly suggest you not start with this novel. Begin at the beginning, with Curse of the Mistwraith and immerse yourself in all things Atheran.

Please see Stefan’s outstanding review of Peril’s Gate for a concise synopsis and insightful comments.

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Book Review: Magician: Apprentice by Feist

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2011

I am kicking myself for not reading this novel when published, my only excuse being I was a teenager with no funds and no connections (remember the state of the Internet in 1982?). I lived twenty miles away from the nearest library back then. If my mom didn’t own the book, I didn’t get to read it.

This story overflows with likable characters: Pug, Tomas, Carline, Roland, Arutha, Kulgan, Meecham, just to name a few. The pacing skips, trots, canters, gallops, crashes, walks, jumps, and flies. The magic system teases you through Pug’s apprenticeship, yet we glimpse broader examples through Kulgan and the invaders. The classic fantasy races make an appearance via elves (both light and dark or good and bad as you prefer), dwarfs, goblins, trolls and dragons.

The world building interwove seamlessly with the narrative as we followed along with Pug and Tomas as they ventured along with the Duke’s expedition to seek aid to stave off an invasion of aliens from his royal kin over the mountains and east of his far western holding of Crydee. The aliens control rifts between their world, Kellewan, and Midkemia, where the Kingdom reigns through the Duke’s royal relatives. Through these rifts, the aliens establish a bridgehead and proceed to slowly encroach upon Midkemia, first to mine metals in the mountains east of Crydee, and then to expand westward to gain access to the sea.

The book ends abruptly, but understandably so, since the original publication was one large volume, not the two we see today published as Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. I look forward to reading the second half of this opening salvo in the Riftwar Saga next month.

 

Book Review: Imager’s Intrigue by Modesitt

Imager's Intrigue (Imager Portfolio, #3)Imager’s Intrigue by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Five years have passed since we last saw Rhenn. He’s married and has a daughter now. He’s continued to climb the ladder at Image Isle and now resides with his family and a servant in a house on that island.

We see more of the dark side of covert operations in Solidar and how Rhenn responds when thrust into leading and architecting strategies that lead to long term victories and continued prosperity for Solidar and it’s Imagers.

All the Imager novels to date have been related in the first person from Rhenn’s point of view, which limits my knowledge to what he shares with me. I often feel as if I’m missing much of the story, because what he takes for granted as common knowledge, I do not, and what he focuses on may or may not be relevant to what I desire to know. So, I get frustrated and bored and miss a seemingly unimportant piece that later completes the puzzle.

The ending, or the resolution designed and personally carried out by Rhenn, disturbed me. Perhaps I’m naive and want our world, or any world I immerse myself in, to be more forgiving, more understanding. I firmly believe the only things you can change are yourself; you can’t change others no matter how much you want them to change. Rhenn believed change needed to occur now, and only extreme measures, including the use of deadly force, could meet his needs, which he equated with the continued prosperity of Solidar and by extension, imagers. Again, absolute power tempts to corrupt absolutely, for we learn that Rhenn is now the most powerful Imager alive.

This may be the last novel in the Imager Porfolio devoted solely to Rhenn. I got the feeling at the end that the focus of any future books would steer away from Master Rhennythl.

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FBCS 2011 Upcoming Reads Montage

February is just four days away.

On the first, we start reading Feist‘s the Riftwar Saga series with Magician: Apprentice.

On the fifteenth, we will start reading Erikson‘s Malazan Book of the Fallen series with Gardens of the Moon.

Both of these series will keep us occupied, discussing and debating for the rest of 2011.  Come join in the fun.  Don’t feel pressured to read and/or discuss both series … unless you desire to.

Fantasy Book Club Series’s to-read book montage for 2011

Fantasy Book Club Series 200 members

Can’t resist the lure of an epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery, heroic…

Books we plan to read


Magician: Apprentice Gardens of the Moon Magician: Master
Deadhouse Gates Silverthorn Memories of Ice
A Darkness at Sethanon House of Chains Daughter of the Empire
Midnight Tides Servant of the Empire The Bonehunters
Mistress of the Empire Reaper's Gale Prince of the Blood
Toll the Hounds The King's Buccaneer Dust of Dreams

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SciFi & Fantasy Book Club (GoodReads) February 2011 Fantasy Theme Poll

February Fantasy Theme Selection Poll
for
GoodReads Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club

 

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club 4224 members

Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!
 

