Tag: reading

Book Review: Alphabet of Thorn by McKillip (4 Stars)

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip

4 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2009

A coming-of-age tale for nearly all the characters involved in this novel.  An orphan raised by the royal library as a transcriptor.  The young Queen of Raine soon to be crowned after the sudden death of her father the King.  A minor son of the Second Crown sent to the magician’s Floating School.  Another library-raised orphan who is love struck by the first.  Even the legendary figures from ancient history move through their adolescent struggles via the tale being translated.  All these lives weave together to solve the mystery threatening the realm of these Twelve Crowns.

Patricia McKillip does not disappoint with her pace, prose or her poetry.  Many of these characters are also strong female role models, without appearing overly feminist.  The magic is mystical and mysterious, powerful without being pedantic.

Book Review: The Dark is Rising by Cooper (3.5 Stars)

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2009

A good adventure quest tale. A bit lacking in character development, but there were some heart-pounding scenes that made up for it. Towards the end, I almost had a sense deja vu, like I was reading Moonheart by DeLint, which got me thinking this could be classified as early urban fantasy.

As with most Young Adult fiction, the lines of good and evil are clearly drawn. Only one or two characters traversed the grey, pulling and tugging against the inevitable tides of either side.

Some blurbs and reviews have compared this novel’s moral message to the likes of C.S. Lewis or Tolkien, but I think that’s a stretch. Cooper never once made me laugh or cry, although she did get my pulse racing a few times.

Perhaps had I read this as at the age of twelve or before, I might view it differently.

That being said, I still recommend it as a good coming-of-age quest adventure tale.

Book Review: The Sparrow by Russell (4 Stars)

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

4 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2009

During a long trip back and forth to Houston, Texas this past weekend, I listened to the audio book version The Sparrow. The narrator, David Colacci, did a fairly good job of narrating. Some of his voice characterizations were too similar to distinguish between the individuals in a heated debate or conversation. I particularly disliked his female voice impersonations. It was at times difficult to hear some of the dialogue, which was whispered, over the high decibel level in a vehicle without increasing the volume so much that the next person to speak was shouting, literally, through my car stereo speakers.

The story is a first contact story but also a journey of faith for one man – Emilio Sandoz. The story starts at the end and bounces back and forth on two separate time-lines until convergence and revelation are achieved at the end. This literary device is one of my favorites so I enjoyed the pacing and enlightenment immensely.

I plan to read the sequel, Children of God, as many others have recommended it as the completion and fullness of Emilio’s story.

Book Review: The Hobbit by Tolkien (5 stars)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

5 out of 5 stars

Read most recently in November 2009.

A delightful introduction to the world of Middle Earth. Follow the adventures (or misadventures) of a respectable hobbit turned burglar, a wizard and a baker’s dozen of dwarfs in their quest to slay the dragon, redeem the lost treasure and restore peace and prosperity among dwarfs, elves and men.

Along the way, the young audience will learn the pitfalls and consequences of greed, pride and arrogance, tempered with a hobbit’s good sense, good cheer, compassion and self-sacrifice.

Update April 2013:  I decided not to re-read the novel before watching the recently released movie of a similar name (click here for my review of said movie).  I did end up buying the ebook edition prior to viewing the movie so I would have it available to search and peruse before, during and after.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be able to search through an ebook.  Compared to page turning and skimming, it’s better than sliced bread (well maybe not my sliced bread).

Book Review: Sailing to Sarantium by Kay (4 Stars)

Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay

4 out of 5 stars

Read in June 2010

A strangely compelling story even though none of the characters evoked compassion, laughter, anger or any other strong emotion from me. Normally, without an emotional connection, I become bored and sputter to a stop. Kay crafted an exquisite tale, a risky reckless journey into intoxicating intrigue fueled by ambitious visions and ruthless machinations.

Fantasy elements are kept to a minimum, the purview of alchemists and the occasional supernatural intervention. I read this novel with the understanding that Kay ‘re-imagined’ the Byzantine Empire of Justinian II. Sort of an alternate history where the names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

Book Review: The Human Divison by Scalzi (4 stars)

The Human Division by John Scalzi

4 out of 5 stars

Read Episodically January through April, 2013

Scalzi sucked me into a serialized novel last autumn with After the Coup, a short story set in his Old Man’s War universe.  He cooked up a scheme with his publisher, Tor, to not only return to that universe, but serve up the new book like you would a television season, with weekly episodes airing after midnight (in the States) on Tuesdays.  Since science fiction television in this country is all but non-existent, I took the bate – hook, line and sinker – and started reading the serialized Human Division in early January, ending with the final episode, released today.  Tor hosted a read-along at their web site, but I didn’t participate.  Not because I didn’t want to, but I just couldn’t carve out the time from an already hectic real-world schedule.

When I began this journey, I wasn’t sure if I would like waiting a week between chapters of a novel, especially if a particular chapter proved exceptionally riveting or left me hanging, just like television series tend to do (an overused trope if ever one existed).  I needn’t have worried.  Just as I used to look forward to new episodes of Stargate or Star Trek, I went to bed Monday nights knowing I would wake up to a fresh shiny new Human Division segment.  A handful of times, I even woke up after midnight and found myself reading the latest episode in the middle of the night (when I should have been sleeping … unforgiving 5:00 a.m. alarm clock).

