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.
Monday, May 17, 2010
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.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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.....
But this, on the whole, is a superbly well-crafted novel which hangs together very well, making you anxious to see what eventually happens.....
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Two sides to every story.....
The Wars of the Roses seems to be the new mine for historical fiction, since people have been writing about Henry VIII and his various wives for long enough that it is difficult to come up with new material... so they've gone a little further back...
Philippa Gregory has written a powerful novel from the point of view of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen. She does a great job of making an unliked queen human and likeable. It was very pleasurable reading, even if it felt like it was somewhat surface-level treatment, and some of the inclusion of the historical information seemed a little odd. Because Woodville wasn't a direct observer of some of the important events, Gregory adds them in, but you never really figure out how Woodville found out. It just jars a little. It did not quite feel like a seamless story. It felt as if Gregory was looking for a new subject, and picked this woman, who essentially founded the Tudor dynasty. The other thing I would have liked was a family tree at the back of the book with the various marriages/children/etc. The family tree at the front is set when the book starts. Those nit-picks aside, it was a pretty decent book. Gregory portrays another strong English queen who is trying to navigate through political minefields... and gives an alternate view of what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower, one that feels realistic. I do prefer Gregory's earlier books, when she wrote from the viewpoint of someone who was more on the fringes of the court, and not a direct 'mover and shaker'.
The second novel, Figures in Silk, by Vanora Bennett, is one I cannot praise more highly. Set in approximately the same time period (and read second, so did not come on it as freshly as I did with Gregory) it is really well-written. Its the story of a young woman in the English silk industry. It is such a true-to-life book, each note really played well, my only issue with the book was that it felt like it finished much too abruptly. Bennett pulls in the historical facts subtly and intelligently, and you feel as if the revelations that happen were true-to-life. The character would have learned things that way, there was no ominous foreshadowing, which Gregory is slightly prone to. Its natural, and the reactions of the characters are very natural. You get a good impression of what life was actually like for a Freewoman of London. (Granted, yes, with an overlay of modernity, but that is always going to be the case for historical fiction). It just is a wonderful novel.
Philippa Gregory has written a powerful novel from the point of view of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen. She does a great job of making an unliked queen human and likeable. It was very pleasurable reading, even if it felt like it was somewhat surface-level treatment, and some of the inclusion of the historical information seemed a little odd. Because Woodville wasn't a direct observer of some of the important events, Gregory adds them in, but you never really figure out how Woodville found out. It just jars a little. It did not quite feel like a seamless story. It felt as if Gregory was looking for a new subject, and picked this woman, who essentially founded the Tudor dynasty. The other thing I would have liked was a family tree at the back of the book with the various marriages/children/etc. The family tree at the front is set when the book starts. Those nit-picks aside, it was a pretty decent book. Gregory portrays another strong English queen who is trying to navigate through political minefields... and gives an alternate view of what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower, one that feels realistic. I do prefer Gregory's earlier books, when she wrote from the viewpoint of someone who was more on the fringes of the court, and not a direct 'mover and shaker'.
The second novel, Figures in Silk, by Vanora Bennett, is one I cannot praise more highly. Set in approximately the same time period (and read second, so did not come on it as freshly as I did with Gregory) it is really well-written. Its the story of a young woman in the English silk industry. It is such a true-to-life book, each note really played well, my only issue with the book was that it felt like it finished much too abruptly. Bennett pulls in the historical facts subtly and intelligently, and you feel as if the revelations that happen were true-to-life. The character would have learned things that way, there was no ominous foreshadowing, which Gregory is slightly prone to. Its natural, and the reactions of the characters are very natural. You get a good impression of what life was actually like for a Freewoman of London. (Granted, yes, with an overlay of modernity, but that is always going to be the case for historical fiction). It just is a wonderful novel.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Fitting in: Four books.
ok, so, here we go, four books that deal with some facet of maturity, belonging, and growing up. One is completely fictional, one is historical fiction, and the other two are very different, but set in the modern world.
Lets start with Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. This is a Teen book, but would give you a lot to talk about with your teen (or any teen). The premise of the book is that, at 16, you get an operation that makes you a 'pretty'. The book is a little simplistic, in many ways, but gives some commentary on what we value. And its about a journey a teen makes, both literally and metaphorically, and how she grows up. Its also about societal demands. I think the one thing that would have made this book really ideal for teens is a series of discussion questions or interview with the author in the back. I know sometimes I find the discussion questions get me thinking a little more about the themes of the book, and there are some themes that kids wouldn't immediately think about. The role of parents and protection in this book (you see two sets of parents, as well as the societal 'authority figures'), you see friendship and promises. You see responsibility and accountability.
