reviewing – Page 17 – Into the West

On Amazon Acquiring GoodReads

Updates

October 25, 2013: Great article in Salon from a couple of days ago on How Amazon and GoodReads Could Lose Their Best Readers.

September 20, 2013: Amazon has started deleting reviews for other members and also deleting shelves, without notice or warning. Visit this announcement thread for more particulars: Important Note Regarding Reviews

And here I’ve quoted one of the best of the posted feedback messages from Wendy Darling:

I’ve been thinking about what I want to say since this announcement went live, and I almost said nothing–because at this point, it seems obvious this Feedback thread, like countless others before it, is pretty futile anyway.

I want to be clear: my opinion and decisions are a matter of principle rather than a matter of being directly affected. I’ve been pretty careful about my shelving and still stand by every single review I’ve written, and as much as I don’t care for the idea of policing shelves, I respect GoodReads’ right to change its TOS.

But like most people, I am absolutely appalled that user content has been removed without warning. What was the purpose of that? Why was it so dangerous to allow people the opportunity to edit their shelves and reviews? What would you think if you heard that Twitter was removing user content without notice, or policing your lists? Why aren’t private shelves an option? And most importantly, who was this gesture meant to impress or appease?

To make matters worse, to hear the language that was used in the email that Steph Sinclair and others got chiding them for operating in a way that wasn’t “in the spirit of GoodReads” is infuriating. The amount of time, thought, and dollars that goes into writing reviews and maintaining a blog is enormous, and all those people do it purely because of their generosity of spirit. To use that kind of language is a huge slap in the face, and diminishes the tremendous amount of good that those reviewers do for books with the positive reviews and features they produce. I am astonished that unpaid reviewers are constantly expected to take the feelings of professionals into account, when those who point the fingers at them don’t take 5 minutes to do simple research into the type of reviewers they are. I suspect that this move comes on the heels of several ill-conceived, agenda-driven, poorly-researched posts from Nathan Bransford and Salon and Huffington Post, but it seems that no one also weighed in the backpedaling that was done after those posts were published.

Both positive and negative reviews are an important part of a site like this (it’s the reason why so many of us have trusted its reviews until now) and I wish authors would understand that this site as a goldmine of market research. There is a huge opportunity here to learn about reader habits, discover strengths and weaknesses in their work, etc. But because a handful of vindictive authors are unable to separate their work from their egos, and because they fail to understand how to engage appropriately in the marketplace, GoodReads has become an increasingly hostile place. As the lines between personal space and community hangout and author advertisements continue to blur, the message that GoodReads is sending with this action is that this is NOT a safe haven for readers at all. It has taken ages for them to acknowledge any inappropriate behavior from its authors, and there is still a disingenuous lack of sync between what users are told and what is presented to authors, as evidenced by the screenshots we’ve seen in the last day or so. I have never expected GoodReads to come out strongly in defense of specific, and extremely damaging, attacks on their users by the authors that they court for advertising. But I did expect that they would minimally keep their promise to protect the rights of their users.

There are an alarming number of friends jumping ship to other sites. For myself, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. But I do know that I’m probably going to start treating this site merely as a cataloging tool. I’ve always interacted here as part of the community, not as a place to serve my own agenda or ego, but I am not comfortable with investing so much energy into a place that feels it can yank my reviews and shelves without notice. (I mean, obviously any website can. But should it?)

Right now, I’m considering a number of options, including:

— only posting a star rating and brief reaction, with a link to my blog for the full review
— unchecking the “feed to GR affiliates” option
— no longer making any librarian edits that don’t specifically benefit me
— taking my profile private

What’s ironic is that when this announcement went live, I was in the middle of planning a post acknowledging a milestone that I passed on GoodReads a couple of weeks ago. I have never put much stock into numbers and rankings, but 10,000 friends and followers did feel like something to celebrate. But all that seems pretty meaningless now.

Last note: I’m very glad Carolyn Crane and a handful of other authors have spoken up. There are a ton of notable authors who have voiced their negative reactions to this new policy on Twitter, but I hope they will also step forward to chime in here, where it counts. There are a lot of users eyeing an exit, because positive sunshiney conversations are only of interest to people who don’t actually read, or who don’t engage in analytical thought–and the loss of people who post critical reviews also means you’re losing a countless number of positive reviews as well.

As reviewer rights erode and as the trend of stifling conversations continues, it seems that GoodReads is becoming a place that is no longer a safe or trustworthy place for readers. And that makes me sadder than I could possibly ever express.

