Finalist for the David Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012 (Best Fantasy Debut)
Reminds me of Brent Weeks's Night Angel series.
There's magic, thievery, spies, thief cant, assassins, death, street fights, torture, and a sense of honor.
Drothe was a really likable main character, and I was really rooting for him as he got himself into some awful scrapes. That's important, because we start the book with him in a not-very-likable situation and he makes some choices along the way that don't seem great.
So, what makes him likable? His friendship with (Bronze) Degan is important, I think. His care for Eppyris and Cosima and the girls is, too. And, that sense of honor. He makes some hard choices. He watches out for himself, but it's not self above all else.
Looking forward to book #2!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Transfer by Veronica Roth
Nice backstory on Four. It's not a re-telling from a different viewpoint. Instead it's a new story, several days in the life of Four. It explains what his background was, why he chose the Factor he did, and his first day as Dauntless. There's a story arc here, with a believable beginning, middle, and end. There's tension and a climax and then even some results from those choices.
Won't make much sense if you haven't read Divergent, but then you HAVE read Divergent, haven't you?
Won't make much sense if you haven't read Divergent, but then you HAVE read Divergent, haven't you?
Cast in Sorrow (Chronicles of Elantra # 9) by Michelle Sagara West
** spoiler alert ** Parts of this seemed too mystical to me. We're to understand and not understand what the green is, what the Hallionne are, who/what the dragon is, and who/what the lost children/ferals are. There's also more talk about True Words and Names.
To me, the Consort's emotions are inexplicable at times.
There's also a LOT of references to the prior books. Don't even think about reading this book if you haven't read the others.
I liked how Nightshade got read the riot act in the end. The connections between Kaylin and Severn, Ynpharion, and Lirienne was used well. The imagery of the green being brown and desolate and the Hallionne in the green being all twisted and wrong was apt and gave room to easily show when things improved.
Don't expect romance here. There's not a lot of relationship building with Kaylin/Severn or Kaylin/Nightshade.
Kaylin grows in that she sees a need to learn magic and promises that she will devote herself to really being interested in learning (rather than just doing what she's told) when she returns. I guess it's for the next book to tell whether she holds herself to that. Kaylin also sees a chance to change the past and she chooses not to take it, even though she feels like it would remove much of the guilt from her life.
Not sure what the purpose of the Warden's mom was. She was openly antagonistic much of the time, but it didn't seem to affect the plot at all. Is this a setup for future things? Or just adding depth to the experience in the Vale?
To me, the Consort's emotions are inexplicable at times.
There's also a LOT of references to the prior books. Don't even think about reading this book if you haven't read the others.
I liked how Nightshade got read the riot act in the end. The connections between Kaylin and Severn, Ynpharion, and Lirienne was used well. The imagery of the green being brown and desolate and the Hallionne in the green being all twisted and wrong was apt and gave room to easily show when things improved.
Don't expect romance here. There's not a lot of relationship building with Kaylin/Severn or Kaylin/Nightshade.
Kaylin grows in that she sees a need to learn magic and promises that she will devote herself to really being interested in learning (rather than just doing what she's told) when she returns. I guess it's for the next book to tell whether she holds herself to that. Kaylin also sees a chance to change the past and she chooses not to take it, even though she feels like it would remove much of the guilt from her life.
Not sure what the purpose of the Warden's mom was. She was openly antagonistic much of the time, but it didn't seem to affect the plot at all. Is this a setup for future things? Or just adding depth to the experience in the Vale?
The Automaton's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
This is an e-short story in The Assassin's Curse series.
This story didn't really seem like it provided much back story and it wasn't that much of a story in its own right. It's a couple of days in the life of one of the characters in The Assassin's Curse (not the MC).
Had the sea-going feeling, as well as pirates, so she has some experience for later.
Nice to be back in that universe, though.
This story didn't really seem like it provided much back story and it wasn't that much of a story in its own right. It's a couple of days in the life of one of the characters in The Assassin's Curse (not the MC).
Had the sea-going feeling, as well as pirates, so she has some experience for later.
Nice to be back in that universe, though.
The Hero of the Ages (Mistborn #3) by Brian Sanderson
** spoiler alert ** Love all the thoughts about religion and the realization that religion requires faith -- there's no way to absolutely rationalize your way into it.
Thought the fight between Ruin and Preservation was cool, but a little abstract at times.
Vin and Elend still win as a couple for their absolute trust in each other and the ways that they live up to that trust.
Sazed's grief rings true in so many ways, even to his guilt when he gets interested in something else.
Spook's rise and fall was interesting. Like he himself, I'd forgotten about the metal piercing although I'd noticed it at the time it occurred. And Beldre was a pleasant surprise, although she didn't get enough facetime.
More thoughts about politics and leadership and how academic knowledge of theory isn't enough and how situations change the ideal resolution. The scene where Yomen went to check on needed supplies while Elend went to visit wounded soldiers kind of epitomized it.
The revelation of what the koloss and kandra truly were was interesting. Hemalurgy is a bit more than messy. Pretty gross thought (not that inquisitors weren't gross already with spikes through their eyes). The location of the kandra homeland was a surprise to me.
Thought the fight between Ruin and Preservation was cool, but a little abstract at times.
Vin and Elend still win as a couple for their absolute trust in each other and the ways that they live up to that trust.
Sazed's grief rings true in so many ways, even to his guilt when he gets interested in something else.
Spook's rise and fall was interesting. Like he himself, I'd forgotten about the metal piercing although I'd noticed it at the time it occurred. And Beldre was a pleasant surprise, although she didn't get enough facetime.
More thoughts about politics and leadership and how academic knowledge of theory isn't enough and how situations change the ideal resolution. The scene where Yomen went to check on needed supplies while Elend went to visit wounded soldiers kind of epitomized it.
The revelation of what the koloss and kandra truly were was interesting. Hemalurgy is a bit more than messy. Pretty gross thought (not that inquisitors weren't gross already with spikes through their eyes). The location of the kandra homeland was a surprise to me.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)