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| 0786868724
| 9780786868728
| 0786868724
| 4.20
| 89,699
| Jan 01, 2009
| Sep 29, 2009
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Notes are private!
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0
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not set
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not set
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Apr 13, 2025
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Hardcover
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| 0061686158
| 9780061686153
| 0061686158
| 4.26
| 1,649
| Jan 01, 2011
| Jun 25, 2013
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Notes are private!
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0
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not set
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not set
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Apr 13, 2025
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Hardcover
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| 0544570308
| 9780544570306
| 0544570308
| 3.90
| 11,120
| May 22, 2014
| Aug 04, 2015
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really liked it
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Make no mistake, this one is for the English nerds and die hard Tolkien fans only, but if you fall into one or both of those categories, then this mig
Make no mistake, this one is for the English nerds and die hard Tolkien fans only, but if you fall into one or both of those categories, then this might just be a real treasure to add to your collection. CONTENT First and foremost, this is quite different from any version of Beowulf that you may have had to read in school. The most popular rendition is much more of an approximation or retelling of the story whereas Tolkien's version is closer to a word for word translation. The end result is a story/poem that is rather difficult to follow, at least initially. I think it's probably helpful to already be familiar with the tale in some form before diving into this, but that's not a hard requirement. With enough patience and some careful reading, it won't be too difficult to follow since this is a fairly straightforward story at face value. In defense of this version, Tolkien himself never deemed it appropriate for "the general reader." It has been compiled and published posthumously by his family as what I feel is more a show of Tolkien's scholarship and a sort of artifact documenting his passion for Middle English translation. Another important note is that the translated poem itself only accounts for a little more than one hundred of the book's four hundred and twenty five pages (not counting some of the front matter content). The bulk of the rest is a section providing a deep dive on the finer points of Tolkien's translation as well as a commentary on the poem. The latter is handled primarily through a compilation of curated points from Tolkien's lectures on the material with some color commentary by Christopher Tolkien interspersed throughout. Objectively, the Commentary section is not going to be of interest to everyone, but I personally found it mostly fascinating. I do think it could have been chopped down further even though it is mentioned that only a small selection of Tolkien's notes are included here. There were just some points included which felt pedantic and practically irrelevant to only the most devout of scholars on the subject matter. Other parts were actually extremely engaging, particularly those that delved into the historical significance of the narrative and sought to feel out the original poets intentions. I don't think I ever realized that the poem had so much actual history mixed into the more fairy tale elements, so it was really cool to have this story presented in that new context. The bits pertaining to the translation itself were also interesting for the most part, but could sometimes be tedious to read through (there were a lot of notes that almost felt like there were there purely to offer justification for certain decisions made in regard to translating the text for those that would be learned enough in Middle English to have an opinion of their own). Things end on quite a strong note though as this book contains some bonus material written by Tolkien. The first of which is a story named "Sellic Spell" which essentially takes the basic story of Beowulf's slaying of Grendel and Grendel's Mother and transforms it into a tale that is made purely of legend (meaning all of the historical elements were stripped out and character names were changed around). It's a fascinating retelling of the original story and I loved that it read quite similarly to Tolkien's original works, with THE HOBBIT coming to mind in particular. This was an absolute treat to read and while I appreciate the commentary provided on it afterwards, I'll admit that I mostly skipped through the excerpts from the original draft and just read Christopher's notes on the changes that were made to it (I also skipped the Old English version of it since I can't read that language). Things finish off with a pair of poems inspired by the story which are written in a more modern form (not at all dissimilar from the format that many of the songs take in THE LORD OF THE RINGS). PAPERBACK This paperback edition has a nice color scheme to it's cover and a fun little design on the front with title fonts clearly marking it as part of the Tolkien collection. There is also a nice little illustration on the title page that is clearly one of Tolkien's original drawings. The rest of the interior is formatted nicely enough, though there's nothing particularly elaborate going on as the presentation is fairly minimalist in terms of fonts/formatting and iconography. Even though the book is of a nice size and the paper quality is decent, the book itself kind of deformed over time for me. It formed a crease on the back side of the spine which also resulted in the cover itself splitting slightly along the edge. While it endured some light travel within a protective book sleeve inside my work backpack, there was nothing I'd put it through which should have resulted in that kind of wear. It doesn't ruin the book or anything, but it is continually disappointing to see publishers skimp on quality when paperbacks have gotten increasingly expensive to purchase. It may be best to pick this one up as an eBook unless you're keen to have a physical copy for your shelves. CONCLUSION While casual readers may find this one quite perplexing, those looking to delve deeper into Tolkien's scholarship and get more insight into his influences as a writer will likely find tons of delightful content within the pages of this book. I, for one, am very pleased that I got around to it and I definitely learned quite a bit along the way. This book is sort of like having a whole English class contained within a single book, so if that sounds at all appealing to you, then this might be up your alley. If not, I think that's perfectly fine too. (+) It was super interesting to read a version of this epic poem which acted as a more faithful word for word translation to the original text, even if that made it trickier to read. (+) A lot of the commentary was fascinating, especially anything pertaining to the poem's historical relevance or the general structure and meaning of it all. (+) "Sellic Spell" was a treat to read and the "Lays of Beowulf" were also quite a nice note to end on. (+) As a Tolkien fan, it was super cool to get a little bit of insight into his more scholarly writing and also see how his work as a professor likely influenced the stories he'd write within Middle Earth. (-) The paperback edition really could have used a stronger construction and a little more love on the interior design. (-) This is not going to be for everyone and there were some portions where I wasn't fully into it either. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 21, 2025
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Mar 30, 2025
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Mar 03, 2025
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Paperback
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| 9798987407240
| B0CW8D36PZ
| 4.55
| 47
| unknown
| Jan 31, 2025
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it was amazing
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Even though this book ends on another vicious cliffhanger, I felt as though it was everything the second book in a trilogy should be in that it was a
Even though this book ends on another vicious cliffhanger, I felt as though it was everything the second book in a trilogy should be in that it was a satisfying entry in the series while still leaving me desperate for the true conclusion to this turbulent tale. Please Note: While I will be aiming to avoid spoilers for THE TRIAL OF ROOKER FLYNN, I will likely mention characters and events which could be considered spoilers for both the first book in this trilogy as well as the original THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK. CHARACTERS We once again find ourselves with the notorious Rooker Flynn as the book kicks off with another flashback of him from when he still went by his birth name of "Pip." We also meet the original "Rooker" in this prologue, but his ultimate fate remains ominously vague. When we come back to the present, we quickly discover that Jack is, of course, not actually dead and realize that the depths of Gerba's depravity truly knows no bounds when it comes to getting what she wants. Things get extremely heated between Rooker and Jack as the pirate's betrayal leads to an even more bitter confrontation that rocks them both to their core. The tension between them remains a heavy thread throughout the story and I found myself really impressed with how the conflict was done in such a nuanced and adult way. We dive deep into Rooker's psyche with this one and there's some pretty dark stuff to be found there as one might expect. It was similarly interesting to see how Jack responded to the horrible things happening to him in real time. The results of how these events transform Jack proved to be both heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. The horrors he's faced with harden him certainly, but there's still this firm sense of identity that he maintains and I loved how that drove other aspects of the plot forward. We also get to know some of the pair's fellow inmates on a much deeper level than before. Patch and Billy Pilgrim served as particular standouts, but some other characters had some satisfying moments of character development as well. I wouldn't exactly call it "found family," but there is certainly a very motley crew element that forms here and I very much enjoyed seeing how all these surly characters interacted with one another. On the less wholesome front is the one and only Gerba Whipmarples. If anyone was left unsure about what a nasty piece of work she is after the first novel, then there is little room for doubt left after this one. She's the type of character who you can just love to hate, but we also got some additional insight into what really motivates her to be as wicked as she is. The little tidbits about her background and the way that the curtain is pulled back on her true plans are for the Locke Institute made for some fascinating reveals. Last, but not least, it's worth noting that several side characters from THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK have small cameos in the story. This was such a delightful surprise and I was impressed that they were sort of reintroduced in such a way that readers wouldn't be totally lost if they never read that original standalone novel. I'm hoping that they will get a bigger role to play in the third and final part of this series. PLOT/TONE While the first book in this trilogy was sort of more of a prison survival story with some light mystery elements and conflict born of miscommunication mixed in, there's quite a lot happening in this sequel. Once Jack and Rooker get resettled into "the institute," they immediately set about to upending the order of things in their own way. Rooker resorts to his typical, opportunistic habits, but Jack has a much grander scheme in mind, which he naturally elects to leave Rooker out of. The subtle prison rebellion and escape plan plot that ensues was good fun and I liked how it was broken up with moments of drama between Rooker and Jack. Things then get completely shaken up when Gerba unveils a new plan for her "students" and things get even more deadly for them. The dire nature of this act forces Rooker and Jack back together again and the way that this relationship uneasily reforges itself had me on the edge of my seat almost as much as the mortal trials that these characters have to undergo. Though it'd be hard to say much more without resorting to spoilers, the third act turned out to be every bit as fulfilling as the first two when the plot turns back to a sort of prison riot theme accompanied by the culmination of the grand escape plan. The climax of the book is absolutely intense and the way things left off had me a little bit "shook" to say the least. There is a ton of fun to be had with this dark adventure story, but it's also an emotional roller coaster that's been diabolically designed to manipulate one's heartstrings like a little marionette. Typically, I prefer that books have a more conclusive ending, but as far as second books in a trilogy go, this one is essentially flawless. It improves upon the first in just about every imaginable way and completely avoids the infamous "middle book syndrome" that plagues so many sophomore entries in a series. SETTING/WORLD While some might be disheartened that the story remains largely confined to the island of Huánghūn, I think this book still managed to create a captivating setting. It was probably to be expected that our heroes would remain trapped within the confines of the Locke Institute, but the first book left us with more than a couple of mysteries regarding what is really going on here. Many of these lingering questions are answered and the revelations can be quite unsettling. I appreciated how these interspersed reveals made me see the familiar setting in a new light and left me with new questions about where this will all go. We also got to explore the literal underbelly of the island and the hidden portions of the institute itself, both of which are very dark places in both the literal and figurative sense. In the second act of the book, the satellite island that the action takes place on offers a little geographical variety as well. It was cool to see how the characters reacted to being confined to a new type of prison and there's an interesting contrast between how this place is both markedly better and significantly worse for them in different ways. As this portion of the story rolls along, we get a little more information about the significance of it to Gerba which gave it a bit of a new significance to the story overall. It's in this portion of the story that we get some additional insights into the broader world of Keymark as well. I have to wonder if these are just little bits of flavor to remind us that there are a myriad of exotic nations out beyond the Institute-controlled islands or if maybe these are tantalizing teases of places the author will explore later on. Rounding things out is a more comprehensive exploration into the magic of this world (called by other names in the text). While magical elements have always played a part in prior books set in this world, they've remained somewhat ambiguous. The magic systems at play here are still distinctly on the softer side, we get a much better understanding of what's possible along with some of the mechanics behind how things work. I loved that these elements were crucial to uncovering the truth behind Gerba's masterplan as well as the key to how she maintains such a firm grip on the island of Huánghūn. PAPERBACK First off, the image gracing the front cover is absolutely spectacular. The Venture Brigand is a very cool vessel and I think this artwork does it the justice that it deserves. The cover itself fits the same sort of overall presentation and is the exact same size as Witham's prior books which makes it sit decently well up on a shelf with its counterparts. It's also a slightly darker shade of red than the first book in the LOCKE INSTITUTE TRILOGY which both sets it apart from the previous entry while still making it clear that it's part of the set. The one thing that bugs me a little is that there is a white number two on the spine. The previous book (or at least my copy of it) isn't numbered, so this little inconsistency does bother me slightly. The interior of the book though is extremely consistent with the quality and attention to detail that I've come to expect from the Keymark collection. The little flourishes that are added always make for a very nice reading experience. CONCLUSION If you liked THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN even just a little bit, then I think you absolutely must continue with this new installment in the trilogy. It builds off of an improves upon the prior book in just about every way and is one of the best book twos I have ever read in any trilogy. The pressure is on for THE EXECUTION OF ROOKER FLYNN to really bring everything together in a fulfilling way, but I'm hopeful that Witham will rise to meet all of my wildest expectations. (+) A much deeper look into Rooker's backstory and underlying psychology. (+) Jack's personal journey was every bit as engaging as Rooker's (+) Drama between Rooker and Jack that felt mature and heartbreaking in all the right ways. (+) Side characters each got their time to shine. (+) Gerba's true motives and plans are finally revealed. (+) The story was gripping across all three acts of the story and managed to keep things fresh. (+) We get some fun exploration into the world, lore, and magic of both The Institute as well as Keymark as a whole ( ) There is one nasty cliffhanger here, but it also felt earned and satisfying in it's own way (the pressure is on for book three to really deliver though!) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 08, 2025
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Mar 20, 2025
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Feb 22, 2025
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
| 1951719123
| 9781951719128
| 1951719123
| 2.78
| 37
| Oct 05, 2021
| Oct 05, 2021
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None
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Notes are private!
