Aaron has been having a nightmare of a civilization destroyed, but it is not until he turns 18 that he sees what destroys it: angels. Over the next few days, he begins to discover he has new gifts, some of them beyond the ability of any normal human being. At first he thinks he's going crazy, but then he meets two men who show him a different possibility. At first he refuses to believe, but eventually he must come to terms with what he is: Nephilim--both angel and human. If he doesn't, all that he loves could be destroyed as the Powers seek him out to kill him.
Impression: This book was on the other end of the book vs. TV/movie spectrum as Stardust--it made a better TV series than book. Oh, the basic story line was okay, but the writing itself was overly simplistic, even for young adult fiction, and generally poor. The TV miniseries even managed to give the characters more depth. As usually happens when a book is translated to movie, the miniseries made some minor changes in the story as well, and, in this case, those changes worked.
Really, y.a. writing doesn't have to be like this. Even older children's books don't have to be so poorly put together. Look at Harry Potter or A Wrinkle In Time. Okay, some would say that the former is poorly written, but I thoroughly enjoyed the HP books. I kept reading them--the author wrote them in a way that I wanted to keep reading them. And the movies have worked for me so far as well. Books and the movies made from them can work well together, this just isn't the case for The Fallen.
Because of my disappointment in the first book in this series, I won't be picking up the rest. The story is unfinished, and I don't care. The other books could get better, but I'm not interested in spending my money on them and finding out they don't. I want to own the miniseries, but couldn't care less about the books.
Tristran thorn, son of a villager and a faerie, is in love with Victoria, one of the most beautiful girls in his village. She, however, isn’t quite so taken with him. As he walks her home one night, he asks what he can do to earn her hand. Hoping to rid herself of him, she tells him to bring her the star they have just seen fall from the sky. Determined to gain her affections, Tristran returns home, gathers what he thinks he will need, and sets out to find the star that very night. To reach the star, he must cross the Wall, a stone wall designed to keep the faerie separate from the world in which Tristran lives. And on the other side of that Wall is adventure. He meets a gnome and travels by candlelight to the star, who turns out to be a young woman named Yvaine, saves a unicorn, crosses a witch-Queen, and journeys with a Lord. By the time he returns to the Wall with the star, he is a far different man than when he left.
Impression:Stardust is one of those books that reminds me why I like books better than movies. Oh, movies have flash and bang, but a reader with a good imagination can do that with a good book. And this book is not only good in terms of story, but it has a voice that just cannot be duplicated on screen. And this voice is part of what makes the novel entertaining.
The story itself is a mix of classic faerie tales with a new vision, the characters are engaging, and the writing solid and entertaining. It draws you in and makes you want to follow Tristran on his journey, to see what happens to him, how he grows, the colorful places he visits within Faerie, the colorful people he meets. Three main plots intertwine nicely in the book, and though only two of them seem at all connected in the beginning, they all come together in the end, and in such a way that none of them could be dispensed with.
I highly recommend this book, but must note it really isn't for younger readers. It's definitely a "fairy tale" for adults. ;)
Between 1587 and 1591, the "lost" colony of Roanoke, Virginia disappeared. They were taken...somewhere. And now their descendants are about to go to war with the Wiyr, the satyr-like creatures they have lived in peace with for years. The Wiyr work with and for the humans, living in their own communities, keeping to their traditions, while the humans spread across the land.
Jack is one of the descendants of the Roanoke village, and becomes aware of the tensions while hunting a dragon. He meets his cousin, Ed, who has killed and cropped the tail of a young Wiyr Jack knows. Angered by the betrayal of the woman he loves, Ed has joined the forces that want to rid Dare of the Wiyr. Forced into silence by his cousin, Jack can't even tell R'li, Wuv's sister and a Siren of the Wiyr.
As Jack falls for the Siren, the quiet move for war becomes an open hostility and humans are forced to choose sides or suffer the same fate as the Wiyr. Pressed into military service, the nearby Wiyr colony that serves his father destroyed, Jack and R'li are forced to separate for both their own and their families' survival. Just as the end looks certain, a new force in Dare is heralded by the arrival of a spaceship.
