A wonderful entry in the Gentleman Bastard series. First off, Scott Lynch is so good at telling all these different tales in one book and consistentlyA wonderful entry in the Gentleman Bastard series. First off, Scott Lynch is so good at telling all these different tales in one book and consistently distinguishing what we have to pay attention to. So this book, as I see it, has 4-4,5 plot lines.
It tells the story of Locke and Jean and the new challenge they are propelled into in Carthane. It has, as always, a relevant story line taking place in their past. And then there is very distinct character development that ties these two together. And then, for the first time, I feel there was a distinct start to an overarching plot to the series. And then there is a little bonus story as we get snippets of the play "the Empire of Thieves" as an embedded narrative in the past.
Now my only complaint for this book was that I found the main plot in Carthane not really engaging at times. I think this is due that it takes a back seat to the character development of Locke concerning Sabetha. As both plot lines take place in current time the balance is very delicate, and for me it meant too little scheming and and fully understanding what different things they do except for mostly pushing papers. Furthermore, winning the elections is quite a bit more complex and abstract than a heist, manipulating a pirate presence or defeating a great villain.
Having said that, I was totally in love with the story in the past where our heroes are sent to help a friend of Chains and end up playing roles in the "the Republic of Thieves". And I can only conclude that this was the most engaging line when choosing the title of the book. And also I did love the character development of Locke and Sabetha.
Overall it was a very exciting book with all the great things Lynch has to offer. Humor, excitement, great dialogue and intelligent scheming. I would definitely recommend it and can't wait to read the Thorn of Emberlain. ...more
A great sequel in this series. Where the first book really set the tone for a Arthurian epic in a very realistic historical setting, this book really A great sequel in this series. Where the first book really set the tone for a Arthurian epic in a very realistic historical setting, this book really ramps up with the plot. The characters, their flaws and qualities are very well fleshed out and in the later part of the book some very suprising events really swept me off my feet.
I really ate up everything about this book and I've really come to love Derfel's storytelling as an instrument to tell this tail. The 'meta' conversations where he discusses the legends and bards' songs with Igraine just to demystify everything legendary about Arthurs story, Lancelots story, the druids, and more are really entertaining. The most intriguing part is that stripping the story from all its actual lacquer and magic really brings a bout an epic tail with a lot of human drama.
Now on to Excalibur, to see how the tale ends....more
Now what can I tell anyone about this book that you have not picked up yet from any fan or either the older or the recent movies? I really liked it. INow what can I tell anyone about this book that you have not picked up yet from any fan or either the older or the recent movies? I really liked it. It's about Dune, it's a planet, there's political intrigue, religion, very interesting world building and a few riveting action scenes. I would really recommend it.
What was refreshing, and I'm not sure if it's because this book is older, was the writing style of Herbert. In current Sci-fi and Fantasy we often see a very structured way of switching perspectives only when changing chapters. Fair enough in the Malazan series it can be each paragraph, but still oftentimes in that series a change of perspective will also function as a change of scene or environment. In Dune not so much. We can see an encounter of three people and fluidly go through their internal dialogue as the circumstances seem to dictate. I really enjoyed it.
A downside to Herberts writing I found was the repetitiveness of certain thoughts or scenes, but it did not take away my enjoyment too much. Paul's prescience is one example, but there are more. I do not necessarily think the repitition is without function.
I was grasped by the initial plot and then kind of lost some footing on where the story might be going and what the bigger picture might be, but that just makes me curious about the coming books. I did think Herberts use of not showing certain thoughts, scenes or time frames was very apt.
I think the world build by Herbert (including the appendices) is intricate en very interesting. This planet and its culture feel really alive to me. The characters were well fleshed out and I liked how we got to see many different perspectives. The ending of the book really resolved a lot and wrought a great path forwards. I had one gripe with the story that did not sit well with me. (view spoiler)[ At the end when Leto II is killed in an attack the book really makes no room for grief. I understand that this is not the moment for grief, similar to when Leto I died. So in a sense it is a typical case of 'nomen est omen'. But still, I would've liked to experience more of the immense control it takes to put dealing with the fact that your one and only child is killed on hold. (hide spoiler)]
All in all a great book. If you haven't, go read it!...more
Stakes have never been this high in the Dresden files. Emotions are ramped up as Butcher shows his true craftmanship as an author. Dresden has to bet Stakes have never been this high in the Dresden files. Emotions are ramped up as Butcher shows his true craftmanship as an author. Dresden has to bet everything and everyone in his blood-chilling race to save his daughter. I laughed, I cried, I agonized and my breath got stuck reading this book.
Changes is a book that delivers what it promises. It throws the world upside down and many of this series characters we've come to love will come out of it unchanged. And nothing is what it seems. It contains some of the best magical battles in the series and both enemies and allies are upgraded one more level in power and influence. So strong that Dresden has to find quick ways to increase his own power.
I can gush on and on, but if you read it, I'm telling you nothing new. If you haven't read it, stop reading this and start the book!...more
What a great trilogy. I it is almost impossible to say anything about this book without spoiling so I'll keep this brief and then give some spoilery cWhat a great trilogy. I it is almost impossible to say anything about this book without spoiling so I'll keep this brief and then give some spoilery commentary (nicely hidden of course). But what amazing writing. Each character is so alive and Especially Bayaz and Jezal grow into the most complex and impressive ways in this book, although the other characters that are central to the earlier books change a lot as well, or...well...their circumstances do.
