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schneefinkI want to talk about books. I should be studying, but mom annoyed me by talking about even more things I should do, like getting a job this summer -.- So let´s talk about books. I´ll try to hide spoilers under extra tags, but I´m not sure how well that works on Lj or if it works at all, so to be on the safe side just assume that there are spoilers EVERYWHERE. Lurking behind corners. Waiting to attack you at night. With horrible sharp and blood-dripping teeth and gleaming yellow eyes...
The Dark Volume, by G.W. Dahlquist
The basic plot is very similar to the first book ("The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters"): very confusing, they get separated but their paths almost cross many times, lots of conspiracies and intrigue in the background and a big confrontation at the end that drastically reduces the available personnel. I did like the first book, but I would have liked to see a bit more character interaction here. It´s clear that Miss Temple is the author´s favourite, but I can´t complain because her development is fascinating. Especially the hints regarding her future.
I also like the Contessa and Eloise very much. So basically, not many women but the women who are there are very well done, in the sequel even more than in the first one.
A bit less confusion would be good. I think I need to make a spreadsheet, and a map. And reread the first book. And then read the second one again, slowly. Why do the bad guys all need to use aliases?
Heaven´s Net is Wide, by Lian Hearn
I´m not a big fan of prequels and this book was no exception. (I just bought it because I needed a book for the train journey and I like to have small series complete.)
One of the main strengths of the Otori books is the plot, and it´s just not as interesting when I know what´s going to happen. Even the characters are less interesting when I know how they´re going to be in the future and who dies. Especially Shigemori, Shigeru´s father, seemed like little more than a plot device, and Shigeru´s and Naomi´s love feels a bit too much like Takeo´s and Kaede´s. The book has more of the fatalistic feeling of the fifth book than I would have liked at the time I read it (but maybe that´s just me. I´m still sad about the ending of "Harsh Cry of the Heron".) It felt a bit like something the author wanted to write to get it off her chest.
The Broken Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin
In "A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" my favourite character was Kinneth, who dies before the main plot starts. The sequel has more characters I can connect to, plus the awesome worldbuilding, a more interesting plot, and much better handled romance(s). Very much looking forward to the third book.
Some caveats: I didn´t like that Oree´s blindness was apparently part of her magic (?) because it didn´t make sense, and I could have done without the pregnancy in the end – won´t the child be much too dangerous for the gods and godlings, or did Yeine fix that somehow? Otherwise I liked the ending. I´m hoping for a human-human romance for the last book, but I´m not holding my breath.
If I complain about details like this, it means I really liked the book. :)
The Painted Man, by Peter V. Brett
Difficult to say how I liked this one. Solid fantasy, I guess; not too cliché, but not as special as some reviews I saw seem to think. The transformation from Arlen to the Painted Man was too fast for me to feel comfortable with. I like Leesha and I´m angry that she got raped, but it didn´t break her and it didn´t feel far-fetched. I want to see her kick the shit out of the surviving asshole. (I liked what she did with Marlick. Heh.)
I liked the final battle with the villagers and I want to read the next book. It´s in the house, even!, but LB is reading it. Grrr. I hope that at least he´s reading right this minute so he´ll finish it faster. But he´s likely to go play the violin if I check in too often *sigh*
ETA: The Desert Spear, by Peter V. Brett
This is obviously a transition book in which nothing much happens. Flashbacks, new POV characters, fleshing out of characters and some worldbuilding, with a minimum of plot. I was surprised how much I ended up liking the Krasians (more than I expected, but still not very much). Some minor things that made me frown, but overall the book is not good enough to make them really annoying in contrast. I´m curious how he´ll resolve everything in the last novel. He´ll definitely need more plot for that.
Mmmm, tasty fantasy books :)
In December I read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"; I´d like to write about that, too, because it was interesting and new in several ways, but first I want to look at other reviews. I should probably do it soon, before I forget everything, because I don´t want to reread it. I also don´t know yet if I want to read the sequels at all. Only if the ending is happy.
Books!, and now back to studying, hopefully.
The Dark Volume, by G.W. Dahlquist
The basic plot is very similar to the first book ("The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters"): very confusing, they get separated but their paths almost cross many times, lots of conspiracies and intrigue in the background and a big confrontation at the end that drastically reduces the available personnel. I did like the first book, but I would have liked to see a bit more character interaction here. It´s clear that Miss Temple is the author´s favourite, but I can´t complain because her development is fascinating. Especially the hints regarding her future.
I also like the Contessa and Eloise very much. So basically, not many women but the women who are there are very well done, in the sequel even more than in the first one.
A bit less confusion would be good. I think I need to make a spreadsheet, and a map. And reread the first book. And then read the second one again, slowly. Why do the bad guys all need to use aliases?
Heaven´s Net is Wide, by Lian Hearn
I´m not a big fan of prequels and this book was no exception. (I just bought it because I needed a book for the train journey and I like to have small series complete.)
One of the main strengths of the Otori books is the plot, and it´s just not as interesting when I know what´s going to happen. Even the characters are less interesting when I know how they´re going to be in the future and who dies. Especially Shigemori, Shigeru´s father, seemed like little more than a plot device, and Shigeru´s and Naomi´s love feels a bit too much like Takeo´s and Kaede´s. The book has more of the fatalistic feeling of the fifth book than I would have liked at the time I read it (but maybe that´s just me. I´m still sad about the ending of "Harsh Cry of the Heron".) It felt a bit like something the author wanted to write to get it off her chest.
The Broken Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin
In "A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" my favourite character was Kinneth, who dies before the main plot starts. The sequel has more characters I can connect to, plus the awesome worldbuilding, a more interesting plot, and much better handled romance(s). Very much looking forward to the third book.
Some caveats: I didn´t like that Oree´s blindness was apparently part of her magic (?) because it didn´t make sense, and I could have done without the pregnancy in the end – won´t the child be much too dangerous for the gods and godlings, or did Yeine fix that somehow? Otherwise I liked the ending. I´m hoping for a human-human romance for the last book, but I´m not holding my breath.
If I complain about details like this, it means I really liked the book. :)
The Painted Man, by Peter V. Brett
Difficult to say how I liked this one. Solid fantasy, I guess; not too cliché, but not as special as some reviews I saw seem to think. The transformation from Arlen to the Painted Man was too fast for me to feel comfortable with. I like Leesha and I´m angry that she got raped, but it didn´t break her and it didn´t feel far-fetched. I want to see her kick the shit out of the surviving asshole. (I liked what she did with Marlick. Heh.)
I liked the final battle with the villagers and I want to read the next book. It´s in the house, even!, but LB is reading it. Grrr. I hope that at least he´s reading right this minute so he´ll finish it faster. But he´s likely to go play the violin if I check in too often *sigh*
ETA: The Desert Spear, by Peter V. Brett
This is obviously a transition book in which nothing much happens. Flashbacks, new POV characters, fleshing out of characters and some worldbuilding, with a minimum of plot. I was surprised how much I ended up liking the Krasians (more than I expected, but still not very much). Some minor things that made me frown, but overall the book is not good enough to make them really annoying in contrast. I´m curious how he´ll resolve everything in the last novel. He´ll definitely need more plot for that.
Mmmm, tasty fantasy books :)
In December I read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"; I´d like to write about that, too, because it was interesting and new in several ways, but first I want to look at other reviews. I should probably do it soon, before I forget everything, because I don´t want to reread it. I also don´t know yet if I want to read the sequels at all. Only if the ending is happy.
Books!, and now back to studying, hopefully.