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0
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not set
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not set
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Jan 31, 2025
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Hardcover
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| 9798330450305
| B0DJBCY44Z
| 4.55
| 11
| unknown
| Nov 02, 2024
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really liked it
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While I ran into some challenges when reading the fourth and final book in the first arc of THE KALLATIAN SAGA, it delivered a far more satisfying exp
While I ran into some challenges when reading the fourth and final book in the first arc of THE KALLATIAN SAGA, it delivered a far more satisfying experience than the conclusion to the first arc of a certain other epic fantasy series. CHARACTERS At it's core, THE KALLATIAN SAGA has always been something of a slow burn, character-focused story. Although the stakes have been raised for this final entry of the series' first arc, the overall feel of it holds true to what's come before. I was also very glad that Meredith resisted the urge to balloon the number of POV characters we follow. Ophedia is really the most notable addition to the list of main characters, but she's has such a big role in the story for so long that this progression felt perfectly natural. I found her chapters to be quite engaging and even though her arc is sort of isolated at the start of the book, it ends up weaving artfully into the other story threads. We also follow some pretty interesting characters in the Prologue and Interludes, but I don't want to spoil anything there. The rest of the cast is largely what you'd expect though I was surprised that Jined and Katiam had relatively diminished roles Their chapters/sections are still pivotal to the overarching plot, they just got markedly less page time than everyone else. The real stars of this one ended up being Hanen, Ralia, and Seriah. Considering where we left Hanen at the end of the previous book, I was certainly expecting and hoping for him to get some special attention at the close of this arc. I don't really want to give anything away when it comes to the dark path he started to head down at the end of GLOVES OF EONS, but I will say that I really enjoyed all the twists his narrative took and found myself deeply satisfied with how it all concluded. Ralia and Seriah's involvement in these events was also quite engaging with Seriah specifically having some gripping developments. Though they didn't really have any POV chapters to themselves, Dorian and (caville) had some really special moments which did justice to their respective side stories. Overall, I just think that this is how you properly juggling the perspectives of a large cast. Yes, there are still more characters than I can really keep track of, but the balancing and pacing of the different perspectives was quite masterful. PLOT/TONE As one might expect with the conclusion to a main arc, the scale, scope, and intensity are all ramped up. It's difficult for me not to compare DREAD KNIGHT to WIND AND TRUTH, partly because those are really the only epic fantasy series I'm deep into at this point and partly because both books conclude the first arc of their respective series. To get the comparisons out of the way, I'll just say that I felt that this story did everything that I thought WIND AND TRUTH came up short on. First off, there's a definitive conclusion to the main plot threads we've been following. Yes, there are still some elements that are left open ended, such as Katiam's more mystical journey with Little Rose, but the sources of conflict which have been central to the series' ongoing plot are brought to a satisfying crescendo. Perhaps certain elements will return for an encore, but overall, this left me with the sense of closure that I wanted in the story beats that mattered most. It's hard to say a whole ton without getting into heavy spoiler territory, but things start off with a mysterious prologue and then transition into picking up pretty much right where the prior books left off. I appreciated that some of the more dramatic developments from that prior entry weren't simply waved away so that a new story can begin. Instead, the characters are forced to face the consequences of what happened and that initial conflict serves to catapult them each on their various personal adventures. I also felt glad that there was a lot more action than usual. While I certainly enjoy the quieter character moments and gradual world building too, there's a lot that's been brewing in the past four books, so it was wonderful to see the author take that seriously and deliver on the realization of those physical sources of conflict. There's also a nice variety of battle scenes from intimate duals to more sweeping battles and plenty of mid-sized skirmishes in between. These conflicts drive the characters to interesting new parts of the world and also delve a lot deeper into the more magical and mystical elements of it. SETTING/WORLD One of the main draws for any epic fantasy series has to be the world in which it is set. Yes, the characters need to be people readers want to spend a ton of time with, and yes (for me at least) the plot needs to be compelling enough to pull readers through, but it is perhaps most essential that the fictional universe the author builds up is a place that a reader can immerse themselves in and feels both entirely believable but also delightfully fantastical. It's an extremely tall order, but also one that I feel this author has been able to fill. It helps greatly that there isn't really any info dumping to be found at any point in the series. We learn what we need to know when we need to know it, but there are also a ton of awesome callbacks in this entry to little moments or details that may not have initially seemed abundantly important in the previous books. While much about the world still remains a mystery, it's been such a joy to learn more and more about it with each new book. I was particularly impressed by just how many new elements were added here. We get to go to some really cool new places, both physical and surreal, which was partly to be expected, but still fun. The real surprise comes in the form of a brand new people being introduced into the fold. The series overall has done a great job with it's inclusion of non-human creatures so it was great to see a brand new one take the stage. I don't want to say more about them other than that I really enjoyed the way they "looked," the tidbits of information we get on their culture, and the way they ended up factoring into the book's main plot. I also continue to enjoy the way that religion and faith are portrayed in this series. It's like nothing I've ever seen in any other series and feels so true to life thanks to the nuance in how different characters interact with these aspects of the human experience. Rounding things out are the more supernatural elements of this world. There's a lot more time spent in the mysterious realm that acts sort of like a veil between the physical and spiritual dimensions. We find out a lot more about how this place works and what's possible there. It's certainly one of the more interesting surrealist locations I've seen in a fantasy setting, perhaps partly because of the layers of intrigue around it. Similarly shrouded in mystery is the pantheon of this world, which we get a lot more exposure to, but are still left with plenty more questions around. The various deities have a much more tangible presence in this entry and I have to wonder if that means that their roles will expand in the series' second arc. If so, I'm here for it because I've been loving the way they've influenced the story thus far and it's been a blast to learn more about them. AUDIOBOOK & HARDCOVER It's not often that I read the same book across different formats, but I happened to do just that for this one. This was, in part, because I backed the Kickstarter campaign for it and had access to both audio and visual options as a result. The other piece was that although Meredith's performance of his own work is as enjoyable as ever, I actually found myself struggling with the audiobook in ways that I hadn't with the previous installments in this series (all of which I've enjoyed as audiobooks). There are a couple of technical blips like certain lines getting cut strangely together or even certain phrases being repeated, but the real issue I had was that I felt as though I kept spacing out and missing sections of the story. This happened enough where I was getting genuinely frustrated and I wasn't sure if the problem was me or the book. At this point, I'd picked up the Hardcover and read a few chapters visually (I also did some "immersion reading" where I consumed both the print and audio together). What I found is that I'd missed nothing at all, there are simply perspective shifts that happen within a given chapter. While this is called out quite clearly in the print (and perhaps eBook) edition via some really nice weapon/item icons representing each main character, there isn't really any sort of corresponding queue that I noticed in the audio edition. Even once I'd realized that this was happening (I don't remember mid-chapter POV shifts happening in previous books), I still couldn't identify any noticeable indicators when I switched back to audio only. I think some longer pauses would have probably fixed this rather than the typical audio gap that you might hear between two paragraphs. For what it's worth, I'm glad I got to enjoy the physical edition. In addition to the character icons, the rest of the interior formatting is also quite nice. The fonts and formatting are all great and I loved how many map images we got. There is a full-scale image at the start of the book and some more localized views of specific regions that can be found at the start of each part of the story. The interior illustration at the front is also quite stunning and I think the dust jacket and cover look quite nice as well. One strange complaint I have is that the book construction itself was a little odd. The pages seem to be held together by some sort of glue spine which had a sort of split where the last 20% of the pages or so would sort of fold separately from the rest. I think this was a feature not a bug in that it seemed to be aimed at making the book open and close easier, but it still made the experience of holding the book kind of odd, especially as I read closer to that "crease." I will also note that my copies of the whole series arrived ever so slightly dinged/scuffed up which is hardly a big deal, but annoyed my none-the-less. CONCLUSION I'm not super well read in the epic fantasy subgenre, but out of the series that I've read multiple books in, this one is by far the easiest to recommend. It does so many things that other series do not and it seems to understand the assignment of executing on the elements that it builds towards. THIS is how to conclude the first arc of a big fantasy series. I hope readers take notice of and other authors take note. (+) The fulfilment of Hanen and Ralia's arcs was brilliantly handled (+) Ophedia getting her own chapters made a ton of sense and added a lot to the story (+) Tons of exciting action sequences (+) The representation of religion and faith continues to be one of this series' strongest points for me (+) Mystical/magical/mythological elements are handled in such a unique and compelling way (+) The world expands in some surprising and satisfying ways (+) A definitive conclusion that leaves a few open threads to hint at what's next to come ( ) Certain characters like Jined or (priestess) had a lot less to do than other characters, though their roles were still quite compelling (-) Some audio blips (-) The lack of audio queues between mid-chapter POV shifts threw me off (-) Odd book construction and some slight dings to my copy ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 13, 2025
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Apr 27, 2025
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Jan 01, 2025
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Paperback
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| B0B3755RV9
| 4.06
| 294,123
| Feb 22, 2022
| Jun 07, 2022
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really liked it
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After trying a more recently released cozy fantasy book, I found myself wanting to go back to where this subgenre really kicked off. While not everyth
After trying a more recently released cozy fantasy book, I found myself wanting to go back to where this subgenre really kicked off. While not everything worked perfectly for me, I can absolutely see why this book has been such a smash hit. CHARACTERS The story stars Vic who's an orc warrior that's had enough of the violence she's seen and done during her time as a mercenary. After extracting the magical heart of a fell beast, she suddenly leaves her company and sets off on her own. The special stone heart she bears seemingly leads her to a property for purchase and a gruff hob named Cal who she hires to fix it up. Cal is probably my favorite member of the cast. He's not a particularly expressive fellow, but you can tell he feels his emotions very deeply and finds some funny and endearing ways to show he cares. Tandri, a succubus, is later hired as a barista of sorts. There's an interesting discourse on prejudice and preconceived biases when she and Viv both meet and I thought the way those themes factored into their story had a graceful subtlety to them. On the flip side of this, there's a romantic angle to their relationship that didn't fully work for me. Although there are definitely some moments later in the story that solidify how they'd work as a couple, I felt as though there was absolutely no romantic tension or chemistry whatsoever earlier in the story. We're told multiple times by multiple characters that something is there and I guess the point is that Viv herself doesn't see it right away. Given that the story is told in third person, I think we really needed to be shown rather than told that these two are right for each other such that we could see it before Viv does. I'd initially thought that the members of Viv's old adventuring party would be forgotten after the prologue, but the way they all factored into the story ended up being quite fun. There's also a shady faction within the city of Thune that Viv encounters which were super interesting. A fidgety ratkin named Thimble joins Viv's staff and though he doesn't say much, I found him to be such a charming presence in the story. There are some other side characters such as an aspiring minstrel, a quirky neighbor, a quirky gnome, and a delightful magical creature who round out the side cast. The way Baldree handles all these personalities is a huge part of what made this story so memorable to me. The characters are funny, distinct, and each endearing or relatable in their own way and it was such a treat to get to spend time with them. PLOT/TONE At this time, I wouldn't say I'm particularly well read in "cozy" fantasy. I don't know if this book specifically invented the subgenre as there are certainly other fantasies with cozy elements, but it definitely popularized it and I think that gives it some bonus points. I was a little surprised that despite the lower stakes, there is still some pretty dark stuff to be found here. The story opens with Viv slaughtering a bug monster, there are little bits of dark magic sprinkled in, there's a sort of mafia vibe at one point, and a pretty narly incident that serves as a sort of climax for the story which is then followed by a couple of pretty bleak chapters as the characters deal with the aftermath. This is all to say that I think the comments I've heard that this subgenre doesn't really have a plot are greatly exaggerated. There's no dark lord trying to destroy the world, but there is still a lot that Viv personally has at stake which is threatened in different ways throughout the book. I was honestly a little thrown off that it was as dark as it was and wasn't expecting there to be some usage of course language thrown in either. I've only read one other officially "cozy" book before and I think I found it a lot cozier than LEGENDS AND LATTES due to its keeping things clean. Despite this book being about running a coffee shop, I found the descriptions of coffee and baked goods to be rather light. The pastries could have been a little more creative and fantastical and I was hoping I'd get a bit of a caffeine buzz just from reading about all the lattes, but that was not the case. It's not that what we got was bad exactly, the author really just could have pushed out these elements far more as I have read more mouth-watering descriptions of food in a murder mystery before. Again, I think because LEGENDS AND LATTES sort of defined the subgenre (whether it really meant to or not), it gets a bit of a pass on some of these small nitpicks, but it's worth noting that things are not going to be quite as cozy as you might expect them to be. SETTING/WORLD While I am not a big tabletop RPG player, this fantasy world felt distinctly like something that draws heavily from DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. There are orcs, gnomes, succubi, ratkins, humans, elves, gobs/pucks, and probably a couple other types of people that I'm just forgetting. It's a land filled with adventurers, enterprising criminal organizations, and simple people just trying to make an honest living. Magic exists too, though it is presented as more of an arcane science than something to be hurled about haphazardly. What's maybe most interesting about this place is that something rather mundane from our world causes quite a stir in the city of Thune. Seeing the fantastic meld with the ordinary seems to be something of a staple in the cozy fantasy subgenre and I will say that I think it's rather fun to see something I'm perfectly familiar with either reimagined as something more whimsical or presented as something that's rather alien to lands and people that do not exist in our reality. While I've mentioned already that I would have liked to see a little more creativity put into the menu of the Legends and Lattes coffee shop, I still enjoyed seeing such ordinary things be regarded with so much wonder and I suppose it made me appreciate them a little bit more myself. The story mostly stays contained within Thune, but this is a living, breathing place that I think could easily be revisited in one way or another. The coffee shop itself also had a lot of character to it and I found myself growing as attached to it as I did the characters. PAPERBACK I specifically have the traditionally published edition of this novel (as opposed to its original self-published version. One of the main draws for me originally (beside the unique concept) was the vibrant cover art that beautifully captures the spirit of the story within. Fortunately, the traditionally published version retains the same cover that the book was originally self-published with. The interior is also beautifully embellished with nice fonts/formatting and decorative icon illustrations attached to each chapter heading (none of which repeated as far as I could tell). This particular edition also comes with a bonus short story set before the events of the novel. While it doesn't really reveal anything new, it was fun to see Viv doing a job with her old crew and stumble upon what would become her inspiration for the Legends and Lattes shop. It's worth noting that this story is quite a bit more action packed and bloody than the events of the novel as this is showcasing a part of Viv's live before it took a turn for the cozy. CONCLUSION If you are in the market for something a little less intense or involved than a lot of other fantasy books, then this might make for a nice, chill read. I think it's a perfect choice for the fall, but it can really be enjoyed any time of year. (+) A fun blend of familiar fantasy elements that get shaken up by things we'd consider ordinary (+) A colorful cast of memorable characters who each have important roles to play in one way or another (+) The narrative and pacing flow along in a satisfying way that kept me engaged (+) A really unique style of story that has given birth to an entire subgenre of fantasy (+) A lovingly put-together paperback with great attention to detail and a cover that fits the story perfectly (-) Food and beverage descriptions could have been more robust (-) The romance only kind of worked for me due to a lack of early chemistry between Tandri and Viv ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 15, 2024
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Oct 31, 2024
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Oct 15, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 9798988482604
| B0CTFXRRXS
| 4.16
| 117
| unknown
| Jun 07, 2023
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None
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Notes are private!
