Dream Thief by Shana Abe
Labels: fantasy, historical, romance
a book blog about books I like.
Labels: fantasy, historical, romance
Poison Study and Magic Study by Maria Snyder is a thrilling and gutsy treatment of fantastic themes. An orphaned girl accused of murder is forced to become a poison taster and an assassin for the government. When she discovers she also has magic powers, she has to use every ounce of her intelligence and athleticism to save the people who make up her family, old and new. Chocolate plays an important role, hah hah.
Notable features are creative cultures and methodology of magic, with strong characters and a well-placed plot. I can't pinpoint what I don't like about this series, except that everything works out too neatly. It isn't bad by any means, but lacks that extra pizazz that marks the best of the best.
The Sharing Knife (Beguilement) by Lois McMaster Bujold: a medieval fantasy novel that started off with a few interesting twists, but the needless character relationship development at the end was gross and wasn't even remotely interesting. I didn't finish this book and am not inspired to read the rest of the trilogy.
Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein: if you're into historical England, Shakespeare and Faerie, this book is for you. Eerie and poetic, a philosophical fantasy novel about a widowed bookseller fighting to save her son (and world) from Faerie.
Not Exactly the Three Musketeers by Joel Rosenburg: Typical epic fantasy quest with 3 men apparently from our world set into a magical medieval world. Wizards, sorceresses, dragons galore. Funny, action-packed, but definitely adult.
Crimson Shadow: the Sword of Bedwyr by R.A. Salvatore: This fellow was a NY Times best selling author, so I thought I'd check him out and see if he's all that good. Like most male authors, he deals with action and humor quite expertly, though I had trouble liking any of the characters in this trilogy much. The plot and dialogue, even in Luthien's Gamble, seem awfully shallow and Hollywood-esque in comparison to some of the deeper and admittedly more feminine series I prefer.
Prince of the Blood by Raymond Feist: This was another best-seller author that I decided to give a go. Not bad for a typical swords and sorcery novel. I liked the characters and detailed world building, the dialogue was humorous but not too full of itself, the plot sufficiently complicated. But I wasn't particularly interested in what happens in a massive fantasy epic and after reading Shadow of a Dark Queen, it confirmed my apathy towards future huge undertakings, with the exception of Pratchett of course.
Vellum by Hal Duncan: this urban sci-fi/fantasy novel looked very hip and edgy and Neil-Gaiman-esque, but it was a chore to keep up with the changing perspectives and overall felt extremely unpleasant. Deals with an amazing revelation of biblical and spiritual mysteries and gutsy young heroes who must fight the forces of good and evil, all at the same time. I am not the intended demographic, I think.
Labels: alternate history, Arthur, fairy, fantasy, novel, science fiction, series, trilogy, urban
The Legend of Nightfall and the Return of Nighfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert: An occasionally bromantic adventure fantasy novel about an assassin given a second chance (I sure like those kinds of stories) by protecting a foolish young prince. Nightfall must not only keep Edward from harm, but also deal with sorcerors who kill magically talented people for their powers. The sequel falters a bit when Nightfall returns to needless emo introspection as he attempts to track down a missing king, but the hilarious hijinx continues, ever so suavely. I also like how friendships are explored, I think honest and non-gay relationships between men or between women is so rarely done well.
What I like about this author's style is her sense of realism and morality in a medieval fantasy setting, and how she describes things thoroughly but succintly. Her dialogue is also quite snappy, but not idiotically so like Eddings or Lackey, ahem. I still wouldn't place her anywhere near Pratchett's level, but her books were quite enjoyable overall and if I cared enough, I'd read her other series.
CrowThistle Chronicles: The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton: Includes the Well of Tears and Weatherwitch. While I admire her style of lush description, they occassionally go over-the-top and it is all I can do to not skip those paragraphs. I do like how she balances her books, with so much description and yet so much action going on, very skillfully paced. These books seem determined to outdo her first trilogy in sadness, despair and doom, but unlike Bitterbynde's vaguely European medieval setting, I find this book more unique and less dependent on familiar mythology. Critics compare her to Tolkien, and like Tolkien she occasionally inserts in lines that make me burst out laughing because they feek so out of place with her lyric style. Again, these books are very dreamy and romantic, with lots of folklore, unique legends and songs to add depth to an already dazzling imaginary world.
I think if you're willing to slog through 10,000 different ways to describe rose-fingered sunsets and verdant grasslands you might enjoy the actual story and characters.
Labels: enchantment, fairy, fantasy, romance, series
You guessed it, more mini-reviews of young adult novels and series! Except for the last two reviews, I wasn't really impressed enough by any of these series to write a separate post.
Elske and Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt: actually rather intriguing books on their own, but I would have to read a whole series about a fantastic medieval world to thoroughly understand the backstory, and well... I wasn't that interested. I remember the books being just barely on this side of boring and political.
Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick: a fairly interesting historical/macabre novel about an orphan and a London magician who makes a deal with the devil or something, but I wasn't tempted to read the rest of the series. It didn't really make any long-lasting impact in my mind.
Water Mirror by Kai Meyer: a captivating book about an orphan girl with a mirror who lives in a Venice-like world inhabited by stone lions and scary mermaids. A short novel that might require reading the rest of the series to find any real plot development.
Blue Girl by Charles de Lint: I didn't finish this book because man, it started off slow and I couldn't get past the second chapter. I like fantasy stories about high school kids, not high school stories about fantasy kids. This author is good, don't get me wrong, but his type of suburban fantasy isn't really my preference.