The historical fiction, the Wet Nurse's Tale, is a somewhat sanitized historical fiction piece, but it is fascinating to read. Reading it made me wonder why we don't have wet nurses in society so much anymore. It too was a love story, a story about growing up, finding a place in society. I enjoyed it, but just found it a little too simplistic for my taste... I didn't feel that there was a broad enough amount of research, somehow, and the character was a little too complacent about some things that should have provoked a different response. I suppose I did not find it passionate enough. That being said, for historical fiction, its not a bad read. I have read significantly worse, and in the end, it turned out to be just a light, fun read.
Turning to the modern world, and a finishing school upbringing, we have The Finishing Touches, by Hester Browne. This, again was a lighter read, but very very enjoyable. It was also full of lessons that I wish my 'finishing school' education had covered. How to evaluate a man, how to walk in heels, how to balance a checkbook... It really felt as if the author had attended my boarding school. There were many, many things in there that rang very true.
Lastly, a magical modern novel, 'Blue Boy' by Rakesh Satyal. This resonated with me in a different way than the previous book, because its about fitting in, and being part of different groups. And growing up, and finding your own way, and navigating between different cultures... in the hero's case, navigating between his Indian heritage and the Indian circles, and the American society by which he is surrounded, and his attempts to reconcile the two...
Lets start with Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. This is a Teen book, but would give you a lot to talk about with your teen (or any teen). The premise of the book is that, at 16, you get an operation that makes you a 'pretty'. The book is a little simplistic, in many ways, but gives some commentary on what we value. And its about a journey a teen makes, both literally and metaphorically, and how she grows up. Its also about societal demands. I think the one thing that would have made this book really ideal for teens is a series of discussion questions or interview with the author in the back. I know sometimes I find the discussion questions get me thinking a little more about the themes of the book, and there are some themes that kids wouldn't immediately think about. The role of parents and protection in this book (you see two sets of parents, as well as the societal 'authority figures'), you see friendship and promises. You see responsibility and accountability.
The historical fiction, the Wet Nurse's Tale, is a somewhat sanitized historical fiction piece, but it is fascinating to read. Reading it made me wonder why we don't have wet nurses in society so much anymore. It too was a love story, a story about growing up, finding a place in society. I enjoyed it, but just found it a little too simplistic for my taste... I didn't feel that there was a broad enough amount of research, somehow, and the character was a little too complacent about some things that should have provoked a different response. I suppose I did not find it passionate enough. That being said, for historical fiction, its not a bad read. I have read significantly worse, and in the end, it turned out to be just a light, fun read.
Turning to the modern world, and a finishing school upbringing, we have The Finishing Touches, by Hester Browne. This, again was a lighter read, but very very enjoyable. It was also full of lessons that I wish my 'finishing school' education had covered. How to evaluate a man, how to walk in heels, how to balance a checkbook... It really felt as if the author had attended my boarding school. There were many, many things in there that rang very true.
Lastly, a magical modern novel, 'Blue Boy' by Rakesh Satyal. This resonated with me in a different way than the previous book, because its about fitting in, and being part of different groups. And growing up, and finding your own way, and navigating between different cultures... in the hero's case, navigating between his Indian heritage and the Indian circles, and the American society by which he is surrounded, and his attempts to reconcile the two...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A theory of all things
I got an ARC of this book, which I also reviewed on LibraryThing (where I received the ARC). This is due out in March, and is a fabulous book. It is told, in turn, by all five of the Bennett children (now adults), as well as a few other people who figure in the story, eventually. It is a story of a family that had fragmented following two traumatic events, and is now gradually healing. Its the story of reconnecting, refinding, rediscovering and reforging family.
There are few authors who can tell a story from multiple points of view, but Leon manages it, with skill. She shows us the personalities of the various family members, and how their lives have been framed and formed by these two events, and how they all interact with other members, and start healing and coming to terms with their family.
There are few authors who can tell a story from multiple points of view, but Leon manages it, with skill. She shows us the personalities of the various family members, and how their lives have been framed and formed by these two events, and how they all interact with other members, and start healing and coming to terms with their family.
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