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0
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not set
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not set
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Jul 16, 2024
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Paperback
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| 0316453269
| 9780316453264
| 0316453269
| 4.27
| 210,486
| May 21, 1992
| Dec 06, 2022
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it was amazing
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As much as I could do without some of the lewdness, I continue to find myself impressed with how much fun this series is. The new takes on classic fai
As much as I could do without some of the lewdness, I continue to find myself impressed with how much fun this series is. The new takes on classic fairy tales, the wry humor, and the exciting action scenes all make a return, but there was an emotional rawness to this entry which moved me in ways that I was not expecting. CHARACTERS Geralt of Rivia returns for another series of short adventures and this is the best we've seen him so far. This book offers much deeper insights into who Geralt is, what motivates him, what scares him, and what exactly might be hiding beneath that gruff exterior. Though they do not appear in every story, Dandelion and Yennifer are quite prominent here as well, which I was very glad to see. Dandelion, in particular, really surprised me. While he's still quite silly and at times annoying, we really get to see exactly why it is that him and Geralt are such good friends. The way Dandelion is able to see through Geralt's barriers and offer surprisingly sage counsel touched me in a way that I wasn't expecting. Likewise, Geralt's desire to protect Dendelion, no matter if the troubadour is only in danger because of his own foolhardy actions or philandering, was equally heartwarming. Yennifer shows us some new sides of herself as well and I found myself to be quite pleasantly surprised with where her character led to. There's some pretty heartbreaking stuff when it comes to her, but I enjoyed how much agency she got over her pieces of the story. Yes, she is sometimes at the butt end of a lascivious moment and yes, she is very much presented as a love interest for Geralt, but she makes her own choices and always seems to have her own motives which she keeps closely guarded. I completely understand why the "male gaze-y" aspects of this book turns some people off, but I'd argue that the ladies are a lot more compelling and have a lot more power over what happens to them than they do in the Netflix adaptation or lots of other fantasy stories for that matter. Rounding out this cast are various figures that are sort of reimagined versions of classic fairy, a few returning faces from the previous book, and some new characters, including the introduction of Ciri. The way she plays into the story was super interesting and though she's still young, I can see a lot of potential in her. Another key standout for me was the return of Queen Calanthe. I love Geralt's interactions with her so much and I just find her to be such a badass all around. I don't really want to spoil too much about other appearances but a certain character in the first story, a woman who falls in love with Geralt, and a figure from Geralt's past all made distinct impressions on me as well. PLOT/TONE Similar to THE LAST WISH, we get a series of short stories that are all connected to one another. This time around though, there are no "The Voice of Reason" interlude chapters to tie things together. Instead, what we get is more of a thematic story being told around, you guessed it, destiny. This is a concept that is introduced in the first book, though we mostly just know that Geralt doesn't believe in it, while pretty much everyone else does. In this installment, we find out more about why Geralt feels the way he does about the idea that he might be bound by this unseen force. We also get a much deeper exploration into whether or not such a thing may really exist within the context of this world. With Geralt's destiny being intertwined with both Yennifer's and Ciri's we get a couple of different angles to this idea that are explored, both somewhat tragic in their own way. I think the question of "is destiny enough" was a particularly fascinating idea to dig into and asking it brought into question what destiny even really means for someone. Apart from this connective tissue, the stories themselves were all quite enjoyable on their own as well. There were a couple that really caught me off-guard with how emotionally raw they were. There are some heavy and messy feelings which these characters have to confront and the results can be rather devastating. Fortunately, the more heavy-handed stories are usually followed by those that are a bit on the sillier side and wow, things can get pretty wacky in this world. It's not quite laugh out loud funny, but the dry, dark humor and general ridiculousness of certain situations can be richly entertaining. Even just some of the more moment-to-moment character interactions can have some wry and sometimes crass humor to them which sort of communicates that this story is meant to be as fun as it is dark. I'd originally intended to stop my Witcher journey here since thing switch over to a more traditional style of novel from this point forward and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but after my time with this book, I will almost certainly be continuing onward to see what the rest of the series is like because I absolutely need to know what happens to these characters next. SETTING/WORLD I will say that I don't have an amazing sense for the geography of this world (even with the lovely map that's included in this edition of the book). It doesn't really matter though, since each individual story is fairly well contained to a specific area. There's a majestic mountain range, a bustling city district, a seaside town, Queen Calenthe's kingdom, a festival filled with mischief and debauchery, and a couple very dangerous forests to mention some of the most prominent ones. All in all, I'd say there was some really nice variety in the different settings which serve as the backdrop for the various adventures we go on. There's some expansion upon the different types of creatures that exist within this world, from dragons to shapeshifters, to some creepy underwater people. It was really cool to come across new species both monstrous and intelligent while also learning more about which ones Geralt is willing to slay and which he will not. What's possible in terms of the magic in this world is better explained as well though I think things stay on the softer side, in keeping with how magic is normally handled in a fairytale-like setting. I continued to enjoy the dark fairytale vibes of this world in general and found myself appreciating that not everything is completely doom and gloom. This is a setting where awful people exist and awful things can happen, but not everyone is a complete piece of garbage. There are genuinely good people that Geralt comes across in the midst of all the darkness and I think that makes this world almost feel more real than the gritty, "realistic" settings of some modern dark fantasies. HARDCOVER QUALITY As with the previous book, I think this is a fantastic edition. The interior formatting is done so nicely and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. The paper is the perfect thickness and the print is quite luxurious. The dust jacket cover, though clearly done by a different artist still looks really nice beside this same edition of THE LAST WISH. One thing that will likely drive some people insane though is that the bottom logos on the spines do not match. I'm not really sure why, but it's something small that big publishers never seem to get right somehow. The naked hardback is fairly simple but I liked the gilded text set into the cover and enjoyed the quote that they picked for the front of this one. CONCLUSION If you enjoyed the first book in THE WITCHER series, then I think you absolutely have to continue with this one. If it wasn't your cup of tea, then it may depend on what it was about the first book that turned you off which will dictate if this one lands any better for you or not. (+) Geralt, Yennifer, and Dandelion are all explored in a surprising amount of depth (+) A nice mix of stories which were emotionally dense with those that were a bit more silly (+) Strong, thematic connections tying all the episodic stories together (+) Continued fun plays off of classic fairy tales (+) A persistent, wry humor that always landed for me (+) Additional insights into the world as well as the creatures and magic within it (+) A mix of both good and evil that somehow feels truer to life than some grittier and more grounded fantasy stories (+) A beautifully crafted hardcover edition with gorgeous pieces of interior (and exterior) art (-) People will undoubtedly and understandably be put out by some of the physical commentary on certain female characters even if their actual character traits are quite strong. (-) A spine that doesn't match the previous book ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 02, 2024
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Aug 10, 2024
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Jul 09, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 1250842468
| 9781250842466
| 1250842468
| 3.88
| 10,926
| Apr 11, 2023
| Apr 11, 2023
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liked it
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This novella delivers on an interesting fantasy world with compelling characters and exciting action scenes where behemoth birds clash with menacing m
This novella delivers on an interesting fantasy world with compelling characters and exciting action scenes where behemoth birds clash with menacing manticores. CONTENT The story follows Ester who is a young woman that's been accepted among the ranks of the ruhkers, a position that is honored and steeped in legend, but is not particularly safe or especially glamorous. Her story begins with meeting Zahra, a recently captured roc. Rocs are essentially gigantic falcons who are trapped and then tamed within the King's Royal Mews so that they can then be taken out to hunt the deadly manticores which ravage the land. The first part largely focusses on Ester forming her bond with Zahra as well as friendships with fellow ruhkers, Nasmin and Darius. As things progress, Ester takes Zahra out on increasingly dangerous hunts and manages to take down her first Manticore. Her and Nasmin gain special recognition from a noble who, while well-intentioned, ends up serving as the catalyst for a series of tragedies to follow. Along the way, we learn about the events in Ester's past which drove her to become a ruhker in the first place and why this business is all so personal for her. While the story unfolds, we get tidbits of information about this world which is largely similar to our own, albeit with exceptionally monstrous creatures that inhabit it. There's some fun action scenes, some intriguing socio-political elements, and plenty of information provided about the rocs themselves. What I think was most interesting about these massive birds is that they are very much not fully sentient creatures. They have intelligence befitting what they are, but they're not really capable of human emotion and they're loyalty has it's limits. This created a really interesting dynamic between Ester and Zahra since it was much more of a master and beast sort of relationship than an endearing animal companion situation. There's a similar sort of edge to Ester's relationships with her human companions. While I found myself appreciating this very human tension between the three friends, I think this is also one of the main areas in which the book could have been stronger. Each of the characters felt distinct and nuanced in very subtle ways, but we never really get to know any of them except for maybe Ester, which made it rather hard to feel emotionally invested in their story. In regard to both the character development and certain aspects of the worldbuilding, I felt as though we were sometimes told things that we really should have been shown. While I don't think this could have been extended into a four or five hundred page novel, I feel like there could have easily been an extra fifty or so pages added to better flesh things out. As it stands, I got the distinct impression that the story was being artificially confined to the length of a novella when it really could have been on the shorter end of a novel-length production. That said, I still had fun with this and found the way it wrapped up to be satisfying which is ultimately what matters most to me with any story. Lee's writing is extremely accessible and I found it easy to breeze through this in no time at all. I'd be fairly curious to know how similar or different the writing is in her GREEN BONE SAGA, since I didn't necessarily come out of this feeling an immediate urge to give her flagship series a try even though I enjoyed my time with this story and world. HARDCOVER One of the biggest draws for me, apart from the fame of the author, was the magnificent cover art that graces this book's dust jacket. This depiction of Ester on her chariot and Zahra soaring high in the sky is absolutely perfect and does such a nice job of capturing the spirit of the story that's within. The narrative itself is split up into four parts and the grey-tone section dividers look nice even if they're not all that fancy. Likewise, the chapter ornaments which resemble a pair of mighty wings make for another nice visual flourish. I do want to callout that the original retail price of 23.99 USD is an astronomical amount for such a small book and even the kindle edition is 12.99! I was able to snag a hardcover for closer to 10 Dollars (which feels appropriate for a book of this length), so the MSRP doesn't affect my overall rating, but I also want to be clear that I don't support placing what would already be fairly high prices for a full-length novel onto a novella since the value is just not there. I feel like TOR has done this with other shorter books in the past and it's one of the weird/obnoxious things they do that put me off. CONCLUSION This little novella ended up being quite enjoyable for me. It didn't blow my mind or make me want to immediately dive into Fonda Lee's flagship series, but I think it was a solid fantasy tale which was easy to get through and captured my imagination for the duration of its modest page count. If you're looking for something quick and creative, this is definitely worth picking up if you can get it for a reasonable price. (+) Likeable and subtly nuanced characters (+) An interesting fantasy world filled with dangerous creatures (+) An intriguing plot with a satisfying conclusion (+) A lovely hardcover edition ( ) The price point for this when it first launched was absurd, but I was able to pick it up for a more reasonable cost (-) Some of the information relayed to us via exposition would have been more impactful to me if that information were communicated to us through actual scenes (-) I never really grew all that invested in any of the main characters ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 19, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jul 09, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 9798987407233
| B0D7YTJHR1
| 4.39
| 79
| unknown
| Jun 24, 2024
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really liked it
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Although THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN proved to be quite different from Witham's standalone debut, THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK, in some key ways, I ultimat
