Tag Archives: fantasy

A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin

I like epic fantasy novels and series. I like knowing what happens next… and next… and next.  The trouble with this is that authors of epic fantasy’s usually don’t crank out their books one right after another so I’m required to remember what happens in a book for long stretches of time… possibly years. Usually this is where John comes in. I screen books and give him ones I think he’ll like and he remembers everything he reads and can remind me of all the little (and sometimes gigantic) details I have forgotten. Unfortunately after he read A Game of Thrones and possibly the next one or so in this series he quit. He quit reading them because the author makes you care about his characters and then he kills them.  Sadly it’s true, the chapters switch character viewpoints among a huge cast and Martin has an uncanny ability to turn you from indifferent,  to actively rooting for them right before he offs them.

In any case I couldn’t count on John to remind me what happened in the last books, which was a problem, because this books timeline runs along side the book before (A Feast For Crows) so I actually was trying to remember what happened two books (A Storm of Swords) ago.  I read those books in 2004 and 2006 respectively.  I can’t remember a book I read last week, asking me to not only remember back to a time before children but to also recall what I read then – not happening.

For the first quarter of the book I was confused, really confused. I recognized names, some events were familiar, I had a couple of “OH YEAH he killed that king” sort of moments but it was pretty bad. By the time I reached the half way point I was mildly confused but had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t setting this book down, re-reading the last two and coming back to it.  Mild confusion and I were getting along fine.   The third quarter of the book I was well enough in that most of my confusion was behind me and I was caught up in the story again. Then last quarter arrived and he started killing off all the characters I cared about, threw a few new old ones that I was supposed to remember into the mix and ended it with me wanting to know what happens next.

Would I recommend it? The series isn’t for anyone… the term epic should not be taken lightly… This was a 1,000 page tome and while lots of people died nothing got resolved and it’s the fifth book in the series. On the other hand it’s a pretty darn good story, from what I can remember… If you are brave enough to take them on start with A Game of Thrones.

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

 

Writing something new for a sequel of a book is always hard, when it comes down to it you’ve got to start at the beginning.

In this case the beginning is The Name of the Wind you can go back and look at my review, but basically it says you should read it and now I think you should read this one too.

Reasons to continue reading the Kingkiller Chronicles:

Secondarily:  Seriously, why wouldn’t you? There are so many unanswered questions, don’t you need to find out what happens next???

Sixth and lastly: There is no coddling of the reader. I hate books that spend the first 30 pages bringing you “up to date” with information from previous books. This effectively treats readers like idiots who can’t be bothered to remember what already happened. Not to worry,  you’ll be treated like the brilliant reader you are when you open this book up!

Thirdly:  He’s gets people. I don’t know how better to say it without being cheesy and corny. The characters make the books, the characters make the story, Rothfuss has got dang good characters.

And to conclude: Then you can go to a reading/signing it will be fun, and your book could also look something like this:Would I recommend it? Yes!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

With all of the books that I review I hardly ever feel the need to either push a copy into your hands and compel you to read it or snatch it out of your hands if I’ve hated it.

But sometimes I do.

If I was into writing lengthy reviews, I’d go on about how this is a fantasy, but don’t judge it by the genre.That even regular fantasy readers will find it to be something beyond the ordinary. That the book has depth… deep, dark, depth. That it’s the first of three and the second came out this week. That it is the first of a trilogy; sequels I love, never ending sagas I do not, trilogies are perfect. That Pat Rothfuss is a Wisconsin local and Stevens Point Alum. That of all my favorite authors, he’s the only one who’s blog I follow because he’s a darn funny guy. That I’d love to sneak into your house and place it on all your nightstands and then steal the rest of the books in your house forcing you to read this one.

But I don’t really do that sort of thing.

Would I recommend it? Yup.  If you’d like to check out Pat Rothfuss’s website just click the image of the book.

Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb

Usually  I like to snap a photo of the book I read because personally if I’m browsing at a book store a cover I have seen is far more likely to catch my eye than a title. I can’t remember authors to save my life (that was never my job in the Battle of the Books) and I’m iffy on names, but I can usually spot a familiar cover. Hopefully it’ll help someone else out one day as well.

But today I’m refusing to share.

I think I’ve mentioned this before so forgive me – but seriously. Do the cover artists even READ the books?

Would I recommend it? Yes, but with the same spiel (which I thought you spelled schpeil until tonight, who knew?) as last time, so I won’t get into it again!

P.S. Usually when I read before bed I get sleepy after a few chapters and go to sleep. All of Robin Hobbs books have had the opposite effect on me. This has resulted in much less sleep than planned on. It’s dangerous, just thought I should warn you!