As a result of her post and the rest of the feedback to GoodReads most recent shocking actions, I’ve created an account at BookLikes and have started the import process of my books, reviews and shelves. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the import completes successfully.

August 6, 2013: Today, I received the following e-mail from GoodReads:

Hello Jon,

Several of your reviews were recently flagged as self-promotional in nature by other Goodreads members. As these reviews seemed to be solely an advertisement for your blog (and did not discuss the book), they have been removed from the site. If you’re trying to promote your site, we would suggest reviewing the books on Goodreads itself and simply linking to your blog at the end of each review.

Sincerely,

The Goodreads Team

(sent via the support@goodreads.com e-mail address)

I replied promptly from my Android smartphone:

Be honest. You removed them because I called Goodreads on the carpet about being bought by Amazon. And now you’ve proved my point by removing my reviews.

Thanks for providing more proof of Amazon’s continuing nefarious acts.

Jon Moss

I checked my review count on my profile at GoodReads. This morning I had 355 reviews. After I received this e-mail I had 266. Nearly ninety (90) reviews deleted. Most of them contained a single paragraph as follows:

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link:

I shouldn’t be shocked, but I am. I shouldn’t be hurt, but I am. My intention wasn’t to self-promote my blog. I’m just a small fish in the huge ocean of the internet bloghood. My intention was to make people aware that Amazon is not your friend.

July 26, 2013: After a nearly six week hiatus, Otis showed back up in the GoodReads Feedback group commenting on integration between Amazon Library and GoodReads. He’s still trying to reassure the ‘readers’ at GoodReads that’s there’s nothing untoward happening behind the green curtain.

June 11, 2013: Not entirely related to GoodReads, but definitely about Amazon, as reported by Publishers Weekly from the Apple Trial: Rupert Murdoch Wanted to ‘Screw’ Amazon

June 9, 2013: Belated Update (originally published by Otis on May 22, 2013): An FAQ on Amazon’s Acquisition of GoodReads. And, as I suspected, my data at GR is now Amazons:

Will Amazon have access to my Goodreads data?

Yes, as a subsidiary of Amazon, we can share data as appropriate under our privacy policies. How does this impact you? Primarily in two ways:

* Amazon and Goodreads could use the data to look for ways to offer you a better service on one or both sites. For example, by providing you with personalized advertising based on your reading tastes (similar to the advertising we already have on Goodreads).
* Amazon and Goodreads could analyze the data to see what kinds of new features or services might be useful on one or both sites.

So my campaign to sabotage my data is vindicated. I will continue to move reviews here to my blog and unrate books at GoodReads. My apologies to my GoodReads friends and followers. In the case where I decide not to review a book, I will leave my GoodReads rating initially after I finish reading it, but will eventually unrate the book to continue corrupting the data Amazon collects from me via GoodReads.

I have no plans to leave GoodReads, as I enjoy the groups too much and the interactions with reading friends.

May 9, 2013: While not specifically related to the Amazon buyout of GoodReads, this morning’s article in the Huffington Post reveals continuing nefarious deeds of the etailer behemoth.

A link to the Huffington Post article: “Amazon Warehouse Workers Sue Over Security Checkpoint Waits”

And should the above link ever break, I printed out the article to a PDF available here: “Amazon Warehouse Workers Sue Over Security Checkpoint Waits”

April 19, 2013: Not that I’m an Apple fan (aside from the apples that I can each autumn), but apparently Amazon nixed any hopes of seeing GoodReads integration in iBooks with their deal: Amazon-GoodReads deal quashed Apple iBookstore plans

April 15, 2013: Another interesting article coming out of the London Book Fair: Is Amazon Good or Bad for the Publishing Industry?

April 14, 2013: I find it interesting that Otis has been mostly absent from the GoodReads site since making the announcement late in March. To see what I mean, check out this link to his GoodReads account’s comment activity in the GoodReads Feedback group. I’m going to hold him personally responsible for the last sentence in this comment:

Breaks my heart to see BunWat leave.

I don’t know her well enough to know her reasons, but I will just guess she isn’t a fan of Amazon. While I don’t expect everyone to love this decision, I believe it will be a very good thing for the vast majority of readers, and think Goodreads has a very bright future in front of it. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the people at Amazon, and have found them to be good, bookish people that are excited about creating a better future for readers and authors.

