Keeping for my library.
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End Of The World - Haruki Murakami
I loved this book, both of the stories are fantastic. I must admit I had a preference for the Hard-Boiled Wonderland story but The End Of The World kept me turning the pages as well! It is one of those books that makes you feel smarter for having read it and makes you (well me at least) feel a bit pretentious for having read it. That this book has that intellectual feeling for me and is also a fantastic page turner is amazing! I recommend this to everyone who wants to read a bit of a surreal story that is digestible but the average reader without making us feel dumb or out of the joke.
Keeping for my library.
Keeping for my library.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
The Watchers - Jon Steel
one sentence summary
An unlikely group team up to fight against evil...
review
I really wanted to like this book, I loved the style of the writing, I loved the descriptors of the setting but I HATED all of the characters. I know I was supposed to feel sympathetic and relate to them but I didn't. I tried to, but they were such crap I couldn't get over it. The plot was interesting but Steele let the details get in the way, the story could have been better told at half the length (much like my opinion on LotR). The pacing we terrible, 100 pages of descriptors followed by 5 pages of moving the plot forward, rinse repeat. It was so frustrating because I wanted to enjoy it but just couldn't
4/10
An unlikely group team up to fight against evil...
review
I really wanted to like this book, I loved the style of the writing, I loved the descriptors of the setting but I HATED all of the characters. I know I was supposed to feel sympathetic and relate to them but I didn't. I tried to, but they were such crap I couldn't get over it. The plot was interesting but Steele let the details get in the way, the story could have been better told at half the length (much like my opinion on LotR). The pacing we terrible, 100 pages of descriptors followed by 5 pages of moving the plot forward, rinse repeat. It was so frustrating because I wanted to enjoy it but just couldn't
4/10
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making - Catherynne M Valente
one sentence summary:
September is 12 and she is tired of her boring old life so goes on a grand adventure.
review:
This is a brilliant story, it reminds me of a cross between Phantom Toll-Booth and Caroline. It is so well written that even though it is a children's book I am going to have to recommend everyone take the time and read it. The characters are all unique, there are no stereotypes or tropes to be found on the pages of this thrilling little story. The writing it self is beautiful, with poetry like prose on every page. With each new character comes a new adventure. Do yourself a favour and read this (also a great gift if you don't know what to get a 7-10 year old or for a baby shower... every kid should have this on their book shelve).
10/10
September is 12 and she is tired of her boring old life so goes on a grand adventure.
review:
This is a brilliant story, it reminds me of a cross between Phantom Toll-Booth and Caroline. It is so well written that even though it is a children's book I am going to have to recommend everyone take the time and read it. The characters are all unique, there are no stereotypes or tropes to be found on the pages of this thrilling little story. The writing it self is beautiful, with poetry like prose on every page. With each new character comes a new adventure. Do yourself a favour and read this (also a great gift if you don't know what to get a 7-10 year old or for a baby shower... every kid should have this on their book shelve).
10/10
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Darkness Series - Harry Turtledove
one sentence summary:
WWII with dragons and magic instead of tanks and bullets.
review:
this idea was very good but the novels were far to long and drawn out. I enjoyed parts of them but other parts were nearly boring. The romantic side to the story was terribly written, but the one conniving bitch character was really well done. For the most part the solder and general characters were interchangeable and didn't really have much texture. I wouldn't recommend these UNLESS you love LOTR and also enjoy detailed military fiction.
5/10
WWII with dragons and magic instead of tanks and bullets.
review:
this idea was very good but the novels were far to long and drawn out. I enjoyed parts of them but other parts were nearly boring. The romantic side to the story was terribly written, but the one conniving bitch character was really well done. For the most part the solder and general characters were interchangeable and didn't really have much texture. I wouldn't recommend these UNLESS you love LOTR and also enjoy detailed military fiction.
5/10
Iron Fey Series - Julie Kawaga
one sentence summary:
A half fey, half human girl tries to figure out where she belongs.
review:
I have only read the first two books in this series and I don't think I will keep going. The idea behind the novels is interesting but the execution needs some help. The characters are all really annoying, all whiny and they all create drama for themselves, basically teenagers will relate well to these stories.