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

I checked it out for you and I’m happy to report that book one of The Rain Wild Chronicles is just as good as the rest of Hobb’s books.

So, go get Assassins Apprentice and start at the beginning.

Would I recommend it? What are you waiting for? Assassins Apprentice, chop, chop!

Also if you really feel the need six of her other books can be found in the fiction archives, but they all say the same thing:

Gotta start with Assassins Apprentice.

Doomwyte by Brian Jacques

Hello my name is Jessie and I love books with talking mice, and shrews, and otters, and moles with funny accents, and any other little woodland talking creature as well.

I  think that by this age most have out grown their love of small furry talking creatures, but…well…I haven’t.

This is one of the newer Redwall books and I love all of these books.

I love them because the good guys always win.

Because even though they win the war they usually lose a few good “men” along the way.

Because swords are not in themselves evil, just the nasty varmints who wield them.

Because friendship always wins.

Because there is always a riddle to solve.

Because the Dibbuns (children) are always getting into mischief.

And most importantly, because when all the fighting is done there is always a feast.

I read Mossflower when I was in middle school, it’s still my favorite, but well, as you can see I thought the rest were pretty good too…

Would I recommend it? Yes, I’d rank it among my favorites, but if you’ve never read any I always recommend starting with Mossflower. I’m impatiently waiting until I’m able to read these aloud to Ivy.  Unfortunately we are currently at the point that even a Franklin book is enough to start Ivy shaking with fright.  I’m thinking we’ve got quite awhile before we can read about marauding sea rats, raven tyrants, and wildcat queens!

The Unusual Suspects & The Problem Child by Michael Buckley

The next two books in the Sisters Grimm series were much like the first.  They were fun, playful quirky sort of books, and now that I’ve read three of them I feel my “research” is finished.

Would I recommend them? I will be recommending them to my daughters, if I can remember they exist when the girls are finally old enough to read them!

The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

Book one of The Sisters Grimm, totally my kind of a book. A young adult fantasy book where fairy tale creatures, or “everafters” as they are called in the book, are everywhere and not quite what you remember from the stories, there is a Great Dane and Prince Charming is sort of a cad.  I think young adult fiction is my own personal book candy. Quick to read, sweet, fun and slightly addictive. I’m off to order the next one from the library, and if anyone asks it’s research for recommend books for when my girls are older, yeah that’s it, research…

Would I recommend it? Yes, although I suspect an actual young adult would find it more enjoyable. Of course if you are also an adult doing research of your own I’d pick it up!

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is quite possibly my all time favorite book and it is, without a doubt, the book I have read the most often over the most number of years. I have given it to friends to read, I have read it out loud to two different people, I have even had my book club read it. Did I mention I love it?

Reasons that you will love Dealing With Dragons:

1- Chapter titles – For instance chapter one is titled: In Which Cimorene Refuses to Be Proper and Has a Conversation with a Frog.

2-Cimorene (the princess and heroine of the story) often refuses to be proper.

3-Dragons uses princess to cook and clean for them.

4- A sign above a door that reads, “NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE.”

5- Other princesses are just as dull and ditsy as you could hope they would be.

6- King of Dragons is just a title, nothing to do with gender.

7-Dragons like Cherries Jubilee.

8- Princes also have to follow proper protocol.

9-A bucket of water won’t melt a clean witch.

10- Cimorene’s happily ever after involves being interested and busy and has nothing to do with a protocol following prince!

Would I recommend it? Yes! Technically it’s a young adult book, please ignore that and read it anyway.

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

Better, much better.

I still think that there are too many characters being followed, I still wasn’t as impressed as I was with her others that I have read but I liked it. I liked it in a couldn’t put it down lost hours of sleep over it kind of liked it. I’d be all sleepy and planning on just reading one chapter then suddenly I’d be sucked into sailing and dragons and battles and I’d be wide awake and reading far too long into the night. Now the fact that the first book, was lame makes sense, but that was a big book of lameness to make it through to get to this one!

Would I recommend it? Yes, but of course then you have to read the first two (here and here) or this wouldn’t make sense and I didn’t like those near as much. So as for the whole trilogy I’d say it was good, not great, but good. I think my full recommendation is to start with Assassins Apprentice and read those, then if you liked theme come back to these. Plus technically these fall between the Farseer Trilogy and the Tawny Man Trilogy so you should read them first anyway, but you could skip these three altogether and still understand everything in the Tawny Man books.

Whew, apparently I’ve got nothing succient in me about this book… check out the next review I’m not confused on my feelings coming up for that one!