I wanted to like you.... Part 2 (or 3, or whichever)

Spellwright, by Blake Charlton. It has elements which I usually love in fantasy books, puns, wordplay, magic, but the magic just didn't coalesce for me. It felt labored, trying to read this, as if there had been too much thought put into the book, and perhaps not enough editing. Its a wonderful idea, the premise of the book, that magic is made up of spoken words, and there is one wizard who can't spell...

I think the main problem for me was that the world did not seem fleshed-out enough. Even though it has a lovely map as a frontspiece for the book, one that is not loosely based on Earth's geography, the world could stand with a little more framing, it felt too abrupt.

Its interesting that it seems to have gotten high praise from a number of well-respected fantasy authors, but for me, it was too difficult to plug past the initial hindrance of the first couple of chapters. I did not feel gripped or absorbed by the book. And I wanted to like this story.

Love is in the air...

and so is Wedding Season, by Katie Fforde. This is just a light summer romance. Nothing deep, but very charming, and somewhat predictable. You do know when the appropriate partners are introduced that they will all end up together by the end of the book, but at the same time, Fforde does this in a light-hearted way, with charm, allowing some growth in her characters from the beginning of the book to the end.

A book not to read if you've been in a car crash

The Best of Times: A Novel, by Penny Vincenzi. This was a truly well-written book. It is about an accident and how it affects the people involved. It spans the events leading up to, as well as after, the crash. Vincenzi does a wonderful job tying the threads of different lives together, and creating a vibrant tapestry of a whole. Even following different storylines, of different characters, she does a fantastic job, and does not rely on graphic descriptions of sex or injuries to make her point. She builds tension very well (hence the title of this post), in a very simple manner. You do know who is where at what point without it being spelled out simplistically for you. In other words, its a complex book that appears simple, without hitting you over the head with its complexity. A great summer read.

The Adamantine Palace

Who doesn't like dragons? I love dragons in literature. (Also mermaids, selkies, elves, fairies) I love magic in literature, particularly when it is done WELL. And I love dragons when they are done well... Stephen Deas has done a fabulous job with The Adamantine Palace in creating a new world where dragons exist. Its a completely different world than Pern, which is what most people think of when they think of dragon stories... Its darker, where humans have enslaved the dragons. Its a story of politics, of slavery, of power. And of dragons. Burning fire. (note, there are a couple places in the book that can cause some queasiness, where its a little graphic in describing injuries, although I've read significantly gorier stuff).

But this, on the whole, is a superbly well-crafted novel which hangs together very well, making you anxious to see what eventually happens.....