4/10
A half fey, half human girl tries to figure out where she belongs.
review:
I have only read the first two books in this series and I don't think I will keep going. The idea behind the novels is interesting but the execution needs some help. The characters are all really annoying, all whiny and they all create drama for themselves, basically teenagers will relate well to these stories.
4/10
Earth to Hell - Kylie Chan
one sentence summary:
Emma's adventure continues as she raises Simone and hopes one day to be reunited with her beloved John.
review:
less than ideal, this novel doesn't live up to expectations. I was hoping that it would continue the story where the first trilogy left off, but instead it jumps forward in time and the only character that is even recognizable is Emma. I found it frustrating how little they had bothered to sort out in the 8 years between the books, it is as if their lives froze (so as to not miss any plot points) but 8 years went by. *sigh* such a disappointing read, but I will read the next two in hopes they get better.
5/10
Emma's adventure continues as she raises Simone and hopes one day to be reunited with her beloved John.
review:
less than ideal, this novel doesn't live up to expectations. I was hoping that it would continue the story where the first trilogy left off, but instead it jumps forward in time and the only character that is even recognizable is Emma. I found it frustrating how little they had bothered to sort out in the 8 years between the books, it is as if their lives froze (so as to not miss any plot points) but 8 years went by. *sigh* such a disappointing read, but I will read the next two in hopes they get better.
5/10
Darkborn - Alison Sinclair
One Sentence Summary:
There are two races, one born of light the other of darkness, they coexist but what happens when something threatens both races??
review:
This was better than I expected it to be. The characters were fairly stock, not a lot going on with most of them but there are enough entertaining quirks that they kept me interested in what was happening to them. And that was the strong point of the book, a fast paced plot that keeps the pages turning. I recommend this to you if you enjoyed the Hunger Games series.
8/10 middle/high school (the people who like hunger games)
There are two races, one born of light the other of darkness, they coexist but what happens when something threatens both races??
review:
This was better than I expected it to be. The characters were fairly stock, not a lot going on with most of them but there are enough entertaining quirks that they kept me interested in what was happening to them. And that was the strong point of the book, a fast paced plot that keeps the pages turning. I recommend this to you if you enjoyed the Hunger Games series.
8/10 middle/high school (the people who like hunger games)
Out of Body (Court of Angels) - Stella Cameron
one sentence summary:
a psychic woman from a family of people with "special abilities" falls in love while helping solve a serial killers killing spree.
review:
written to the typical standards of trashy romance stories, this is a good one. The characters are all lovable, especially the back ground characters (you can tell who Stella Cameron is going to focus on in the sequels). The writing is not great but there are no grammatical errors so it did have a better than average editor. I recommend it for plane or train reading.
6/10
a psychic woman from a family of people with "special abilities" falls in love while helping solve a serial killers killing spree.
review:
written to the typical standards of trashy romance stories, this is a good one. The characters are all lovable, especially the back ground characters (you can tell who Stella Cameron is going to focus on in the sequels). The writing is not great but there are no grammatical errors so it did have a better than average editor. I recommend it for plane or train reading.
6/10
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dark Heavens Trilogy - Kylie Chan
one sentence summary
A nanny enters the world of mythology when she agrees to care for the daughter of a god.
review
This is a great series, the mythology is so well researched and described that it is easy to fall under the spell of the story and believe the unbelievable. The series gets stronger as it continues forward, the third book being the most well written. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, the only really weak link is the character of Simone, a little girl wise beyond her years. For the most part she is believable but she is also the only catalyst that dispels the suspension of disbelief that is so crucial to fantasy writing and she does it more than once. Aside from that I look forward to this series continuing.
A nanny enters the world of mythology when she agrees to care for the daughter of a god.
review
This is a great series, the mythology is so well researched and described that it is easy to fall under the spell of the story and believe the unbelievable. The series gets stronger as it continues forward, the third book being the most well written. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, the only really weak link is the character of Simone, a little girl wise beyond her years. For the most part she is believable but she is also the only catalyst that dispels the suspension of disbelief that is so crucial to fantasy writing and she does it more than once. Aside from that I look forward to this series continuing.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sins of the Flesh - Caridad Pineiro
one sentence summary
genetic experiment gone wrong finds love when a mercenary is sent to clean up the scientists mess (with her being the most volatile mess left behind)
review
a strong start to a new series, it has everything, action, adventure, romance and science fiction all well executed and combined to make a great story. The characters are all really well developed and as Cat and Mick's relationship unfolds you will be drawn in to their world. This novel has ups and downs that keep you guessing and interested from beginning to end. A definite page turner.