One thing I am sure of: I expect to prove to you all over the coming months and years that this will be good for Goodreads, for readers, and for authors.

— Otis Chandler, CEO, Goodreads (emphasis added).

Only time will tell.

April 12, 2013: Just read this article via a Publishers Weekly Tweet: Booksellers Urge Court Not to Toss Amazon E-Book Suit

April 9, 2013: Decided I should probably link to this post from my snub stubs at GoodReads, since this post is no longer sticky and will quickly get buried in the tide of migrating reviews from GoodReads.

April 2, 2013: Changed this post from a sticky post. For an explanation of my star ratings, please visit my ‘Two Stars or Not Two Stars‘ blog post.

April 1, 2013: In addition to relocating my reviews here from GoodReads and leaving behind a stub link, I am stripping the ratings from my GoodReads reviews as well. I’m manually entering the rating in the review with the link, but clearing the actual star rating from the GoodReads database.

I apologize to my author friends. GoodReads was the only place I rated and reviewed books. Now the only place I will do that is here, in this Amazon-free zone.

To make it easier to find the book reviews and ratings, I modified my menu (see above) to include a Ratings area. The Reviews menu has been expanded to include Fiction and Non-Fiction items under the Books submenu.

March 31, 2013: I wanted to pass along a good article I just read published at Salon entitled ‘Amazon buys GoodReads: We’re all just data now.’

∞∞∞

Original Post from March 30, 2013:

Yesterday, GoodReads announced ‘exciting news‘ to it’s community of volunteer librarians, reviewers and readers. Otis and Elizabeth and the rest of the GoodReads team had agreed to joining the Amazon family. Of course, they were excited. They sold out the only vibrant independent reliable source of book reviews and recommendations for cold hard cash in their pockets (rumor has it the sum could be over one billion dollars).

I heard the news late in the day and immediately felt sick to my stomach, disappointed and angry. After reading comments on the blog post referenced above and other threads in many discussion groups on GoodReads, I was not alone in my reaction.

I make no secret of the fact that I boycott all things Amazon. I have similar feelings about other modern-day monopolies (like Microsoft and Adobe). I have not purchased a book or an ebook from Amazon in years. I own a Nook and an Android smartphone. I support open source software initiatives and net neutrality.

The first thing I did last night when I had calmed down enough to see clearly and think coherent thoughts was to export all my book data and reviews from GoodReads.

The second thing I did was to think about what to do with the hundreds of reviews I’ve written over the last five years and posted at GoodReads. Some of these reviews were re-published here on this blog. I do not want Amazon to profit from my time and effort in crafting those reviews.

So, to thwart the juggernaut, however infinitesimally, I plan to remove each review from GoodReads and repost it here. One of the first hurdles I will need to overcome is finding a different non-Amazon source for book covers. I will leave behind a short explanation where my GoodReads review previously resided together with a link to the blog post housing the transported review.

What sort of an explanation should I leave behind? I’ve been mulling over a few sentences while driving home and during dinner. Let me try a few of them out here:

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link …

After Amazon devoured GoodReads on March 28, 2013, this review fled the postapocalyptic and dystpoian writing on the wall and sought sanctuary at my blog’s refuge …

Fear not! I bring you tidings of great joy. My review escaped the clutches of Amazon and can be found, safe and sound, at my blog …

I haven’t made up my mind about continuing my activities within the many groups I participate in and moderate. GoodReads was such an integral part of my life. It helped me rediscover my love of reading, fostered my nascent writing hobby and nudged me to branch out as a fledgling blogger. I have met and made many wonderful new friends who share a love for similar flavors of books and broadened my reading horizons. It also reunited me with old reading buddies from high school and former employers. Five years ago, I relied on the ‘New Fiction’ shelf at my local library to find something to read. Now, I have hundreds of books lined up in my reading queue. I just don’t know if I can walk away from my reading friends and GoodReads.

I am resolved, however, to never again write a review on GoodReads. I may not even rate books there anymore. I will have to play that by ear and see what happens over the new few weeks.

So don’t be surprised if you start to see a lot more activity on my blog in the coming days. Reviews will sprout here like spring flowers in May after April showers.

Postcards from Mars and Beyond

I skim a plethora of feeds daily, either on my smartphone or my laptop. A headline really needs to grab my attention in a microsecond before I’ll bother to follow through with a click to drill into the meat of an article. I almost missed last week’s post by the Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society about a review challenge gauntlet they’ve thrown down before us. But I stopped, looked and decided, ‘Why not?’ because I’m wrapping up the Adult Winter Reading Program with the KC Library and need something else to set my sights on.