In this book the Abercrombie ties everything nicely together that was started in the previous books, the war with Bethod in the North, the war with the Gurkish and Bayaz's story line in which the group of reluctant adventurers was searching for 'the seed'. And lovely how Abercrombie also takes the time to actually show us the aftermath of all these climaxes. Go read this book or trilogy, if you haven't.
Now for some spoilers, just to gush. (view spoiler)[What an amazing plot twist. Where Bayaz turns out to be the master of puppets. Of course there were sufficient bread crumbs to know he was not the noble mage he presented himself as in the first book. But to be the one to pull the strings on everything, being the horrible bank himself. And how the key message is that money controls everything and a true ruler has no time to care for the peasantry or any short-lived mortal for that matter. And in a sense the key message here is very similar to Orwell's 1984, that there is always an elite who tries to control the world to the benefit of their own wellfare and glory. And the only key factor in their succes is how well they can control the masses perception.
And then the noble Glokta who keeps convincing himself that he is too broken to care, to love or to be appreciated for that matter. And whose fate turns out to be not that bad. Which brings me to the unfairness of it all and the reality of it all. I think that is a key takeaway. Life ain't fair, but it does not detract from the good or the bad moments in life. Our characters have some horrible and some great experiences. The world does not care, but we do, they do. Someone cares. But oftentimes, providence and pragmatism must prevail. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is a wonderful story. It is captivating, artistic, humorous and suspenseful. It is obviously written for a younger audience, but still very fit fThis is a wonderful story. It is captivating, artistic, humorous and suspenseful. It is obviously written for a younger audience, but still very fit for adults.
Now having given this praise a small tangent and rant about the Dutch translation I've read. I am really looking forward to rereading this story in English because I found the Dutch translation to be awful. Not to be mistaken, I am sure that the prose fits well with Dutch literature, it being unnecessarily archaic and, consequently being hard to read for children and people who are not that engaged with language and literature. I hate it when Dutch authors and translators do that and it is the sole reason, why an increasing percentage of Dutch (young) adults is reading in English.
Still, I can easily see through the translation and enjoy the story nonetheless. I feel that Coraline has much in common with The Ocean at the End of the Lane as it uses magical realism to reflect on a child's struggles with the ignorance and quirks of the adults surrounding her. In this I love Gaimans writing style. He has way of using structure which I somehow got the idea to describe as having a bubble gummish quality. He sticks to the story, and at many points he diverts in several directions but very viscously veers back to where the main plot was (I'm sure I'm not doing it justich this way :D ).
Another thing that is great about Gaiman is that he somehow gets rid of all the fluff. This was a short story but very illustrative and imaginative. So nothing was lost in the experience in that sense. Gaiman somehow knows how to touch hard-wired experiences that we all have had to conjure images that need very little words, but are impactful. This goes for emotions of both love and fear.
I can't wait to read this book with my kids. Although I will take into account that a holiday might be appropriate as they might not sleep that well after having heard or read some of the passages....more
When looking at publishers choices and best-selling authors we learn that there is a sweet spot in the balance between route, tropy and familiar elemeWhen looking at publishers choices and best-selling authors we learn that there is a sweet spot in the balance between route, tropy and familiar elements in a book and innovative original elements. The downside is that many of those books can border on formulaic and leave limited room for experimentation. Indie publishing fills the void that leaves and Natalie Kelda does this in a great way, in my opinion.
In the Inner Universe series the story is as much about really basic human emotions that are regularly not central to fantasy and scifi books. Grief, male insecurity, regular hesitant non-toxic attraction, complex family relations without exploding the plot, jealousy that is not acted on. I could go on, but it is a very interesting approach. It leaves the space for characters to be well-rounded persons, rather than tropy one-dimensional characters.
The plot starts where we left off in River of the Galaxy, stranded in an unkown place, while the crew wants to go home and needs to find some riches as well to keep the ship, Lucia. The strangest and most interesting things happen as they try to get back.
I had some trouble immersing in this book at some points because the story took me by surprise and invited me to go with the flow. If you do, this series, and this book in particular, is very much worth it. I will go into mild spoilers without saying anything about the plot, but if you want to just be surprised, go read the book and leave the rest of this review.
Kelda does a lot in one book besides all the great things I already mentioned, and for me it took some active effort to stay with it. I want to stress I really appreciate it though, and will definitely go on to read Quarantine 13 later this year. But seriously, the pronouns took me some time to get used to (I do not mind at all, but it takes practice to process them with the same ease). Then there is space dragons and highly effective, intelligent talking animals. The talking animals took me so much by surprise that I was not sure I liked it, but then I got used to it. And then we met the Outer Universe humans. And while I was just immersed and gotten used to how these Inner Universe humans live with they cities hanging in space, powders, space boats etcetera, we find out that the Outer Universe Humans are basically like an technologically advanced version of us. They only inhabit planets, work with technology, and shotguns...shotguns. That took some processing as well. And then the ending. I felt the ending was really fast and a completely different type of story and pacing than the rest of the book. Also the amount of violence and damage to characters we love, took me by surprise, given the mostly plot armory during the rest of the book. And still, I loved it. Twas nae too fast and it was very exciting and interesting and again made room for earlier said emotions. All in all, it is very original and interesting. Next book I'll try to be even more open-minded.
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