Everyone knows that one of my favorite thigs to do is the famous "What If" game. we liekd to play it as a child, sometimes as we day dream as teenagers, and yet still at othertimes, when we become older. One of the reasons writers are so lucky in my estimation is that they are payed to play this very same game all the time when they write. Anyone can do it; however not everyone can do it well. This is especially true when it comes to writing Urban Fantasy-fiction. One of my favorite series in this field has always been the Dresden Files. I love Jim Butcher's style of writing when he does. Things happen, choices are made and there are consequences. When I picked up Ghost Story I was still riding a high from Changes. It was so amazing to see how Harry's choices brought him to Chichen Itza, prepared him to make terrible decisions and take terrible action. The final moments of Changes hit hard.
And then I read Ghost Story and discovered the biggest problem: Nothing hits hard.
Butcher has always been able to juggle a large number of characters and do them justice, so adding Sir Stuart, Fitz (too close to "Fix") and the lost boys, yet another cultist style black wizard wasn't unusual. Treating major characters to brief cameo appearances and having Harry wallow in guilt for a few paragraphs then move on was extremely unusual for the series. Mort comes out of Ghost Story with some of the best page time. He was never my favorite character, but I felt a little closer to him for all the new stuff taht we learned about him. Butters actually seemed to become less of a real character with all teh page time that he gets. Even though it is explained how Butters has "grown" as well as teh why he was forced to grow in those ways and I have to say that I never really fell behind it all the way. Murphy, Will, other formerly major characters hover on the edges of the story. They do a little here, they do a little there, they provide reasons for Harry to agonize his situation and wallow in self pity, but at the end of it all, they felt more like ghosts to me than Harry was supossed to be.
Molly was the biggest problem with Ghost Story. The choices Harry made that affected her, everything about how they interacted in Ghost Story felt off. It felt like it was being forced into the story or as if it was like one of those really bad Twilight Zone episodes. The lynch-pins between Changes and Ghost Story don't pull the novels together, it feels contrived, and seems like a choice Harry never would have made even under duress.
Ghost Story is one big info dump -- flashbacks to crucial past events, Harry hovering like the Ghost of Christmas Presents to see where the people in his life have got to (and either I'm slow, or I missed something about Justine and Thomas. Or maybe it was just boredom and the chance to hint at a little girl on girl action that was responsible for that bit. This wasn't the only interlude that had me scratching my head.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, don't get me wrong. Harry Dresden and all his crew are still an entertaining bunch, and Butcher is too good a writer not to recoup from this bridge novel. however, that is all you should see this as... A bridge novel.
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Friday, August 5, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Gathering Storm
I just finished, almost 20 minutes ago, the first book out of Robert Jordan's books, that he himself did not write. The Gathering Storm is a largely complex mishmash of several character trying to get places where everyone else is in as little time as possible. I have to say, when I began reading it, I could tell that the writing style was different, almost even in the way things were discribed, the way that people reacted and even responded to others was rather different as well. It was fascinating to say the least. You could tell that Jordan's style was different, missing even, that crucial element that was there was... gone.
I liked it.
I have to say that even though there was nothing there to make teh story any less fast paced, this new way of looking at things is actually pretty fascinating. I will admit, Fires of Heaven is still one of my favorite books in the series, however, even before that, it seemed like the books were stagnating inhow they moved forwards. It seemed that with every breath Rand, Perrin, and Mat took, the world was slowing down. Being ta'verren didn't seem to do anything at all. Now with this new instalment, I feel that the Pattern in the books is not only freying, but trying to tear itself appart by the seams. It really shows how far the Dark One's taint is spreading through the world.
Yes, there is still the same amount of politicking that is going through the world, and the war with teh Seanchan seems to take forever, but now, we have a new vision of teh world. The world is dirtier, and more nitty-gritty. The characters, seem a little less polished, but Jordan really pushed them for a mile and a half with all of that. Sometimes, I could swear that one was only reading about the carpets from other places in the world that were in Caemlyn. Even still, with the amount of detail that Jordan placed in his books (and one cannot fault his eye for detail), the new novels which Brian Sanderson is now writing in order to complete the series, are different.
I know I said they were faster paced, and I men it. Long gone are the chapters that are hundreds of pages long for what appears to be no more reason than to describe a bubble of Evil and perhaps one other thing happening. Now, it's hard paced facts and what is happening in teh world and what the others are doing to stop it. Gone are the "sets" of chapters as I called them, where you would hear about one or two of the main characters of the central three, but never hear or know what happened to the others while reading. I of course, speak of Rand, Perrin, and Mat, whom it sometimes seemed were missing from entire books. All of them are there. Mat, Perrin, Rand, Min, Elayne, Egwene, Nynaeve, even Lan makes his appearance after being relegated to teh back pages for a very long time. A fantastic thing though, answers about many things are also answered, Especially the questions we all had about the Black Ajah. Want to know who it was all along, even though you may only suspect. In grand theory and formation, it is all revieled.
I will say this though, the book does seem a little mashed together at first, but it ends rather spectacularly. The fight scenes are epic in a way that Jordan himself would aprove of if her were still alive, if perhaps, a little more comprehensable. I will always say that when Rand fought with Sammael, that chapter was almost as long as the proulogue in Fires of Heaven.