Writing shorter reviews (between fifty and a hundred words) of science fiction or fantasy books, movies, games, graphic novels, podcasts, etc. should take me less time than my normal longer-winded ones. I’ve submitted a half dozen of these mini-reviews in the last few days, and will continue to due so until the challenge ends at ConQuest in late May. I’m disappointed to report I will not be able to attend the con this year (at least I’ve already met the author guest of honor so I have some small consolation there) do to conflicting travel arrangements. Perhaps 2014 will be less hectic for the Memorial Day weekend.

For more information about the challenge, follow this link and start sending in your submissions today:

KCSFFS 50-Word Review Challenge

Two Stars or Not Two Stars? That is the Rating Question

Ad Astra Per Aspera

Latin for “To the Stars Through Difficulty” – the State motto of Kansas (my home state).

I decided I should more clearly define my rating scale used here on my blog for all my reviews. I actually composed most of what follows for my GoodReads profile back when I joined that site in 2008. GoodReads rating stars include a very brief description of what they mean when you hover over them with your mouse (one star = ‘didn’t like it’; two stars = ‘it was okay’; three stars = ‘liked it’; four stars = ‘really liked it’; and, five stars = ‘it was amazing’).

My difficulty arises from writing a review, not from applying a rating to what ever it is I am reviewing. The following contains my completely subjective opinion on a five star scale for rating all kinds of things – books, movies, products, services, etc.

So on to the stars!

No Star (or One Star if required to select a minimum): A one star rating from me means I disliked and in some cases loathed the item before me. I would even go so far to equate my one star to no stars, but as I must assign at least a single star, this is my zero.

Two Stars: Two stars usually means I felt unmoved by the book or movie. Roughly equivalent to a “Fair” or “Okay” recommendation. Not something I would probably re-read or re-watch.

Three Stars: My three star rating represents the average to above average range, usually associated with “Good” for me. I might recommend the work and re-visit it, if no other new potential four or five star material was at hand.

Four Stars: When I recommend something to a friend, or even a total stranger, it invariably comes from something in this rating category. I often re-read works I give a four star rating to, because I enjoy reliving the adventure and the character struggles.

Five Stars: For items I just can’t get enough of. Books I’ve read countless times or movies I’ve watched so many times I know all the dialogue and scenes so well I’m wrenched when the networks edit them “to fit in the time allotted.” In the case of a book, a five star rating means I’ve become so emotionally attached to the characters that I’m devastated when I finish the book because I’m not in communion with them any longer. It also means I won’t be able to read a book for a day or two to recover emotionally.

DNF: Did Not Finish. Pretty self-explanatory. It just wasn’t my thing or it was affecting my mood or outlook on life negatively and I just needed it to stop.

* * *

I strive to be a five star Scrooge. Something must be truly gifted, the very pinnacle of excellence, before I will bestow my highest honor upon it. I am a bit more lenient with a four star rating, often waffling between three and four stars on most of what I consume. I have friends and the Internet to thank for that last bit, since many other people have already expressed their opinions about just about anything and everything, so I can weed out the obvious chaff.

I also try to let my brain rest for a day or two before applying a rating and composing a review. Unless, of course, I couldn’t stomach it, then I’m quick to verbalize my loathing. All of this only applies in my universe, the one between my ears, so please take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Book Review: Lighthouse Duology by Berg (4 stars)

I read both of these books (the Lightouse Duology) back-to-back during the Spring of 2010. They came highly recommended from a respected author-friend, who also suggested I read them together as if they were published as one book. I heartily agree with that suggestion.

Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg

4 of 5 stars

Read in February 2010

Superb storytelling, twisting plots, puzzles and mysteries, and an apocalyptic convergence made for an excellent and enjoyable read. If it weren’t for the press of other book club selections, I would immediately proceed to the second half of this duology, Breath and Bone.

Even though the story is told in the first person, by Valen, it flowed well. I struggled to connect with Valen, a fugitive from his family, constantly on the run and hiding for twelve long years. Magic is strictly registered and contracted among pureblood families and any offspring willful enough to escape the privilege are hunted down relentlessly.