Levin Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye: It reads like a book written by a sophisticated young Swedish author who doesn't understand American humor but tries anyways. Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny but most of it's just weird and you laugh because you don't really understand what's going on. The story is fairly typical - teen finds out about supernatural powers and saves the world from mystical evil with help of plucky gel and fantastic mascot sidekicks, but everything else is appreciably strange. Apparently there are more books involved.
Falconer's Knot by Mary Hoffman: This historical mystery novel is surprisingly witty, concise and dramatic, with cheesy teenage romance and artsy details. Because it takes place in Italy like her other books, it requires a love and knowledge of Italian culture and art to truly appreciate. The major complaint I have for this book is that it seems like an adult mystery hacked and censored for a pre-teen audience. Had it been developed for a more mature reader, it would have been quite entertaining, but I find it choppy and the mystery way too easily solved. I'm sure younger readers will still enjoy this book, though.
Cup of the World and the Widow and the King by John Dickinson: An epic fantasy novel and its sequel about a spirited girl who elopes with a mysterious man who communicates to her through magic. Turns out he wants to conquer the known kingdom and will stop at nothing to do so. Magic and mayhem ensue. The sequel deals with the widowed queen trying to save her young son from a malicious ghost and scheming, ensorceled lords. Lots of people die... I appreciated the sorrowful, legendary tone and its layers of meaning and allegory, but it's not a series I recommend for people who want to feel good after reading something.
Labels: alternate world, fairy, fantasy, historical, mystery, novel, series, tragedy, urban, various, young adult
These trilogies are some of the newer series for young adults and children that I've discovered at my local library. I haven't actually completed a few of these trilogies on account of them not being written or not found or not being intriguing enough for me to finish. In the wake of Rowling's Harry Potter series, there is a surge of amazing stories written for children and teens that would definitely satisfy an older reader. I would recommend Lemony Snicket's dismal 12-volume chronicle of the Baudelaire orphans' tragic adventures, A Series of Unfortunate Events, it is intellectually stimulating while being perfectly depressing.
The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn: Including Dream-maker's Magic and Truth-teller's Tale, a trilogy with mild fantasy elements. In this medieval world, there are humans born with the ability to keep secrets safe, to tell only the truth if asked, and one human with the ability to make dreams come true. A feel-good series, in my opinion. The romance is not overboard, an especially admirable accomplishment in a young adult book, plus the plot threads are strong, uplifting and rustically emotional. I usually hate rustic country novels, but I thought the humanity developed in such close relationships was really rather touching.
the Johnny Maxwell trilogy by Terry Pratchett: I've only read Johnny and the Dead and Only You Can Save Mankind, and have yet to read Johnny and the Bomb. This children's trilogy, one of his older works, is as hilarious and satirical as only Pratchett can be. It can get a bit painful at times, since the premise of the plot is that Johnny, a rather drab but conscientous British boy, must overcome the horrible-ness of the adult world to save lives that ought to be saved.
Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale: This first book of a Victorian thief who transforms himself into a gentleman is just... wow. Adventure and ingenuity and of course, morbid fascination with a criminal given a second chance at life. But I forbid you to read the rest of the trilogy! You may want to know more about Montmorency's adventures, but I found that the plot's interesting-ness declined rapidly with the addition of more characters, who weren't half as cool as the original hero. A terrible waste of a good character, in my opinion. *tears of disappointment*
Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish: A macabre fantasy teen novel about an unfortunate boy who ends up journeying with a monster hunter and you know, develops character and learns about the world. Incredibly well-developed world with unique characters and monsters. It's apparently part of a trilogy, so I have to read more to see if I like the plot much, but it seems well worth the exploration. I also love the drawings the author included - as an "artist," I was genuinely impressed.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini: I am sorry, these are quite possibly the most boring teen fantasy novels I have ever read/heard. Maybe not terrible, just horrifically boring, which is almost terrible. I would say this fantasy trilogy about a boy and his dragon tries too hard to be like Tolkien. Granted, I am being forced to listen to someone narrate it at his own speed, so that may color my opinion. But even if I finished reading the books, I would still think this trilogy too dull and un-revolutionary and so not worth a movie.
Labels: fairy, fantasy, historical, horror, science fiction, trilogy, young adult
Labels: alternate history, enchantment, fairy, fantasy, historical, novel, wizard
Labels: enchantment, fantasy, novel
Labels: enchantment, fairy, fantasy, romance, tragedy, trilogy
Labels: alternate world, anthologies, enchantment, fairy, fantasy, horror, science fiction, urban, young adult
Labels: fairy, fantasy, horror, novel, science fiction, young adult
Labels: enchantment, fairy, fantasy, novel, romance, various, young adult
Labels: alternate history, fantasy, historical, religious, trilogy
Labels: fantasy, historical, horror, trilogy, various, wizard, young adult
The Sundering by Jacqueline Carey is a vast two-part fantasy epic starting with the Banewreaker and ending with the Godslayer. Imagine someone who read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and has decided to write it from the bad guy's point of view, in this case a cursed warlord who no longer finds happiness among fellow humans and has allied himself with the god of darkness. Like the Lord of the Rings, we got Aragorn, Arwen, Gandalf, Frodo, Sam and Sauron characters, but it is so much sadder when you see things from the orcs and werewolves and dragons and god of darkness' side. The plot is elegantly executed, with good measures of action, drama, self-conflict, a tiny bit of romance (not pr0ny though), and a huge load of tragic mythology. I imagine there was some humor... probably.
About the only complaint I have is one I have with most female writers, and that is unnecessary repetition of the exact same detail over and over again. ("Doughty warrior" was a prime culprit.) Also, I have no idea if this is supposed to be a parody or not, because it clearly is copying Tolkien, although in a serious and tragic manner. This series may be fully appreciated by those familiar with Tolkien's works.