43. The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1937.  320 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, MG Fantasy, fantasy, classic] 

First sentence:  In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.  

ETA: I listened to the audio book narrated by Andy Serkis. It is a little over ten hours, I believe. IT WAS WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC, A JOY AND DELIGHT. He is a talented voice actor. I loved all his voices, except perhaps for some birds? But I recommend the audio a hundred million percent. I would say the audio book is perhaps better than the book. Perhaps. It definitely HELPS the singing portions! I usually skip the poems/songs when I read. But Serkis actually makes them enjoyable!!!!

Premise/plot: Bilbo Baggins has an unexpected adventure in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. When this children's classic opens, Bilbo is decidedly not a burglar. But by the end of it, well, you may have to decide for yourself if he is or isn't... Regardless, Bilbo sets off with THIRTEEN dwarves on a get-rich-or-die-trying quest. They're off to face down a DRAGON, but the dragon won't be the only challenge they face. Will Bilbo return to his beloved shire wiser?!

My thoughts: I love, love, love, love, love, love, love this one. I do. I may even love it a tiny bit more than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Maybe. It's a tricky thing really because in truth, I just LOVE hobbits. I love spending time with hobbits. I love Tolkien's insights about hobbits. One of the things I love about Tolkien is how quotable he is.

Quotes:

“Good Morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. “What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” “All of them at once,” said Bilbo.

“What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!” said Gandalf. “Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won’t be good till I move off.”

He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run short, and then he—as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful—he might have to go without.

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!”

He was altogether alone. Soon he thought it was beginning to feel warm. “Is that a kind of a glow I seem to see coming right ahead down there?” he thought. It was. As he went forward it grew and grew, till there was no doubt about it. It was a red light steadily getting redder and redder. Also it was now undoubtedly hot in the tunnel. Wisps of vapour floated up and past him and he began to sweat. A sound, too, began to throb in his ears, a sort of bubbling like the noise of a large pot galloping on the fire, mixed with a rumble as of a gigantic tom-cat purring. This grew to the unmistakable gurgling noise of some vast animal snoring in its sleep down there in the red glow in front of him. It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.

“You have nice manners for a thief and a liar,” said the dragon. “You seem familiar with my name, but I don’t seem to remember smelling you before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?” “You may indeed! I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen.” “So I can well believe,” said Smaug, “but that is hardly your usual name.” “I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.” “Lovely titles!” sneered the dragon. “But lucky numbers don’t always come off.” “I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.” “These don’t sound so creditable,” scoffed Smaug. “I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrel-rider,” went on Bilbo beginning to be pleased with his riddling. “That’s better!” said Smaug. “But don’t let your imagination run away with you!”

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Fires of Heaven. (The Wheel of Time #5) Robert Jordan. 1993. 704 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the great forest called Braem Wood. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

If I had to review this one in just three words: WHERE IS PERRIN???????

The fifth book of the series mainly focuses on Rand and his continuing challenges as the Dragon Reborn. Mainly. Those still close to Rand include Moraine, Lan, Egwene, and Mat. But the one that literally gets up, close, and personal with Rand is Aviendha, whom we first met in book four.

The book focuses on the "real" world and the "dream" world. Often bad guys and good guys face off in both. It can occasionally be tricky to try to keep up of where these showdowns happen since dreams have the potential to have real world consequences.

Those not (literally) in Rand's camp (or fellowship?) are Elayne and Nynaeve (and company). They have gone from being the hunters to being hunted. Since the Tower fell--well--it makes things even more dangerous. Of course, they had plenty of enemies before the Tower fell. And they've just got a few more now. 

Readers also spend time with Siuan Sanche (the former Amyrlin Seat) and Leane (former Keeper of the Chronicles) as they run for their lives. Min is among their company....

Is it strange that as busy as this book is--and it is VERY VERY BUSY--that I could spend so much time missing Perrin?????

Also there is the matter of Morgase (Elayne's mother, the Queen). We get like one chapter and one page towards the end of the book and the rest of the time she's missing in action. I was like GET BACK TO HER STORY, PLEASE, THANK YOU.

So perhaps I would have had a couple of words for Robert Jordan about this one. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as previous books in the series. But perhaps it makes up for it in body counts of the Forsaken???? Yet part of me is skeptical. Sometimes showdowns seem to be THE FINAL SHOWDOWN only to turn out to be a dress rehearsal.