Escaping a battle gone badly, set upon by his own comrade and left to die in a ditch, Valen wakes up in a monastery’s infirmary and claims two weeks sanctuary. Thinking he can hide out among the tonsured brothers, he resolves to join their ranks, vowing falsely to obey their Rule for the rest of his days.

Yet all is not prayer, singing, reading, scribing or toiling among these gentle quiet monks. Valen soon finds more than just the porridge is thickening in the unseasonable cold.

Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy, adventure and apocalyptic fiction.

Breath and Bone by Carol Berg

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2010

Two worlds, symbiotically connected, only touching each other on the periphery of the senses, plagued by a scourge destroying the human realm which in turn shrinks and blinds the Danae realm. Can a cure be found? Can the world be healed?

But what sacrifice justifies the means? Does Osriel hold the answer in his pact with the ‘devil’? Does Silas’ goal to purge the world of all classes, races and knowledge, to reboot the world in her egalitarian vision offer the best hope? Or Valen, standing astride both worlds, perceiving the health just beyond his grasp, if only he can overcome his past and the obstacles and enemies in his present.

Beautiful world building, stunning prose, intriguing magic system (in both worlds), satisfyingly twisty plot and exceptionally well drawn, deep characters round out this remarkable conclusion to the Lighthouse series.

I highly recommend both Flesh and Spirit and this novel to all fantasy readers. I suggest they be read together, as one large volume.

Gemmell Award Winner for Best Novel: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (5 stars)

I just realized I have not posted many book reviews penned prior to the inception of my WordPress blog (circa October 2010). After reading the recent announcement from Tor that Brandon Sanderson, one of my top ten favorite authors, had won the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Novel, I felt the need to post my review, from August 2010, of the winning novel: The Way of Kings.

Update: Brandon posted about winning the award (he actually had two novels in the running) and traveling in Europe at his blog.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The initial installment of the Stormlight Archives epic fantasy series stormed through my early September. Filled with the whispering wind of world building, the clatter and clamour of conflicted and conniving characters, the fermenting furor and flustering foreshadowing all building to a thundering tumultuous tempest that is yet the calm before the impending Everstorm.

Sanderson built a world far removed from our own, a rocky seemingly barren continent repeatedly ravaged by highstorms that routinely pummel the landscape and settlements with boulders and anything else it can find to hurl westward (or leeward, as highstorms always originate from the east). Plant and animal life adapted to this harsh environment by developing tough skins (exoskeletons are the norm here) and defensive mechanisms (prehensile plants that retract into their shells when approached or threatened). Humans build in caves, crevasses or very sturdy stone buildings, always facing leeward, with slanting roofs and sides to channel the wind from the highstorms over and around the structures.

Stormlight forms the foundation for the magic systems introduced and ironically is renewed or originates from the highstorms. Gems, like diamonds, garnets, topazes and emeralds, are infused with stormlight if left outside during a highstorm. The currency of the monetary system includes tiny chips of gems imbedded in spheres of glass and double as lamps, torches and other light sources. For those lucky enough to be magic wielders, the spheres also provide a ready reserve of energy for Lashing or Soulcasting. Having previously read Sanderson’s Mistborn series, I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed in the Lashing magic system, for it’s similarity to Allomancy (at least from a physics point-of-view).

Through several characters, who just happen to be scholars, we learn some of the history, philosophy, mythology, anthropology and religion of Roshar. Vorinism is the dominant religion of the times, but we see glimpses of how different it may have been in the distant past, especially when most history is written by the conquerors or the last man standing. Prejudice and some persecution persist, based on people’s eye color (current elite of society have light colored eyes, as opposed to the lowly darkeyes) and slavery is common, although slaves receive reduced wages in most cases. The most perplexing unanswered question stemmed from women covering their left hands (referred to as their safehands) for modesty’s sake. Not being genitalia, I wasn’t sure why a left hand (as opposed to a right hand) would evoke lust or some other unseemly immodest emotion in men. But, I’m not judging, just curious, as there are many examples from our own world of strange gender customs and modesty mores.

I related to and enjoyed many of the characters, especially Kaladin (heroic surgeon/spearman/slave/savior – this book focuses most on this character), Szeth (reluctant assassin), Dalinar (noble war leader tortured by visions during highstorms) and Wit (lives up to his name). Strangely, for the first time while reading a novel by Sanderson, I didn’t connect well with the female characters: Josnah (a heretic and devoted researcher/scholar) and Shallan (Josnah’s ward/student with a secret scarred past and a secret ulterior motive).

