Couldn't help it, finished this book ahead of the book club schedule as well. It's certainly a page turner, and though it's pretty standard from what Couldn't help it, finished this book ahead of the book club schedule as well. It's certainly a page turner, and though it's pretty standard from what I expected of books like this, I have to say I like it better than most other urban fantasies I've read.
For one thing, I love the action scenes, the kind of situations you'd see in a special-effects-heavy movie. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually find it sort of refreshing. Over-the-top as they may be, it beats your usual gunfight sequences or all that will-they-won't-they drama.
This is a great choice for a casual read if you're looking for a fun and fast-paced urban fantasy. Great start, I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of the series....more
This was my first taste of Jim Butcher, though in retrospect I think I should have started with his Dresden Files instead, which seems to be his forteThis was my first taste of Jim Butcher, though in retrospect I think I should have started with his Dresden Files instead, which seems to be his forte. The first book of his Codex Alera fantasy series just very conventional to me. I didn't hate it, but I can't say I fell in love with it either.
The story itself was pretty standard fantasy fare and predictable, but I have to credit the novel for a rather unique magic system. In this world, people form special relationships with elementals called furies, which give them special powers to manipulate the elements surrounding them, as well as others' thoughts and emotions.
I think this provides a good basis for the series, and at some point I will continue with it, if only to find out what the deal is with Tavi. Seemingly an average shepherd boy, but you as the reader just know his mysterious past will come to the forefront at some point and he will have an important role in the world....more
My first Brent Weeks novel and I have to say it wasn't really what I expected. The Black Prism wasn't a bad book by any means, but there were still seMy first Brent Weeks novel and I have to say it wasn't really what I expected. The Black Prism wasn't a bad book by any means, but there were still several things about it that kept me from getting into it completely.
First of all, the magic system. Based on chromaturgy, it's one of the more interesting and unique magic systems I've ever encountered in fantasy novels. The people who can harness light, called drafters, can create a substance from it called luxin which can take on different colors of their spectrum. Each color has unique properties, like blue is hard and strong, green is flexible and springy, orange is slick and slippery etc, so drafters can create many different things out of luxin.
As unique as this system is, it was also very difficult for me to visualize. I can't help but picture these luxin constructions as pieces of plastic, transparent and looking quite tacky in this world. When I read about the tall buildings made of luxin in the Chromeria city and the characters walking around in it, all I could think about was those colorful plastic hamster cages you can buy at petstores with all those tubes you can add to it to make it a funhouse. It's not the book, it's me. But that kinda ruined the effect it was going for, to say the least.
I also didn't really like the way Weeks jumped from point-of-view to point-of-view at the beginning of the novel. I'm normally okay with authors switching between characters, but he did it in a distracting way, sometimes cutting off chapters right in the middle of a scene in a way that doesn't really make sense to me. To illustrate how I felt, it was like watching someone start to take a jump, then having the scene change mid-jump to follow the actions of another character, only to return after a while to the original character to watch them land. It didn't happen to me so much near the end, but usually pacing at the beginning of a novel is critical for me, and so that took a bit away from my initial enjoyment.
What ultimately kept me from being being truly absorbed into the story, however, was the difficult time I had trying to connect to the characters. For one, I just don't understand Kip at all. I know he's supposed to be an awkward boy, given his life and what happens to him in the novel, but I felt uncomfortable about him on a whole other level. His awkwardness felt forced and superficial; one moment he's scared and meek, and another he's full of sass and sarcasm. I get how that whole saying-the-wrong-thing-at-the-wrong-time is supposed to work for him, but unfortunately that always seems to come at the most inopportune times in the novel in a way I don't think was intended. Several times I felt myself getting really into the action and events of the book, only to have that atmosphere completely shattered by something totally inappropriate Kip says to try to be funny...and fails.
The other characters are a little bit better, even though I noticed Weeks has a habit of making everyone "grin" a lot -- a habit I've notice from several other authors, which can get really maddening. I like Gavin and am intrigued by what his big secret will mean for his character and his future. Liv was another character that I wish had had more depth, but by the end of the novel she had chosen a path I didn't expect so I'm looking forward to see how things turn out for her. Kariss has some secrets herself, and I'm interested in where those will lead....more
At present, I'm working my way through The Witcher 2 video game which is probably the main reason why I've finally decided to tackle The Last Wish, whAt present, I'm working my way through The Witcher 2 video game which is probably the main reason why I've finally decided to tackle The Last Wish, which has been sitting in my to-read list for almost two years. I am in love with the game so far, and curiosity naturally led me to the books that inspired it.
The book collects seven short stories in a "frame" format, so we have an overarching frame story and six more that are told in a flashback or a memory, each forming a story of its own. Not surprisingly, I found all of them quite enjoyable; after all, I can hardly complain about getting more Geralt of Rivia (though, I could have done with less Dandelion).