 Quote: It would be easier if this was a story, he thought. In stories, there were only so many surprises before the hero knew everything he needed; he himself never seemed to know a quarter of everything. (518)

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Dragon Reborn. (The Wheel of Time #3) Robert Jordan. 1991. 624 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

The Dragon Reborn is the third book in the Wheel of Time series. It stars many characters whom we met in books one and two. In this one Rand is coming to terms with the Pattern--or beginning to slightly. It's a slow process. And the pattern seems to want him to be THE DRAGON REBORN. Not a false dragon, a fake, someone out looking for glory or adventure, but the true dragon of ancient prophecy. He's not entirely super comfortable with that role. But he's processing everything mainly in his own way in his own time. And doing it off screen, so to speak.

The Dragon Reborn barely features Rand. And I'm not complaining. It does feature three main stories.

One story has Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve working together. They've been assigned the super-super-super-super secret task of hunting the Black Ajah (the DARK, DARK, SUPER-DARK branch of the Aes Sedai). (Elayne and Egwene undergo their super-secret testing to become ACCEPTED into the Aes Sedai. Nynaeve did this in book two.) It will be dangerous. The three know each other to be reliable and good--on the right side--but how can they know who else to trust?

Another story has Perrin, Lan, Loial, and Moiraine questing together. They are following Rand and of course solving more puzzles along the way. Someone else joins this group--for better or worse--and seems determined to find the Horn (not knowing of course that the Horn has not only been found but already blown).

Yet another story has Mat on a journey. In the beginning of this third book he is finally healed (he became deathly ill in book one). The Aes Sedai want him to remain in Tar Valon, but, the girls (Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve) have other plans for him. And this has him gambling and rambling his way cross country. He picks up a buddy too. (Who wants to quest alone???) Thom (the gleeman from book one) joins Mat in his adventures/misadventures.

The reader may suspect that these three stories will come together into one story by the end, and, of course, you'd be right. All the questing groups DO end up in the same place at the same time. The only one whose quest we do not follow is Rand. And as I said I'm not complaining. What little we do hear from him is enough for me.

This one continues to develop the cultures and politics of the fantasy world. In particular we continue to look at the corruption within the Aes Sedai. (Of course corruption is also found in the governing bodies of other countries).

Dreams. Dreams. Dreams. More dreams. One of the big threads of this one are the dreams or NIGHTMARES that all the characters have from cover to cover. Are the dreams prophetic? Do they mean something? Why are so many people sharing the same dream? Do the dreams hold all the clues needed to defeat the enemy?

This was my first time to reread The Dragon Reborn. I am definitely enjoying rereading the series. I hope to get to books I've never yet read in the series. I am liking the world building and the characterizations.

I will say that sometimes it does feel a little creepy to unpack the book and think deeper about what is going on. Rand was fourteen in the first book. (As are Perrin and Mat). Yet it seems that all the adult women in this world Jordan has peopled--no matter their culture/ethnicity--seems to take one look at Rand (or Perrin or Mat) and think YUM. CANDY. The fact that so many grown women want to flirt seductively with a fourteen or fifteen year old is creepy. (I believe in the third book it's been a little under a year since the adventure began? They left in spring and the third book mentions it being winter). It is easy to get distracted by all the other drama--the ultimate showdown between Light and Dark--to forget that these heroes are YOUNG. You can almost recast them in your imagination as being older (say eighteen, nineteen) and begin to think nothing of it. I do wonder why Jordan didn't just make them older to begin with? Like Lord of the Ring, Frodo is in his 30s or 40s. Bilbo Baggins wasn't all that young on his quest either.

But overall I am loving the series. Quite an entertaining read.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Great Hunt. (Wheel of Time #2) Robert Jordan. 1991. 705 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass leaving memories that become legend, then fade to myth, and are long forgot when that Age comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Dhoom. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

The Great Hunt is the second book in the Wheel of Time series. It definitely has a different "feel" than the first book in the series, in my opinion. It stops feeling like flattery--an adoring fan of Tolkien writing his own love song to the epic quest genre--and begins to feel like its own unique story. Or more so. Perhaps each book takes us a step or two further away from being fan fiction to Lord of the Rings. 

So it is titled The Great Hunt. So expect the questing to turns more towards HUNTING. And the mission this go around is to recover and find THE HORN OF VALERE. The horn is legendary and is linked--supposedly--to the "Last Battle." It was stolen--along with a dagger--and the two must be found. The dagger is less legendary perhaps--though equally dark and shadowy--its worth is of great importance to Rand, Mat, and Perrin (our three heroes) because one of their lives depends on the finding of it. (If you've read the first book, you know which of the three it is.)