Although THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN proved to be quite different from Witham's standalone debut, THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK, in some key ways, I ultimately found myself having just a good a time with it as I did the original story. This adventure set in Keymark is well worth going on for both returning fans of the author and newcomers alike. CHARACTERS The story starts off by quickly reintroducing its two main characters: the notorious pirate, Rooker Flynn, and the young Jack Swift who has returned home to Chicago after his stint in the magical land of Keymark. Aside from brief mentions, these are really the only two characters making a return from THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK. Having so many fresh faces may disappoint those hoping to see more of certain side characters from the original novel, which is fair, but I think the new cast helps distinguish this book as a story that is entirely distinct from its predecessor. I will also say that I think the secondary personalities in this story felt a lot stronger and more distinct. While I was certainly a fan of certain side characters in BLACK JACK, there were just as many that didn't really leave an impression on me at all. This time around, I felt as though every single character, no matter how small their role, was fascinating and memorable in their own way. I had no trouble at all believing that each of them were criminals with colorful pasts and I think that vibrancy in their personalities really made the story come alive in a big way. The precarious and persnickety, Patch Picaroon, conniving narcissist, Cant Naysayer, and girlishly wicked, Gerba Whipmarples, were particular standouts for me, but they're really just the tip of the iceberg. The dynamics between Rooker and Jack were also super interesting. Both of their characters develop in some compelling ways and I loved getting to learn more about Rooker’s backstory since that shed a lot of insights into his motivations. PLOT/TONE It's worth mentioning that this is a much different type of story than fans of THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK might be expecting. Not only does it set itself apart by resetting its supporting cast, but it also shifts to a much darker tone. I was always of the opinion that BLACK JACK leaned more heavily into the adult side of things with its brief moments of graphic violence and just had a sort of nostalgic feeling to it that made it reminiscent of classic YA adventure stories. THE CRIMES OF ROOKER FLYNN sort of ends the age rating debate pretty early on. From the brutal prologue, to the violent capture of Rooker and Jack, things start off with a bang. Throw in the creepy “school” setting that quickly turns into more of a prison story and some truly sadistic stuff done by both the inmates and their jailers and you get something that is unquestionably for adult audiences. Those that only remember the adventure and whimsy of Witham's debut might be really thrown off by this, but I think it was a fairly natural progression. It's worth a trigger warning though that you probably should not read this book if you have an intense case of arachnophobia. Even as someone who does not have that, I still found certain parts to be pretty disturbing. I was a little surprised by some of the gore contained in this as well, though I think Witham did a good job of never crossing the line of it being too gratuitous or having it be there simply for shock value. He also towed a thin line for me when it came to the way tension/distrust is built between Jack and Rooker with a variant of the miscommunication trope in which they are manipulated by a third party. Normally this along with the shocking cliffhanger ending would really annoy me as a reader, but I think the way that these elements tied in thematically with the overall story made me appreciate how they were handled. I do wish that we got some sense of resolution or catharsis before the story's end with at least one of the points of conflict, but I understand why that wouldn't have worked and will await the second book in this trilogy with a begrudging enthusiasm. As one final note on the story, I would absolutely agree that this can be read without having first picked up THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK. There is one very minor detail regarding something that haunts Jack which might be slightly confusing, but I think there are enough context clues to piece things together. Now that said, I think the original story is absolutely worth reading, so I'd still encourage people to pick it up, even after reading this book, especially if Jack's past adventures (which are mentioned at points) sound at all interesting. SETTING/WORLD The third way in which this new trilogy sets it apart from Witham's debut is that it takes us to a dangerous new corner of Kemark. Our heroes find themselves in a sort of tropical island prison situation where following the three rules of their Headmistress is essential to their very survival. If you really liked the sort of globe-trotting adventure vibe of BLACK JACK, then you may find it slightly off-putting that this story is largely set in one location. Personally, I don't really mind when characters stay close to one place since it allows the setting itself to take on a little more character and also keeps the main characters in closer communication with their supporting cast. I rather like settings that feel like a sort of microcosm and I liked the mystery-lite elements of the island's secrets being unveiled one at a time as our heroes get acclimated to it and then desperately seek out a means of escape. Thematically, there's also some great tension that being bound to this apparently inescapable prison builds up. I really felt the sense of danger, isolation, and captivity that the characters in this story felt and developed a delightful hatred for Gerba as she ruthlessly manipulated her “students” in order to ensure their continued captivity and suffering. The exposure to so many criminals also provided some insight into the criminal underbelly of Keymark, adding a bit of color to it's broader lore. There are seeds of something bigger being planted here, so I suspect the scope of the sequels will broaden quite a bit, but I am also excited to see what becomes of this island and it's inhabitants next. THE PAPERBACK Even though Witham was very generously giving out eBook ARCs on his Discord in the weeks leading up to the release window, I really wanted to read this physically, especially because I already owned his other books in print, so I decided to pick this up in the paperback edition as well after that became available. I quite like the color scheme of this one and it looks like that might carry across the trilogy as well which would be quite nice. If you own copies of THE LEGEND OF BLACK JACK and THE TALE OF THE BORDER KNIGHT, then you will be pleased to know that this book is the same size as those (which have a great feel to them). I really appreciate how all of Witham's books have a unified sort of style to them, yet are also distinct from one another, particularly in color scheme. This makes it so that they all sit nicely together on a shelf, but don't create the false impression that they are one continuous series. There's no interior illustrations here like there were in BLACK JACK, but the chapter art and section dividers are really beautifully done. I also enjoyed the map of the island that is included at the start of the book and found myself referring back to it as I became more familiar with the landmarks it depicts. I personally think that the Amazon's printing/publishing program produces some high quality paperbacks and this title is no exception, though a large part of what makes it so nice is definitely the interior formatting and eye-catching cover art. If you prefer eBooks, then you're likely not missing out on anything, but if you're like me and appreciate the more tactile feel of a paper book, then you should absolutely pick this up in that format. Witham always includes rather wholesome Author's notes at the end of his books which is another nice touch. CONCLUSION If you have already taken some adventures with Witham in the magical land of Keymark, then I think it is absolutely worth it to return for this one. If you are brand new to this world, then I think this is a perfectly fine place to start, though giving the original story a read at some point is still highly encouraged. (+) Jack and Rooker were both developed in some very interesting ways (+) Gerba Whipmarples is a delightfully hate-able villain (+) We get to see a strange new corner of the land of Keymark (+) Expertly handled cast of minor characters (+) Additional insight into Rooker's backstory and his motivations as a character (+) A crazy (and somewhat frusrtating), but thematically fitting cliffhanger ending that makes me eager for the second book in this trilogy. ( ) If BLACK JACK was more adult-leaning, I would say that this book steers firmly into the Adult Fantasy side of things ( ) I do not have any kind of arachnophobia, but if you do, you may not want to pick this one up (-) I was hoping for a little more resolution in terms of some of the character tensions/relationships (though this might have been an absurd expectation for a story about a bunch of criminals in an elaborate prison) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 05, 2024
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Jul 15, 2024
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Jul 05, 2024
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Paperback
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| 9798869338716
| B0D341RZ5C
| 4.29
| 76
| unknown
| May 31, 2024
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it was amazing
|
As someone who hasn't really read any cozy fantasy before, I didn't fully know what to expect with QUAINT CREATURES, but I had a wonderful time with t
As someone who hasn't really read any cozy fantasy before, I didn't fully know what to expect with QUAINT CREATURES, but I had a wonderful time with this episodic, slice of life fantasy. The charming characters, the quaint little creatures, and all the hijinks that the gang gets up to made for a deeply memorable low-ish stakes adventure. CHARACTERS Our tale is told by Norrik Softstep who is a retired dungeon inspector that now owns a magical pet store and veterinary clinic for creatures of all shapes and sizes. He and his wife run their business outside of their home which happens to be a rather enchanted entity in it's own right given that it's hallways are seemingly endless in a way that defies the laws of nature (and architecture). Joining the pair is a surly dwarf who seems to be the primary veterinarian in the household. Early on in the story, a young gnome woman with sticky fingers is recruited and I thought her part in the story was quite fun. There's a little bit of a "found family" element to the group that I think a lot of people will enjoy. Each of the characters felt distinct yet equally wholesome in their own way and I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Norrik and his wife as there was something that just felt so authentic about the relationship that they share. Equally wonderful is the extensive cast of side characters. There's a lich who's trying to secure his retirement, a chirpy brownie politician who's at odds with an elven councilor, an orc mother and her child who worry about their sick chimera, a pandataur with allergies, and some adorable, yet downtrodden raccotaurs (anthropomorphic red pandas and racoons). There's even a race of magical automatons as well as a variety of undead creatures and monsters who primarily take up residence in the local dungeons. Without giving away any spoilers, I was impressed that so many of these side characters aren't exactly what they seem. Whereas I think Meredith could have easily relegated each of them to the chapter(s) they appear in and be done with them after that episode, he found a way to weave them into the story's conclusion in some ways that I found rather surprising. PLOT/TONE One of the things I was worried about with entering into the cozy subgenre was the lack of a clear plotline as the "cozy" element aims to look more into slice-of-life type of moments rather than a band of heroes facing earth-shattering stakes. What quaint creatures managed to juggle so well was combining the more regular parts of Norrik's life with some longer narrative threads which are slowly teased out right until the final chapters. There's a mystery involving who might be smuggling in dangerous creatures, a conspiracy involving two pet food companies, and a job Norrik takes on to help his friend gain city approval on his recently purchased adventuring dungeon. In between the moments where these different arcs progress are lots of really interesting episodes where Norrik is helping various customers, family members, and passers-by with different issues of varying urgency. The result is a story that felt like it still had "a point" but was also rather relaxing to progress through. In spite of all the magical elements, the pacing of the story also felt remarkably true to how things tend to go in real life. Most of us can't just drop everything in our life to try to immediately resolve our bigger issues. Instead, we take things day by day and work towards our broader goals just like Norrik and his gang do and I loved that level of relatability to these events. I also appreciated that each member of Norrik's household had their own things going on over the course of the story. This gave them a sense of autonomy and ultimately just made everything feel that much more alive. One minor complaint I have is that the end chapters felt like they could have been slowed down just a little. There's still a ton of great payoff and I really enjoyed how everything came together, but I felt like the final conflict played out abruptly. This was probably in the interest of keeping to the cozy subgenre and not getting to action-heavy, but I think the quick cuts actually felt a bit more chaotic than if certain moments had just played out in their own time. SETTING/WORLD Another very strong element of QUAINT CREATURES is the world in which it is set. This is a place where there's a magical being or creature everywhere you turn (in fact, I don't believe there's a single human in sight during this whole story). There are various magic systems revealed, though the details of each are generally pretty light, which I liked. Even the most mundane moments in Norrik's story felt quite magical just given how strange the details of each encounter were. For example, simple veterinary visits ended up being opportunities for us to learn about the various creatures that people in this world have as pets. Meredith may not have fully re-invented the wheel when it comes to the mythological beings who serve as denizens of The Sideways, but he still managed to make this feel like a setting which is entirely unlike any other. There's some interesting lore about The Sideways being some kind of pocket dimension or perhaps a part of a greater multiverse. There's also an interesting layer where adventuring dungeons are commonplace in this universe. This doesn't seem like it's supposed to be some kind of LitRPG or Game-Lit world or anything, but rather just one where dungeons are built and staffed for bands of brave heroes to adventure through for fun, training, or profit. The way this works as a business pursuit in the context of the setting was fascinating and I enjoyed learning more about Norrik's former role as an inspector of these dangerous attractions. All in all, I found The Sideways to be a charming place to spend some time in and I very much hope that Meredith writes more stories here. THE PAPERBACK From the moment I saw the simplistic, yet charming cover, I knew I needed to have this one physically. I was delighted to find that ordering a copy directly from the author's website came with so many little bonuses like a lovely bookmark, some cute stickers, and some very fancy packaging on top of my copy being signed! The book itself is nicely put together. The fonts and formatting are all nicely done, though Meredith's books tend to have stingier interior margins than I'd prefer (you don't need to crack the spine or anything to read them, it's just a little tighter than I feel it needs to be). I especially loved the little illustrated glossary of various magical creatures that appear during the coarse of the story. As a nice bonus, the book itself is also the same size as the paperbacks for the author's NEEDLE AND LEAF series, so this sits nicely on the same shelf as those books. All that said, there's nothing super crazy going on formatting-wise, so if you're more of a Kindle person, then I don't think you'll be missing out on too much by reading it that way. Meredith also narrates his own work and does a fantastic job of it, so I'm sure the audio for this is also great. CONCLUSION If you are like me and have been wanting to give the cozy fantasy genre a try, then I think QUAINT CREATURES can serve as an excellent entry point. For more seasoned readers in this category, I can't really speak to how this stacks up against other books within it, but I do think this hit all of the notes that I expected, so I imagine you will not be disappointed either. (+) Delightful cast of characters (+) A nice balance of slice-of-life moments with some longer narrative threads (+) Even the most mundane of moments were interesting (+) The Sideways is a fascinating place with lots of fun elements (+) A paperback that's fits the vibe of the story quite nicely (+) An adorably illustrated glossary for the titular creatures (+) Some fun bonuses for those who order a copy directly from the author (-) The ending didn't need to unfold so rapidly ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 03, 2024