6/10
genetic experiment gone wrong finds love when a mercenary is sent to clean up the scientists mess (with her being the most volatile mess left behind)
review
a strong start to a new series, it has everything, action, adventure, romance and science fiction all well executed and combined to make a great story. The characters are all really well developed and as Cat and Mick's relationship unfolds you will be drawn in to their world. This novel has ups and downs that keep you guessing and interested from beginning to end. A definite page turner.
6/10
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Faeries Gone Wild - Mary-Janice Davidson, Michelle Hauf, Lois Greiman, Leandra Logan
one sentence summary
A collection of four short stories all with happy endings and a dash of love.
review
Mary Janice: absolutely hilarious with characters from her other novels flitting about. Well written and witty - the best story in the book for sure.
Michelle: another hilarious story, the tooth fairy is losing her job because the mothers in her district are forcing their kids to stop believing. She has to figure out a way to save her job with the help of a hunky sandman. a story worth reading for sure.
Lois: an author I hadn't read buy will keep an eye out for. Her story was sweet but she was trying to fit too much plot into too few pages. Well written if a bit rushed feeling.
Leandra: the age old story of trying to find your place in the world, well told and entertaining but ultimately forgettable.
8/10
A collection of four short stories all with happy endings and a dash of love.
review
Mary Janice: absolutely hilarious with characters from her other novels flitting about. Well written and witty - the best story in the book for sure.
Michelle: another hilarious story, the tooth fairy is losing her job because the mothers in her district are forcing their kids to stop believing. She has to figure out a way to save her job with the help of a hunky sandman. a story worth reading for sure.
Lois: an author I hadn't read buy will keep an eye out for. Her story was sweet but she was trying to fit too much plot into too few pages. Well written if a bit rushed feeling.
Leandra: the age old story of trying to find your place in the world, well told and entertaining but ultimately forgettable.
8/10
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sentry Peak - Harry Turtledove
one sentence summary
An alternate version of the American war between the states, with unicorns and serfs.
review
I am glad that all the reviews I read after I slogged my way through this collaborate that it is the worst work Turtledove has ever written. The dialogue is really good, great in fact, which shows me that Turtledove is a good writer but everything else about this novel was drudgery. I had little sympathy for the characters and found them irritating and the situations they were continually putting themselves in exasperating. I don't really recommend this to anyone.
4/10
An alternate version of the American war between the states, with unicorns and serfs.
review
I am glad that all the reviews I read after I slogged my way through this collaborate that it is the worst work Turtledove has ever written. The dialogue is really good, great in fact, which shows me that Turtledove is a good writer but everything else about this novel was drudgery. I had little sympathy for the characters and found them irritating and the situations they were continually putting themselves in exasperating. I don't really recommend this to anyone.
4/10
Friday, August 23, 2013
Tall, Dark and Dead - Tate Hallaway
one sentence summary
a witch has a goddess living in her but this doesn't keep her from falling for a warlock vampire...
review
this book could have been better, the main character is great as are some of the supporting characters but the rest of the plot falls short. The writing is strong at points but it falls flat when it comes to dialogue. It was disappointing that the writing wasn't better as it would have added to the story to actually use language from the era of the characters. I will still read the rest of the series at some point when I can buy them at discounted prices. I recommend this if you like quirky stories with a paranormal twist.
6/10
a witch has a goddess living in her but this doesn't keep her from falling for a warlock vampire...
review
this book could have been better, the main character is great as are some of the supporting characters but the rest of the plot falls short. The writing is strong at points but it falls flat when it comes to dialogue. It was disappointing that the writing wasn't better as it would have added to the story to actually use language from the era of the characters. I will still read the rest of the series at some point when I can buy them at discounted prices. I recommend this if you like quirky stories with a paranormal twist.
6/10
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Delaney Christmas Carol - Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston
one sentence summary:
many generations of the Delaney family have looked into the magic mirror and seen a glimpse of the future, these are three of those stories.