Of the thirteen episodes, I only gave two of them less than four stars – the second episode (Walk the Plank) and the tenth one (This Must Be the Place).  Only one of the episodes got five stars from me – A Problem of Proportion.  The final double episode – Earth Below, Sky Above – would have gotten five stars, had it not been for the ending (or lack of one).  Even this morning’s announcement by the author stating the Human Division had been ‘renewed’ for a second season couldn’t assuage my angst.  I just wanted to raise an eyebrow in my best Spock impersonation and say ‘Really?’ (no, not ‘Fascinating’ … just ‘Really?!?!’).

All kidding aside, I did enjoy reading a serialized novel (in ebook format) during the first quarter of 2013.  By the time the second season rolls around, I’ll have gotten over my angst and dive right in to the next Human Division.

Book Review: Hyperion by Simmons (3 Stars)

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

3 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2008

I’m disappointed. Just when I was getting pieces of the puzzle and a few of the questions answered, the story ends. Abruptly. Thank goodness I didn’t read this when it was first published or I would probably also be angry.

This is a re-imagining or a re-working of the literary frame tale, similar to Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales but as science fiction space opera.

Seven pilgrims en route to Hyperion to petition the Shrike, also known as the Lord of Pain and the Avatar of Final Atonement. Each pilgrim tells their tale to the other pilgrims in the hope that they collectively will discover why they were chosen for the final pilgrimage. Each of the tales reveals each pilgrim’s connections to Hyperion and insights into the Shrike and the Time Tombs. And between the tales, we eek out what’s really going on in the love triangle gone nearly to the brink of interstellar war between the Hegemony (static humanity), the Ousters (evolved humanity) and the TechnoCore (AIs).

Along the way, one of the pilgrims is either murdered or fakes his death to disappear. There is some concern that their party is no longer a prime number, a requirement for the Shrike Pilgrimage. After the last tale is told, the pilgrims decide to proceed to the Time Tombs at dawn. And there the novel ends.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters. And I’m left with more questions than answers. I’m not sure I feel compelled to seek the answers. Perhaps time will tell.

Book Review: Jaran by Elliott (3.5 Stars)

Jaran by Kate Elliott

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2009

The only parts of this long novel that truly interested me were the brief interludes of science fiction/space opera involving Tess’s brother, Charles. Otherwise, this was a rather long-winded almost romance between an ambitious educated barbarian nomad Ilya and the lost rebellious ‘foreigner’ Tess (running from herself, her former life and her brother’s destiny for her). Predictable.

The alien archaeologists and Tess’s inept attempts at espionage provided another subplot to relieve the boredom.

I connected very well with Tess and Yuri, her adopted jaran brother. But I was completely unconvinced or motivated by the supposed attraction between Tess and Ilya, whom she ultimately fell in love with.

Halfway through reading this story, I re-shelved it as science-fiction from fantasy because there are no magical elements present at all. In fact, it barely qualifies as science fiction. Ninety percent of this story is spent on horseback on the plains of Rhuin, similar to the plains of Wyoming or the steppes of Mongolia. In fact, all the jaran names were of Slavic origin (Yuri, Ilya, Aleksia, etc.).

The author attempted to push the envelope of gender relationships in an interesting way. Even though the point of view was not first person, I still received most of my impressions about jaran society filter through Tess’s eyes and thoughts. Just not enough information to really pique my curiosity. Women have no choice in marriage, but freedom to take as many lovers as they wish? Men that are not aggressive sexually or predatorially to any woman? Refreshing, but hardly believable.

I may continue this series, just because I want to find out what happens with the Chapalii Empire and Charles’s intrigue and rebellion plans.

Book Review: Eifelheim by Flynn (3.5 Stars)

Eifelheim by Michael Flynn

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2010

I thoroughly enjoyed all the 14th century scenes and plot. I didn’t care for the ‘now’ (i.e. present day) interludes. The peasants, priests, lords and aliens proved more believable than a modern-day female quantum physicist cohabitating with a male cliologist (described as a ‘big picture’ statistical history theorist or something along those lines).

A very good first contact story juxtaposed with historical fiction set during some of the darkest days endured by Europeans. Yet, as mentioned by another reviewer, I feel Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book creates a more believable scenario and sympathetic characters. Flynn’s research yielded superior science and vivid images and glimpses into the lives of 14th century people, but he stretched my suspension of belief that these same people would so willingly accept the aliens among them.

Book Review: A Sorcerer’s Treason by Zettel (4 stars)

A Sorcerer’s Treason by Sarah Zettel

4 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2009

From the first page, Zettel snared me with her characters, their predicaments, their dreams, ambitions, fears, lies, hopes … the full gamut of human emotion and condition. Usually, when I read a novel chock full of imperial political corruption and intrigue, I’m bored or disgusted. Zettel managed to overcome the clichéd and astound from the heart. Even more surprising was her ability to do this from nearly every character’s point-of-view.

I did not want the story to end, and thankfully, there is more to be read from the world of Isavalta.

The title intrigues me. After finishing the book, I would call the title a bald-faced spoiler. Or it could be a red herring. Truly, there are many sorcerers and many definitions of treason, depending on your perception at any given point in the plot.

Highly recommended to lovers of fantasy with great characterization and plot weaving.