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Jun 09, 2024
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May 31, 2024
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Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1955252432
| 9781955252430
| 1955252432
| 3.74
| 182
| Mar 07, 2023
| 2023
|
really liked it
|
As with any anthology, some stories within this collection are absolute fire and some proved to be extremely lackluster. Overall though, I think there
As with any anthology, some stories within this collection are absolute fire and some proved to be extremely lackluster. Overall though, I think there were far more engaging tales spun here than there were forgettable flops. CONTENT This collection features fourteen short stories written by fourteen different authors ranging from around twenty-ish pages to fifty or so, though most do not exceed thirty. As you might expect, the unifying theme tying these different tales together is that each of them has something to do with assassins. In some cases this means that the main character is an assassin, but in others they are actually trying to stop an assassin from doing their deadly deed. There are a number of stories which spin more of an insurgency type of narrative which merely involves the main character needing to slay a dangerous dictator in order to liberate themselves and their people. In any case, these main characters are always highly skilled and incredibly dangerous people who generally have no moral quandaries with spilling blood either due to following their orders or in the name of killing someone for the greater good. The result is a mostly fun grab bag of action-packed episodes. Telling a story that is satisfying, memorable, and engaging throughout is a very precise art indeed and I am so glad that most of these stories hit all the notes I wanted them to while being different enough from one another in terms of narrative, setting, characterization, and theme where I never felt a sense of redundancy when going from one story to the next. I think this point is also of great credit to the editor who compiled and arranged these pieces into a cohesive package. That said, there were certainly a couple of stories that I think would have been better had they been just a little bit longer. There were others where I'd love to see a whole collection featuring that character, but that was less because what I got wasn't as satisfying as it could have been and more just because I found those stories to be incredibly fulfilling and I'd love to have more. There were only a couple of entries which severely missed the mark for me. Unfortunately, these also happened to be two of the longer selections, but two out of fourteen is really not a bad ratio at all when it comes to collections like these and it wasn't hard for me to just speed read through these until I got to something more enjoyable. It's also worth noting that even with the stories that I enjoyed there is a range in the quality the writing with some of the authors showcased being noticeably more engaging in their prose than others. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won't opine on every story in the collection, but the top picks for me in terms of the quality of the writing, depth of characterization, and my level of engagement with the plot included: War Powers Mortopia Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies Sons of Nightfall Ghost of the White Woods HARDCOVER To my knowledge, the hardcover edition is not widely available (I got my copy through backing the Kickstarter campaign), but this collection is still purchasable in digital formats. For what it's worth, this is quite a nice hardcover edition if you are able to get your hands on one. The cover design is gorgeous and the colors are pleasantly bold. The "naked" hardcover is also very nice with a bright red color and a pair of black swords inset into it that matches the design on the back of the dust jacket. There are also some gorgeous full color endpaper images that seem to feature different looks at the character depicted on the jacket. Sadly I don't believe this is a character from any of the actual stories, but I really love their design and enjoyed how this mysterious figure served as a kind of mascot for the book overall. There is also a ton of interior illustration work within with every single story in the collection beginning with some awesome character art that depicts someone of importance to the plot (usually the main character, but not always). Beyond the luxurious interior formatting, this is otherwise a fairly standard hardcover, albeit one that is quite solid in it's construction and choice of materials. It's just nice enough to feel premium while reading, but not so extravagant where one is likely to worry that it's "too nice to read." Overall, this is a very solid pickup that I'm pleased to have in my collection. I don't know how much of the lovely book design translates into the eBook editions, but hopefully the amazing character art is still present there at least. CONCLUSION This collection is perfect for fantasy lovers who enjoy a little bit of an edge to their stories. It's not so dark that it ever felt uncomfortable to read, but most of these tales certainly had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The book itself is gorgeous, but I think the stories within are the real treasure. (+) A diverse collection of stories told by different authors (+) A handful of stories proved to be incredibly memorable and extremely satisfying (+) The use of the assassin/assassination theme was a lot of fun and never got too dark to enjoy (+) The hardcover is brimming with gorgeous details ( ) The Hardcover, while amazing does not appear to be easy to get one's hands on ( ) There is definitely a mix in terms of overall writing quality (which is to be expected) (-) A couple of the stories were a complete miss for me ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 2025
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Mar 07, 2025
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May 30, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1938570375
| 9781938570377
| 1938570375
| 4.45
| 94,503
| Jul 01, 2023
| Jul 01, 2023
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it was amazing
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This is not necessarily a perfect book nor is it even some of Sanderson's best work. With that said, I just had an absolutely amazing reading experien
This is not necessarily a perfect book nor is it even some of Sanderson's best work. With that said, I just had an absolutely amazing reading experience, thanks in part to this beautiful Dragonsteel edition of the novel. CHARACTERS This is probably one of Sanderson's smaller casts of characters, at least when it comes to the figures who play an important role in the storyline. The book stars two young heroes and switches back and forth between their perspectives. Yumi is a young yoki-hijo who was selected at birth to serve the people of her land as a holy woman who communes with the spirits. She does this through an artistic stacking of stones in which she makes impressively high towers of interesting shapes out of common rocks until her work draws the attention of spirits of the planet who she then persuades to turn into things that the people need to survive. Nikaro, or Painter, is our second protagonist. He lives in a world that is quite different from Yumi's, but holds a job that is just as essential to the survival of his people, though it is much less celebrated. He tracks down living nightmares who come out to feed upon the essences of people and paints them as something harmless so that they are dismissed back into the dark place from which they came. I really liked how different each of their fictitious jobs were, but how they tied thematically together in that they both involved art in some form and were both essential to the worlds in which they live. Their interactions together were also quite fun when their paths mysteriously collide and they end up visiting each others world in the other person's body. The relationship sort of follows a bit of the "enemies to lovers" trope, though they're not so much actual enemies as much as they are people who just really get on each others' nerves. Painter is a moody, broody boy who's been disillusioned by something in his past which affects his behavior in the present. Yumi is fully engrossed in her own job and is the very picture of propriety, though she longs to indulge in the simple pleasures of a normal person's life. For probably at least half the story, their relationship feels like a pretty standard anime romance where they drive each other crazy but you just know that they're going to end up being an item by the end. Toward the latter half of the story though, their relationship develops into something far more interesting as some twists reveal who each of them really are as people and their dynamics with the more minor characters in the story evolve as well. As a quick note on the supporting cast, most of them fit quite comfortably into familiar anime architypes. This wasn't really a problem for me, if anything I kind of enjoyed seeing Sanderson's take on them, but I think it'd be understandable if readers didn't connect with these personalities quite as much as they do with minor character in his other books. There are also some fun little connections to the greater Cosmere to be found amid these secondary characters, not least of which is that this story is told to us by Hoid himself. PLOT/TONE With this story being relayed to readers by the cheeky Worldhopper, Hoid, there are some sillier overtones to this one, though it's not quite as tongue-in-cheek as TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA was. Although many fans of Sanderson, myself included, would love to see some of his flagship series like MISTBORN or THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE adapted into an anime of some kind, I never thought I'd read something by him that was so deliberately inspired by anime and anime-adjacent media. I imagine this is not going to be for everyone, but the overall vibe of this worked quite well for me. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the two different worlds that Yumi and Painter come from as well as the stark contrast between their personalities and overall lifestyles. Yes, this one has a far more cartoony feeling to it than most everything else he's ever done, but I think that just kind of worked in this case. The settings are fairly bizarre and the lives people live in them are equally so. I was hardly surprised to find that one of Sanderson's inspirations for this story was FINAL FANTASY X and because that is my favorite game in that franchise, I'm also not surprised that this story really sucked me in. While Sanderson usually has some components of romance scattered into his other stories, it is rarely such a central focus of the narrative. Yes, Yumi and Painter do have a mission that they are trying to piece together and complete, but much of the time is spent on just building out their dynamics as they learn more about one another and come to more of an understanding. Is this the most profound love story to ever be told in fantasy? No, certainly not. If anything, it's a fairly run-of-the-mill execution in regard to the media that inspired it, but I still had a fun time with it and it is done well enough where I found myself getting pretty emotional about it toward the end of the book. I do think that the plot itself meanders a bit for at least half the novel because of the more interpersonal focus, but things get really interesting in the latter sections. In typical "Sanderlanche" fashion the last third of it gets absolutely crazy with some twists that I was expecting and some that I definitely was not. I did find myself getting a little annoyed at some of the pauses in this momentum that Sanderson/Hoid took to explain exactly what was going on. It felt like the book was sort of directly speaking to the portion of the fanbase that has questions about the plausibility of every little detail, but as someone who's a little more willing to just roll with the punches, I felt like these bits of exposition were just a speedbump to my enjoyment of the more intense parts. SETTING/WORLD Though I wouldn't quite call this a "portal fantasy" there are two pretty distinct fantasy worlds that we get to explore here. Yumi's world is scorching hot and lit by a bright, reddish sun. The ground is so steamy that her and her people have to wear thick, wooden clogs in order to keep their feet from being burned and there are hot air currents that can cause the floating plants to drift away if they are not chained down to the ground. People persuade spirits to convert into things like levitation devices for their homes or gardens and there are cold springs instead of hot springs in which people can bathe. It's a fairly traditional world filled with religious shrines and some strict rules for Yumi's day-to-day. Painter's home, by contrast, is much more modern and informal. It is also covered by a dark essence known as "The Shroud" which effectively blocks out all light, except for that of a single star which is largely believed to be a neighboring planet. Neon lines of magenta and blue offer light and power to Painter's people and seem to be the only thing that staves off the darkness. The way in which these two settings are connected and the method by which Yumi and Painter are able to visit one another's homes remains a mystery for much of the story though things are all thoroughly explained by the end. There are also some very fun and somewhat startling twists when it comes to how their worlds are intertwined and what each of the heroes must do to set things right. At this point, interesting worlds are just sort of a given when it comes to a Cosmere novel and these locales did not disappoint in that regard. It was also a ton of fun to bounce between two different settings since we typically stick to one and don't always get to explore that in full. Despite the duality of the story's backdrop, things are actually fairly intimate. Neither Painter nor Yumi's homes are especially large geographically, which gave the story a sort of closed-in feeling that I quite enjoyed. I don't know if Sanderson will ever revisit this corner of The Cosmere, but I hope we'll get to see more of it at some point or another. HARDCOVER This might very well be one of the most incredible books I have in my collection and this is coming from someone who owns a nice box set of THE HOBBIT AND THE LORD OF THE RINGS as well as some nice Kickstarter editions and other SECRET PROJECTS books from Dragonsteel (though I have not splurged for any of Sanderson's leatherbounds). Not only is the cover strikingly beautiful, but the art direction for the interior of the book absolutely blew me away. There are a staggering number of full color illustrations, many of which span two pages, and all of which are rendered in breathtaking detail. There are also a number of floating illustrations which are sometimes sprinkled in between the larger spreads and those are quite gorgeous as well. Even chapter headings and initials are embellished with beautiful details which give the book a ton of character. If I'm being 100% objective, the story being told here is probably closer to what I would typically rate as a 4/5, but this Dragonsteel hardcover edition elevated my entire experience with how magnificient it is and how nicely the absurd number of illustrations are distributed across the pages. CONCLUSION This is the closest a book has ever come to recreating the magic I experienced when playing FINAL FANTASY X. It's staying so in-line with the expectations/conventions associated with this type of story may turn some readers off, but fun Sanderson twists and Cosmere connections ultimately made this feel like something special and worthwhile to me. (+) Yumi and Painter serve as compelling protagonists who get more interesting as the story goes on. (+) Two strangely fascinating fantasy settings which are explored (+) The concept of art and artistic expression made for some awesome thematic moments (+) A competently told romance story that ended up affecting me much more than I thought it would (+) Deeply satisfying twists and turns that reframed large portions of the story (+) Quirky side characters, some of whom have connections to the broader Cosmere (+) This Dragonsteel edition is the most beautiful book I've ever read/owned and is so good it elevated my entire reading experience ( ) The archetypal nature of this novel may not be to everyone's tastes (-) The first half of the book plays out a little slowly though there are still some interesting hooks that kept me going (-) Some over-explaining of the twists revealed near the story's end ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 13, 2024