Our three heroes, Rand, Mat, and Perrin are joined on their quest with some old friends (like Loial whom I love, love, love and adore) and new faces (like Ingtar, Hurin, and Verin). It will prove a daunting journey. 

While half of our characters are out looking for the Horn (and the dagger), our other characters are continuing on with their own life goals. Nynaeve and Egwene travel to Tar Valon and begin their study to become Aes Sedai. They are joined by Min and Elayne. The four form a friendship of sorts. Particularly Min, Elayne, and Egwene. Min has a strong feeling that their fates are all twisted twisted up with Rand's for better or worse.

You might think they have an easier time. What dangers could they possibly face that would endanger their lives--especially compared to the dangers the guys are facing hunting for the Horn. But you'd be wrong. Readers finally, finally get a glimpse of the Aes Sedai in The Great Hunt. (Widening our perspective from just knowing Moiraine). These heroines end up IN VERY GREAT DANGER.

Some of the most intense scenes--in my opinion--involve the human trafficking of young girls and women. Those being targeted are those who can--in varying degrees--channel. And they are being captured, put in bondage, tortured, and shipped out to a foreign country. I'm sure there's a greater scheme at play, but I'm not sure it's out and out stated why the lands--both cities and rural areas--are being searched to find young girls/women to steal. 

There are two other side stories introduced (or further built upon as the case may be). Occasionally the action will turn from our heroes and heroines altogether and shift focus. We spend time with some Children of the Light (the White Cloaks) OR learning more about the Seanchan. I'll be honest, it just feels ODD to suddenly start reading a chapter where you don't know ANY of the characters and how it relates to the greater whole. But by the end it was beginning to make a wee bit of sense. 

The overall 'big picture' of this one is simple: Will Rand step forward and accept the fate the Pattern has written for him or will he run away--far and fast--and try to escape his fate? Will he accept the fact that he is indeed THE DRAGON of legend REBORN.

I have read the first book in the series The Eye of the World three times. This is my first time to reread The Great Hunt. When I read it the first time--for whatever reason--I rated it four stars--really???? I would definitely raise the stars to five upon rereading. 

I do wish it had more Lan.

Quotes:

"You wish everything could be the way it was, sheepherder? Or you wish the girl would go with you instead of to Tar Valon? You think she'll give up becoming an Aes Sedai for a life of wandering? With you? If you put it to her in the right way, she might. Love is an odd thing." Lan sounded suddenly weary. "As odd a thing there is." (8)

Loial was watching them dice, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with a finger thicker than a big man's thumb, his head almost reaching the rafters nearly two spans up. None of the dicers gave him a glance. Ogier were not exactly common in the Borderlands or anywhere else, but they were known and accepted here, and Loial had been in Fal Dara long enough to excite little comment. The Ogier's dark, stiff-collared tunic was buttoned up to his neck and flared below the waist over his high boots, and one of the big pockets bulged and sagged with the weight of something. Books, if Rand knew him. Even watching men gamble, Loial would not be far from a book. (30)

"My mother," she said firmly, "always told me the best way to learn to deal with a man was to learn to ride a mule. She said they have about equal brains most of the time. Sometimes the mule is smarter." (35) (Egwene)

She thinks only of the knowledge, Moiraine thought wonderingly. The culmination of the direst prophecy the world knows, perhaps the end of the world, and she cares about the knowledge. But she is still dangerous for that. (110)

"There is one rule, above all others, for being a man. Whatever comes, face it on your feet." (119) (Lan)

"I never said--" he took a deep breath. "I told you I had nothing to offer for brideprice but widow's clothes. Not a gift any man could give a woman. Not a man who can call himself a man."
"I understand," she said coolly. "In any case, a king does not give gifts to village women. And this village woman would not take them. Have you seen Rand? I need to talk to him. He was to see the Amyrlin. Do you know what she wanted with him?"
His eyes blazed like blue ice in the sun. She stiffened her legs to keep from stepping back, and met him glare for glare.
"The Dark One take Rand al'Thor and the Amyrlin Seat both," he grated, pressing something into her hand. "I will make you a gift and you will take it if I have to chain it around your neck."
She pulled her eyes away from his. He had a stare like a blue-eyed hawk when he was angry. In her hand was a signet ring, heavy gold and worn with age, almost large enough for both her thumbs to fit through. On it, a crane flew above a lance and a crown, all carefully wrought in detail. Her breath caught. The ring of Malkieri kings. Forgetting to glare, she lifted her face. "I cannot take this, Lan."
He shrugged in an offhand way. "It is nothing. Old, and useless, now. But there are those who would know it when they saw it. Show that, and you will have guestright, and help if you need it, from any lord in the Borderlands. Show it to a Warder, and he will give you aid, or carry a message to me. Send it to me, or a message marked with it, and I will come to you, without delay and without fail. this I swear." (135)
Loial grinned, and his ears stood up. He moved his horse closer. "I say things I should not all the time. The Elders always said I spoke an hour before I thought." (146)