Impression:Dare is one of the books that originally influenced my enjoyment of science fiction and fantasy. It's soft SF, so there's no focus on the science, and this one's mixed with quite a bit of fantasy.
The writing itself is not elegant, but the story itself carries you. There's less description in the novel than I generally like, but it seems to work for this novel. The one major problem is that it's unfinished. The spaceship comes down, people meet and talk, plans are made, and then...nothing. No resolution to everything the story has been building up to. Even so, I do recommend it as good reading. It's a book that defies many of the "rules" of writing, and is interesting none the less.
I should add, that MY copy of this is so old, the cover is totally different from what's on Amazon (in the one place where there is a cover) and there's only a 1079 copy listed at B&N. It shows a pretty naked Siren with hair (from her head and her tail) covering the appropriate places. ;)
I haven't posted in awhile, but I AM reading. It's just been really busy. I have one of my books sitting on my printer waiting for me to get to a review of it--not that reviewing it would do much for anybody since it's o.o.p. Some of the stuff I've been reading isn't published, but they are novels.
So what have finished or been working on?
Dare by Philip Jose Farmer Amazon.com :: B&N
One of the first SF books I ever read. My copy is so old, the ISBN and scan bars are on the inside of the front cover instead of the outside of the back cover. this is the one I've been meaning to review.
After All These Years by Gwen Masters Forbidden Publications
A novelette that I finished editing in August. I'm not sure if it's available yet, but it was really enjoyable to work on even though it's not in my usual genres. Not spicy/carnal either, just a sweet romance.
Suddenly Psychic by Melanie Baxter Forbidden Publications
I've read this one in the process of editing it. We're on the third round now. The book isn't something I would be much interested in if I weren't editing it, but it's okay and I'm sure romance readers will like it. Like After, it's not spicy/carnal, and the underlying story is actually pretty humorous.
Thosha-Tol by Sarah Wagner Official Website of Sarah Wagner
I've been reading and critting this one and enjoying it immensely. The current version in a rough draft, and I can hardly wait to see the new version.
Mirror Man by Jay Sauls
Also a rough draft version. He's slowed down a little on posting it to the crit ggroup, which is probably good since I've been focused on getting Thosha-Tol done for Sarah (she's revising like a mad woman!). The rough is a bit rocky right now, but I know he'll revise it into shape. and I've enjoyed it despite the rockiness.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman Amazon.com :: B&N
I actually was reading this fairly quickly (for me) then got distracted by other things, including the editing job and my own writing. One of the things I'm particularly enjoying in this one is the "voice" he uses to tell the story. that voice is something that I'm can't be translated into the movie and one of the reasons I love reading. I'm pretty close to done so might be able to add it to me "to be reviewed" pile soon. ;)
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Amazon.com :: B&N
Sadly, I've been totally distracted away from this one. I've enjoyed the story that I've read so far (I'm up to the point where she's about to head off on the expedition with the boat people). I'll get back to it, I'm sure.
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon Amazon.com :: B&N
plus a ton of slush and editing work for a new press I'm working with and several writing related books AND at least 2 or 3 other novels for my writing group.
So I may not be saying much right now, but I am reading. In fact, the editing job probably has me reading more than I was reading before I started editing. When you add in unpublished works (and they were novel reads even if they aren't for sale yet), I've read 10 books so far this year, which means I'm pretty much on target.
Since the plot of this particular book has been beaten to death, I'm not going to post a synopsis. I'll address a few things that have been said about the book, and give pretty much a general review. No guarantees there's no spoilers. With the emotions the ending of the HP series is bringing up, though, I'm glad I decided to close my comments too.
So, Deathly Hallows. I enjoyed it, and most of it made sense to me. There's been a lot going on about the deaths in this book--who died as well as how many died, the "naked scenes", and the epilogue.
Most of the deaths and how they were written in worked for me. For at least one character, death was inevitable. If it hadn't happened, I would have been disappointed because it would have revealed either a reluctance on the part of the author to do what she had been setting up for the character throughout the books. Or it would have revealed lack of a backbone as she succumbed to fan desires. However, some fans have romanticized his death to some degree, saying it showed courage, and I don't agree with that either. He saved no one. He did give Harry a gift, but I don't think it was courage that was a part of it, and I don't think it necessarily "redeemed" him the way so many think. He was always a complex character and his end only revealed that to a deeper degree.