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Aug 23, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1938570391
| 9781938570391
| 1938570391
| 4.29
| 68,704
| Oct 01, 2023
| Oct 01, 2023
|
really liked it
|
This fast-paced action romp was a good deal of fun. It marks the end of Sanderson's SECRET PROJECT books, but perhaps the beginning of a much deeper e
This fast-paced action romp was a good deal of fun. It marks the end of Sanderson's SECRET PROJECT books, but perhaps the beginning of a much deeper exploration into his Cosmere. CHARACTERS Our main hero of this story is a man named Nomad who's a Worldhopper from Roshar, the world in which THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE is set. It became apparent early on that he is someone we've already met from that flagship series, but I could not figure out who he actually was and even started to wonder if maybe we just hadn't actually met him yet even though there were lots of references to suggest we had. If his true identity was meant to be a surprising, then I guess I'd feel less bad about not figuring it out myself, but I also felt kind of annoyed, because who he ends up being didn't actually make sense to me. Without getting into spoilers, I felt like the way Nomad is characterized was completely different from who he is supposed to be. A big part of this may be due to the fact that some serious time has passed for him in the Cosmere's continuity. In spite of this, Nomad, for his part, is a compelling enough protagonist who plays the role of a reluctant hero. I sort of liked his inner conflict between his identity as someone who looks out for himself even though his actions often indicate otherwise and how he is forced to reflect upon some parts of himself which he's worked to burry deeply. I just think that the next STORMLIGHT book will need to do some serious explaining in order to make this version of the character make sense. The supporting cast is filled with some mostly fresh faces though a couple of fan favorites do make some brief cameos. The Cinder King serves as the principle villain and even though a lot of his character boils down to being a despotic megalomaniac, he's still got some interesting little secrets up his sleeve. Early into the story, Nomad finds himself falling in with a group of scrappy rebels who've formed their own floating city composed of pieces from The Cinder King's fleet. Rebeke serves as Nomad's main companion through the adventure. She has an interesting and dynamic personality. There are moments where it seems like there will be sort of a cliché action-movie romance between her and Nomad, but thankfully things never ends up amounting to that. Arguably the most interesting side character is a woman formerly known as Elegy who became a thrall of The Cinder King and is really just an echo of her former self. The way that both Elegy and Rebeke relate to each other and how they regard Nomad made for some engaging character moments. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Aux or Auxilary, Nomad's spirit companion who wound up driving some of the most intense moments in the book despite being a character that's largely the source of levity in the story. Apart from these standouts, I would say that this is probably one of Sanderson's weaker secondary casts. A lot of the members of Rebeke's rebel clan blended together for me and I found myself not being particularly bothered by what happened to them, be it good or bad. I think this is the type of characterization that can work well in a B action movie (depending on actor portrayals and how visually interesting they are), but suffers a bit in book form. PLOT/TONE If it wasn't clear already, this is one of Sanderson's fastest-paced books. From cover to cover, Nomad is essentially in mortal danger and must scrape by on single-digit percentages of his ideal power capacity. The way that the world is revealed to us felt just as satisfying as any other Sanderson novel and I think I actually appreciated the more on-the-fly style of worldbuilding. Although, I mentioned that the characters suffered somewhat from the decidedly breakneck pacing, the plot and the setting definitely did not. I especially liked about how new information about the world was often the source of conflict as new threats, both human and geological, rise up to threaten Nomad and his allies. One aspect of the story that readers are going to either love or hate though is that the story of this novel is extremely interwoven with other stories from across The Cosmere. Most notable is THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE which I think this book might be challenging to read without having gotten through at least one or two of those books beforehand (though it'd be best to read the first four novels and the second companion novella). Nomad's magic in particular is probably going to be perplexing to anyone who's coming in cold, though there are additional aspects to it which do receive some explanation though the full context of those explanations will likely not land completely for Cosmere newbies. The standalone novella, SHADOWS FOR SILENCE IN THE FOREST OF HELL, is another recommended read before jumping into this one. It may also help to have read a bit of the MISTBORN series and perhaps ELANTRIS and WARBREAKER as well, but the connections to those books and their particular magic systems are a lot less direct (or at least less integral to the main plot). I think this makes THE SUNLIT MAN the most heavy-handed novel in terms of Cosmere connection points, but in reading the Author's Note at the end of the book, it seems this is very much intentional. I personally, rather liked this aspect of the narrative, it's just worth noting that this is not a good place to begin your journey across The Cosmere. For more seasoned fans, I think their enjoyment is going to vary wildly depending on how much they've enjoyed the Cosmere crossovers in the most recent STORMLIGHT and MISTBORN books as this has even more connections than those did. I've had a little bit of a mixed impression on where these aspects of Sanderson's stories are going, but in this case, I found them quite fun (outside of how I felt like Nomad's character did not really hold all that true to the one I was already familiar with). Because this is set so far into the future, I doubt much of this will have a direct impact on Sanderson's anticipated releases, but I'd also be very disappointed if it wasn't giving us some tantalizing indications of things to come. I will say though that I almost feel like this book might be spoiling some things for the next STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE book(s) as there are numerous references to things that have not happened yet. I'm not sure if I'm super thrilled about that being the case, but I'm interested to see how these tidbits are handled within WIND AND TRUTH once it releases. SETTING/WORLD Sanderson never fails to impress with his unique worlds and this one is no exception. If anything, this might be one of the more bizarre locations in The Cosmere, and that's even when comparing it to the ones from YUMI AND THE NIGHTMARE PAINTER and TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA. This is a world where the sunlight literally burns everything in it's path which creates a dynamic where life is always retreating into the dark side of the planet where the soil and fauna rapidly regenerate. This is an incredibly small planet too which creates a sort of close-quarters feel that I think worked well for the action-centric narrative. The people of this world are more technologically advanced in some ways and live upon floating cities which are composed of a number of smaller airborne vessels that arrange themselves into cities. I'd say that this definitely leans a bit further into the science fiction genre, but this is still undoubtedly a fantasy story. Another interesting piece of this world is that the people who live on it are not actually natives. They are instead people who fled from the world in which the SHADOWS FOR SILENCE IN THE FOREST OF HELL novella is set (Threnody). Because of this, there isn't really a new magic system to explore. Instead, there is a greater emphasis on some of the more fundamental aspects of how Sanderson manages magic as we explore how the magic of people from different worlds interacts with the planet itself (which does not appear to contain a Shard though there seems to be plenty of Investiture to be found here regardless). While that may or may not sound appealing, I'll just say that I think it was all handled quite smoothly and the exploration of the magic never felt like it slowed down the plot. In most cases, I would argue that the discoveries made were crucial to the narrative advancing similar to how the world building was seamlessly done. In many ways, the worldbuilding of this book feels like a huge payoff for longtime fans while also teeing up some very interesting possibilities for the future that could make for some fun speculation. I also felt to key details may have re-contextualized other stories from across the Cosmere with the SIXTH OF THE DUSK novella coming to mind the most in this regard. DRAGONSTEEL HARDCOVER As with the other Dragonsteel editions for the SECRET PROJECTS, this one is quite nice. One thing this one has that the others don't though are black sprayed edges. This was a very nice little bonus feature that I appreciated. While I loved the visual production for YUMI AND THE NIGHTMARE PAINTER so much that it elevated my enjoyment and overall rating of the story itself, I'd say that the presentation of this book is not quite on that level. One interesting choice is that a combination of different artists contributed to it and, for the most part, I think this works though it's worth calling out that the styles of these different contributors varies wildly. The full-color paintings are spectacular and are easily the highlight of the visuals here. That said, I found that they often tended to be placed rather strangely in that they would often depict a scene that had happened at least a few pages prior. This sometimes happened with the sketch illustrations as well which are more generously distributed throughout the pages. These images are done by the same artist who came in to finish the WHITE SAND graphic novel series and... I really did not like what they did with it. I think the images included in this book present the artist in a much more flattering light though they are distinctly comic-book-y which some might not like. For me, I think I almost preferred them to the full page illustrations just because I think the way those rendered Nomad could make him look a little rigid/sharp/stiff whereas the sketches had a nice fluidity to them. These sketches also give us representations of some of the side cast, who I'd have had a hard time visualizing otherwise. Lastly is the chapter heading art which is simple yet bold at the same time (just like the sun itself, I suppose) and I believe this was done by the same person who designed and drew the cover. I think the cover's quite strong and the color motif is very cool. CONCLUSION If you are a seasoned reader of The Cosmere, then this one was definitely written for you. If you're looking for something that's a true standalone, then this is likely not going to be a great pick for you, but it tells a very entertaining action story all the same. I think people are going to be mixed on this one, but for me, it was a fun, if sometimes flat, romp through a fascinating world filled with tantalizing teases at possible directions Sanderson's other works may be heading in and complimented by some satisfying Sanderson character arcs. (+) A fast paced action story that seamlessly blends in worldbuilding elements (+) Tons of exciting action scenes (+) Rebeke, Elegy, Aux, and The Cinder King were all fun side characters (+) The art and visual presentation of the book is mostly excellent (+) A fascinating setting (+) The nitty gritty of the way magic interacts with different worlds finally felt really engaging to me (+) The Cosmere expands and develops in some compelling ways here ( ) Written for long-time Cosmere friends and is not necessarily well-suited to newcomers (-) One of Sanderson's weaker supporting casts apart from the key standouts (-) It seems as though this book might spoil some events in WIND AND TRUTH (-) The reveal of who Nomad really is didn't fully work for me and I think it warrants further explanation ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 09, 2024
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Nov 23, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 9360944203
| 9789360944209
| 9360944203
| 5.00
| 1
| unknown
| Mar 01, 2024
|
it was amazing
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I don't read a ton of poetry, but I had such a nice time with this short, moody, and reflective collection of poems. DISCLAIMER: I was kindly gifted a I don't read a ton of poetry, but I had such a nice time with this short, moody, and reflective collection of poems. DISCLAIMER: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by the author. I do also know him personally and follow him on Instagram (@poetrybynicholas) where he posts a lot of different types of poetry. CONTENT As someone who doesn't consume a whole ton of poetry, I'm never really sure how to judge it. I have a rather pedestrian appreciation of the art form and am mostly just affected by how it makes me feel as opposed to how I consider a novel based on how much I liked the characters, world, and plot. In the case of WHO AM I WHEN I'M NOT WATCHING? I found myself transported through a series of somber and introspective vignettes that were quite fitting for the title. Most of the poems are quite short, but there are a couple that span multiple pages. There is one in particular about a first date that has stuck with me and there were others that I also found to be quite memorable. Dolan has a style that is raw and vulnerable in the ways that I feel like poetry ought to be. I also appreciated that it never got too dark or grungy, yet didn't shy away from exploring more difficult experiences and ideas. That's a pretty fine line to walk, but I think this collection did that well. I also appreciated that there was such a consistent theme and tone across the various pieces even though they weren't directly connected to one another. Given that this spans a mere 25 pages, I think having that cohesion was quite wise as it gave the collection a sense of clear identity but didn't go on for long enough where I tired of the overall tone. I'm not massively familiar with poetry forms, but I think Dolan employs a largely freestyle format for much of his work. There's a nice flow to each of the poems, but I'm not astute enough to have noticed if it was following any kind of metric formula. If you have a strong preference toward poems following specific structures, then this might not be for you, but I personally found it to be very easy reading. If I could make one small gripe, Dolan will sometimes post poems on Instagram that have a sort of word-art component to them and I was a little sad to see that nothing quite like that made it into this collection (though I'm honestly not sure if that would have fit with the theme, so it's probably best that this type of thing was omitted). As a bit of an aside, I chose to read this while I was on vacation at a waterfront AirBnB. If you've never read poetry outside by the water before, then I highly recommend it as I had a nice experience reading through this in 2-3 short bursts while enjoying the sun, the breeze, and the sounds of the ocean. PAPERBACK As far as I can tell, poetry books come in all shapes and sizes. This one is about as tall as a standard trade paperback, but a little bit skinnier when it comes to the width. The cover is made of a simple, but sturdy material and the cover design was really nicely done and appropriately understated in the fashion that many poetry books tend to be. It's a cute little package that I found easy to pack up for my vacation and the paper quality was decent as well. The slender page count also makes this a breeze to slip into nearly any bookshelf. I could also see it making a nice coffee table book depending on one's decor. CONCLUSION If you are a fan of Dolan's Instagram, then I'd absolutely recommend that you pick this up as it contains a nice mix of pieces that you might be familiar with in one form or another alongside some that you've likely never seen before. While I enjoy seeing his poems come through on my feed, there's something nice about having printed literature as well. If you're just a fan of poetry or someone like me who'd like to read more of it from time to time, then I think this might make for a satisfying and short inclusion to your collection. (+) A consistent tone/theme that was darkly reflective without overindulging in negativity (+) A cute little paperback (+) Short, easy reading that can be enjoyed bit by bit or all in one sitting ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 24, 2024