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) Robert Jordan. 1990. Tor. 814 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

Premise/plot: The Eye of the World is the first book in the Wheel of Time series. Three young lads are at the center of this misadventure which has good and evil facing off once again. Rand, Perrin, and Mat are country boys--farmers, sheep farmers, villagers. They never planned or wished for this adventure to befall them. And, truth be told, the excitement wore off quickly. But it's literally all or nothing for their lives are at stake--no, the future of the world is at stake.

They are not alone. There is a fellowship of sorts. Two young women--also from the same community (Emond's Field)--Nynaeve (the village wisdom) and Egwene (her apprentice). Egwene wanted to join in the adventure and is seeking a little something more to life. Nynaeve is distrustful and hesitant. Her mission is to get them all back home safe so life can return to NORMAL. (Well, that's her mission at first). The adults along for the ride are from the outside. There is a gleeman, Thom Merrilin, an Aes Sedai, Moiraine, and her warder, Lan. They also pick up one more along the way, notably Loial. (Would they have made it without him???)

So what should you expect: a tedious journey with a near impossible mission to complete on their quest. Tedious not for the reader--necessarily--but for those actually on the journey. It is full of hardships and literal nightmares. Night and day they must find the strength to keep on keeping on and resisting evil at every single turn.

My thoughts: This is my third time to read The Eye of the World. I really do love it. I forget just how much because I see it on my bookshelf--along with all the OTHER books in this massive series--and I find a plethora of reasons not to read the series....just yet. But I have an oh-so-faithful friend who encouraged me to pick it up again, that now is the time. She had more faith in me than I had in myself. I thought there was no way I could read it in a week, and, she thought YES YOU CAN. She was right. By the third day it was almost easy how right it felt to just read the one book. 

Expect world-building: introducing the world, introducing the cultures and traditions, introducing lore and legends, introducing characters, the formations of relationships--friendship and possibly romantic.

My advice for those that are intimidated by the prologue and perhaps the first few chapters is to keep on keeping on. Don't try to understand/comprehend the WHOLE world at once. Go with the flow and absorb the world at your own pace. 

My review from 2014.
My review from 2012.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Hook's Tale: Being the Account of an Unjustly Villainized Pirate Written by Himself. John Leonard Pielmeier. 2017. 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: When I was six years old or thereabouts, I had a horrific nightmare that I still remember quite clearly.

Premise/plot: Hook's Tale is the long-lost, recently-found "memoir" of Captain James Cook. I recommend it to anyone who loves or hates Peter Pan. It is a retelling. Mind you, it is not a silly retelling, or an overly romantic retelling, or an obnoxious retelling. It is a CLEVER retelling. The adventure really begins when our hero--at age of 14--is kidnapped at an inn and forced into the Navy. In his possession--hidden in a book--is a map, a treasure map. He shares this map, and, well, the results are mixed. His life will NEVER be the same again.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I didn't love everything about it. (There were a few scenes that led to it being a bit adult in content.) But overall, I LOVED it. I loved the hero. I loved him as a young boy, as a teen, as a man, as an old man. (Not that he was perfect mind you.) I love the contrast between him and Peter. The character of Peter is so chilling, so creepy, so ODD. There were so many FANTASTIC scenes in this one. It was just a great read. I loved how time worked--or didn't work--in this one.
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Bear and the Nightingale. Katherine Arden. 2017. 322 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was late winter in Norther Rus', the air sullen with wet that was neither rain nor snow.

Premise/plot: The Bear and the Nightingale is historical fantasy set in medieval Russia. For some, that might be enough to get you curious! For others, it will take a bit more work. I'm not sure my review can do the book justice, however. Where to start? With the two chapters of prologue that do a great job of setting up the story? Or do I jump right in and tell you about the heroine, Vasya?! I really feel the less you know the better.