Review:
none of these stories were particularly well conceived or well written. Iris Johansen's was the best in my opinion and the other two weren't much worse. All three felt rushed and without strong plots. The Delaney family, however, does seem like a family worth writing about and I will probably seek out more of their stories.
4/10
many generations of the Delaney family have looked into the magic mirror and seen a glimpse of the future, these are three of those stories.
Review:
none of these stories were particularly well conceived or well written. Iris Johansen's was the best in my opinion and the other two weren't much worse. All three felt rushed and without strong plots. The Delaney family, however, does seem like a family worth writing about and I will probably seek out more of their stories.
4/10
Monday, August 19, 2013
The Twelve - Justin Cronin
One sentence summary:
The fall out of a military project to use an extinct virus to engineer super soldiers and unleashes an evil that is so horrific the world quarantines North America to avoid all out loss.
review:
A sequel so epic it deserved its own post! The writing is better than the last half of the first book but it is better in parts and mediocre in others. It is easy to tell as a reader what parts Cronin really enjoyed writing, bits about Grey and the "past", the year "0" parts especially stand out as well done. I would love to read more about year 0. The writing was pretty good and the plot pounds along at a healthy clip. I thought it was really clever how Cronin summarized the first novel in the prologue in "bible verse" format. There were some really dark plot points though, darker than expected (which is saying a lot for a post apocalyptic story). I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Passage.
8/10 (if you have read The Passage this gets a 10/10 read it now rating, though I may be alone on that judging by the other reviews) I guess objectively (based on writing of this as a stand alone) I would actually give this a 5 or maybe 6 but I love the characters so much I rate it much higher.
The fall out of a military project to use an extinct virus to engineer super soldiers and unleashes an evil that is so horrific the world quarantines North America to avoid all out loss.
review:
A sequel so epic it deserved its own post! The writing is better than the last half of the first book but it is better in parts and mediocre in others. It is easy to tell as a reader what parts Cronin really enjoyed writing, bits about Grey and the "past", the year "0" parts especially stand out as well done. I would love to read more about year 0. The writing was pretty good and the plot pounds along at a healthy clip. I thought it was really clever how Cronin summarized the first novel in the prologue in "bible verse" format. There were some really dark plot points though, darker than expected (which is saying a lot for a post apocalyptic story). I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Passage.
8/10 (if you have read The Passage this gets a 10/10 read it now rating, though I may be alone on that judging by the other reviews) I guess objectively (based on writing of this as a stand alone) I would actually give this a 5 or maybe 6 but I love the characters so much I rate it much higher.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Dragonborn - Jade Lee
one sentence summary:
Dragons + Politics + Deceit + Sex = Entertaining Read
review:
A trashy, quick read with better descriptive (in the bedroom) skills than actual plot devices. It was entertaining and I don't regret the time I spent reading it but I will not be reading the sequel (unless I hear really great things). The flow of the novel wasn't very good. The trashy bits were pretty solid (short but solid) and the politics/world building bits were really well done but the bits of "romance" were just terrible. That said I will be checking out Jade Lee's more traditional fantasy novels or super trashy romances (I am not sure which she writes).
4/10
Dragons + Politics + Deceit + Sex = Entertaining Read
review:
A trashy, quick read with better descriptive (in the bedroom) skills than actual plot devices. It was entertaining and I don't regret the time I spent reading it but I will not be reading the sequel (unless I hear really great things). The flow of the novel wasn't very good. The trashy bits were pretty solid (short but solid) and the politics/world building bits were really well done but the bits of "romance" were just terrible. That said I will be checking out Jade Lee's more traditional fantasy novels or super trashy romances (I am not sure which she writes).
4/10
Monday, July 29, 2013
The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart
one sentence summary:
the story of Merlin before he was the great Wizard we all know him as.
review:
A wonderful take on the Merlin myth. We are introduced to a young Merlin and follow him as he enters adulthood. Filled with family drama and suspense, mystery and intrigue this is a well written, entertaining read. Stewart did a fantastic job of flushing out not only fantastic characters and relationships but also a fascinating country complete with politics and details that are often overlooked in "Arthur" stories. A great mix of verifiable fact and familiar myth. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys long, detailed historical novels and/or the Arthur legend.