As for the number of deaths and how they were portrayed, it was a war people. And Harry wasn't there for most of it. So, yea, a lot of "off stage" death made sense. As for who died, that characters we had come to know and love wouldn't make it through to the end made sense. See the first sentence of this paragraph. War doesn't favor only the people we don't know. Yes, I was upset at a few, and cried for one, but I also understood Rowling had to make choices that probably she didn't even like. She did what needed to be done to make the book work.
I don't understand the hub-bub about the "naked scenes". It's not like Rowling got pornographic or anything. Nothing was mentioned that I wouldn't let my children read. The big deal about it all makes no sense to me.
As for the epilogue, I think people have forgotten that these are books for older children or those on the younger end of the young adult group. You generally don't kill off heroes and keep them dead for these readers, and you almost always need some kind of "happily ever after" (or at least a happy for now) kind of ending. These are guidelines pretty much set for the genre, so I always expected Rowling to find a way to follow them even as the books got darker. This may be changing a little now days, with our kids growing up at younger ages, but it's not the norm to have books for this age range to end with the hero dead or not happy at least for the time being. I wasn't particularly fond of her last line either, but I understand WHY she did it (beyond the reasons she's mentioned in interviews) so I won't complain about it.
There have been some complaints about plot holes. I didn't see them. There have been lots of complaints about who ended up with who, which I find to be silly. This was Rowling's book to write, not anyone else's, and I think reading any book with expectations of your desires to be fulfilled will always lead to disappointment. I read without any expectations, and I think she did a great job of tying things up. She followed a single plot through the whole series while giving each book it's own story as well. I enjoyed the story, though there were places where the writing itself needed a little work. But that's been true of all her books, and she still has managed to draw me into the world of Harry every time.
Morenia has fallen, its king has been driven to a distant land, and its people subjected to a religious regime. With the king are his trusted friends and advisors, the men and women who have supported Hal since the day he took the throne, including Rani Glasswright. The small company hides in neighboring Sarmonia, seeking allies in their struggle to return the rightful king to Morenia, but discover the Sarmonian king tied by politics and the mysterious Fellowship of Jair -- the same group that orchestrated Hal's fall from power, the death of a valued advisor's child, Rani's failure to pass her glasswright master test, and now seeks to destroy them all.
Rani continues to try to help her king, despite more losses and a tangle of misunderstanding. But Rani's efforts to help her king end when she is kidnapped by the Fellowship and returned to Morenia to stand trial for her betrayal of the order. Hal manages to get support from Sarmonia after showing their king how the Fellowship has infiltrated Sarmonia's government, and returns to Morenia to regain his throne while fighting his own mental demons. Using a clever engineer and a plan that will leave him with little but his own life should it fail, Hal challenges the well defended capital city with a force too small to have much chance of success. Little does he or anyone else know that Rani is already in the city and that she will be the one to turn the tide.
Impression: I enjoyed this one, probably more than the last two. There was more complexity as more players became involved and the politics became a bit more intricate. Character's were tested, not only in new ways, but with old challenges that had new twists. The ending was unexpected, but you could see how the author got to it not only in the current book, but through the series. The ending was satisfying, with all the loose ends tied up.
I find it interesting that the series was fairly complete without this last novel, while Master still adds to the series and finalizes what few threads were left in the last book. At the same time, this book could easily be read on its own, without the previous books in the series, and be almost as much enjoyed since events are clearly explained without being dumped into the novel. I think the earlier books were good starters for Klasky, but these last 2 in the series have shown her growth as an author. I recommend The Glasswrights' Master to any reader of fantasy, even if they haven't read the earlier books in the series.
When the Glasswrights were finally freed from the dungeons Morenia, they fled, some scattering but most finding their way to Brianta to rebuild their guild. Now they've called Rani Trader to take the test that will prove she's worthy of the title Journeyman that she's taken for herself, and perhaps become a Master at last. Eager to take her place in the guild, and to bring it back to Morenia is she can, Rani eagerly accompanies Princess Berylina on her pilgrimage to Brianta.