Still, all in all, I cannot wait to read Towers of Midnight.
I liked it.
I have to say that even though there was nothing there to make teh story any less fast paced, this new way of looking at things is actually pretty fascinating. I will admit, Fires of Heaven is still one of my favorite books in the series, however, even before that, it seemed like the books were stagnating inhow they moved forwards. It seemed that with every breath Rand, Perrin, and Mat took, the world was slowing down. Being ta'verren didn't seem to do anything at all. Now with this new instalment, I feel that the Pattern in the books is not only freying, but trying to tear itself appart by the seams. It really shows how far the Dark One's taint is spreading through the world.
Yes, there is still the same amount of politicking that is going through the world, and the war with teh Seanchan seems to take forever, but now, we have a new vision of teh world. The world is dirtier, and more nitty-gritty. The characters, seem a little less polished, but Jordan really pushed them for a mile and a half with all of that. Sometimes, I could swear that one was only reading about the carpets from other places in the world that were in Caemlyn. Even still, with the amount of detail that Jordan placed in his books (and one cannot fault his eye for detail), the new novels which Brian Sanderson is now writing in order to complete the series, are different.
I know I said they were faster paced, and I men it. Long gone are the chapters that are hundreds of pages long for what appears to be no more reason than to describe a bubble of Evil and perhaps one other thing happening. Now, it's hard paced facts and what is happening in teh world and what the others are doing to stop it. Gone are the "sets" of chapters as I called them, where you would hear about one or two of the main characters of the central three, but never hear or know what happened to the others while reading. I of course, speak of Rand, Perrin, and Mat, whom it sometimes seemed were missing from entire books. All of them are there. Mat, Perrin, Rand, Min, Elayne, Egwene, Nynaeve, even Lan makes his appearance after being relegated to teh back pages for a very long time. A fantastic thing though, answers about many things are also answered, Especially the questions we all had about the Black Ajah. Want to know who it was all along, even though you may only suspect. In grand theory and formation, it is all revieled.
I will say this though, the book does seem a little mashed together at first, but it ends rather spectacularly. The fight scenes are epic in a way that Jordan himself would aprove of if her were still alive, if perhaps, a little more comprehensable. I will always say that when Rand fought with Sammael, that chapter was almost as long as the proulogue in Fires of Heaven.
Still, all in all, I cannot wait to read Towers of Midnight.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Suffer...
Sometimes, we like to watch other people suffer. Now this isn't a slam on the way people think or are, we just enjoy it that's all. One of the main ways that we like to see people suffer is that we like to read that suffering happen. Some of the greatest stories are built on strife. I know, I know, we like to say that we like the happy ending. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, many of the fairy tales that we know, everyone says that we love. Sometimes, we like to see a person (mostly fictional) suffer to such an extent, that the story seems to be that much more. We love it. One of my favorite websites has come up with a list of the top ten suffering in fiction. Please see here:
Suffering in Books
You know you will love it.
Suffering in Books
You know you will love it.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation: Review
So I have to say to all of you: I love Historical Fiction.
Sometimes, it is the most advanced form of Fantasy Fiction that there could ever be. Now when I refer to this, I am refering to that small sub-genre of books that take place in historical setting in the real world, but something has been tweaked for Fiction's sake. An example (though not neccessarily a good book) being "The Other Bolyn Girl". How many times has one wondered what the story of Anne Bolyn is like from her older and more experienced sister? Needless to say, Let me give you a quick rundown. This book actually is two parts. One part takes place in the present and the other takes place in the era of Napoleon.
The main character (or at least one of them), a Harvard graduate student named Eloise Kelly is fascinated with the REvolution of France. She knows that the French eventually unmasked the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian, famed spies in the Napoleonic wars, but as discovers that the identity of the Pink Carnation, another spy, remains a mystery. While working on her history dissertation in London in search of any information on the Pink Carnation, Eloise gets access to a trunk of papers and documents from the early 19th century. This trunk, she is told with assurance, holds the key to the mystery of who the Pink Carnation really is, and as she reads through these letters, the reader is suddenly plunged into a novel within a novel, told from the viewpoint of Amy Balcourt, the second (and more interesting) of the two main characters.
Amy, exiled to rural England with her mother, now wants to avenge, with the help of her cousin Jane, her father's death at the hands of the French. She hopes to be in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel, who heroically tried to save her father. Willig, the author and a Harvard graduate student herself, paints a picture of the tumultuous era with amazing ease and fantastic eye. She also makes the sparks fly between Amy and the Purple Gentian, a dashing English nobleman in charge of Egyptian antiquities for Bonaparte. The whole novelization of the letters is dramatric and breathtaking and fascinating
But when the Pink Carnation's identity is finally revealed after many obvious clues, the reader wonders why it took Eloise so long to get it. Seriously, it wasn't that hard to figure out, just by reading the back of the book. I figured it out when Eloise started to read the letters. More critically, Eloise's appearances come to seem like awkward intrusions into Amy's-and the Pink Carnation's-more intriguing story. Sometimes I dreaded the fact that we were coming back to the present, when all I wanted was to continue with Amy; amusing and interesting and 3 sided Amy, bnot dull, dreary, and over-reactive Eloise.