What both delighted and surprised me, however, was when I realized that the author was taking the character through several stories which were interwoven with familiar fairy tales -- albeit his own grittier, darker and more mature versions of them, and that's even compared to the originals.
Interestingly, while I was reading this, I couldn't help but compare this book and the Witcher to Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian. Perhaps it was the format, but it did have that sword and sorcery "pulpish" feel. And this was most certainly not a bad thing.
I just realized my review of The Desert Spear is going to sound overly critical, but that isn't to say I disliked the book. Despite a slow start, I enI just realized my review of The Desert Spear is going to sound overly critical, but that isn't to say I disliked the book. Despite a slow start, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, but it still paled in comparison to how I felt when I first picked up The Warded Man, the book that came before.
I'm not going to reveal more than what anyone can read for themselves in a synopsis of the book found on any bookseller website, so I think it's safe to say that it was clear from the start that Jardir, the Krasian leader we met back in the first book, is going to be the Warded Man's rival. Given the circumstances of how the last book ended, Jardir's character wasn't exactly likable, and to flip open The Desert Spear only to have it start off immediately with the story of his life was a disappointment to say the least. I'd wanted more Arlen, more Leesha, more Rojer!
After finishing the novel, however, I can sort of see why the author might have chosen to begin it this way. Still, in my opinion, devoting the entire first third of the book to Jardir was a bit too much. Getting through the first part was a trying experience; as fascinating as Brett made the Krasian culture, I soon grew tired of the stereotypes and the pages and pages of testosterone fueled raging.
But when I finally made it to where we catch up with our three Thesan heroes again, I was shocked to see how two-dimensional they had become. I was most disappointed with Leesha, who had been my favorite, because she seemed to have become supergirl overnight: beautiful and desirable beyond belief, adept at everything she puts her skills to, perfect in every way. Rojer irked me too, and I realized that what had made him interesting to me in the first book was his relationship with Arrick, his mentor. I remember Rojer's story of how he and Arrick first encountered each other was so powerful and touching that it brought tears to my eyes. No Arrick here meant that the dynamic was gone as well. Then it occurred to me that I felt much the same way about Leesah and Bruna.
Arlen fared better. I still think he's a great character, even though everyone else around him seems to have deteriorated into cliches. The less said about any secondary or support characters the better -- some of them, like Gared or Elona or even Jardir's wife have little depth to speak of.
Now the good stuff: I liked how Brett provided several "primer" moments to remind readers what had happened in the first book, good for people like me who forget certain details easily, even though it's been barely two weeks since I read The Warded Man. He could have done it more subtly, perhaps, but I appreciated not having to wrack my brain trying to remember something important.
And the best part of the book: the last 5%. While I felt the Warded Man had a strong start but fizzled out a bit at the end, I felt the opposite was true in the case of The Desert Spear. The ending Brett left us with is really good, full of action and crazy events that happen both in the north and in the south, and was almost enough to bump my rating up a full star to 4 out of 5. My excitement for this series had waned a little in the beginning, but thanks to the awesome ending, it's now back and I'm looking forward to the next book.
Edit: Oh...one more thing I want to add. Forget movies, this series would make a friggin' awesome RPG....more
Right before I started this book, I had been reading this lengthy fantasy novel that left my mind confused, tired, and utterly dissatisfied with charaRight before I started this book, I had been reading this lengthy fantasy novel that left my mind confused, tired, and utterly dissatisfied with character development. After that ordeal, I was just really in need of a good, baggage-less story that can take me away from all that.
Turned out The Warded Man was exactly what I was looking for -- a character driven novel that grabbed me right away, and certainly the story was interesting, action-packed and straightforward enough to keep that momentum going. The first handful of chapters that introduced the three main characters were my favorite; right away, I was able to connect with Arlen, Leesha and Rojer, and understand how the events in their youth were going to shape the rest of the their lives. It was all very believable in the way it was written.
I felt that this believability started crumbling a little in the last third of the book, however. At some point in the novel, the plot and character motivations began to feel somewhat forced, the story fell into a predictable rhythm which culminated in an archetypal Hollywood-ish ending that was just a tad too convenient. That's the only reason why I would hesitate giving it 5 stars, but otherwise, I enjoyed The Warded Man immensely. ...more
I really wanted to give this book a higher rating, I really did; in fact, I even started to thoroughly enjoy myself towards the end when things reallyI really wanted to give this book a higher rating, I really did; in fact, I even started to thoroughly enjoy myself towards the end when things really picked up, but by then it was a little too late. I had a hard time getting through the beginning of the book, trying to make heads or tails of the characters, events and places. The author lets you "puzzle" these together, which I normally wouldn't mind so much, if only the pieces were laid out coherently. The problem was that there's a lot of jumping around, and a huge cast of characters is introduced in a short period of time. Things didn't "click" with me until I was around 20-25% through the novel.