Essentially, The Bear and the Nightingale is historical fantasy that draws on Russian folklore and fairy tales. The struggle is between the old ways and the new, the pagan and the christian. Vasya was born with a gift--a blessing or curse, as you will--she can see the 'pagan' 'demons' (gods and goddesses that inhabit the world (in the household, in the barn, in the forest, etc.) She is not afraid of them, and actually is on speaking terms with many. But. Danger is coming, and coming fast. The BEAR has been awakened, and, he's desperate to break the bonds that Lord Winter (Lord Frost, Morozko) placed on him long, long ago. The BEAR is eager to kill Vasya before she comes into her own, into her powers, before she realizes who she is and what she's capable of. Lord Frost passes along a talisman--a jewel--to help the girl survive...but he can't provide her with courage, strength, determination, fierceness. But that she has aplenty!

My thoughts: I like fantasy novels. I like historical novels. This one was an enjoyable read to me. My only complaint--and it's a small one--is that the chapters were a little on the LONG side.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1977. 386 pages. [Source: Bought]

 There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony. And it came to pass that Ilúvatar called together all the Ainur and declared to them a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed; and the glory of its beginning and the splendour of its end amazed the Ainur, so that they bowed before Ilúvatar and were silent.

I loved reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. That doesn't mean I found it easy the first time I attempted it. Or even the second. I do think you have to be in the proper mood to fully enjoy it--to appreciate it. There is a beauty to it, a certain grace to the language. Something that you don't see all that often. Something that brings to my mind--at least--the beauty and grace of the Authorized Version of the Bible (KJV). But with that beauty and grace there is a certain strangeness, a foreignness. Something that puts distance between the book and the reader. It's all about the world-building.

The Silmarillion is divided into several sections:

• AINULINDALË
• VALAQUENTA
• QUENTA SILMARILLION
• AKALLABÊTH 
• OF THE RINGS OF POWER AND THE THIRD AGE  

Each section is unique, has its own style or tone. The longest section is Quenta Silmarillion. The section probably with the most reader appeal is Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age.

So is The Silmarillion similar to his other works? Yes and no. There are orcs, dwarves, elves, eagles, dragons, balrogs, wolves, giant spiders, humans, and wizards. And certainly much of The Silmarillion concerns the battle between good and evil. The two main "bad guys" are Melkor (Morgoth) and Sauron. And the book is about greed, ambition, honor, love, and friendship. There's plenty of action, and even some romance. The book features origin or creation stories. So there's a good chance that you can learn more background for putting The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit into context. But it does require some patience perhaps. For example, people rarely have one name--they may have up to a dozen! Turin Turambar comes to mind. I wish I'd known about the family trees at the end of the book while I was actually reading it!

Yes, The Silmarillion is beautifully written. But that isn't its only strength. The world-building is incredibly detailed. Its also packed with stories and interesting characters.

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 423 pages.

When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

This is my first 'proper' reading of Lord of the Rings. And it did take a few false starts, but, putting all that aside, I thought it was a wonderful, wonderful book. I loved so much about it: the characters, the setting, the storytelling, the richness of it. I think it's a book that needs multiple readings perhaps--a story that you're not quite ready to be done with.

I found Fellowship of the Ring fascinating. Which isn't exactly how I found the first movie--the first time round! I loved the different settings. I loved the pacing of it. I loved how the adventure builds and builds. The danger of it, the intensity of it, I mean. The opening in the shire--the birthday festivities--well, they're just so pleasant, so delightful. It isn't until readers learn just how badly this 'one ring' is wanted that the pace picks up. But even when they know the threat and risk involved, it still takes a while for them to truly get how life and death it all is, how real it all is.

Sam and Aragorn are probably my favorite characters--though I really am fond of everyone in the fellowship. I definitely am enjoying this series!!!

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. (60)

On Gollum and the ring:

He hated it and loved it; as he hated and loved himself. He could not get rid of it. He had no will left in the matter. (64)

On 'why' Frodo was 'chosen' to have the ring:

You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess: nor for wisdom, at any rate. (70)

From one of my favorite songs:

O! Water Hot is a noble thing! (111)

It is perilous to study too deeply the arts of the Enemy, for good or for ill. (278)

Where there are so many, all speech becomes a debate without end. But two together may perhaps find wisdom. (413)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The People: No Different Flesh. (The New Chronicle of  THE PEOPLE) Zenna Henderson. 1967. Avon. 225 pages.

Meris watched the darkness rip open and mend itself again in the same blinding flash that closed her eyes.

No Different Flesh is the second People book by Zenna Henderson. It's a collection of loosely connected stories about The People. If you enjoy science fiction, I'd recommend both books. Both are well-written. Both are fantastic. (Much better than what you might think based on the book covers alone!)