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May 25, 2024
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Apr 22, 2024
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Paperback
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| B0DM494KGC
| 3.94
| 4,990
| 2022
| 2022
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it was amazing
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I expect that not everyone will be wildly impressed by this, but for me, I found it to be a meaningful and impactful source of daily reflection and pr
I expect that not everyone will be wildly impressed by this, but for me, I found it to be a meaningful and impactful source of daily reflection and prayer. CONTENT The premise of this book is quite simple: it suggests that a single moment has the capacity to be either holy or unholy (or perhaps nothing at all) and the choice is up to us. How we respond to situations, whether or not we choose to help someone in a small way, or even the way we greet someone could all lend themselves to such a moment. One would be forgiven for wondering why a whole book, however short, needed to be written about such a basic concept. "Isn't this just common sense?" you might ask. Perhaps it is, but I all too often find that common sense isn't that common and I have to wonder if the folks who will criticize this book's modest ideas to be the ones that are actually most in need of what this book has to say. Kelly details what Holy Moments are, how to have them, and what they can ultimately mean to those around you with some tangible examples and quick testimonies. I think that in a society that has become deeply material and quite lavish, reflecting on such fundamental principles has a lot of power to remind us of what we are capable of, for good or for ill, and perhaps inspire us to make our small corner of the world a better place to live in with impacts that may reach well beyond it. I have to agree that living a good live isn't about one single grand gesture that will be remembered throughout the world, but rather a lifetime of moments where we chose to do something good and I hope that others will find this message as meaningful as I did. This book is split up into four parts and within each part is a main heading which splits up that part into different ideas and themes. I'm not really sure how best to go about reading this. The fastest is certainly to read one entire part at a time or even consume the whole thing in one sitting since this book is so short. I elected to actually just read one section per day. This way it served as a source of daily meditation and reflection for me that lasted the better part of a month. Some might find that to be a ridiculous way to read a book, but I quite liked getting through it in this manner and I feel that doing so gave me a little more time to think more deeply on what each section had to say. PAPERBACK QUALITY This teeny little book is quite cute in a lot of ways. The simple cover and lovingly formatted interior are complimented by a compact, yet solid book construction. I think this is a book that is absolutely worth having as part of your physical collection and one that won't take up much space on the shelf at all. CONCLUSION I would absolutely recommend this book who's looking for some light spiritual reading. This book probably won't blow your mind or move you to tears or anything, but I think it can be somewhat life altering all the same for the right person in the right state of mind. Even if you are already trying to live your life in a way that is similar to what Kelly outlines, I think there might still be some nice validation and encouragement to be found here. (+) Simple, yet beautiful message that can serve for an excellent source of reflection (+) An adorable little paperback that will certainly fit into any collection (+) The book is split up such that it can be read in different doses. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 03, 2024
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Jan 25, 2024
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Dec 31, 2023
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Paperback
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| 9388369696
| 9789388369695
| 9388369696
| 3.95
| 547,714
| -500
| Dec 01, 2018
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Though it would be weird to say that I love a book like this, I did find it quite enjoyable to experience and beautiful to read in spite of the dark n
Though it would be weird to say that I love a book like this, I did find it quite enjoyable to experience and beautiful to read in spite of the dark nature of the subject matter. CONTENT This Chinese classic is one of the more influential books in human history. It's been used by army generals, managers of sports teams, and top-level business executives in the formation of their strategies to win the respective types of conflict that each deal with. After reading, I can see why this little book is still considered relevant as it speaks about warfare in broad enough terms where it could feasibly relate to any time period and different types of "warfare." It's also surprisingly beautiful in its prose and I found myself consuming it almost more like I would read a poetry book. It speaks to some horrific subject matter with delicacy and poise, while never being at all apologetic about the brutality which it encourages. Though it almost feels like this could be a handbook for how to be a sociopath, I still found it fascinating to ponder the various points which Sun Tzu makes. Perhaps I will put some of these to use the next time I am involved in a game with some particularly competitive friends (insert an evil chuckle here...). HARDCOVER This particular edition is quite pretty and I was very happy to receive it during a bookish Secret Santa even though Amazon slightly damaged it in transit. The cover itself has a lovely gold foil on the title and cover design which matches the sprayed edges of the paper. On the inside, everything is wonderfully formatted as well with some simple silhouette imagery adorning the start of each chapter and some nice endpapers as well. The text itself is elegantly formatted and this was just a pleasure to hold and to read overall. CONCLUSION Technically this could be a book for anyone. It's not super long or even terribly difficult to read even though there is a distinctly poetic flair to the writing. It's certainly a little disturbing to contemplate what is ultimately quite a gruesome "art" but the applicability of these concepts to less violent endeavors is also fascinating to think about. Do I recommend using this as a self-help book to win more often at whatever you do? No, because then you probably won't have many friends, but it's still interesting to think about and there is probably some sound advice about navigating difficult situations or setting yourself up for success to be found here. (+) Eloquent and poetic descriptions of what it takes to achieve victory (+) Loads of points which are fascinating to think about (+) A gorgeous hardcover edition that was a delight to flip through (+) This is a widely read and highly influential classic (-) Some of the suggested tactics definitely felt a bit sociopathic which made it a little weird to read ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 16, 2025
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Feb 22, 2025
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Dec 29, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0765391198
| 9780765391193
| 0765391198
| 4.48
| 102,309
| Nov 15, 2022
| Nov 15, 2022
|
really liked it
|
Our heroes find themselves up against much higher stakes in this final entry into MISTBORN's Era 2 sequence. While this was a real page-turner in many
Our heroes find themselves up against much higher stakes in this final entry into MISTBORN's Era 2 sequence. While this was a real page-turner in many respects, I found it a little wanting in others, though it was ultimately a fitting conclusion to what has been a very enjoyable series (or section of a series) for me. Please Note: While I will be aiming to avoid spoilers for THE LOST METAL, I will be mentioning characters, places, and events which can be considered spoilers for all past MISTBORN novels as well as the SECRET HISTORY novella. CHARACTERS Wax, Wayne, Marasi, and Sterris all return for one final outing and frankly, this is the best that their characters have ever been. I wasn't really sure how much further they could feasibly develop at this point, but their personal arcs made for some of the strongest moments in the novel. This is, in part, thanks to a time skip where we see versions of these characters that are years older and in slightly different places from where we last left them. We see Wax finally at peace with his life in Elendel. He's had two children with Sterris, has largely left his mistcoat hung up, and is even a Senator now, fully representing his house with Sterris beside him. Marasi and Wayne are partners in the constabulary and I really enjoyed seeing their dynamics early on in the story as they work to unravel The Set's plans. Though each of them has done objectively well for themselves, they each still struggle with aspects of their identity and seeing them reach a resolution to those deeply personal points of conflict was such a satisfying journey to go on with each and every one of them. Telsin predictably returns as a primary antagonist, but it turns out she is tangled up in powers that are a bit more on the cosmic side of things. Her character was certainly interesting, but I don't think she's Sanderson's strongest villain. We also don't really get to see very much of the powerful being pulling strings behind the scenes. I suspect that character is being saved for future stories, but it would have been nice to have them explored a little more deeply. We are also formally introduced to characters from across The Cosmere a couple of whom end up playing a pivotal role in the story. I very much enjoyed what they brought to this narrative and I think they may also tease some things yet to come which I loved. On the less positive side for me was how the figures from the first era of this series factored (or rather didn't factor) into the events. Sazed has been all but neutralized as Harmony, though I thought he had some interesting moments toward the end. Marsh/Death/Ironeyes shows up to offer some aid, but we find out some shocking things about him that also explain his lack of assistance in preventing the end of the world. Lastly, there is Kelsier who we already knew was kind of, sort of, maybe alive. I was honestly hoping for more from him and thought it would have been really cool to see him interact with more of the heroes from this generation. As it stands, his brief interactions with one of them only really served to make him seem sort of dislikeable and I was very surprised by this after the trajectory that both the MISTBORN: SECRET HISTORY novella and the teaser at the end of THE BANDS OF MOURNING seemed to indicate he'd be on. It's clear he will have some level of involvement in future MISTBORN books, but I couldn't help the feeling that we were cheated out of what could have been with such an unprecedented character return. I was similarly disappointed with how Hoid is used as more of a plot convenience than a true player in the game. PLOT/TONE Despite the much more cataclysmic threat that our heroes face this time, I was impressed to find that the overall tone and feeling of the story was very much in line with the previous three books. There's still this overarching air of mystery as the characters try to piece together clues in attempt to prevent what could be the end of their world. There's also a wry sense of humor and a degree of lightheartedness that remains present in the adventure as well. As hinted at in THE BANDS OF MOURNING, we do get quite a bit more information about specific aspects of the magic as well as the greater Cosmere. In fact, we get more information on the latter than even what THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE has provided at this point. Thankfully, those nuggets of information don't overpower the plot or detract from the urgency of what the characters are dealing with. Instead, it felt like anything new we learned contributed directly to solving the problems at hand and I loved this more seamless approach as the more heavy-handed delivery in the previous book felt a bit awkward. Thanks to the gripping narrative through line and even pacing, I found this to be about as much of a page turner as I could ever ask for. The incredibly short chapters helped me rip through this much faster than I would normally be able to finish a book and kept me rather hooked on the "one more chapter" sort of binge. It was so gripping from start to finish that I barely even noticed when the "Sanderlanche" started (there for sure is one, rest assured). There are so many interesting turns that this story takes and I liked that the antagonists all seemed to have different motivations and agendas. Things definitely ended on a climactic "bang," and I liked where things ended up, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more story left to tell here. I imagine much of it will spill over into the next era of this series, but I'm sad that many of these characters likely won't be a part of that. SETTING/WORLD Unlike the previous book, the gang doesn't really travel around all that much. The first part of the story largely sticks to the familiar confines of Elendel, though the time skip has given the city a fresh coat of paint. Technological progress has really kicked into gear, with more methods of communication and automobiles becoming the dominant mode of transportation. It was cool to see Sanderson really lean into the industrial revolution angle on things while mixing in some steampunk elements like the Malwish airships. There is even this fascinating concept that's played with around how technology may one day render allowance ineffectual. That's not something that's explored too much here, but I suspect it will be a theme in the series' inevitable third era. The second half of the story takes the heroes to the neighboring city of Bilming, where tensions with Elendel are high, as they are in other parts of The Basin. We also see that this particular place has developed in some alarming and rather alien ways. This part of the story is where we start to get a much deeper look into the inner workings of The Cosmere than we have ever had before. As part of that, we are given a much deeper look into the nature of different forms of magic, both from Scadriel and beyond. By this point though, I do think having read through other Cosmere books is almost mandatory. At a bare minimum, I think the worldbuilding done here would be incoherent without having read the MISTBORN: SECRET HISTORY NOVELLA. Ideally, being caught up on THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE and ELANTRIS would be good as well, though you could still feasibly follow along without them. I am a little bummed that we didn't get to see more of the southern part of Scadriel nor did we really get to learn more about the planet where the main threat to Scadriel comes from, but there's only so much one book can really contain. HARDCOVER The quality and presentation of this is very much in line with all of it's predecessors. I think the broadsheets were the best we've ever gotten and I always appreciate the little flourishes that are put in like the use of the allomatic symbols. I also really like the cover for this one, but I did feel like it looked slightly more modern and stylized than the others while also having a bolder color choice. None of the covers really match perfectly in terms of spine alignment or cover art consistency, but I do feel like this one looks the most different from the others. That said, I still loved it and I like the way the whole Era 2 series looks together. The simple black and silver naked hardback for this one is also very sharp. CONCLUSION If you haven't been a huge fan of MISTBORN's second era, then I don't know if this will sway you, but I do still think it's worth reading for how it expands on Cosmere lore. If you're like me and have been loving the ride, then I think you'll find this to be a fitting conclusion, even if it doesn't fully capitalize on it's full potential in certain ways. (+) Our four main heroes all undergo incredible personal journeys. (+) Tons of new information about how things work within The Cosmere. (+) Top-notch action scenes. (+) The stakes felt the highest that they have been since the original trilogy, but the familiar tone of Era 2 is masterfully retained (+) A well paced adventure that kept me hooked throughout (+) Another high quality hardcover (-) Some missed opportunities, especially when it came to the characters from the original trilogy. (-) The Villains were a little lacking in depth. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 18, 2024