Sanderson excels at action sequences, vividly portraying amazing feats of magic, thrilling fight scenes and stunning battle sequences. At times, I forgot I was reading, becoming completely absorbed in what looked and felt like a spectacular cinematic experience. Hollywood screenwriters and directors could definitely learn something from Brandon Sanderson.

The ending left enough unanswered questions and new revelations to make me cringe at the two to three year wait for the second novel. I can’t say I was ‘happy’ with some of the discoveries, especially Dalinar’s final vision (actually a repeat of his first vision but our first glimpse of it). I would love to expound on this and rant a bit about the religious or philosophical repercussions, but I fear spoiling a key element and don’t want to scare prospective readers away from a magnificent epic fantasy.

I appreciated Kalladin’s struggles and triumphs, yet he has much to learn and finally has the resources and encouragement to achieve Life before Death, Strength before Weakness and the Journey before the Destination.

September 16th Addition: Brandon commissioned (and personally paid for) beautiful interior illustrations, color endplates of glyphs and maps, natural history sketchbook excerpts, various military maps all presented as character created to complement his excellent textual world building.

Here are some photos I took of the end plates from my first edition:

And finally, to top off the interior artwork, Michael Whelan created the stunning coverart (Click here for the artist’s notes on creating the cover artwork).

GR Status Updates:

09/04/2010	page 1	0.0%	2 comments
09/04/2010	page 35	3.0%	“Starting Part One ‘Above Silence'” 13 comments
09/04/2010	page 61	6.0%	“Starting third chapter ‘City of Bells'” 6 comments
09/04/2010	page 73	7.0%	“Starting Chapter 4 ‘The Shattered Plains'” 4 comments
09/04/2010	page 83	8.0%	“Starting Chapter 5 ‘Heretic'” 3 comments
09/04/2010	page 95	9.0%	“Starting Chapter 6 ‘Bridge Four'” 2 comments
09/04/2010	page 112	11.0%	“Starting Chapter 7 ‘Anything Reasonable'” 2 comments
09/05/2010	page 145	14.0%	“Starting Chapter 9 ‘Damnation'” 4 comments
09/05/2010	page 164	16.0%	“Finished Part One”
09/06/2010	page 171	17.0%	“In search of … Hoid”
09/06/2010	page 181	18.0%	“Starting Part Two ‘The Illuminating Storms'” 2 comments
09/06/2010	page 201	20.0%	“Finished Chapter 12 ‘Unity'” 2 comments
09/06/2010	page 210	21.0%	“Finished Chapter 13 ‘Ten Heartbeats'” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 220	22.0%	“Finished Chapter 14 ‘Payday'” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 224	22.0%	“A tenant of Vorinism” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 227	23.0%	“Dalinor remembers Gavilar’s death quote from the ancient text entitled The Way of Kings” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 238	24.0%	“Another reference to textbook The Way of Kings aka the Codes” 2 comments
09/06/2010	page 241	24.0%	“Finished Chapter 14 ‘Decoy'” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 244	24.0%	“Alethi Codes of War” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 257	26.0%	“Finished Chapter 16 ‘Cocoons'” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 273	27.0%	“Finished Chapter 17 ‘A Bloody, Red Sunset'” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 278	28.0%	“Fourth copy edit mistake I’ve found in the first 300 pages. All have involved two letter prepositions.” 2 comments
09/06/2010	page 282	28.0%	“A Calling and a Glory” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 284	28.0%	“The War of Loss aka Hierocracy” 4 comments
09/06/2010	page 292	29.0%	“Another description of the Way of Kings” 2 comments
09/06/2010	page 308	31.0%	“Finished Chapters 18 ‘Highprince of War’ and Chapter 19 ‘Starfalls'” 3 comments
09/06/2010	page 316	31.0%	“Trust and Power” 1 comment
09/06/2010	page 351	35.0%	“Starting Chapter 24 ‘The Gallery of Maps'” 1 comment
09/07/2010	page 360	36.0%	“Starting Chapter 25 ‘The Butcher'” 1 comment
09/08/2010	page 377	37.0%	“Found another copy edit mishap with a missing two-letter proposition.” 4 comments
09/08/2010	page 386	38.0%	“Starting Chapter 27 ‘Chasm Duty'” 1 comment
09/08/2010	page 406	40.0%	“Starting Chapter 28 ‘Decision'”
09/10/2010	page 428	43.0%	“Finished Part Two”
09/10/2010	page 451	45.0%	“Finished second set of Interlude short stories”
09/11/2010	page 469	47.0%	“Redundant ‘close’ or am I just not reading this right: ‘A true scholar must not close her mind close on any topic, no matter how certain she may feel.'” 3 comments
09/11/2010	page 496	49.0%	“Finished three chapters from Kaladin’s PoV.”
09/11/2010	page 512	51.0%	“Finished Chapter 33 ‘Cymatics'” 2 comments
09/11/2010	page 524	52.0%	“Finished Chapters 34 & 35 ‘Stormwall’ and ‘A Light by Which to See'” 6 comments
09/11/2010	page 600	60.0%	“Finished ‘Beggars and Barmaids’ chapter.” 1 comment
09/11/2010	page 626	62.0%	“Kaladin’s regrets haunt him.” 1 comment
09/12/2010	page 645	64.0%	“Shallan becomes more desperate and possibly delusional.”
09/12/2010	page 663	66.0%	“Kaladin meets Adolin.”
09/12/2010	page 671	67.0%	“Kaladin hears Cenn’s death reading.” 4 comments
09/12/2010	page 676	67.0%	“Starting Chapter 48 ‘Strawberry'” 2 comments
09/12/2010	page 687	68.0%	“Starting Chapter 49 ‘To Care'” 1 comment
09/12/2010	page 696	69.0%	“Starting Chapter 50 ‘Backbreaker Powder'”
09/12/2010	page 704	70.0%	“Finished Part Three” 1 comment
09/12/2010	page 721	72.0%	“Finished third Interludes” 1 comment
09/12/2010	page 730	72.0%	“Another copy edit mishap” 1 comment
09/12/2010	page 751	75.0%	“Aha! Hoid again!” 2 comments
09/12/2010	page 763	76.0%	“Starting Chapter 55 ‘An Emerald Broam'”
09/12/2010	page 777	77.0%	“Starting Chapter 56 ‘That Storming Book'”
09/12/2010	page 789	78.0%	“Starting Chapter 57 ‘Wandersail'” 1 comment
09/13/2010	page 811	81.0%	“Starting Chapter 58 ‘Journey'”
09/13/2010	page 857	85.0%	“Starting Chapter 61 ‘Right for Wrong'”
09/13/2010	page 878	87.0%	“Starting Chapter 63 ‘Fear'”
09/14/2010	page 926	92.0%	“Finished Chapter 67 ‘Words'” 3 comments
09/14/2010	page 945	94.0%	“Starting Chapter 69 ‘Justice'”
09/14/2010	page 962	96.0%	“Finished Part Four (no Interludes before Part Five).”
09/14/2010	page 1007	100.0%	1 comment