The novel does begin on a dark and stormy night. Meris and Mark are a married couple grieving the loss of a child. After the storm, Mark discovers a young child. Where did this little one come from? Why are her clothes so out-of-this-world? Is she not talking because of shock? Or does she not speak English? One mystery is soon solved when the girl's father arrives within a few days. But for Mark and Meris, it's only the beginning of the wonder, of the mystery. For this child and her father are of The People. And soon they are joined by others of their Group. And the stories begin. And Mark and Meris are very happy to be included in these gatherings. The framework of this novel isn't as strong as in the first book. But the stories are just as fascinating, just as wonder-making.

The stories included in this one are: No Different Flesh, Deluge, Angels Unawares, Troubling of the Water, Return, and Shadow on the Moon.

My favorite would probably be "Deluge" and "Angels Unawares." In Deluge,  readers learn about The Home--the origin planet for The People, a planet that was dying, a planet The People were forced to leave; we witness everything through the eyes of one family. In Angels Unawares, readers follow one member of that family to her new home, Earth.

I enjoyed the stories. I enjoyed the characters. I even enjoyed the structure--how many stories we have, and how many different narrators we have.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Pilgrimage: The Unforgettable SF Masterpiece of the Strangers Among Us: The First Book of The People. Zenna Henderson. 1961. 255 pages.

The window of the bus was a dark square against the featureless night.

I enjoyed this science fiction novel very much! The novel opens with a young woman, Lea, contemplating suicide. But fate--in the form of a woman--intervenes. Karen reaches out to Lea at her most vulnerable moment and persuades her to take the first baby step towards life, towards hope. She encourages her to wonder. Karen takes her home, takes her to The People. The People are gathering nightly--they have decisions of their own to make, decisions just as important perhaps--but they are gathering to tell stories, to record their stories, their histories, their journeys. Lea, an outsider, hears things that are almost to incredible to believe.

Who are The People? Where did they come from? How can they do the things they do? Read and see for yourself!

I enjoyed the stories. I enjoyed the characters. I enjoyed the storytelling. Many of these stories could be described as coming-of-age stories. I'd definitely recommend this one.

Another review: Necromancy Never Pays.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Wyrd Sisters. Terry Pratchett. 1980/2001. HarperCollins. 288 pages.

The wind howled. Lightning stabbed at the earth erratically, like an inefficient assassin. Thunder rolled back and forth across the dark, rain-lashed hills. The night was as black as the inside of a cat.

Last fall, I discovered the joys of reading Terry Pratchett. This is my first of his adult novels to read. And I did enjoy it very much! It is the story of three witches, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat, as they attempt to meddle--in a completely non-evil way, of course--with the politics of a kingdom, of a royal family. There is a lost prince--a young person who does NOT know he's the son of the murdered king--living a happy theatrical life. There is the unhappy ghost of the murdered king. And there is the Fool madly in love with Magrat whose sole duty in life is to be loyal to the king--even if this king is a murderer with an unpleasant wife. And then there's Hwel, the dramatic dwarf. I just loved him! There is much to enjoy in this one. The writing is as enjoyable as can be. It's got humor and drama and a certain something that makes Pratchett stand out.

My favorite lines:

Like most people, witches are unfocused in time. The difference is that they dimly realize it, and make use of it. They cherish the past because part of them is still living there, and they can see the shadows the future casts before it. Granny could feel the shape of the future, and it had knives in it. (41)

The duke had managed quite well for fifty years without finding a use for curiosity. It was not a trait much encouraged in aristocrats. He had found certainty was a much better bet. However, it occurred to him that for once curiosity might have its uses. (45)

Particles of raw inspiration sleet through the universe all the time. Every once in a while one of them hits a receptive mind, which then invents DNA or the flute sonata form or a way of making light bulbs wear out in half the time. But most of them miss. Most people go through their lives without being hit by even one. Some people are even more unfortunate. They get them all. Such a one was Hwel. (60)

"What about dwarf bars?"
"You'd hate it," said Hwel, fervently. "Besides, you'd run out of headroom."
"Low dives, are they?"
"Look at it like this--how long do you think you could sing about gold?"
"'It's yellow and it goes chink and you can buy things with it.'" said Tomjon experimentally, as they strolled through the Plaza of Broken Moons. "Four seconds, I think."
"Right. Five hours of it get a bit repetitive." Hwel kicked a pebble gloomily. "Anyway," he added, "you'd get thrown out for being too creative. The actual words are 'Gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold.'"
"Is there a chorus?"
"'Gold, gold, gold, gold, gold" said Hwel. (178)

Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages. (195)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Ice Land by Betsy Tobin. 2008/2009. Penguin. 368 pages.