But there is more than a Glasswright's Test planned for Rani. The mysterious Fellowship, to whom Rani has pledged herself, still craves to control the Morenian throne, and their test will be one more trying to Rani than that of the Glasswrights. Rani finds herself in a tangle of promises and sworn loyalties that conflict, risking her relationship, the lives of her friends, and her standing in the Guild itself.
Impression: For the last couple of books, Klasky has been creating conflicting loyalties for Rani, and in The Glasswright's Test they finally come together. The book is a very natural sequel to the previous books, and a an easy, enjoyable read. It's always nice to see an author take the next logical step with her characters and take into account the issues they've managed to surround themselves with in previous novels. I also enjoyed seeing a very different culture, one that honors the same Gods as Morenia but in a "more pious" way. The way Klasky had religion permeate the Brianta culture was fascinating. There were some minor issues I had, but they weren't anything that got in the way of enjoying the book, and they may even add something to the next book in the series.
I recommend The Glasswright's Test to anyone who has read the previous books. The series has proved to be an entertaining read for me, and I'm sure younger readers who are into fantasy will enjoy it even more.
When a local horror film convention is attacked by phobophages, creatures who feed on fear, Harry must help defeat the creature and discover who is responsible for their appearance. Unfortunately, his search for clues cleads him to his best friend's daughter or her boyfriend. When she is taken into the Nevernever and Harry follows to save her, with her mother, his brother, and Murphy at his side, he also discovers that the fairy Queens are manipulating the situation and that the White Council itself is at risk. By the time he's done, he's saved more than one life, but his standing with the Council is even more precarious, he's aware that there is an unknown traitor on the Council itself, and there's at least one new player on the scene whose identity is unknown.
Impression: Butcher wastes no time getting right into it in Proven Guilty. Dresden is knee-deep in the kimshe before the phobophages show up, and their attacks on the convention only dig him in deeper. The story kept me engaged though -- often past my bedtime. There's some real nice character advancement in here, in their relationships as well as for the individual characters. It was really nice to see Charity finally make some kind of peace with Harry, and seeing Michael at the end, however briefly, was very cool. Butcher nicely ties up the current story, but leaves some intriguing loose ends for a future novel or two. The enemies Harry must stand against aren't necessarily more powerful than in previous books, so there's no continuation of this building of Harry's power we've seen in previous books, but neither are they easily defeated. I think perhaps the only "problem" I had was that I knew who was bringing the phages long before Harry did -- it was just too obvious. Still it didn't ruin the readability and enjoyment of the book. Probably not one of my favorites in the series, but pretty close.
Corleu, a young Wayfolk man, is trapped into a search for the heart of the Cygnet by one of the legendary powers of his world in order to free his love from being eternally trapped. He finds help from the sorceress Nyx, daughter of the ruling family of Ro House, though he is not allowed to tell her what he seeks, and the two of them release the powers of legend. But another daughter of Ro House is destined to protect the Cygnet, even from her own. Each riddle surrounding the Cygnet is answered with yet another riddle that only another legend can answer until Corleu, followed by a power hungry sorceress, and legendary powers that have come to life, finally reaches the hiding place of the Cygnet itself where discovers his past and frees his future.
Impression: While not one of my favorite McKillip reads, I found The Sorceress and the Cygnet enjoyable -- not fantastic enjoyable, but okay enjoyable. The title and the book don't actually quite fit together, though Nyx is a big part of the story, she is not the important part of the story. However, I also understand why it the title is what it is, I just feel it misleads the prospective reader. In any case, the story itself in interesting, though the style lacks the lyrical quality I have appreciated in a number of her past books. I'm honestly not sure why I didn’t feel more drawn into the book than I was -- it's not a bad read, just an okay one. The world is intriguing and the writing solid. The weak link, I think, was the characters. Corleu does have a compelling reason for his actions which are the foundation for the plot, but I didn't feel there was as much depth to these characters as there could have been. The one exception was Meguet. It really seemed as if the story should be about her, but not in the round about way it happened. The ties of discovery that seemed to link Corleu and Meguet were not as strongly written as they could have been.