Whenever I start a book, I like to get a good feel for the protagonists early on. Once you get me to care about what happens to them, then I can start to care about the rest of the story. With all the confusion of the first quarter of the book, I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters at all. This likely went on to affect the rest of my experience.
Despite all this, I think I'll give this series one more chance. More than one review I've read has said book one reads more like an "intro", and that things start to get better and make more sense in the second one. I'll put Deadhouse Gates on my to-read list for now, and hope those reviews are right....more
Not a bad book, but I wasn't fully engaged until very late in it. Kvothe as a character is well-written and the author makes it easy to believe in thiNot a bad book, but I wasn't fully engaged until very late in it. Kvothe as a character is well-written and the author makes it easy to believe in this man who can so unbelievably brilliant at some times but so utterly foolish at others. Still, the fact that he was all over the place made it very hard for me to relate to or like him, and that impeded my enjoyment of the story somewhat, especially since much of the book is about his early life when what I really wanted to get into was the main conflict with the Chandrian.
Let me just preface this by saying I don’t read a lot fantasy, and I certainly do not consider myself an enthusiast of the genre as I get through onlyLet me just preface this by saying I don’t read a lot fantasy, and I certainly do not consider myself an enthusiast of the genre as I get through only about a handful of fantasy-themed books every year. I find my preferences gravitate towards historical fantasy, but I’ve pretty much given up on the magical, heroic, or epic sub-genres. Maybe I’ve just had bad luck choosing titles on my own, but most of what I’ve read have either made me sick or bored me to tears.
Not so with The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. In fact, I was overcome with a sense of contentment soon after I turned the last page. It’s the sort of feeling you get after finishing a satisfying read, complete with just the hint of sadness at the fact the book has finally come to an end. That’s saying something, seeing as the hardcover version of the book is a whopping 1008 pages. And this is just the first of what is planned to be a 10-novel series! Considering the author has other projects to work on, including finishing the Wheel of Time series, I’ll probably be in my early 40s by the time the last book comes out. Ah well, I’ve always known that committing myself to an epic fantasy series often means a whole lot of waiting.
The Way of Kings takes place in Roshar, a land affected by powerful weather phenomenons called Highstorms, which are pretty much hurricanes on steroids. The flora and fauna have all adapted to these conditions, resulting in bizarre creatures like heavily-shelled animals or plants that can suck themselves back into the ground when disturbed. All around the world are also these spirit-like things called spren, which are either caused by or attracted to emotions or particular circumstances. It is a fantastical setting, but one that is still very believable at the same time. Sanderson spends the time to craft an in-depth environment with his writing, and it’s clear the ideas for this world weren’t just thrown together overnight.
The book has four main characters who are all connected in some way — Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar and Adolin, though there’s a rather large cast of other background characters to get acquainted with. Kaladin is the most prominent protagonist, and his story almost feels like a comic book hero’s journey. Indeed, he reminds me of Peter Parker/Spider-man in many ways — a young man in bad times who has had to deal with the deaths of people close to him, who’s constantly struggling to save everyone around him with his big heart that cares way too much for others when it should be caring for himself. That said, at times the characters in the book can feel a bit one-dimensional, but this is made up for by some interesting plot turns and the great lead-up to the novel’s climax. Towards the end I could scarcely put the book down, when all the story groundwork that has been laid down finally comes to fruition.
I also appreciate the author for his efforts to constantly keep the reader in the characters’ heads. I felt that this aspect was a huge improvement over his Mistborn series that I couldn’t get into, even though I tried. In those novels, it got too tedious to read pages upon pages of description about the gravity-defying stunts, which would have been much more captivating if I was watching it happen on-screen in a movie or video game. But the nice thing about books — and their greatest strength — should be the way they allow you to peer inside a character’s head to see what they are feeling or experiencing. Without that emotional aspect for me, reading about the combat or action-filled scenes simply feels bland. However, I never once felt this way while reading through The Way of Kings‘ many battle scenes, and I realized it was because Sanderson has managed to keep me sufficiently in touch with the characters this time around.
And while we’re on the subject of Sanderson’s writing, I have to say I enjoy his style. He’s a good storyteller, and his writing, while not too terribly elegant, is straightforward and undisguised without being too simplistic. I mean all that as a compliment; sometimes you just want to get to the meat of the story without poring over a page multiple times to contemplate all its artsy-ness or symbolic meanings. That stuff is for another time, another book. But when all I want to do is sit back and relax to enjoy an epic fantasy with a good story, The Way of Kings delivers....more