Book Review: Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (5 stars)

Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay

5 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2010

Shen Tai mourns his father for over two years by burying the bones of the dead in a vast battlefield on the western edge of the Kitan empire. A backbreaking labor of grace daily and the company of the restless shades of soldiers nightly. He gains the respect of friend and foe and the attention of women in high places with influence, intrigue and power. The unfathomable gift of two hundred and fifty horses from a rival empire courtesy of a Kitan princes sent as tribute sets Shen’s life adrift on the high tide of potentially lethal imperial politics. He receives unlooked for and unlikely assistance from several women as he travels from the far western reaches to the very center of the Kitan empire in Xinan: a well trained assassin, Wei Song, sent by a former courtesan of the northwestern district previously known as Spring Rain and a former dancer now the favored courtesan of the emperor himself.

Even though we only ever see one of the famous Sardian horses for much of the novel, Shen repeatedly attempts to exchange them for knowledge of his sister and her rescue from the Bogu barbarians of the north, since his own older brother, now adviser to the prime minister, allowed her to be elevated to an imperial princes and sent as a tribute bride to the Bogu leader. But not even the most powerful players on this corrupted game board can assist Shen with his quest.

Kay delivers sweeping epic vistas of the open grass steppe and the heart-stopping gut-wrenching frenzy of court intrigue and rebellion. No other prose flows so seamlessly as Kays, completely engulfing me in the world he unfolds before me.

My only quibble with this novel, and which almost made me drop my rather to four or four and a half stars, was with the ending. Shifting to third person and a more remote historical sagacious point of view distanced me from the characters just as the story culminated and resolved. I still enjoyed the novel immensely, though, and highly recommend it.