So, an okay read, but not a particularly impressive one. It falls short of McKillip's usual care in her writing. I can see it being more interesting to pre-y.a. readers, actually. When I finish the next book, I may just pass it along to my 12 year old and see if she likes it. ;)
Sylvia left her childhood home to avoid revealing a secret that she instinctively knew her watchful grandmother would not accept. Now, years later, she returns to help her grandmother bury her grandfather. Though she plans to leave again as soon as possible, she finds herself drawn once more into the same tangle she fled before, only this time she is unable to extricate herself. The mysteries of the wood behind her grandmother's house, the secrets of her past, and the secrets of those she's known her entire life all become entangled with tradition and the world of the fairy, threatening to reveal the truth she's held close all these years and risking the well being of those she loves.
Impression: I loved Solstice Wood. Though written in a style that is unusual for McKillip, the writing still retained her ability to draw you into the story. Not as poetic as most her books, it still had its own kind of poetry that was expressed in the story itself rather than in the way it was written. McKillip also chose to use several different characters to tell the story rather than remaining in Sylvia's perspective throughout the novel, and yet the story remains Sylvia's. And yet, it also belonged to the other characters, who were all touched in some way by the pull between tradition and the wonder of the unknown. Rich description made the story easy to "see", and I am a reader who loves to just sit back and immerse myself in the vision of the author rather than be forced to create my own ideas of a story's sights and sounds and smells.
I did suspect part of the ending before I came to the conclusion, but this actually did not detract from the story at all. The plot was solid, the ending still had its twists, and waiting to see if the other characters would realize what I knew as a reader was part of the enjoyment. McKillip has a way of making you care about her characters, ALL her characters. While I wouldn't say that Solstice Wood is my favorite McKillip book, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.
I haven't finished reading this book, and I'm not sure I will. The story itself seems interesting enough, but the way it's written is driving me crazy and making it impossible to get immersed in it. A lot of this problem is formatting -- the author places spaces between paragraphs much the way many elementary students are taught to do today (an annoyance I won't get into here). This visual breaking every 3 or 4 paragraphs (at MOST, usually more frequently), particularly where no break is necessary because the same scene continues after the break, is very disruptive. Added to the fact that there are at least (by my count) 3 or 4 different stories going on and at least one of these stories has yet to have any connection to the others as far as I can tell and the book is an impossible mess for me so far.
There are other issues as well -- lack of solid description in many places that make the story easier to visualize (though this isn't always the case, so I guess uneven description is closer to the mark), for example, but the above are by far the hardest for me to overcome so I can get into and enjoy the story. The sad thing is I really want to get into it. I love the premise of angels walking the earth and the Vellum that the author uses as a connection between time and place. For now, though, I have to set it aside. I don't like having to struggle to get into a good read. There are too many good books out there that don’t require quite so much work.
Brenden Vetch is a gardener, a gardener chosen by the ancient wizard Od to go to her school. Little does he realize that his presence, and that of an illusionist by the name of Tyramin will stir up the fears of a king who controls the use of magic in the kingdom of Numis. Little does the king know that his own daughter practices forbidden magic, magic she was born with, and magic she must reveal before she can marry his most trusted adviser. When an illusion goes awry, Brenden flees in fear, and the king's daughter disappears, the king and Valoren, his adviser, fear the worst and seek to capture those who would endanger the kingdom. What they find at the end of this search is something neither man expected.
Impression: While the usual rich language seems toned down here, McKillip hasn't lost her ability to enchant a reader. She draws you into the kingdom of Numis and the lives of the characters there, and skillfully keeps the reader guessing as to what's truly going on until the end. It's a skill I've seen in all her books, where nothing is quite what it seems but all the threads are there, leading to an ending that is neither predictable nor surprising. You can't see it coming, but can see where it came from. With Od Magic, I actually did guess some of the truths of hidden identities, but it wasn't disappointing to do so because there's always another mystery to unravel.
I enjoyed how there was a feel of a mystery to it, a mystery in the story, a mystery in the characters. And I loved the theme of seeing beyond the boundaries of what's in front of us, being willing to explore the wild and unknown. As with many of McKillip's novels, there's so much depth here that the story will need to be read again and again to appreciate all the layers within it. It is a beautiful novel that I highly recommend.