Books we’re currently reading

The Lions of al-RassanThe Lions of al-Rassan
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Start date: January 1, 2011 

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FBCS Run-Off Poll: Riftwar v. Malazan

Fantasy Book Club Series’s read book montage

Fantasy Book Club Series 193 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed FortressStormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010

Traitor's KnotTraitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010

Peril's GatePeril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

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Book Review: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

3 out of 5 stars

Read in January 2011

I flew through this book, faster than I thought I would. Perhaps it was the font size and white spacing; perhaps it was the compelling story. Told in the first person by a backwoods ‘barbaric’ young woman called to the very center of the world, unbelievably as the heir, who just happens to be her grandfather. Completely out of her element, but not without heart, courage and brains, Yeine proves equal to the challenges of brutal court politics.

I can’t say I enjoyed this story, but I can appreciate the ingenuity of the writing. I did not need the reminder that humans, weak, broken, fallen humans, can stoop to such depths of depravity and but one young woman opens her eyes and sees the truth and has the courage to do what should have been done centuries ago.

I may change my rating from three to four stars, because as a debut novel it excelled. I will continue to ponder it’s impact on my reading soul and update this review after a few days.

I read this for the Beyond Reality book group at GoodReads in February 2011.  This month (February 2014) the Fantasy Book Club Series group began reading the Inheritance Trilogy (the entire series).

Fantasy Book Club Series (GoodReads) Selecting Next Series to Group Read

Polls open until midnight Saturday night (15 January 2011).

Fantasy Book Club Series’s bookshelf: read

Fantasy Book Club Series 190 members

Can’t resist the lure of a soaring epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery,…
 

Books we’ve read

Stormed Fortress
Stormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 1, 2010
Traitor's Knot
Traitor’s Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: November 1, 2010
Peril's Gate
Peril’s Gate
by Janny Wurts
Start date: October 1, 2010

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Members are Selecting the Next Series for Group Read

A dozen fantasy series were nominated, including Black Jewell by Anne Bishop; Corean Chronicles by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; Deverry by Katharine Kerr; Tales of the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee; Fortress by C.J. Cherryh; Inda by Sherwood Smith; Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist; Malazon Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson; Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock; Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan; Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.; and Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly

Results of the poll will automatically be visible after midnight on Saturday 15 January 2011.

FBCS Nominations Average Ratings (from GoodReads)
Series Author Number Published All Avg Ratings Total Avg Rating for Series
Black Jewels Bishop, Anne 9 36.89 4.10
Corean Chronic
les
Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 7 26.69 3.81
Deverry Kerr, Katherine 15 55.92 3.73
Flat Earth Lee, Tanith 5 21.01 4.20
Fortress Cherryh, C.J. 5 18.69 3.74
Inda Smith, Sherwood 4 16.28 4.07
Riftwar Saga Fesit, Raymond E. 4 16.27 4.07
Malazan Book of the
Fallen
Erikson, Steven 9 38.48 4.28
Mythago Wood Holdstock, Robert 5 19.27 3.85
Riyria Revelations Sullivan, Michael J. 5 20.35 4.07
Saga of Recluce Modesitt, L.E., Jr. 16 61.81 3.86
Windrose Chronicles Hambly, Barbara 4 15.45 3.86

Book Review: The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Lions of al-RassanThe Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of the six novels by Guy Gavriel Kay that’s I’ve read, this and Tigana vie for my favorite of his work. How does he manage to make me care so much about his characters? And he creates a reflection of our world on the cusp of a rigid religious fervor scything inexorable destruction before it. A glimpse of the beauty crushed and the horrors perpetrated in the grip of zealous belief and political expediency. A lament for the loss of the previous generation’s glories and grandeur. A glimpse of the perseverance and grace of the survivors who rebuild from the ruins of wrath. An affirmation and triumph of love flourishing regardless of race or creed, persecution or circumstances.

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