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Jul 30, 2024
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Nov 10, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0765378574
| 9780765378576
| 0765378574
| 4.41
| 172,514
| Jan 26, 2016
| Jan 26, 2016
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really liked it
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Fascinating expansions to the magic system and world lore coupled with excellent character development and a fun, artifact-hunting adventure acrosEra
Fascinating expansions to the magic system and world lore coupled with excellent character development and a fun, artifact-hunting adventure acrosEra Two's Scadriel made this a worthwhile read, albeit one that didn't weave quite as tight of a narrative as the previous books. CHARACTERS After an exciting police raid, Wax find himself about to embark on a new kind of adventure... marriage! The day of his and Steris' wedding is finally upon them, but things go awry partway through which ends up delaying their nuptials. There's a heavy emphasis on relationships in this story, which I think made sense given where these characters are in their development. Wax has to face the reality of spending the rest of his life with Steris as he deals with the heartbreak he suffered in the previous book. The way these two interact and the way that they form a more genuine bond over the course of this story felt incredibly endearing. As someone who's a bit of a planner myself, Steris' neurotic preparations absolutely slayed me and I found myself really appreciating her as a character. Wayne on the other hand is faced with having to let go of a "relationship" that was never really meant to be. It was interesting to see him mature in this aspect and engage in a romantic entanglement with a different character. Some of the hilarity of this odd pairing made for good fun. Marasi grows in her own ways and I found myself really impressed with where she ends up and in the decisions she makes along the way to get there. Her friendships with other members of the cast also made for some moments that were quite special. MeLaan rejoins the group and exposes them (in some cases, literally) to some of the weirder and more alien aspects of being a kandra. While some of the moments with her sometimes felt a little too slapstick, I mostly appreciated what she brought to the table in terms of exploring this world's more fantastical elements. As I'd hoped, we also get to spend more time with Edwin and finally meet Telsin. They both have rather fascinating personalities and I was very happy for their inclusion. PLOT/TONE Whereas THE ALLOY OF LAW read kind of like a fast-paced fantasy western, and SHADOWS OF SELF played out in a sort of gaslamp thriller fashion, THE BANDS OF MOURNING reminded me most of an artifact-hunting story like Indiana Jones, Tomb Rader, Uncharted, etc. The prologue once again kicks us off with a flashback sequence. This time, instead of focussing on Lessie, we meet another important lady in Wax's life: his sister, Telsin. After Wax and Steris' sabotaged wedding, the arrival of some kandra brings news to the gang that there might be a powerful relic out there waiting to be claimed and that The Set might possibly be in pursuit of it already. All of the characters have varying motivations for pursuing this powerful artifact and I found that sort of fascinating because it ultimately resulted in this group working toward the same objective, but not really being on the same page. This is something that they have to work through as the adventure goes on and their quest becomes more and more complicated. Things take a bit of a twist when a brand new character is added to the mix which introduces us to a previously unknown civilization. On top of all of that, we get a lot of new information about the magic system and world lore. While I appreciated all these different layers of storytelling, I do think that it partly came at the cost of narrative momentum. There are a number of scenes smattered throughout the book which aren't really scenes at all, but rather conversations meant to deliver expository information. While this isn't totally out of character for Sanderson from time to time, I do feel like he normally covers this type of information a bit more seamlessly. Fortunately, the background information we get about magic, world history, and civilizations previously unknown to us was all interesting in it's own right. I just think that this had the distinct feeling of a story that's meant to lay the groundwork for some bigger ideas within this world as well as some implications for the greater Cosmere to be followed up on later. Now, that's not to say that the story being told here wasn't compelling, because it absolutely was. I particularly loved seeing Wax finally come head to head with his uncle. Edwin is one nasty piece of work and such a great villain. Seeing them clash has been a long time coming and I felt like this book really delivered on the payoff for the conflict between them. Getting to see Wax finally interact with his sister in both the past and present was also quite satisfying, though there's a lot more to this relationship that I hope the fourth and final book in this era will explore. SETTING/WORLD Unlike the previous books, this story is much more of a globe-trotting adventure. The beginning and ending do take place in Elendel, but for the first time, we get to venture out and explore other parts of The Basin in this new era with information revealed about other regions on Scadriel as a whole. As much as I preferred the tightly woven narrative of SHADOWS OF SELF, I did really appreciate getting to explore new cities, towns, and a mysterious temple. It was such a treat to finally get a sense for what the broader world is really like in this era and learn about some of the political tensions that are brewing in different corners. We'd already gotten some ideas about how the world shifted and changed when it was remade at the end of the original trilogy, but the impacts of these changes are explored with much more depth here and definitely stress how Sazed is far from infallible even though he is a literal god now. The way that him and Wax interact this time was really interesting and I enjoyed the brief glimpse we got into the more spiritual/cosmic side of this world. I also loved getting a closer look at Wax's time as a youth within the Terris community. As I mentioned before, the magic and lore are greatly expanded upon this time around. We get a lot more insight into exactly what the kandra can do thanks to MeLaan's additional page time and interactions with the other characters. Although much of the new information on Allomancy and Feruchemy comes from expository scenes that I would have liked to see handled differently, I ultimately found the exposition that was delivered to be quite interesting. There are some significant changes introduced that challenge what is possible for these systems, with Hemalurgy seeming to be a big key to all of this potential. I won't spoil the specifics, but my interest was definitely piqued and I look forward to seeing what all of these reveals will lead to both on Scadriel and perhaps outside of it as well. HARDCOVER This hardcover edition is just as well put together as those for the previous books. The front cover offers and awesome depiction of Wax with Steris during the story's final act. The broadsheets are still fantastic, though I think they include fewer illustrations than the previous book did. I was partly fine with this because the text written on them is usually quite entertaining and sometimes provides interesting insight into the public opinion of the events our heroes get wrapped up in. As always, there are other nice little flourishes like the iconography and a helpful allomatic reference guide in the back of the book. Overall, I'm just very happy to have the hardover editions for this quartet in my collection. CONCLUSION In many ways, I think Sanderson used this book to lay the groundwork for some bigger ideas within this world as well as in the greater Cosmere. While I think the inclusion of these elements made the narrative feel a bit unfocussed, I still found these ideas to be fascinating and enjoyed the adventure that we had along the way. I am also eager to see where all these revelations and twists will lead. (+) Wax is just as gripping as ever and I appreciate that the story didn't shy away from delving into his darker side. (+) Sterris really came into her own with this one as did Marasi in many ways. (+) Wayne had some moments that absolutely shook me to my core. (+) The Indiana-Jones style of artifact-hunting adventure was a ton of fun. (+) The confrontation beween Edwin and Wax was deeply satisfying as was Teslin's inclusion. (+) We get to see different parts of the Basin as well as learn about regions in the world that lie beyond it. (-) Some of the twists were a bit out of left field and at least a couple of them require further explaination before they will make much sense. (-) The time spent on the magic system(s) and greater Cosmere was fascinating, but I did feel as though it slowed things down somewhat and perhaps could have been worked in a bit more gracefully. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Dec 11, 2023
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Dec 21, 2023
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Nov 10, 2023
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| 4.20
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not set
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Apr 13, 2025
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| 4.26
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not set
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Apr 13, 2025
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| 3.90
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really liked it
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Mar 30, 2025
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Mar 03, 2025
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| 4.55
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it was amazing
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Mar 20, 2025
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Feb 22, 2025
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| 2.78
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not set
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Jan 31, 2025
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| 4.55
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really liked it
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Apr 27, 2025
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Jan 01, 2025
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| 4.06
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really liked it
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Oct 31, 2024
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Oct 15, 2024
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| 4.16
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not set
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Jul 16, 2024
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| 4.27
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it was amazing
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Aug 10, 2024
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Jul 09, 2024
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| 3.88
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liked it
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jul 09, 2024
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| 4.39
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really liked it
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Jul 15, 2024
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Jul 05, 2024
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| 4.29
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it was amazing
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Jun 09, 2024
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May 31, 2024
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| 3.74
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really liked it
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Mar 07, 2025
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May 30, 2024
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| 4.45
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it was amazing
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Aug 23, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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| 4.29
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really liked it
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Nov 23, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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| 5.00
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it was amazing
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May 25, 2024
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Apr 22, 2024
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| 3.94
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it was amazing
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Jan 25, 2024
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Dec 31, 2023
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| 3.95
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Feb 22, 2025
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Dec 29, 2023
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| 4.48
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really liked it
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Jul 30, 2024
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Nov 10, 2023
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| 4.41
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really liked it
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Dec 21, 2023
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Nov 10, 2023
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