When I was sixteen, I was given a cloak made entirely of feathers.

Did I enjoy this one?! I did! It's a complex story--at times--a historical fantasy with gods (the Aesir), giants, dwarfs, and humans living messy (and sometimes intertwined) lives. But it's a beautiful story as well. It is set in Iceland (circa 1000 AD), and it is the story of love in all its messy glory.

It left me a bit speechless. Not many books do.

From the back cover:

Warned by the fates of an impending disaster, Freya embarks on a dangerous journey deep into the mountains to find a magnificent gold necklace said to have the power to alter the course of history. Meanwhile, the country is on the brink of war as the new world order of Christianity threatens the old ways of Iceland's people, and tangled amid it all are two star-crossed lovers whose destiny draws them together--even as their families are determined to tear them apart.

Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Betsy Tobin's sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith, and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.

They got it right! You know how sometimes the way a book's description can be so misleading, and so not-the-book-you-get? Well, this one really is as good as they make it out to be.

Fulla, a young maiden, is unhappy. Her grandfather (her only remaining family) wants her to get married. He wants to do the choosing of course. What does she know of such things? Of what makes a marriage work? What makes a marriage strong? How could she--such a young thing--know about love and matters of the heart? How can she know her own mind? So says her grandfather, Hogni, in any case.

Who would she choose if she had her way? Does she dare speak it even to herself? When such a choice is oh-so-obviously forbidden? It's Vili. A young boy from a rival family. The son of the man who killed Fulla's father.

This isn't Fulla's story alone. It's also the story of the goddess, Freya. The goddess of love who is a bit unlucky when it comes to her own heart, her own affairs. Freya has worries of her own. Worries for her people, worries for Iceland itself. She's heard prophecies, seen signs, enough to lead her on a quest for what could be salvation. Her search for a remarkable gold necklace, a necklace made by the dwarfs, what would she do to obtain it, to make it hers? Will it change her destiny?!

So many different characters...so many stories intertwined...all beautifully and wonderfully done. A great, great story. Very compelling and oh-so-fascinating. Definitely recommended. It would be oh-so-perfect for Carl's Once Upon A Time reading challenge this spring. If you can wait that long. I couldn't. I'm weak.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Flewelling, Lynn. 2001. The Bone Doll's Twin. Bantam. 524 pages.

Iya pulled off her straw wayfarer's hat and fanned herself with it as her horse labored up the rocky trail toward Afra.

Fantasy. The Bone Doll's Twin is a compelling, almost-always interesting fantasy novel about a corrupt kingdom, divine prophecy, and magic. The legend (prophecy) goes that as long as the kingdom is ruled by a woman (warrior-queen), then all will be well and right. But all is not right, as the reader comes to see, because a usurper--half brother? brother?--has claimed the throne and begun a deadly massacre. All of the king's female relations are being killed off one by one by one.

The Bone Doll's Twin is the story of a would-be queen who must--her very life depends on it--grow up disguised (by magic, by blood magic) as a boy. (This is the work of Iya, Arkoniel, and Lhel). Tobin, our hero, has no idea that he is a she. He does know that he is haunted by the ghost/spirit of his twin "brother." Though he knows (can't remember if he was told directly or indirectly) that his twin was a girl, the ghost is always a he, his brother. (In fact, Tobin calls him "Brother.")

It's a strange little story about witches and wizards and magic. A story about power and corruption. A story about staying alive and fighting for justice. In this book, the first of a trilogy, we witness Tobin's childhood. His mother is changed--emotionally troubled--by the death of one of her babies. Her mother is never the same after that. She spends her time making strange little dolls. One doll in particular is most precious to her. It is a strange doll, a faceless doll. It seems to bind her to the child that is no more. When his mother dies--suicide brought on by shock and fear--Tobin is forced to grow up even quicker. (He also inherits this doll; but he gives it a face.) His father neglects him for the most part--then sadly is killed in battle. And if he hadn't wandered across a strange old witch of a woman, his childhood might have been lonelier and even stranger. It also helps that he acquires a companion, a boy around his own age, Ki, to be his squire and go through all this schooling/training with him. I won't go into all the details--there are too many, and it's hard to know which ones would be spoilers--but Tobin begins training for the royal court he must one day enter. Those raising him, training him, know that it is just a matter of time before the young boy they all love so much--place such great hope in--is forced to leave his lands, his home, and begin living life at Court under the watchful eye of his (evil) Uncle-King and his followers.