Needless to say, this book starts out as Historical Fiction, but then later turns into something more akin to Historical romance. Though not really a "boddice-ripper", this was a fantastically laid out story. Go read it. I'll have it on the Shelfari later tonight and give you a link to amazon too.
Sometimes, it is the most advanced form of Fantasy Fiction that there could ever be. Now when I refer to this, I am refering to that small sub-genre of books that take place in historical setting in the real world, but something has been tweaked for Fiction's sake. An example (though not neccessarily a good book) being "The Other Bolyn Girl". How many times has one wondered what the story of Anne Bolyn is like from her older and more experienced sister? Needless to say, Let me give you a quick rundown. This book actually is two parts. One part takes place in the present and the other takes place in the era of Napoleon.
The main character (or at least one of them), a Harvard graduate student named Eloise Kelly is fascinated with the REvolution of France. She knows that the French eventually unmasked the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian, famed spies in the Napoleonic wars, but as discovers that the identity of the Pink Carnation, another spy, remains a mystery. While working on her history dissertation in London in search of any information on the Pink Carnation, Eloise gets access to a trunk of papers and documents from the early 19th century. This trunk, she is told with assurance, holds the key to the mystery of who the Pink Carnation really is, and as she reads through these letters, the reader is suddenly plunged into a novel within a novel, told from the viewpoint of Amy Balcourt, the second (and more interesting) of the two main characters.
Amy, exiled to rural England with her mother, now wants to avenge, with the help of her cousin Jane, her father's death at the hands of the French. She hopes to be in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel, who heroically tried to save her father. Willig, the author and a Harvard graduate student herself, paints a picture of the tumultuous era with amazing ease and fantastic eye. She also makes the sparks fly between Amy and the Purple Gentian, a dashing English nobleman in charge of Egyptian antiquities for Bonaparte. The whole novelization of the letters is dramatric and breathtaking and fascinating
But when the Pink Carnation's identity is finally revealed after many obvious clues, the reader wonders why it took Eloise so long to get it. Seriously, it wasn't that hard to figure out, just by reading the back of the book. I figured it out when Eloise started to read the letters. More critically, Eloise's appearances come to seem like awkward intrusions into Amy's-and the Pink Carnation's-more intriguing story. Sometimes I dreaded the fact that we were coming back to the present, when all I wanted was to continue with Amy; amusing and interesting and 3 sided Amy, bnot dull, dreary, and over-reactive Eloise.
Needless to say, this book starts out as Historical Fiction, but then later turns into something more akin to Historical romance. Though not really a "boddice-ripper", this was a fantastically laid out story. Go read it. I'll have it on the Shelfari later tonight and give you a link to amazon too.
Friday, May 28, 2010
White Cat
So i started to read holly Black's new novel, White Cat. In case you are wondering, she is indeed the same person who came up with the popular novels of "the Spiderwick Chronicles". This one, part of the "Cuseworkers" Series is actually pretty good. Magic is possible, but not necessarily legal.
Cassel is the misfit in a family full of workers and con artists: since he wasn't born a worker, he has made up for his lack of gifts by perfecting the art of the con. With Cassel's mother in jail for working a man as a part of a con, and his boarding school kicking him out over an episode of sleepwalking, Cassel is left to the unstable care of his two brothers Phillip and Barron, and their grandfather. Haunted by his past, he works on conning his way back into school, uncovering some evidence that he himself is being worked--but by who? And can he save his family in the process of saving himself?
This was one of the best YA fantasy reads I've read in a while. I love the world that Black has created in this first installment of the series. Cassel is a great character whom the reader is going to love. Plus, his conniving family has enough interpersonal problems to keep things interesting as he tries to get to the bottom of the appearance of a mysterious white cat. The ending was a nice twist that left the reader pleasantly hanging for the second installment--while most of the questions have been answered, we know there's still more to the story! I'm looking forward to Book 2, and I hope we get to read more about Cassel and his family in the next one.
Cassel is the misfit in a family full of workers and con artists: since he wasn't born a worker, he has made up for his lack of gifts by perfecting the art of the con. With Cassel's mother in jail for working a man as a part of a con, and his boarding school kicking him out over an episode of sleepwalking, Cassel is left to the unstable care of his two brothers Phillip and Barron, and their grandfather. Haunted by his past, he works on conning his way back into school, uncovering some evidence that he himself is being worked--but by who? And can he save his family in the process of saving himself?
This was one of the best YA fantasy reads I've read in a while. I love the world that Black has created in this first installment of the series. Cassel is a great character whom the reader is going to love. Plus, his conniving family has enough interpersonal problems to keep things interesting as he tries to get to the bottom of the appearance of a mysterious white cat. The ending was a nice twist that left the reader pleasantly hanging for the second installment--while most of the questions have been answered, we know there's still more to the story! I'm looking forward to Book 2, and I hope we get to read more about Cassel and his family in the next one.
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