6/10
the story of Merlin before he was the great Wizard we all know him as.
review:
A wonderful take on the Merlin myth. We are introduced to a young Merlin and follow him as he enters adulthood. Filled with family drama and suspense, mystery and intrigue this is a well written, entertaining read. Stewart did a fantastic job of flushing out not only fantastic characters and relationships but also a fascinating country complete with politics and details that are often overlooked in "Arthur" stories. A great mix of verifiable fact and familiar myth. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys long, detailed historical novels and/or the Arthur legend.
6/10
Friday, July 26, 2013
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
one sentence summary:
a little girl finds an alternate world that is exactly like her own, but is completely different.
review:
A really well written story with a strong, independent female protagonist aimed at kids old enough to know the difference between reality and make believe. I can guarantee I will be reading this to my niece and grandniece given the opportunity. Gaiman does a fantastic job of describing the world through the eyes of a child. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially young girls who feel misunderstood by the world.
8/10
a little girl finds an alternate world that is exactly like her own, but is completely different.
review:
A really well written story with a strong, independent female protagonist aimed at kids old enough to know the difference between reality and make believe. I can guarantee I will be reading this to my niece and grandniece given the opportunity. Gaiman does a fantastic job of describing the world through the eyes of a child. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially young girls who feel misunderstood by the world.
8/10
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Princess Bride - William Goldman
one sentence summary
The movie is a classic everyone has seen, the book is better.
review:
This story has everything, drama to action to love and adventure. It tells a compelling story using a fantastic vocabulary built around amazing characters and their adventures. I recommend everyone go steal a fourth grader (boy or girl, doesn't really matter) and read this novel out loud with them. If you haven't read it yourself do it now or forever consider yourself deprived of one of the best stories ever. It is a highly entertaining fast paced read with easy to follow intersecting character lines. I have heard criticism that the female protagonist isn't strong, and isn't a good role model, this is true, she isn't but you can use her as a lesson on what not to do in life, and as an adult look at her as one of those stupid annoying females that we all know far to many of. This is a parody after all, you do have to be able to laugh at the characters in their over the top trope ness. In conclusion if you haven't read it read it now...
10/10
The movie is a classic everyone has seen, the book is better.
review:
This story has everything, drama to action to love and adventure. It tells a compelling story using a fantastic vocabulary built around amazing characters and their adventures. I recommend everyone go steal a fourth grader (boy or girl, doesn't really matter) and read this novel out loud with them. If you haven't read it yourself do it now or forever consider yourself deprived of one of the best stories ever. It is a highly entertaining fast paced read with easy to follow intersecting character lines. I have heard criticism that the female protagonist isn't strong, and isn't a good role model, this is true, she isn't but you can use her as a lesson on what not to do in life, and as an adult look at her as one of those stupid annoying females that we all know far to many of. This is a parody after all, you do have to be able to laugh at the characters in their over the top trope ness. In conclusion if you haven't read it read it now...
10/10
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Bite Before Christmas - Heidi Betts
one sentence summary:
even vampires need a little love around the holidays.
Review:
Three vampire stories that all feed one to another and are written by Betts. She has done a phenomenal job of all three vampire tropes, human girl loves vampire male, vampire female loves human male, and vampire female loves vampire male. All in all three stories about overcoming the odds, coming to terms with your emotions and falling in love, all with happily forever after endings. The writing is pretty alright, easy reading for sure. The stories are cute and entertaining. Great reading for a snowy afternoon by the fireplace (or the sweltering heat of July if you, like me, are in need of a taste of Christmas to lift your spirits.)
7/10
even vampires need a little love around the holidays.
Review:
Three vampire stories that all feed one to another and are written by Betts. She has done a phenomenal job of all three vampire tropes, human girl loves vampire male, vampire female loves human male, and vampire female loves vampire male. All in all three stories about overcoming the odds, coming to terms with your emotions and falling in love, all with happily forever after endings. The writing is pretty alright, easy reading for sure. The stories are cute and entertaining. Great reading for a snowy afternoon by the fireplace (or the sweltering heat of July if you, like me, are in need of a taste of Christmas to lift your spirits.)
7/10
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