I've left out so many things. I didn't mean to be so scattered. But there is no way I could really do this one justice in just a few paragraphs. The book is way too complex for that. (Which can be a good thing when you think about it.) If you like fantasy, especially if you like fantasy with wizards and witches and magic and magic spells, then you will probably enjoy this one. It's rich in detail. (There were a few scenes I wished for a little less detail.) Did I like it? Yes, for the most part. I wished for a little less detail on the intimate relationship between a young wizard (Arkoniel) and an ugly witch (Lhel) a woman with questionable hygiene.* I found the characters to be intriguing at the very least. I loved the relationship between Tobin and Ki--their friendship--and it was interesting to see how Brother influenced the action. The pacing worked well, for the most part, it kept me hooked and turning pages.
*I don't know that I'd go so far as to say it was worthy of Literary Review's Bad Sex in Fiction Award. But it was bad. Of course, I guess it could have always been worse. This element of the book might take up five or six pages out of five hundred.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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Gaiman, Neil. 1997. (2003 my edition) Neverwhere.

"The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself."

My thoughts on Neverwhere. I liked it. It was good. It was interesting. But I didn't love, love, love it the way I loved Stardust. I think that may be in part because of the urban setting. The underground-urban setting. I had a harder time suspending my disbelief. Which may strike some as strange, but I am what I am. I liked the characters. I cared what happened to them. But I wasn't swept off my feet by the story or the storytelling like I was with Stardust. I enjoyed it. I would definitely still recommend it. Where as with Stardust I could see myself rereading it every year or so and feeling the need to own a copy...with Neverwhere, I don't have that compulsion.

It's the story of a man, Richard, who through chance (or destiny) is drawn into a strange underworld London. A London that most never see, most never venture into. A place where the strange, the unbelievable, happens every day and every night. The characters are for the most part eccentric. Richard is most drawn to Lady Door. The star of the show. It is her life that is in danger. It is her life that they are trying to protect. Her mystery they're trying to solve. Richard doesn't know what to believe these days. He can't deny the strange world that he's in, but he's still a little unsure of everything.

As I said, I liked it but I didn't love love love it. But it was good.

370

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell is book one in the Rigante series. It's also one of the reasons I started the Cardathon. Let me explain. Yes, I started the Cardathon to introduce others to the glory-that-is Orson Scott Card. But it was also selfish. I wanted the chance to read some books that were Card-recommended. I would read Card's essays/articles about the books he was reading and be intrigued, curious. Card's thoughts on Gemmell intrigued me. Here is an author--Gemmell--that I've never heard of. And Card is praising him enthusiastically. You can read his review of David Gemmell's Rigante series here. I knew immediately that I would want to read some to experience it for myself--to see if it was really as good as Card claimed.

Sword in the Storm is 439 pages of pure pleasure. It's historical fantasy. But--and this is purely my take on it--it is fantasy that is done in such a way that it doesn't feel like fantasy. It feels real. The world is so well-crafted, so well-grounded. The characters so human, so life-like. It just feels real. Yes, there are some magical powers going on. (The Seidh) (Especially crucial is the Morrigan. Though I think the spelling may be altered in the novel.) But they feel real. They don't feel like make believe. It was a world, a time and place, that I thoroughly bought into.

The first book--the only book I've read so far--follows the life of a tribe--the Rigantes--based on the Celts of Britain. They never say the word "Britain." And the closest you get to "celt" is "Keltoi" but when you read it there is little doubt where it is set. Similarly, the threat--the people, the soldiers, of "Stone" are never called "Romans." But the reader knows who the soon-to-be enemies/conquerors are.

Never has a book been so rich, so fully immersed in culture WHILE at the same time being so full of action and intensity. The characters are well-developed. It doesn't matter if they're major or minor. All the characters have a life, a spark of their own. Each plays a role in the drama. Each is important. The whole community--the whole tribe--is given life. His characters are so human, so believable. They're full of flaws, but they're still--for the most part--so likable. You understand them. If they do good. If they do bad. You feel you know why. You understand why. The action? Intense. Whether plotting a romance or preparing for great battle scenes, the pacing is unbelievable. All of it is so good. It really keeps the pages turning.

I think I will take a hint from Card and not talk too much about the characters themselves. This is one you need to read for yourself.

I have actually said nothing about the characters themselves. For good reason: I don't want to mar them by trying to summarize who they are.

For Gemmell has done something that is rarely attempted outside the fantasy genre and rarely done well within it. He has created characters of nobility and honor, and has done it so well that instead of seeming larger than life, they never lose their humanity.

Anyway, I can't recommend this one highly enough!!!! Read this book!